Categories: From the Farm This Week
      Date: Dec 20, 2013
     Title: 20 December 2013
The week started with Ila's black ute just stopping. We tried everything and it just would not go, so had to tow it to Midhirst. Now this is the first time Ila had been towed for any distance and talk about stressed about it. So i hooked it up to my ute with the logging chain and told Ila just keep the chain tight ...........and stop ya whingeing just do it ..So off we went not too fast down the road and over the saddle with Ila keeping the chain tight with a few jolts and crunches... all was fine until we went down the saddle ..Beep ..Beep Flash Flash Beep Beep ....Blooming heck what is wrong with that girl ...so i pulled over at the bottom of the saddle and a very irate red faced teenager got out ...Can't do it GOT NO brakes Can't stop Gonna hit you up the A..s  I'm ringing help .....ILA blooming heck when i was your age we would buy an old heap tow it home, in Wellington up and down hills WE HAD NO BLOOMING CELL PHONES ....look put in gear and use your hand brake as well like this.

Umm Hang on your foot brake is not too good ..I b......y told ya .....UM sorry Ila coz your motor is not going you have no brake booster and on top of that your brakes have got VERY hot and so you don't seem to have much. So letting them cool down and it was the slowest drive to Midhirst in history (a Clydesdale would be faster and thems slow I can tell ya ) The ute got there.
Was there a day and phoned Ila ..Your ute is fixed. Yep hide the key i will pick it up late tonight. So at half ten she got a lift to pick it up. Got to Stratford and it stopped on the Roundabout and she had to push it.. Now it a twin cab Nissan full of Ila's farm gear and its 12 at night. She just kept phoning (um with her cell phone) the Garage owner to come and tow her ....And if you think I'm paying for towing forget it you have not fixed it.
Ila can be very assertive I can tell ya ....The ute is still there .....been 4 days now UMM.

Marigold the old brood mare we have has had her yearly foal, another colt but its nicely marked like its half brothers. We now have 3 lovely patchy colts for sale, they sure look good in the paddock. Would have been good to get at least one filly, O well next year.

Have just about got the kitchen carpentry finished in the studio and now have to get on with the plumbing for both the kitchen and bathroom toilet. Just need more hours in the day.

I gave a speech at Toastmasters on M&M ......Modern Manipulation ....Went down well with lots of great comments.

The hemp has been drilled into the paddock. We drilled straight into the grass that we chewed off with the sheep and horses using the no till approach. All we need is rain now.

The Farmers Market is ramping up for Christmas. We had our food safety visit. You know you would think we were handling something like DDT or maybe genetic modified product or something (well that would be easy). Every year the goal posts shift. Bit by bit they have pushed all the small meat traders away and yet we (NZ) can import meat from all over the world and sell so called foods with added this additive/that chemical. With no one knowing were it came from along with a raft of food numbers on the back in fine print.

All i want to do is sell good healthy, nutrient dense natural organic food from Rarebreed livestock. Filling forms and bits of paper DO NOT MAKE SAFE FOOD. It gives the powers more control ..... and you know what, it costs heaps and the small trader has to pay to fund someone to tell them what we can't do and bog it all down in paper work. RANT Over for now ....Yes for now ...UMMM.

Anyway the Farmers Market is a great place to meet real people.
A couple got to talking that were from Whanganui the man's father (who is Irish) was at some meeting that was filled with people and the discussion was on growth and making money ....Just like farming today or most big business ...
Anyway the man got up and told them Quote " i went to war the rid the world of people with this attitude and here we have it all again "
You know its food for thought .......

So i have heard from Peter Who has settled in Norfolk UK.... the weather is mild so i hope the same is in Scotland I'm sure i will be getting a report back.