A SNAPSHOT of late summer on our lovely Central Tablelands:
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- Continuing hot, dry weather has taken the shine off pastures and green pick is scarce. My Norwegian weather site predicts the dry to continue.
- Auctions of Merino rams in New England are not achieving good clearances and lower numbers of breeding ewes are being blamed.
- Not much fodder oats has been sown at this stage but many paddocks are well prepared when useful moisture becomes available.
- Thanks go to trotting driver Emma Turnbull for her ongoing support for fundraising for ovarian cancer research. Great photo in last Saturday’s Western Advocate.
- And to end on a positive note, a friend who is in his 70s and still dreams of younger ladies assures me that excellent rains nearly always follow serious heatwaves. We can only hope that his dreams and his predictions are rewarded.
Home truths
SELLERS of all types of real estate across the country are pleased with sale results and local prestige homes in prime localities are trading in a $800,000 to $1.1 million band.
If we try to put a realistic value on farmland that is big enough to remain viable we find that the figures won’t add up unless we put a ridiculous DSE (dry sheep equivalent) figure in the equation.
My rule of thumb has been $300 per DSE for a decade but that value is outdated by much improved livestock and wool values and probably needs lifting to $400 per DSE.
Even at that figure we would not buy any farmland that is worth buying and the alternative is to wait for a market slump.
![FLASHBACK: Blade shearers pose for the camera when shearing in the open at a pioneer’s shed near Burra [SA] in 1890.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/QxukpFBZJiAgENVqiH8x9E/9240232a-51f7-4703-a5d8-98caebee377b.jpg/r0_0_3264_1835_w576_h298_fmax.webp "FLASHBACK: Blade shearers pose for the camera when shearing in the open at a pioneer’s shed near Burra [SA] in 1890.")
Weighty results
REPORTS of 34kg dressed weight lambs being sold for $246 at last week’s Ballarat sale give us some idea of the excellent demand for all types of red meat as we head toward autumn 2017.
Demand for both beef and store cattle, all types of sheep and lambs and the once humble goat is close to lifetime highs and world demand for meat protein seems to assure producers that the demand will continue.
Laugh lines
- FOUR ladies were asked what would they do if they were shipwrecked on an island with a dozen soldiers. The English lady said she would hide; the American said she would seek the protection of the commanding officer; the German said she would be out marching; the French lady asked: “And what seems to be ze problem?”
- THE doctor asked: “Is there any history of insanity in your family?” She replied: “Oh yes, doctor - my husband thinks he’s the boss.”
- She argued: “And one more word and I’ll go home to mum.” He called: “Taxi.”
