Where are we heading as a nation?

Gday everyone and thanks for reading the first of what will be a regular comment whats happening in my part of agriculture as well as some ponderings as to where we are heading as a nation.

Firstly I must send massive congratulations and support to the Convoy of No Confidence - the people involved in this initiative to move concerned Aussies over a long distance to get to Canberra is fantastic. Comments from some mates who were at Charters Towers the other day are that the feeling amongst people was positive and upbeat - I can only hope this grows as everyone gets closer to Canberra!

Who am I? My names Andrew although pretty much the whole world knows me as Freshy and always has. Im a 6th generation farmer from the eastern states of Australia. Mostly my family have always farmed sheep, beef cattle and broadacre crops. Like all families theres been wonderful times and other times which has meant many a night staring at the roof wondering what the future might hold and if indeed there is a solid future in what we do for 'a day job'

Last night was one of those staring at the roof nights, the last few weeks in the media have been extremely scary - we have a government with no real mandate to govern making decisions which, in reality could send a lot of us to the wall - so at 4am or so this morning I really felt I couldnt hold my growing and seething anger and concern in any longer.....not sure who if anyone will read my blog but if we all do our little bit to get our message across then hopefully its like a ripple on a pond.....

The Carbon Tax

First it was global warming, I think Al Gore might have actually set his retirement up quite well jetsetting around the world telling us all we were up that well known creek without a paddle because the world was heating up, the glaciers were all going to melt and some green footed, blue nosed frog in the middle of a jungle somewhere was going to die.
Now its all carbon, carbon, carbon - and funnily enough the very evil Juliar Gillard (thats not a typo) and her band of scaremongering idiots are telling us will kill us all is what they are happy to support other countries digging up so they make some money.
So on one hand we should all be taxed to the eyeballs and scared of carbon, but on the other hand we should all make way for the latest Chinese government company buying up farmland to dig up coal.....or in reality carbon to pay royalties to the government to stop us becoming a Banana Republic.

Now.....when I was at university doing biochemistry units we learnt this about this really odd thing - its called photosynthesis or to put it plainly

light + 6CO2 + 12H20 = C6H12O6 + 6O2 +6H20

Oh my god....who would have though it - plants actually use carbon!!! So in reality, in conjunction with native bush and grasslands, well structured agricultural systems which have a high percentage of perennial forages etc will actually use carbon.
Dr Christine Jones from up on the New England has been saying for quite some time with the building of soil carbon levels there can be up to 33 t of CO2 per hectare.........no point me explaining this further except to say Farmers are in indeed the hero's of our future!

Anyway, back on my little carbon tax rant. Im all for lowering pollution, Ive spent the last couple of months in inner city Melbourne whilst in the process of some business changes and Im dismayed and shocked at the level of filth in the concrete jungle. So Juliar, perhaps a really novel approach to this would be clean up a bit of pollution, encourage farmers and agricultural businesses to have well managed systems lets all get on with the job.

Live Export

Where do I start? I think my keyboard might just melt on this issue - either that or I'll be punching the keys so damn hard I'll be up for a new laptop!

Overnight, Juliar and her band of merry idiots stopped an area equivalent to a vast chunk of Europe from making an income.....well done Fanta Pants - you surely get the prize for idiot of the century!

Having been around livestock production all my life across 3 countries and right around Australia I would say without a hesitation that the massive investment in animal welfare, management techniques, land management techniques and prevention of animal cruelty on Australian cattle properties is world class.

I heard on Melbourne radio the other day "...Your investment buying a house is the biggest investment you will ever make...." and I got thinking about a $600,000 house and the kind of investments we, in agriculture make on a yearly basis just to continue to provide clean safe food in what is an ever increasing uphill playing field. Our world in Australia is now clearly rural and city and for the most city people have bugger all idea what goes on outside the city limit signs.

Joe Ludwig has been saying a supply chain needs to be put in place for the live export back to Indo to get up and going again - obviously he hasnt bothered to have a look at what the likes of Elders or Consolidated Pastoral have been doing for quite some time.

Time for a class action to sue the government Id say!

RSPCA

RSPCA, I once had huge respect for you. I gave hard earned money to you every year in order to prevent animal cruelty, built animal shelters, look after strays, rehouse and rehome unwanted or ill cared for animals and safeguard the well being of animals across Australia.

That changed the day you became a pseudo political force and became the silent backer for the likes of Animals Australia. Animals Australia aren't about animals - they are a thinly veiled left wing animal terrorism organisation who want the world to become vegan. Make no mistake!
I was interested the other day that at their rally in Melbourne someone bought a lamb on a lead as part of their stunt - surely this is cruelty at a high level and the RSPCA should have stepped in to take the lamb. A motherless lamb isnt a political tool to be used on the steps of parliament, its an animal that clearly should have been out in the paddock on grass where it belongs.

I spent 54 minutes on the phone a week or so ago speaking with the CEO of the RSPCA who couldnt even tell me when she was last on a farm or if she indeed had been onto a cattle station recently because 'its not part of my job'  Really? There must be a lot of animals walking the streets of Canberra!
Of particular interest also is the fact that she told me the following:

-Theres plenty of feed in western QLD, all the live export animals should just be sent there
-Animals that are back on stations are actually getting too fat now and will miss export specs
-She doesnt need to go on farm because DPI staff brief her on everything she needs to know

So as well as supporting an agricultural terrorism organisation, the CEO of the RSPCA has not much of an idea with reality....the scary thing is they still have the power to come into your farm and shut you down!

Mining and Agricultural Land

Ever tried to eat a lump of coal? How about filling your drink bottle with some coal seam gas? Not something thats going to make it onto the next Masterchef Im guessing!

Australia......the foodbowl of Asia - well, at least it was until we sold it all to China and they dug it up, poisoned our waterways and shipped the heartland (including the profits) back to China so they could continue to sell us cheap tv's.
What is happening at the moment across the board is increasing our sovereign risk....if you read nothing else in what Ive expressed her read this. AUSTRALIA IS INCREASING ITS SOVEREIGN RISK!
We are selling all of our minerals and resources to overseas governments for a quick dollar now and in the process we are selling the very heartland of our country. Bugger the food production, we'll just import that too....



I was awake at 4am this morning thinking about this and pondering the thought if, as a food producing family does our future lay in remaining in Australia or should we be looking to go to South America, or New Zealand? Its a big question and Im still not too sure of the answer - I love Australia and want so desperately to believe the future for being a family business reliant on producing food is strong and secure here, but in reality to safeguard the future of my family Ive already started looking overseas and am well down the track of setting up a business in a country more friendly to the pursuits of farming.
Maybe this makes me a hypocrite in writing a blog concerned about where things are at in Australia and overseas ownership of assets, maybe it just means I'll spend a few less nights staring at the roof during the night.

So there we are folks, the first entry in my blog. Questions, comments etc are more than welcome!