The past couple of months have been bustling both on and off the Rock Farm.

Our beautiful calves, now approaching three months old, are thriving—including our delightful twins. To my surprise, all ten calves turned out to be heifers, a rare occurrence. While steers typically fetch higher prices at the sale yards, having heifers opens up more future options for us. About a month ago, they received their first round of vaccinations and will soon be due for their second. I use a 7-in-1 vaccine to protect them against various clostridial diseases and common leptospirosis strains, which can affect both cattle and humans.

As in previous years, we’ve leased a bull from John at Crookwell. This handsome fellow shows off his Normande ancestry—a dual-purpose dairy and beef breed originating from Normandy, France. Renowned for producing rich milk prized in the cheese industry and for their fast-growing progeny, Normandes are also celebrated for their exceptional carcass quality and marbling potential. In France, Normande beef is branded much like Angus beef is in Australia. (For more information about the breed, visit: https://www.thecattlesite.com/breeds/dairy/68/normande.)

The bull made quite an impression on our girls when they first met, though he seemed a bit unsure of how to handle a group of established, mature cows. Thankfully, he settled in quickly. He’s a gentle, quiet chap, and we’ll miss him when he returns home next week.

Our pastures shifted quickly from lush green to golden brown, as is typical for November. But an unexpected 50mm of rain last weekend soaked the land. While it turned the pasture into mush temporarily, it promises fresh growth that will benefit us through summer. For now, we’ll rotate the cattle through paddocks to manage the short-term feed shortage until the grass catches up.

In other news, we’ve planted another hundred or so native tubestock across the farm, purchased from the local Greening Australia plant sale. These will help restore areas around the Rock Farm. I’m particularly excited about the drooping she-oak (Allocasuarina verticillata), one of my favorite trees and a primary food source for the Glossy Black Cockatoo.

On the family front, the boys are becoming impressively independent. Recently, both tackled replacing power steering pumps on their cars—an easier task on the blue Falcon than the white Camry. It’s been great to see their confidence and skills grow, enabling them to handle such projects and get their vehicles back on the road. The older one is also working on re-registering a 4WD ute. Though the project proved more ambitious than he initially thought, he’s nearly there—a fantastic achievement.

Life hasn’t been all about the farm. We had a couple of family reunions in Warwick and Goondiwindi, which took us north for a few nights. I also managed to squeeze in a couple of stints at sea—just enough to get some salt in my hair and make time fly.

A big milestone for our family was celebrating the youngest helper finishing high school, marking the end of that chapter for us. While the boys aren’t as keen on photos these days, we’re incredibly proud of the young men they’re becoming.

The farm has provided them with so many different opportunities to explore what they want to become. They have made all sorts of crazy contraptions, getting more complex (and expensive) as they have got older. Living out of town brought challenges too, with long drives for school and sports, and the farm occasionally felt more like a burden than a solace, especially when planning long holidays.

But overall, the Rock Farm has been a tremendous gift. It’s built their confidence and equipped them with a range of skills—from handling livestock, riding motorbikes, fixing fences, and welding steel to identifying weeds, handling a rifle safely, and turning timber into art. They can repair machinery, split pipes, and even navigate the digital world with ease—leaving their old man in the dust when it comes to Fortnite, modern mathematics, 3D printing, and design.

Reflecting on these past months, it’s clear how much life on the Rock Farm continues to shape and enrich our lives. Whether it’s nurturing our cattle, restoring the land, or watching the boys tackle new challenges, every moment reinforces the value of this lifestyle. While it’s not without its trials, the farm has been a place of growth, learning, and countless memories. As we look ahead, I’m reminded that it’s these simple, meaningful experiences—shared with family and rooted in purpose—that truly make the journey worthwhile.