Face to face to face

Extracted from the Farm Tender weekly Newsletter - Sign up and get the email every Wednesday morning before 6 am. www.farmtender.com.au

By Dwain Duxson

We had our first Farm Tender staff catch-up in 18 months on the weekend just gone. The Southerners headed North, the Northerners headed South, and we met at the delightful town of Mudgee. Some of our staff had never met face to face but had been working side by side for 12 months.

When it's all said and done, meeting face to face is the best for getting points across within the group. We got fantastic clarity on the agenda topics we covered. Something you can't replicate on a Zoom meeting.

It was also a great opportunity to catch up socially and enjoy each others time away from work-related issues. There were some tired bodies come Monday as everyone burnt the candle at both ends.

So what did I learn?

• That we have a fantastic, committed, and stable team, who are willing to go that extra mile to help.
• They all passed the pub test.
• That you need to deal with all the big issues at events like these.
• People respect each other more if things are discussed and an outcome is reached.
• Working together is all about give and take.
• Don't do 12-hour trips (each way) in a relatively uncomfortable bus.
• That Zoom meetings are an efficient way to do business remotely, but face to face is king.
• Mudgee is a ripping spot, and I thoroughly recommend you visit.
• The exodus out of cities, mainly Melbourne and Sydney, is real and right there in front of our eyes.
• The potential is there for regional Australia to thrive again.

As for the season, anywhere South of about Parkes (NSW) is relatively dry. Some have some decent subsoil moisture, but the Airseeders are creating alot of dust. The guys that headed down from Southern Queensland and Northern NSW said the countryside looks fantastic.

I can't wait for the next one.