Farm Tender

The info flow

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

What's it like down there? What's the Hay job doing? How easy is it to get across the SA border? When's it going to rain? These are just a small sample size of some of the questions we get talking to hundreds of Farmers collectively on a daily basis. The questions go the other way as well.

The answer to these questions, along with the many statements we hear, is part of what we call the "info flow".

Information in Agriculture is critical in forming opinions or making decisions within a Farming business. We all know Farmers are making many small and some large decisions on a daily basis. It's not like factory work. You really have to think about your craft and what's ahead.

Everyone knows where the EYCI is at, they know the BOM's three-month outlook or what price Canola is Ex Newcastle. That sort of info is readily available. I ask our staff to always keep their ear to the ground and relay any information they hear, as it's something we might be able to pass on that might help others.

I remember the days when you did your own forecast for rain by looking skyward or when the main power pole was whistling in the Easterly breeze or the knee started to ache. I remember when the panic rush was on the get the dry Sheep in the shed because there was a shower heading our way.

Not anymore. Mobile phones, subscriptions, apps and social media have changed all that.

When Farmers are desperate for rain and are hanging onto the next big front they are forecasting, and all of a sudden, someone says, "they have gone off that big front" you can feel the wave of confidence drop collectively. The info is shared so quickly that most people are aware of the situation within hours. We have seen it happen on many occasions within our business. All of a sudden, the phone stops ringing, things start to get cancelled, and people go into a different mode of operation, they regroup. As they say, the cheque book goes into the bottom draw.

Speculation or opinions made about others we are more cautious of. If someone is forming an opinion on their own operation or about themselves, it's relevant. But if old mate is on the rumour mill, we take it with a grain of salt.

So keep feeding us information, and we will happily send it back. That's the reason why I get all our Farm Tender people to pen paragraphs for articles, do reports in this newsletter or contribute over social media.

As we mentioned the other week, Farming is infinite. There is no final bell or siren. It's a game that never stops, and decisions need to be made.

End of message.