nature

A Cold Winter Settles In On The Rock Farm

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Life on the Rock Farm has well and truly settled into winter. With no meaningful pasture growth during autumn, we knew it was going to be a long season of feeding our cows. Sporadic rainfall hasn’t done much to improve the soil moisture profile around the district—and with a run of spectacularly beautiful, but bitterly cold frosts, whatever warmth remained in the soil has now disappeared. The grass may have turned green, but it’s yet to start growing.

Pastures in our district remain in the bottom 10th percentile for growth this year. (See: https://www.farmingforecaster.com.au/southeast).

We quickly used up the last of our pasture hay and had to buy a truckload from irrigated country north of here. With our tractor still out of action at the time, our challenges mounted when the carrier also experienced mechanical breakdowns. On the very last day before we completely ran out, the new lucerne finally arrived—and our wonderful neighbours came to the rescue. A massive thank you to Jeff, who brought his tractor and saved the day!

Jeff helped load a few of the large square bales onto the back of our BRT Myrtle, making it much easier to feed out. It didn’t take long for the cows to associate Myrtle with breakfast! I now have a new appreciation for how an ice-cream van driver must feel pulling up to a beach on a hot summer day—the cows come running, kicking their heels in the air at the sound of the truck.

We’re now feeding daily, which has become a very early morning ritual, as I’m currently working regular Monday to Friday hours. It’s actually one of my favourite parts of the day—and the dog agrees, especially enjoying the early starts.

The Rock Farm has become part of the backdrop to a busy schedule. I’m reminded that some jobs must be done immediately, while others can wait. Leaks in the water trough system need urgent attention, as do trees fallen across tracks. Other tasks have taken a back seat—waiting either for warmer weather or for me to return to shift work.

We’re thrilled to have our tractor back after a full engine rebuild. Dan from Direct Diesel Truck and Tractor Repair sourced a rebuild kit—including new pistons and liners—after the head gasket failure. It’s amazing how indispensable an old tractor can be. I hadn’t realised just how much I missed having it available until it was gone. Dan’s work was absolutely top-notch, and I couldn’t be happier.

Meanwhile, our house renovation continues to inch forward. The support from local plumbing and electrical services has kept the momentum going. Huge shout-out to Sam from Prime Plumbing Yass and Andrew from APL Electrical, who’ve helped keep the build ticking along while I’ve been tied up with work.

As winter rolls on, we’re reminded that life on the land is full of challenges, but also full of community, resilience, and moments of quiet joy. Whether it’s the early morning feed runs, the clatter of hooves chasing Myrtle, or the steady progress on the house, there’s always something to be grateful for. With spring on the horizon, we’re looking forward to warmer days, greener paddocks, and whatever the next chapter brings for the Rock Farm.

Oh and calves… hopefully lots of calves!

Thanks for following along with our journey — stay warm, and take care until next time.

What autumn break?

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As we have slid into autumn, our hopes for an autumn break didn’t eventuate. Passing storms missed our property by literally hundreds of meters. Driving through puddles just a short distance from home, with wipers on, turned into not-quite-damp dust on our driveway. It was almost worse to find not even a trace of rain in the gauge. We are by no means alone—much of the south-eastern part of the country is desperately dry, despite the record rains and floods that affected Queensland just a few weeks ago.

Any chance of the grass growing this winter has all but gone. The first frost signals the end of the growing season. With little grass remaining, we have commenced feeding our remaining cattle.

Feeding has been a little more difficult with the tractor still out of action. Thankfully the Not-So-Little Helpers still turn up occasionally. They get press ganged into helping me roll the remaining round bales into the trailer for feeding out.

We delayed purchasing hay with the tractor broken, but eventually had to order a truckload. It should arrive by the end of the week. In the two weeks since ordering, prices for hay delivered on-farm have gone up another 25%. Thankfully, our wonderful neighbours will bring their tractor over to help us unload. This should see us through until spring.

The good news is that, according to local folklore, as Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre fills with water, it brings wetter weather. This should set us up for a reasonable spring. Watch this space!

Our decision to sell the weaners early seems to have been sound. Cattle prices in the local area have dropped dramatically as producers seek to reduce numbers. Apparently, there is strong demand further north to replace losses from the floods and take advantage of the good rainfalls. The money from the sale of our heifers didn’t last long—it went on the hay!

One advantage of the dry weather is that the little dam in our garden dried out. For many years, I’d promised Jo a jetty. I even managed to construct the deck a while back. Running fast out of excuses—and with the youngest Helper back from university—we got it installed, much to the one remaining chicken’s satisfaction. Result: one happy wife… and chicken!

Thankfully, the fire danger period ended without any major fires in the district. That said, there were a few smaller fires that threatened houses later in the season. With the eldest Helper now a fully fledged member of our local brigade, we went to a couple of these fires. Despite the serious nature of the work, it was a lot of fun working with this chap!

It was great to have both boys home to celebrate Mother’s Day. The youngest Helper came back from university in Sydney for the occasion. We slow-cooked a lamb shoulder in the camp oven, which was delicious. Dinner was followed by a wonderful night catching up over a few beers. These moments are all too precious now that both these fine young men are making their way in the world.

The farm has taken a back seat this year as we continue to renovate our home. Sadly, my updates on the blog have also fallen behind. The house is progressing (slowly). We’ve moved on from demolition and are now rebuilding subfloors and getting our plumbing repaired and roughed in. Between feeding the cattle and working on the house, I’ve also taken on a new project at work. It’s filling my days—and my cup. But it doesn’t stop us from taking time to just pause and hang out with the cattle to re-set every now and then.

All in all, it’s been a busy few months, but we’re getting through it—one job at a time. The support of family, neighbours, and the Helpers has made all the difference. With a bit of luck and some rain, we’re hopeful the season ahead will be a little easier.