Farm Day 08 with the Claytons

Farm Day is an Australian wide initiative which one of the many goals is to bridge the gap between rural and city folk. This year around 350 Farm families played host to city families for a day and have the city cousins get involved in the day to day farming activities. Farm day allows farming families educate the city folk in the reality of farm life and practices.

We volunteered to be farming hosts this year. Our guests originally from North Leach in the UK but more recently in Melbourne were the Claytons. James and Rachael with Polly (3yr) and Kate(3mths old) and Liz (James mother) arrived at Greenvale late Friday afternoon just in time for the end of day feeding of the animals. I introduced the Claytons to our assortment of poultry and fed Doreen the Wessex Saddle back and then ventured down to a paddock near by and fed Prince and Beatrice our other two saddle backs.

After getting the kids to bed we adjourned to the dining room for some scintillating conversation regarding farming practices over several bottles of red wine while dining on roast leg of Greenvale Lamb in front of a roaring fire.

The next day was a special day, not only because we where hosting our city cousins but because it was Pollys 3rd birthday. We started the day by assigning responsibility to Polly to let out the chickens, checking all was well with the wee chickens. Ben was having none of the reassignment so we then decided both Polly and Ben should let the chickens out. Then it was on to feeding Doreen, in the house pens, and then giving Rory the calf his breakfast and then down to lower house paddocks to feed Prince and Beatrice.

On the way back to the house Yuri the photographer from the Weekly times arrived and we spent the next hour and a half trying to get the perfect photo. This ranged from gathering around Prince to marching in line formation up the fence line. For our second round of shots we gathered around the round hay bale situated in Rory the calf and Madison the lambs paddock. Neither Rory nor Madison wanted to come and pose in front of the haybale neither did Ace or Basil our Australian Kelpies that wandered by at that point. At one point Yuri yelled at me to just grab the calf and drag it over... yeah right. We did however manage to make the front page of the Weekly times (Well Madison and Polly did).

After our photo shoot and after what was to be our breakfast but more like brunch of home grown poached eggs and bacon we regrouped and headed out to shift sheep. We had a herd of sheep that required shifting from a paddock over the road that we were planning to crop to the top end of the property. Over the road we saw a bunch of our resident Kangaroos and then rounded up the sheep with the help of our Keplies Ace and Basil. The sheep essentially shifted themselves and we just tagged along for the ride.

Once the sheep were locked up in their new pasture we headed back to the homestead via the old orchard. Ben and I ditched the quadbike and climbed in the back of the ute for a trip to the wheatgrass paddock to check out the steers. Our second large wildlife spotting was on the way to the Back Block paddock, a wedge tailed eagle flew over us and landed on a large dead tree beside the river dropping whatever it had in its claws due to the fact that it was being harassed by a bunch of crows.

We did a bit of wheatgrass bashing and drove through the wheatgrass which was as tall as the ute and then went and check the cattle an animal which Liz seems to somewhat fear. She was admirably strong though in confronting her fears.

It was a light grazing lunch of cold cuts, cheese, salads, nice bread etc. It was grazing as it wasnt really long since we had tucked into bacon and eggs. During lunch we read and listened to Rachaels and Pollys interview with the ABC (http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2008/05/23/2253406.htm) and realised that she and Polly were keen on seeing the big tractor. Where as we had planned to go gathering firewood there was no doubt what we would be doing. So we all got loaded up into our respective cars and headed off to our other property at Mafeking which backed onto the Grampians where brother Scott was sowing with the big tractor we have named Shrek. When it came time for rides Ben shot up the ladder like a bullet and fended everyone else off as its the machine that he believes that only he and Uncle Scott are in charge of.

It was Polly and Rachaels turn to ride Shrek however when it came time for Polly to climb up into the cab it all became a bit intimidating and Rachael rode shotgun without Pollcy with Scott cutting a couple of laps sowing oats. To experience this first hand is invaluable as it really inspires thought provoking questions and really opens up an educational dialog.

After group photos with Shrek it was time to head back to the homestead and..... birthday celebrations and the cutting of the cake and of course a well earned cup of tea.

Although we would have loved to have the Claytons stay another evening they had to get back for commitments back in Melbourne. James and Rachael mentioned that the visit well exceeded their expectations and we agreed that it did ours also.

Thanks to Deb Bain and the Farm Day team not only did the day achieve its goals of education it also as equally importantly generated a new friendship. (See all pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com.au/AnthonyKumnick/FarmDay)