Month: May 2017

Lucie the International 674 Tractor joins the Rock Farm

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For a long time we have been discussing whether a tractor would be a useful addition to the Rock Farm.  To be truthful, I had been convinced for a while that I would find plenty of uses for one…  I just had to gain approval in principle to purchase one, and then find one that fitted the budget.  So for the past couple of years on-and-off I had been keeping my eye on Gumtree and other classifieds sites.

The main problem was deciding whether to buy a new Chinese tractor with all the features, or an older ‘name brand’ tractor.  Whilst the Chinese tractors represented excellent value for money, there were just as many horror stories out there which made me lean towards an older tractor from a known brand.

The other problem is that I had never driven a tractor.  So when the Local Land Services (LLS) advised me I had won a book voucher for answering a few questions on an online survey, it was an easy choice on choosing my book.

The book is, in a word, excellent.  Armed with a little bit of knowledge (dangerous situation), the perfect tractor came on the market just down the road.  A quick inspection confirmed it was going to be ideal for what we wanted to do on the Rock Farm – and the price was within our budget.

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The vital statistics:

  • Name: Lucie
  • Type: International 674 4wd Tractor
  • Year Built: 1974
  • Fitted with: Front bucket / loader, Mulcher (flail mower).
  • Other accessories: Hay forks, stick rake

And it has been put to work.  I have been able to clean up piles of old wire, slash weeds, move piles of dirt, repair the driveway and pull out stumps.  It has transformed the way we move firewood from the paddocks to the house – saving double handling and time.  In short, it is a great addition to the Rock Farm.

We had deferred tidying up piles of old wire due to the labour it would have required…  now we have relished cleaning up the paddocks – even if lashing the wire to the trailer is a little challenging.

If you ask the Little Fisherman though, the tractor’s main purpose is to make jumps for his motorbike…

And it was a nice place to learn how to drive the tractor and play with the settings.  I might just have to admit that this is my new favourite toy!

I am sure that Lucie will soon feature in many articles on the Rock Farm, as we work to improve the pastures and soil health.  In the mean time, we can all enjoy some of its benefits.

Have I ever said how much I love living on the Rock Farm??

Gotta love rainy days

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It has been a long time since the Rock Farm has enjoyed a bit of rain. Our paddocks have been getting more bare, and we have started supplementing our sheep’s feed.

A rainy day is always a welcome relief. It provides an opportunity to catch up on the ever increasing pile of paperwork.  I also have a list of rainy day jobs which include fixing sticking doors, sharpening chainsaw chains, and minor furniture repairs.

But I really love catching up on the news – even if it is last week’s! 

But you have to be careful who might pick up your phone when you’re engrossed on the news….  fair dinkum.

Planting Kurrajong By Seed

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One of our favourite trees is the Kurrajong (Brachychiton Populneus).  It is a small to medium size tree that is related to the Queensland Bottle Tree (B. Rupestris).  It grows naturally from north eastern Victoria to North Queensland.  It likes well drained soil, particularly around granite outcrops.

It is a fantastic tree for small farms like ours.  It provides dense shade and also drought fodder.  They are deep rooting trees and support honey production.

We recently planted some seedlings, which are growing well.  I also spied some seeds on a neighbour’s tree, so decided to see if I could propagate them ourselves.

The Australian National Botanical Gardens website provided me with enough encouragement to give it a go.  Their website provides a wealth of information and can be found here:  https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2002/brachychiton-populneus.html.

The first step was to soak the seeds overnight in warm water.

I then cut the ends out of some old tins.  These will be placed around the seeds, in an attempt to stop rabbits and kangaroos from chewing the young plants should they emerge.

I then selected the site for the new trees.  I chose to plant the trees along a former rip-line.  When you look at the photo below, it is obvious that the rip lines hold more moisture than the surrounding soil.  This will also help the trees get their roots established through the shale rock.

It took a few minutes to scrape away some grass, and loosen up the soil.  I placed the old tins over the seeds where I hope they will keep the new plants protected initially.

It was a glorious morning, and before too long I had my line of Kurrajong all planted.  The supervisor also enjoyed his morning watching me work.

The only problem with my chosen site is that the trees will eventually grow and block one of our favourite views to the east.  Of course that is, if they grow.  As if that would ever happen on the Rock Farm!  Here’s hoping!