[Russel]

Shell is trying to start Fracking here in South Africa in one of the most sensitive semi desert ecosystems. They are meeting fierce resistance from the public. However government recently lifted a moratorium on fracking due to “further investigation of the environmental impact” or as I call it Bribes. I really hope they can stop doing this all over the world as from what Ive heard, it ruins the groundwater for hundreds of kilometers…

[Russel]

Over here in South Africa the farms are generally larger (>1000 hectares). Most if not all are family farms being past from father to son. We have 1200 Hectares on which we run 100 breeding cows plus hangers on (Bulls, calves, young heifers).

We have 30 Stud Hereford cows and 10 Stud Black Angus cows. We artificially inseminate the stud cows and use the our stud bulls on the commercial herd. The rest being commercial cows (Baldies etc.) We select the best heifers and young bull calves and keep them back for breeding. The rest are sold to the feedlots once most of the calves have reached 200kg.

The stud Angus and Hereford bull calves we sell as registered bulls after using them on our cows for 2 years. This way we never have old bulls. All are tested for diseases and fertility. Through selection and prudent culling we get >95% pregnancy in our herd every year.

We also have 1000 Dohne Merino Ewes plus there hangers on. We tried synchronizing this year and it turned out very well. Although trying to lamb 1000 ewes in 2 weeks is no mean feat.

We have approximately 200 hectares of fields which we work with our 3 tractors(Rip and disk, we only plough if the weeds start taking over). Just over half of that is down to Lucerne (Alfalfa) which we cut and round bale if we get enough rain and store in the sheds for use in winter. The rest of the fields are planted to greenfeed such as oats, stooling rye, triticale, arrowleaf clover etc. We rotate our lucerne fields with the greenfeed fields as the lucerne plantings thin out (although some of our lucerne plantings are 17 years old and still produce a large amount of bales. The rainfall in our area is too low to plant crops for harvesting although if we are lucky we sometimes get rain spaced evenly enough to combine harvest the stooling rye or triticale fields. We use saved seed and only use bought seed if we run out of saved seed. Also no fertilizer or chemicals of any kind are used on our fields. Its not really that we have chosen to be organic or anything its just that there is no need as the soil is fertile and pests are far and few between.

We have windmills that fill concrete reservoirs and a pipeline system throughout the farm fills ball valve operated troughs. And of course the whole farm is criss crossed with barbed wire fences to correctly utilize and spare the grass and ensure a good mix of the “sweet veld” grasses.

[Russel]

Hi guys

Ive been reading lynn millers mower book and he suggests if there is movement (I think he refers to it as slop) or jiggling in the wheel then it should be pulled to try and determine the problem. Id appreciate any advice on whether or not I should proceed.

Thanks

[Russel]

Added myself

Its a shame google maps doesnt update our maps more often. This is a 2009 shot. No water in the dams…

[Russel]

I could try that as a last resort if my gumpole doesnt turn out ok. What exactly is the process?

[Russel]

I have eucalypts but they check VERY badly radially. Anyone know of methods to stop radial checking?

Wood is quite expensive here and the sizes need for tongues are hard to come by. Almost all buildings are made with cement and bricks. Most forestry is for pulpwood and paper.

[Russel]

I have Populus tremuloides (Quaking Aspen) growing all over my farm and it does have a straight growth pattern. Does anyone know if it could be used for a mower tongue though?

[Russel]

Hi all

Last year we planted about 100 ha of roundready corn, up from 10 ha the previous year. Where we farm a grass called eintjies grows in all the mealie (corn) lands and until recently no weedicide would kill it, so we have always cultivated. When we first planted the round up ready mealies we sprayed round up and all of the eintjies were killed, almost 100% effectivity. Then last year we sprayed and only half the eintjies were killed, we sprayed a second time and only half of those left alive were killed. Only after the third spray were all of the eintjies killed. Barring a bad batch of roundup, I think this might be the last time we spray with roundup as it seems the eintjies have adapted already.

Just my two cents…

[Russel]

In South Africa we always complain about a lot of farm products coming from the americas. In the case of beef: Argentina, Brazil and USA flood our markets with cheap beef. Maize, Soya and a host of other cheap imports are causing similar problems. The stupid thing is we (South African farmers) produce enough food for our country as well as supporting quite a few neighbouring ones.

On maize, we cant possibly compete with imports because the imports are cheaper than even our production costs!!

[Russel]

Thanks Mitchmaine

I have all those parts, I just removed them to paint them. I could shape the pole at home. What dimension beam should I get? Also what other wood could I use for the tongue? What do you recommend?

I found a company that imports wood from all over the world so I can get almost any wood.

[Russel]

Heres a pic of the mower, Ive only painted a couple of parts…

[Russel]

Hi all

Can someone please take a photo of the lifting mechanism as well as that mechanism that connects to the clutch and takes it out of gear when everything is lifted.

Thanks

[Russel]

I dont know what to think at the moment. Government is trying to pass a bill that makes it compulsort to give 10% of your land to your workers. So of course this is causing farmers to fire workers left right and centre.

Also white farmers are viewed as the “enemy” and there is constant propaganda about us slaughtering our workers and other rubbish. Julias Malema is also singing an anti apartheid song “dubula ibhulu” which means shoot the farmer.

In general farmers have very good relationships with their workers and theres no problem but every now and then a white person kills a black person and he id imediately transformed into this racist boer farmer.

We have actually found that zim black people are much more pleasant than SA ones and many farmers would hire a zimbabean any day.

On the government side of things, the country has improved a lot since Jacob Zuma took office. Potholes in roads are being fixed, trash is being picked up and corrupt officials are being sacked constantly.

I just hope they dont start evicting farmers like in zim…

George, where did you hike in sa? What area?

[Russel]

Do you any of you guys that use draft horses use these kind of stables or do you prefer tie stalls?

[Russel]

Hi again

The reason riding plows arent common is because oxen were used and you needed to be able to walk forward and smack any lazy ones with those huge ox whips. My grandfather was telling me that one of his workers in the 50s used to be so good with an ox whip that he could hit a lazy ox right at the front of the 12 ox hitch from the back. He also said he could hit swallows out the sky with it. Impressive stuff.

I was just wondering whether you could drive horses from the side of the plow? Or could you walk in the furrow?

[Author]

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