Where cows come first

Wanna play Euchre on a Saturday, or do Yoga on a Tuesday evening? Have we gotta deal for YOU!!

Fracking is rife throughout our countryside. Rights to something contentious deep within the earth's 'core' are given to mining companies left, right, and centre. Even though groundwater is polluted, and the stability of the earth is compromised. There are better ways of securing our energy future - and without compromising our future water, and the productivity of our food bowls.

And cows, don't forget the cows. Who come first - even though I am not entirely sure that that phrase means.

From the orchard

Fallow. This orchard at Jiggi has been allowed to transition to fallow. Less kindly,it has been abandoned. Twenty years ago when first established, it had macadamia nuts, and grape vines twirling through the wire netting that separates the orchard from the creek paddock; the paddock where wallabies graze.

The orchard is currently undergoing metamorphosis.


They have planted figs, and persimmon; mandarin, and limes. There is space for more, and they have grand ideas. And as I showed you yesterday, they have tonnes of fertiliser. I am keen to see the orchard this time next year. With wallabies nibbling across the way, and a family of Superb Wrens living in the surrounding thickets, it is an oasis of tranquility.

The answer lies in the soil

As luck would have it, I arrived at Jiggi the same day as the bloke with the back-hoe, grader and truck to re-align Bill & Lesley's driveway. Coming ready or not!


So, a couple of loads of road-base and blue-metal later, we were off into the 'big-smoke' to check out the price of decorative stones for the extended drive and carport extension. Landscaping establishments are wonderful places to visit. All I had to do was wander, and let my friends do all the haggling. The differences in price for various 'stones' from three outlets was astounding, seeing they originally all came from the same supplier.

Oops! Need to tell you that the chick on the front-end-loader was at one of the landscaping joints - not the bloke doing the drive-way. She was a delight to watch. Never seen a woman control one of these little beauties before!

Life with Dexters

In the middle of this week, I spent a few days with some friends up close to the NSW-Queensland border, in the small hamlet of Jiggi which is about 20kms SW of Lismore. The farm next door runs a small herd (35 beasts) of Dexter cattle. It was a breed I knew nothing about, but learnt quickly.


Dexters are a small breed, originally bred in the UK. They are good for small holdings; you can stock more, and they create less damage around waterholes. They are farmed for milk and for meat, and are people friendly. They come in three colours: brown, black, and dun. They come horned or naturally polled.

What I liked about them was that Bill let the top gate open on the odd occasion, and the Dexters cropped his fields for him, leaving behind oodles of fertiliser. A quick whizz around with the tractor/trailer, another whizz through the mulcher, and all this is perfect for the veggie garden!


Why bother with a Kelpie or a Border Collie to keep your herd in check when you can rely on the good old Cattle Egret.