2012 Australian Year of the Farmer

In 2012, we celebrate the Australian year of the Farmer. What a great way to acknowledge the role farmers play in the life of Australia.They are stewards of the landscape, producers of food and fibre for the nation as well as many other countries.

Several years ago our landcare group at Ivanhoe embarked on a project to promote farmers to

city folks. The first year we spent 3 days in Sydney running small workshops for school kids.We were inspired enough to go back to the Sydney Royal Easter Show with a small theatre that held 16 people at a squeeze.The 8 minute show featured a slide show of the outback and was run by outback people.There were many conversations with people who stopped by, in fact we had 16,000 visitors go through that slide show which ran back to back.

We learnt many things which were different to our expectations. City folks showed nothing but interest and admiration for rural Australia and the people who live there.

What an opportunity we have to create awareness and relationships with the people who may not have had an opportunity to learn where their food comes from.

We have 12 months to plan what each of us might do to contibute to Australian Year of the Farmer. How will you celebrate the Year of the Farmer ?

Here is a great video promoting the year featuring Glenn McGrath.

If video stop/starts, press pause to let it load.

To read more visit the Year of the Farmer Website :
http://www.yearofthefarmer.com.au/

The Heat is On !!

Glenn Frey - Eagles


I found this post from just over. 12. Months ago and thought it fits "The Heat is On" in livestock markets in Eastern Australia.
Amazing how history repeats itself !!

Friday music is back with Glenn Frey celebrating his 61st birthday this week. Who is that you young people say ?

After a stint in 1971 backing Linda Ronstadt, Frey helped form the Eagles, playing guitar and keyboards. Frey wrote or co-wrote (often with Don Henley) many of the group's songs, and sang lead vocal on a number of Eagles hits including "Take It Easy", "Peaceful Easy Feeling", "Already Gone", "Tequila Sunrise", "Lyin' Eyes", "New Kid in Town", "Heartache Tonight", and "How Long".

The Eagles broke up in 1980 and reunited in 1994, when they released an album mixing both live tracks and four new songs, Hell Freezes Over.

2007 saw the release of the Eagles' album Long Road out of Eden. Glenn Frey participated in the Eagles' The Long Road out of Eden Tour (2008-2009).

Birth name : Glenn Lewis Frey
Born : November 6, 1948 (1948-11-06) (age 60)
Detroit : Michigan, US

After this weeks topics of $Au going up and down - the share market having highs and lows and the cattle market trying to find it's levels the song is :
"The Heat Is On" Glenn Frey

iF VIDEO STOP/STARTS, PRESS PAUSE TO LET IT LOAD.
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40,000 gas wells in the Surat region - What is the Effect ?

Coal Seam Gas seems to be the largest issue confronting QLD livestock producers.
No -one really knows what the impact will be to the land, to the agricultural industry or the people who choose to live in the region.

My theme this past week has been Food and Food Security, we must consider carefully any land management changes that may not be reversable. It seems legislation is being pushed through to allow up to 40,000 gas wells to be drilled in the Surat Basin alone.

I don't know enough to write more but I am attaching a couple of documents :
1. A summary of the Water & Other Legislation Bill 2010
2. A letter to the media from Peter Shannon, Solicitor, Dalby . QLD

Also here is the trailer for a movie called "Gasland" featuring a similar issue in USA.



This movie called "Gasland" being shown in Brisbane and Roma, details below.


http://www.palacecinemas.com.au/
Opens Thursday 18th Nov
Palace Barracks, 216 Petrie Tce Brisbane

Thursday 2nd Dec
Club Hotel, Roma. 10am & 6pm

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How much Land are we Selling to Foreign Investors ?

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon - who will introduce a private member's Bill - argues present foreign investment rules are a "joke".

"No one is even monitoring how much of our farmland we are selling," he said.

The Greens, some Liberal MPs and Senator Xenophon want to give the Foreign Investment Review Board the power to block foreign investment in agriculture.

Australia, with its rich and fertile lands and sophisticated farming techniques, is a target for some of the world's biggest agricultural enterprises.
Taken from a story by Steve Lewis and Nic Christensen From: The Daily Telegraph.

Read the story here


Following hot on the heels from my post on Food Inc comes the story about how Australia is being targeted as a place to secure food for foreign nations.
We don't seem to understand the importance of food security, possibly because we are a young nation that has not experienced real food shortages.Many of our ancestors turned up here in the first place for doing things like stealing a loaf of bread, so it should come as no surprise.

The Daily Telegraph and Channel 10's "7PM Project" both featured this story today,which piqued my interest as I know of a couple of large properties recently sold to foreign interests.It seems unless the sale is more than $260 million (or a figure close to that) there is no requirement for a govt review.

If an army march's on it's stomach, then a nations food security is paramount to it's national security. What do you think ?

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Food Inc - The Movie

Food Inc is a movie that is being discussed in communities around the world, Mudgee featured the showing of the movie last night.Now I am still to see the movie and that will be soon as it is now available on amazon .com. After attending the RCS conference and listening to Jerry Brunetti speak on Cancer, Cows and Conciousness, watching Jamie Oliver in the schools and eating more hamburgers than a man can stand on my USA trip - I am more interested in Food.

As food producers whether it be meat, vegetables or fruit Australian farmers are in the box seat to take advantage of this move of asking "Where does my food come from ?"

Joel Salatin is coming to Australia to run some workshops soon and he is featured in the movie.

Watch this short trailer and if you like it find out more about either where you can watch the movie or go to amazon and pick up the dvd.I have put a link on the right to direct you to the right place.

Bathurst to Emerald and Back

After a few weeks break I am back posting to Grahame's Blog. It was good to get a good road trip in in October as we drove from Bathurst to Emerald and back.30 hours and 3000 ams driving sure allows one to take in a lot of country.I have never driven that way before and seen so much grass.The grass inventory is plentiful all the way to North QLD so a different challenge is emerging, how do we make the most of it ?





Ken and Pip shared the trip with me,






I'm sure Pip wondered what the he'll Ken and I were doing stopping to walk and discuss the grass and landscape.








We called into the Roma Cattle sale,meeting a few familiar faces.Amazing how you can travel anywhere and run into people you know.







Let's see if I can keep the blog posts going now that I have started.