Beef indicator prices are in territory that has never been reached and producers are finding that these prices will be needed to attract a younger generation into the business of agriculture.

As always, there are excellent employers and mentors in every facet of rural business but there are also some employers and bosses that only their mothers could love.

Housewives must look twice at retail red meat prices in the shops and fish or chicken will grace a lot of dinner tables.

Farmers have no control of auction prices but they must notice the meat price and resistance of supermarket shoppers.

THESE quotes from a faraway store cattle sale would probably apply to every store sale at present: "With spring on the horizon, the weaner heifers were coming out at about $2000 for 300kg and they're spring drop heifers showing good quality. Breeders are in high demand and those heifers are making the exact same if not more than weaner steers. We're on the brink of spring and within three weeks we're going to have grass everywhere."

Producers of every class of livestock must take extra care in probably the best spring of our lifetime.

Bloat blocks, Causmag, pulpy kidney vaccine and a lot of common sense will be needed for several months.

RECENT RURAL NOTEBOOK COLUMNS:

A HEADS up for Friday, October 15: Elders advises that 160 merino ewes rising one year, 200 wether lambs May 2020 drop, 200 one-year-old wethers and 170 four-, five- and six-year-old ewes will be offered at the Blink Bonnie hogget ram sale.

Fifty young rams will be auctioned (with Auctions Plus interface) at the on-property sale at Tarana, and these sheep are nicely bred Roseville Park bloodline sheep, bred for the tablelands.

ONE more heads up: instead of phoning 000 for quick police service, call 131 444.

Member for Calare Andrew Gee gives a great fridge magnet with lots of contact numbers that we will all need at some time.

THE long list of cancellations of many events continues to grow with the latest being the South West Slopes Merino Field Day at Harden.

This event has continued to grow and draws sheep from across a wide area and some 60 studs.

Stud exhibitors pay a hefty fee to be involved (only registered studs are allowed) and trade displays are numerous and they add plenty of colour and interest to the event.

All involved must have been greatly disappointed to have to cancel at several days' notice.

Bathurst's Edgell Jog and the Australian National Field Days at Orange have also joined the list of scratchings and starters at the 2022 calendar of events will surely appreciate their involvement.

This column has always urged us to remain positive but just for a few weeks I hope we can all remain negative.

LOCKDOWNS will continue for some time and schools will open gradually as more of us receive two vaccinations.

The future will depend on double vaccination as a condition of employment, entry to most venues and probably as our duty to protect our fellow citizens.

It doesn't seem long ago that American President Trump announced his intention to support the development of a COVID vaccine at warp speed.

We must be thankful for his determination to ensure an effective vaccine as this seems to be the answer to getting every country back to business and a better way of life.

Please spare a thought for each of our leaders as they front up to the everyday problems of a worldwide pandemic.

THE passing years affect the way we react to lockdown.

In the early 1960s, the idea of being locked in the house with a pretty young lady for six weeks would have sounded like paradise on steroids.

Fast forward to this year and the same couple probably react differently.

We must all have extra interests or hobbies as we wait for our lives to return to normal.

The NRL, AFL, trots and races have given an interest to lots of bored people and book readers have the chance of a lifetime.

Don't forget the fellow who writes a country column to his local newspaper each Thursday, unpaid, but a hobby that may be of some value.

FATHER Owen Gibbons, Catholic Parish Priest of Mudgee, celebrates his 40th anniversary of priesthood this week and I know that many Rural Notebook readers will join with me to say thank you to Father Gibbons for his care and his friendship as he served in many of the parishes in our district during past years.

WITH an offering of only 28,000 bales being sold in only Sydney and Melbourne and reports of business being done late in week seven, the trade was expecting a dearer market.

The only question was how much business had been done and how much dearer the market would be.

Day one saw the market gain up to 40ac/kg clean in some merino fleece types, which were predominantly good AM tests and low VM under 1.5 per cent types, with the lower VM skirting types following.

Unfortunately, by the end of day two, we had seen all the new orders basically filled and no new orders to follow them up.

Therefore, the market retracted by basically what it had gained on the first day.

By the end of the week there had been 15pc of wool passed in.

Wool remains difficult to sell due to the increase of the Delta strain in China causing negative sentiments in our main wool user.

Obviously, this has caused the Chinese mills and traders to go to the safety zone of lower VM straight types, so we are now seeing large discounts for out of specification higher VM types which we weren't seeing prior to the recess.

For example, there is now over 100ac clean difference between an 18 micron VM compared with VM 2pc fleece wool.

In usual market conditions we would only expect around 40ac clean per kilogram.

The Italians continued to take their share and India and Europe's largest topmaker were active as well.

The autumn/winter season is due to start in September/October in the northern hemisphere. This will provide a platform for early stage wool processors, spinners, knitters and weavers to formulate a marketing strategy for a new season.

Week nine sees 40,000 bales being offered for sale in Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle with volatility continuing, particularly in the higher VM types.

TWO wise farmers from another land were on holidays and short of cash, so they split up and met after a week.

One was driving a shiny Calais and said; "Mate, I met this Colleen; she drove me to a lovers' lane, put her clothes on the seat and told me I could have whatever I liked. So, of course I took the Calais."

His farmer mate replied: "Course you did; you'd look silly in her clothes."

***

GEORGE told his doctor that his love life was declining by the day, so doctor advised jogging to improve his wellbeing.

"Start slowly, only two kilometres per day, and gradually build up," he said.

Doctor phoned after a week and asked for an update.

"Love life is not existent now, doc," George mumbled. "I'm resting under a tree near Burraga, 70 kilometres from home."