Categories: From the Farm This Week
      Date: Feb 19, 2014
     Title: 19 February 2014

I'm sitting here listening to rubbish music  from the phone tied to my head while I'm waiting for the Vodafone phone man to get my Internet mail sorted so i can read my emails. It is now Monday at 3 in the afternoon and my mail went down early Saturday morning. So from Saturday till today i have had this rubbish music on hold waiting for help. YES its nuts I have been put on hold many times been talked to by total fools who don't even know what dial up is and by the way we can't get broad band out here and we don"t have cell phone coverage. So when you get told just go on line and do this I CANT I'M TALKING TO YOU ON THE LINE .....(ITS LIKE A CALL  HELP LINE NUMBER WHEN YOU PHONE IS BROKEN). I then get put on hold many times to listen to the rubbish music again .....Get cut off twice ....Until I get so unhappy we Drive to Fiona's to phone from her place in New Plymouth and has broad band and get on to a great guy Jessy and he gets me sorted so i can at least read my mail on the Clear WebPages. I think  this guy should be promoted as he has it right ...THE BEST CUSTOMER IS THE ONE YOU HAVE ALREADY ...AND VODAFONE A PHONE GOT ME FOR NICKS WHEN THEY TOOK OVER CLEAR THAN TOOK OVER Paradise ...and as you know all our cards & promotional material ..web sites etc all have rarebreeds@paradise on them so to change it an expensive matter.

Just so you all understand this Newsletter goes out people reply with orders etc mainly on Saturday. I get my replies for purchases on the net and i pick them up either Sunday or Monday morning. So to loose Internet on Saturday put me back a complete week and in some cases i loose the order completely.

It is also the day when our Wwoof and Helpx volunteers contact so i can bring them back to work Monday. So no Internet no workers no money ......

Music stops

Hang on yes Leroy yep here my problem I have been on the phone since Saturday morn and now its 5 on Monday ....right click here click there ...

yep right back on hold yep now after two and a half days i can do my e-mails 186 of them umm, do some important ones as i have farm work to do and i have to get to New Plymouth as i have a meeting at the tea house in the Tea House on the Lake, Pukekura Park, New Plymouth organized by venture Taranaki.

About.............. THE POTENTIAL FOR HORTICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN TARANAKI ................

The meeting was a breakfast one and the food at the teahouse was great (as usual ). The presentation from Lincoln University was very good and the organization from Venture Taranaki just so well done. BUT the information we all heard was saddening ..how the market gardening disappeared 40 years ago, how hard it is and has been to start any new industry. How the local people were and are ... and how dairy is the king of Taranaki in the farming sector pushing the price of land making all else value poor ...It just highlights the problem we have had with the farmers market getting fresh produce .. The major thing that for Avonstour that came out was that the two shining lights are manuka honey and hemp  both of which we are involved in. The word........ sheep or local ..........Was not said once apart from our table in a whisper from Fiona.

But yes BUT all is not dead On the way home I had to call into AMI as my farm insurance was near overdue. And Ann said iv been waiting for you john. I want to take you out the back and show you something (how could i refuse that) ....Anyway payed my bill (after i stopped shaking at the price) and went out the back with Ann.

wow it was wonderful we still have it yes after all those years it can still happen yes and talk about 'like no other ' I am not sure if dairy is king have a look at me holding the flower she had for me:

Anyway got home and the blooming Internet was out AGAIN ............And I'm thinking the Government were going to look after us rural folk with fast service

YER RIGHT ........

Talking of folk Fi and I went out to a concert at the PUKENGAHU PLAY SKOOL HOUSE. Dan Walsh playing Banjo singing and Guitar. He was just mind blowing fantastic .

With one of my Favourite bands The FEDS opening for him it was a fantastic concert .A great venue with great people ...Fantastic local music ..and a mind blowing import .

I have managed to Get up to date with my GST as i have finished the Studio and have a little more time. Ruth has been painting, hanging blinds etc and the place is fantastic I went up and fixed the mirrors and fixed the back door that came a bit sad. But like i have said its looking real great, but the bills are still coming in and some unexpected.

You remember we had to pay for a transformer ($11,000) that we don't even own. Line power sent the inspector to see all was right .He spent less than half an hour a trip from Eltham (maybe 40 minutes). The Bill $600 .........and we want to sell more assets THIS IS WHAT YOU GET ...

HAY want something to do to help young people on the land. Well have a look at this  **************** the attachment for Young Farmers Competition.....   Now don't Forget .

Young Farmer of the Year, Agri-Kids and Teen-Ag Tarananki/Manawatu Regional Finals. Saturday 1 March, Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth. 8am to 2pm. Kids Gumboot Throw at 12.30pm, Secondary Schools Tug-Of-War. Come and see the next generation of farmers in action in a free fun day. Everyone welcome.

We have 3 Woofers on site at the moment, Aubrey a New Plymouth Resident who is a real localvior Gaining Knowledge.

And two Canadian Girls or should i Say Young women. Both from Farms that supply farmers markets, have and farm Rare breeds, very into good food organic living. All three get on well with Ila and each other. A very good hard working team. Unfortunately the two Canadians Kaya and Veronica can only stay 4 days. I real hope they can come back for a longer time as they just Fit .They have been building a large fire for my  birthday on Saturday when I'm 60.

Unbelievable 60 hell i feel like im 30.