Cleaning Seed

During seeding and harvest we use our seed cleaner to get the purest grain we can. At this point we are using it to make sure we only put the best quality barley seed in the ground. During harvest we use it to help us meet the requirements to make the highest selling grade possible. 

It works by moving the grain through three cylinders. These are interchangeable and have holes along them. Whichever size holes you have dictates what falls through the cylinder or sieve and what remains inside it. The different sizes are then sent to different spots. For example, the seed into the truck and the seconds into the sheep feeder. It's a very handy tool to have but sometimes it's not quite big enough for the jobs we have so we employ a professional seed cleaner on occasion as well. 

Professional Escorts

When it comes to seeding and harvest time we move a lot of wide loads between our blocks of land. To do this safely we have to have an escort. This morning we brought the air seeder along the road which is 4.5 m wide. I get to take the ute and stay ahead of Dad in the tractor. I have hazard lights and a flashing beacon plus an over width sign. It's usually very straight forward, as long as we don't meet another over width load!

Blessed Rain

As I have said previously, we are at the whim of Mother Nature in this lifestyle. Without rain to make the crops germinate we rely solely on the wool and meat we grow from our Merino's. Too much rain in summer washes out the feed meaning we have to feed our stock by hand. Not enough rain during winter means having to pump water to dams in summer to ensure our stock stay healthy. Frost during the growth stages of crops can be devastating on their overall growth. Lightning strikes in summer can start fires that stop our whole community until we manage to put them out. There are countless ways in which Mother Nature can leave us feeling a little dejected, a little lost and in serious need of hope.

Thankfully she does give us hope as well. There is nothing quite like knowing the seed is in the ground and waking up to the sweet sound of rain on a tin roof. Walking outside and having the cleansing fresh smell of rain on dirt drift over you like a wave. Seeing the puddles starting to form. Watching the ripples across the dams, knowing they are slowly filling as the raindrops scatter across the surface. Seeing the sun's rays break out from behind the clouds and watching the whole world begin to sparkle. As a child, watching the rainbows form and hoping the 'pot of gold' was on our farm! Feeling wet grass underfoot and soft warm rays upon your face and knowing the crops are soaking up exactly the same thing.

Mother Nature is a force to be reckoned with, and yes, farmers often complain about her. That is just us hoping we have a chance of breaking even or even making a profit. Underneath that, I don't think you will find a farmer who doesn't appreciate the sheer force and beauty of Mother Nature. She can give and she can take and no farmer ever takes her for granted. We merely try and sense her moods and prepare for them as best we can.

Even our veggies are loving the rain this morning!!

Self Sufficient

We don't live all that far from town compared to some of the stations I've been to. We're not isolated in that we can't get to a grocery store regularly but we still try and grow as much of our own food as possible. We're passionate about growing food for ourselves, and for you! We grow and eat our own lamb. We grow fruit and veggies in the garden so we can make our own jams, tomato chutneys and sauces, cordial, marmalade and so much more! Mum spoils us and makes beautiful, healthy, home made bread. She also makes yoghurt herself. We give all our food scraps to the chooks and in return we get eggs and well fertilised fruit trees, as they live in the orchard. We don't grow beef but occasionally we do a deal with a neighbour to get some delicious Angus beef!
Of course all of the plants are seasonal producers so we eat fresh when they are blooming with life and preserve what we can't eat for the rest of the year. This way we keep with the natural cycles of produce. It doesn't provide everything we need but it goes a long way toward lessening the shopping trolley load. Plus, it tastes awesome and is heaps of fun to grow! That is part of why we grow food for you to. We enjoy it. You can to!

The Working Dogs!

We have two working dogs at the moment. Charlie, the Border Collie and Buddy, the Hunterway Kelpie cross.
Charlie is brilliant at bringing sheep towards you in the yards. Buddy is a great jumping dog so he tends to go up the side of the race more than working behind the sheep. There is a very big difference in how the sheep respond to each dog as sheep don't see in colour. When Charlie is in the yards there is a contrast from black and white to the brown dirt so they respond quickly. Buddy tends to blend in with the dirt so he can work closer to the sheep.
They have the best life ever! Lazing in the sun, when they're not working in the yards,and eating the odd kangaroo tail.

Conversion of Energy

On the farm we currently cook on a wood stove. That means we are always needing wood to keep it going. Getting wood from the wood heap is a perpetual chore. As a kid it was the worst job! These days splitting wood or going out with the chainsaw and ute is a great anger management technique. Fresh air and exercise happens accidentally almost all the time out here! So all the trees that die become fire wood for us, if they don't become strainer posts or furniture timber, it then gets chopped to the right size so we can gain some energy from the food we cook or the warmth it gives off in the winter months! Farming is about cycles of life and respecting the way things happen naturally. We don't cut down green trees for wood, we do plant trees to replenish our supplies though.

Dung Sampling

This mornings job was to get dung samples from 3 mobs of sheep. We dung sample to find out if the sheep are carrying worms which can detract from their overall healthiness. So just like you worm your dogs, we worm the sheep! To get an accurate figure on the amount of worm eggs per sheep we have to get 20 samples of sheep pooh from the mob. They are then mushed up and looked at through a microscope (you have to be trained for this part). Depending on the time of year and what kind of feed the sheep are on we can then determine if we should be drenching them with an oral drench.

Who Am I?

Imagine a place in a far away land.
Where a girl can grow up completely unmanned.
Imagine a realm where nothing is bad,
Where a girl can run free, get dirty, go mad!

Imagine a world with grass emerald green,
Where the sky paints pictures and can always be seen.
Imagine somewhere that blends every hue,
That changes, that grows, yet stays true to you.

Imagine a place that takes but gives more,
A place that stays with you over hills, over shores.
Imagine a realm where possibilities are endless,
Where dreams can come true while you stand there defenceless.

Imagine a place with no limits, not one.
Now imagine it inspires you, it lets you have fun.
Imagine a realm where anything comes to pass,
Where it all seems to fit. You. The trees, sky, and grass.

Imagine that realm has taught you its ways,
Its tempests, its calms, its moods as it sways.
Imagine that place is just like you or me,
Living and breathing it thrives, flowing free.

Imagine a world where you use the strength of your back.
Cities, people, cars, never ending rush. Who needs that?!
Imagine a realm with a natural rhythm and pace,
A realm full of individuals, yet whole, interlaced.

Believe in this place where a girl can be free,
Confident, at peace. Home-grown, just like me.

As you can see I am a country girl through and through. I was born in Kojonup and it has been my home ever since. Primary school was school bus runs for an hour and a quarter each way, every day. It was coming home to the shearing shed watching bright white dots wandering along the driveway. High school was hanging out for boarders long weekends, wishing I could be back on the farm. Back where my roots were, and still are. The years since I finished school have been a mix of farm life and all sorts of other things. It would seem no matter what I try I always end up back here, growing stock and crops. It also seems it doesn't matter if I'm on the family farm, a station, or someone else's farm. The passion for agriculture is always unwavering.

Me, I'm a country girl in a big old world who wants to help people understand what we do and why we do it. There is a lot of turmoil in the agricultural world these days and I believe the only way to find the right solutions for this industry is to educate everybody about what we, as farmers, actually do. I am always open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. That is a farmers perogative, to innovate and increase productivity. We are always striving for the best possible result in yield, animal health, profit and lifestyle. Yes, money does come into it, that is how we make a living, but we are not people who are driven by dollar signs. We are driven by the beautiful world we get to live in every day, we choose this lifestyle because it is amazing. Hopefully as you read what we do here you may begin to understand that this is not a job where we go to work at 9am and come home at 5pm to forget about it all. It is forever in our hearts and our minds. It is part of who we are and as such we have a steady and unyielding need to care for our land and our stock. To preserve what we have in a sustainable way and ensure that everything is at its healthiest.

Now you know who I am, but please stop and take the time to think about what I want. Help me to bridge the gap between the city and the country. Milk ends up in a carton, meat ends up in a butchers, bread ends up on supermarket shelves, clothes end up on racks. Yet there is so much more to what we consume than retail stores. Cows, sheep, grain crops, dairies, calves, lambs, seeding, harvesting, drenching, marking, shearing. The list is endless! Hopefully I can help you to understand where the things we consume come from and perhaps convince you to lend a hand to your local farmers, because without us (and I mean this in a very simplistic and un-egotistical fashion) the world stops. If you already support the agricultural sector and our lifestyle then please share this with those around you who don't have the opportunity to experience or understand what we do.

Agricultural Passion

I began writing a blog when I was travelling to keep my family and friends in touch with what I was doing. Now that I'm back, I'm finding myself still taking photos of the everyday things that I do and wanting to share it all with people who want to know more about farm life.
I live on a sheep and crop farm South West of Kojonup in Western Australia and this is the story of what we do day in and day out. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I honestly believe there is nothing better than the lifestyle we have out here. Wide open spaces, stock to care for, crops to grow and seasons to rely on. We hone our skills but we never do the same thing twice. The seasons don't always swing our way but we make the best of what we are given every year.