What Makes Country Life So Good? COMMUNITY
Enjoying A Short Country Road Trip
Ali & Danny enjoyed a two week driving holiday around country Victoria in May. We headed to Swan Hill for our year-end planning meeting with our wonderful Dodgshun Medlin accountants then continued for a short break from business.
What we love about a driving holiday is there is almost no planning or effort required before we leave. It’s just get ‘on the road’ with a general idea of where we might go and we book motels just before we get to our next night’s location. This time we went to
• Echuca - and visited Ali’s childhood friend at Gunbower (with great steaks at the local pub)
• Albury - visited a 90 yr old lady whose father & Ali’s grandfather were WW1 soldier settlers together at Monash
• Myrtleford & Beechworth
• Bendigo - best ever steakhouse ‘The Woodhouse.’ Now a must-do destination whenever we’re in Bendigo
• Ballarat - another great steak restaurant in ‘Squires Loft’ for Danny’s birthday and we spent a day at ‘Sovereign Hill’ which we hadn’t visited in 35 years .. and loved it!
• Halls Gap in The Grampians -Cold in May but still delightful and saw the wonderful MacKenzie falls. The weather had been very dry but these are fed from a dam so are always flowing … absolutely Fab!
• Hamilton - and nearby Wannon Falls and Nigretta Falls which both had a trickle, despite dry weather. Very pretty.
• Horsham & onto Murtoa - for the stunning Murtoa Stick Shed (see P3)
• Warracknabeal - where Ali reminisced about doing a truck trip with her father, Grant Telfer, to deliver a shed when she was only about 10 years old (early 1970’s). She’d always remembered it raining and, coming into a town at dusk, there were tens of thousands, if not millions,of froglets on the road by a small river and Ali had always thought it may have been Warracknabeal (love the way that name rolls off your tongue). Now she’s sure it was !
• Hopetoun & Lake Lascelles campground - just happened to call in here briefly and we were surprised how lovely it is and the new but rustic looking facilities. Well worth a stay if you’re a caravanner.
As we drove home from Warracknabeal to Monash, the rain settled in gently and it was really lovely to enjoy it and be grateful as we drove through dryseeded farming country. Now that’s our kinda easygoing, no fuss holiday.
a
when we were
but
seen
Only a
of
Warracknabeal. Ali’s happy place for the memory of millions of froglets on the road during rain, on a childhood truck trip with her dad to deliver sheds. It’s usually the simple things that create amazing childhood memories. Make sure you’re doing simple, fun things with the children in your life!
unexpected
Until next time… Ali & Danny
Signing off from “MacKenzie Falls,” in The Grampians, Vic. This is only one small portion of these wonderful waterfalls. It is a 1km walk with viewing places along the way to see other sections. Absolutely beau~ful and we highly recommend it.
Danny, forever inspecting the shed design! Here he’s at the Fire Brigade building at Sovereign Hill, Ballarat.
Wannon Falls are another volcanic waterfall only
10 minute drive from Nigretta Falls.
trickle
there
we’ve
pics
huge volumes of water gushing over it. There’s a lovely campground nearby too.
Lake Lascelles was a spectacular and
find near Hopetoun, Vic. A very pretty, small lake with powered & unpowered sites plus interesting rustic faciliites. Just beautiful.
Nigretta Falls, fed by the Wannon River that starts in the Grampians. Located 10km from Wannon, just out of Hamilton, Vic.
Farmers are crucial to our economy. Feeding the world. OK, not feeding hay to humans but certainly feeding them meat, grain, fruits and vegetables. Taken at Warracknabeal, Vic.
Halupka Owners- Grant Sheds
You Little Ripper... Grant Sheds
LOCAL AUSSIE LEGENDS
Amazing Local History Preserved
“Cathedral of the Wimmera”
It’s amazing to think a shed might create such a sense of history and local connection that a community would not only fight to save it, but also seek to have it heritage listed. But that’s how the ‘Cathedral of Wimmera’ came to be. Now this agricultural slice of history is a tourism icon that draws thousands of visitors to Murtoa in Victoria each year.
Danny and I were among those visitors recently and turns out there’s a fascinating story behind this aweinspiring piece of bush ingenuity.
Also known as The Stick Shed, the structure dates back to 1942 when farmers were desperately seeking ways to store their grain due to a wheat glut and the fact WWII was raging in two of Australia’s largest export markets. As storage facilities filled up and even railway sidings began to overflow with bagged wheat, it became apparent additional grain storage sites were required.
As a result, massive stick sheds for grain storage were built in Victoria, SA and WA, including the township of Murtoa. Comprising 560 upright poles up to 20m tall, this shed covers an area of 16,000sq m and has a storage capacity of 92,500 tonnes. The first of its type in Victoria and the last to be emptied in 1990, it remains the only WWII stick shed still standing, due in no small part to a committed group of locals.
Initially, the fight to save the Murtoa Stick Shed had its fair share of detractors. The grain board wanted to demolish it, the townspeople thought it an eyesore and even local farmers believed the space would be better served by more modern grain storage.
The Stick Shed was given an interim heritage order in 1990 but it wasn’t until 2014 that it was added to the Australian Heritage List as entry number 101.
In the meantime, those keen on the project had to make sure the building didn’t deteriorate further. They draped steel mesh over the roof to prevent the iron blowing off, repaired damaged poles, and fought off the occasional act of sabotage. They also sought to get the wider community onboard, educating them about the opportunities the historic shed might offer. Now open to the public, The Stick Shed attracted 30,000 visitors in 2023. It’s not the only
Years
attraction on offer in the region either. Murtoa is also part of the Silo Art Trail and boasts a museum precinct comprising the Old Water Tower, Murtoa Railway Station and Concordia Cottage.
We were one pair of visitors to these sites during our half day in Murtoa and we highly recommend a visit. We could have easily spent longer enjoying a fascinating part of Australia where the nation’s agricultural past and present inter twine.
Watch you tube video here: https://bit.ly/YoutubeMurtoa
Grant Sheds owners, Ali & Danny Halupka, stood in awe of this amazing 1940’s Grain Shed at Murtoa in country Victoria. Understandable, given our connection to sheds, of course! It’s certainly worth a visit and open most days.
It’s understandable that some saw this building as an eyesore, with major damage & huge holes in the roof. C1990’s
Under construction in 1942. Ingenious architecture, built by bush carpenters.
New iron draped over the holes to preserve the building while seeking heritage listing. c1990’s
Robotics & Automation REVOLUTIONISES
For third generation farmer, David McHugh, technology is revolutionising every aspect of his family-run farm at Finniss on the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Robotics and automation are reinventing how the dairy farm is managed, while state-of-theart machinery is allowing the McHughs to crop more land, more efficiently.
David explains the dairy farm dates back to the 1940s, while the cropping started in the 1990s and it’s a true family affair with his wife Jane, brother Ben, sisterin-law Katie, and parents Kym and Heather all involved in the operation.
Over recent years, both sides of the business have expanded due to increased demand and improved farming practices, with the family currently managing a herd of Jersey cows, and cropping a mix of wheat, barley, lupins, canola, beans, and hay in rotation.
In the past four years the dairy herd has increased from 280 to 400 as a result of improved milk prices and a solid business relationship with a local manufacturer.
“Our milk goes to a local cheese manufacturer in Adelaide called La Casa Del Formaggio,” David explains. “So, we’re gradually growing the dairy, and we’ll probably keep growing it by at least another hundred cows in the next few years.”
David notes the relationship with La Casa began about ten years ago and is indicative of a local success story. Having started as a small family business producing Italian cheeses such as bocconcini, ricotta and mozzarella, La Casa has become a premium Italian cheese supplier with its award-winning products stocked in supermarkets across Australia.
“It would have been ten years ago they came on the farm and approached us and a few other dairy producers around the area trying to source milk directly from the farmer,” David explains. “Now they’ve invested in a huge factory out in Edinburgh and are buying as much milk as they can.”
This growing demand for quality milk has seen David and his family invest in their dairy enterprise. In addition to the traditional herringbone dairy, the family now also has an automated dairy which allows the cows to voluntarily present themselves to be milked at five and six-hour intervals.
“Basically, it’s four DeLaval robots that milk the cow, with a series of sort gates which direct the cows from the paddocks into the robots, and then back from the robots out into the paddocks,” David says.
“It’s voluntary, so the cows can just present whenever they like to be milked, and if they happen to come to be milked too early, the sort gate will spit them back out until they have milking permission.”
The robots utilise an array of technology including scanners, cameras and mechanised milking arms. The scanners determine which cow is which and when they were last milked, allowing the cow into the milking area if enough time has passed since they last presented.
Once inside, the cow is fed while a robotic arm with a camera and a cleaning cup cleans and dries the teats before the milking cups are attached then sanitize the cow’s teats before releasing it into one of three sections of the farm.
David notes the whole process takes less than 10 minutes and offers an array of benefits, ranging from efficiency to improved cow health.
But it’s not just in the dairy where technology is improving operations, with the cropping side of the business also enjoying the benefits of innovation.
A Goldacres G6 was added to the operation in 2023 with the Billberry optical spot spray system on it also using cameras to identify weeds and spot spray them. This works in a summer spray situation and also weeds in a crop situation.
Initially started as a way to supplement the dairy, the McHugh’s have expanded their cropping to encompass around 3000ha, and now sell around 80 per cent of what they produce off-farm.
That expansion has involved purchasing and leasing additional land as it becomes available and committing to a consistent investment in state-of-the art machinery.
And David notes a lot has changed even in his years farming. “When I left school, when we first started cropping in the early ‘90s, it was a one way Chamberlain plow and then worked back with a cultivator, then sown with a combine,” David recalls.
“Now we’re pretty much 95 per cent spray and direct drill, knifepoint, press-wheels as well as running a supplementary disc seeder for certain situations.”
One of two identical Grant Sheds Machinery Sheds that the McHugh’s have invested in. It’s 18m x 33m x 6m and has 4 sliding doors each end for a convenient drive-through facility.
McHugh Family: L-R - David with Jane, Ebony & Joe, Heather & Kym, Katie, Ben, Sam, Henry & Tom.
Automation Technology
FAMILY FARM
11th Grant Shed
The expansion of their operation and the investment in machinery has resulted in a long-term relationship with Grant Sheds, with the McHugh’s recently purchasing their 11th Grant Shed, which will store hay for the dairy. Previous sheds have included a series of machinery sheds and workshops, which David says protect their investment in equipment.
“We’ve invested a lot of money over the years in bigger machinery so we can continue cropping more country ourselves without bringing on extra labour to do it,” he says.
“The main benefit is just to preserve your machinery, having it out of the sun. When we trade our machinery, the dealer always knows it’s well looked after as it’s shedded. A lot of it presents like new because it’s protected from the elements when not in use, and that definitely adds to the resale.” Most importantly the paint work and protecting things like belts bearings and interiors from the weather is also important.
David notes his family has been working with Grant Sheds since the mid 1990’s and, like his business relationship with La Casa, it’s an association that has lasted because it’s based on professionalism and open communication.
“We’ve always had a good relationship with Grant Sheds,” he says. “From the first shed we built back in the late 1990s, when something is said by Grant Sheds, then it’s pretty much all bang on the expected delivery and erected date.”
Machinery
to protect their valuable farm
and equipment from
“We had a recent experience with another shed builder who promised the world to get a shed deal over the line and was like 6 months late on delivering putting our new robotic dairy way behind schedule! Grant sheds were up front stating they couldn’t meet our time frame but in hindsight would have easily made it. We think honesty is key in business.”
As for the future, David says his family’s focus is on continued expansion with a view to passing the farm onto a fourth generation that includes his daughter and son Ebony and Joe, along with his brother’s three boys Tom, Henry and Sam.
“I think the five-year plan is that we increase our cow numbers as we’ve got a good relationship with our milk company with a minimum milk price
12m x 21.6m x 4.2m Vehicle Shed near Ben McHugh’s farm house. This has 2 x 7.2m beams & 4 sliding doors for farm vehicles and 2 smaller roller doors with remotes for easy access of family vehicles. Colorbond cladding.
“So, we plan on milking more cows and cropping more land as it becomes available, and we want to stay a family farming enterprise and give the boys and my daughter the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art equipment.”
11 Grant Sheds for the McHugh Family
12m x 18m x 4.8m
Machinery Shed
12m x 21m x 4.8m Machinery Shed 15m x 24m x 5.1m Machinery Shed
14m x 21m x 5.4m Hay Shed
6m x 9m x 2.7m Garage
12m x 13.5m 4.2m Machinery Shed
12m x 21.6m x 4.2m Machinery Shed
18m x 33m x 6m Machinery Shed
6m x 9m x 3m Garage
18m x 33m x 6m Machinery Shed 18m x 28.8m x 7.5m Hay Shed
Happier with Grant Sheds
“It’s a no-brainer!They’re efficient at getting quotes out.The quality of the shed, build and materials are as good as it gets.And honestly, when they say they’re going to be able to build it in a certain time, it’s what happens. Grant Sheds have highly trained, high workmanship builders and the site’s left neat and tidy.”
David McHugh, Mt Compass
SA
Another
Shed
vehicles
our harsh Aussie climate. This one is a 15m x 24m x 5.1m shed and has 2 x 9m and 1 x 6m wide bay beams and 8 sliding doors.
Jersey cows in the automated, robotic dairy shed.
We Welcome New Members To Our GRANT SHEDS FAMILY
Joining the ranks of Respected Farmers who own a Grant Shed are the following landholders. As you can see, the “Grant Sheds Family” come from a broad geographic area. Many farmers have invested in multiple Grant Sheds and are proud to recommend us to family and friends. Key: Multiple Grant Shed owners are identified by a red asterisk *, their name in blue and the number of sheds they own is in blue brackets ( # ) Thank you for your ongoing faith in our sheds and your trust in the relationship you have with us. Said another way:
“We build bloody good sheds for bloody good farmers!”
Guy Barnes King Island Fertiliser Shed 7.5m x 9m x 2.4m
Aaron Kitson Verran Fertiliser Shed 7.5m x 12m x 2.4m
Ashley Green Eudunda Machinery Shed 12m x 18m x 4.2m
*Greg,Lowe (5) Hamley Bridge Machinery Shed 15m x 24m x 6.3m
*Darren Robinson (2) Belalie East Machinery Shed 15m x 15m x 3.9m
*Neville Kernick (2) Coonalpyn Fertiliser Shed 7.5m x 15m x 2.4m
*Richard Harkness (4) Tintinara Machinery Shed 10.6m x 15m x 5.1m
*Jamie Steer (4) Naracoorte Machinery Shed 12m x 15.2m x 4.5m
Scott Donaldson Warialda Fertiliser Shed 7.5m x 15m x 2.4m
Ian Bottrall Laura Garage 9m x 15m x 3.6m
*Andrew Bennett (2) Kingscote Machinery Shed 9m x 12m x 3.9m
Leo & Locky Maloney Mundulla Garage 9m x 25m x 3m
Lyle Fox Lalbert Fertiliser Shed 7.5m x 9m x 2.4m
*Grant Johnson (4) Peake Garage 7.5m x 15.9m x 3.3m
Craig Newham Lake Cargelligo Fertiliser Shed 7.5m x 15m x 2.4m
Bart Dessart Renmark Garage 9m x 20m x 3.3m
Elijah & Kellie Whale Karatta Machinery Shed 12m x 24m x 4.2m
*Grantley Siviour Cowell Sliding Doors
David Nitschke Greenock Machinery Shed 9m x 16m x 4.5m
*Fred Fiegert (2) Wellington Machinery Shed 15m x 27m x 5.1m
*Thelma Koop (2) Meadows Machinery Shed 11m x 12m x 4.5m
John Croser Meningie Machinery Shed 21m x 30m x 6m
Peter & Alice Phillips Penola Hay Shed 12m x 24.3m x 6m
Keith Hampel Koonunga Hay Shed 12m x 18m x 4.8m
Scott Lindner Tutye Machinery Shed 12m x 22.8m x 6.3m
Scott Lindner Tutye Machinery Shed
Liz Kirkby Hahndorf
John Ledson McLaren Vale Machinery Shed 12m x 16m x 5.4m
*David Makin (2) Wolseley Hay Shed 15m x
*Les Hull (3) Elliston Machinery Shed 10m x
Nick Crawford Kangaroo Island Garage 6m x 9m x 3m
*Nathan Todd Tintinara Sliding Doors
*Richard Howard (3) Parrakie
Gary Kirchner Yacka
*Phil Combe (2) Crystal Brook
*KevinWhenan (2) Agery Fertiliser
*Darryl Behn (2) Saddleworth
Trevor Ellis Jamestown Garage
Mike Byrnes Annuello Fertiliser
Brad Hancock Hansborough
*McHugh Family(11) Mt Compass Hay
69% bought a ‘Grant’ shed due to their own past experience or the experience of
Not shown on this map
44% = Existing Grant Shed owners buying from us again.
25% = Referrals from existing Grant Shed owners & people who have always known of Grant Sheds.
The secret lies in the unique combination of our 70 years with a culture of understanding and caring for farmers and building great sheds that you and we are proud of. Thank you for putting your trust in us to build your new Aussie-Tough shed.
To Help You With Your FARM SHED SOLUTIONS Ideas
Drought Proofing Your Livestock Enterprise
12m x 24.3m x 6m Hay Sheds, each with 3 x 8.1m wide bays that allow storage of 3 large bales per bay without wasted space, plus bale bumper rails on the rear wall to protect the wall iron from damage.
These two Hay Sheds are the 14th & 15th sheds built by Grant Sheds for Phil & Sandy Kernich, over two farms and 20 years! That loyalty is built on genuine and mutual trust for the strong products and both parties being confident that we’ll do what we say … No Lies just to win a sale!
“It's been extremely dry in the Upper S.E this season. We are glad to have built hay sheds as part of our drought proofing strategy and haven't had to buy hay in. As a bonus some of the sundry machinery gets a roof over it's head for a few months.”
Sandy & Phil Kernich, ’Yarrawin Downs’ Brimbago SA
100% TAX DEDUCTION
Still applies on sheds for fodder *Conditionsstorage Apply. Seek your independentown advice
12m x 24.3m x 6m Hay Shed
• 3 x 8.1m wide bays for 3 large bales wide per bay
• Bale bumper rails protect wall iron
• UB front columns for extra toughness where fre may accidentally hit them
Rodney also has a 12m x 25.5m x 6m hay shed with 8.5m bays to provide a little extra width when using dual wheeled tractor to store hay.
openings right so we didn’t have half a bay that we couldn’t access with a tractor or a bale of hay, and then just getting it up in time.
“The service from Grant Sheds was excellent , always only a phone call away… the guidance , getting me through the design process to the delivery, to the erection was terrific.
“I tend to work on the philosophy that: “You See and Remember Strength and Quality Longer Than Price.”
“We’re building for the long term so if the situation demands strength and quality and you can afford it, build it. That’s why we built a Grant Shed.”
Rodney Lush, Keith SA
Limited Time
New Season “Special Offer”
*Save Thousands*
When you order your new shed from Grant Sheds….
Order Before September 30, 2024 to Save Thousands off your new shed.
Save up to $7500, $15,500 or even up to $20,000 depending on the size and type of shed.
FREECALL 1800 088 528
See enclosed catalogue for details.
Signs That Make A Statement
Sign over a Gynacologist’s Office “Dr. Jones … At Your Cervix.”
In a Podiatrist’s Office: “Time Wounds All Heels”
At an Optometrist’s Office:
“If you don’t see what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place.”
On a Septic Tank Truck:
“Yesterday’s Meals on Wheels.”
On a Plumber’s Truck:
“We Repair What Your Husband Fixed”
On another Plumber’s Truck: “Don’t Sleep with a Drip. Call your Plumber”
*And don’t forget, 100% Tax Deduction Incentives still apply for sheds used for fodder storage and $20,000 Instant Tax Write-offs may apply on other sheds.
The Secret to a Long & Happy Marriage
After being married for 50 years, hubby took a careful look at his wife one day and said, “Fifty years ago, we had a cheap house, a junk car, slept on a sofa bed and watched a 10 inch black & white TV, but I got to sleep with a hot 23 years old girl every night.”
“Now, I have a $500,000 home, a $70,000 car, a nice big bed and a large screen TV … but I’m sleeping with a 73 year old woman with saggy bits. It seems to me that you’re not holding up your side of things.”
His wife was a very reasonable woman. She replied to him, “Well you just go out and find a hot 23 year old girl … and I’ll make sure that you can once again be living in a cheap house with a crap car, sleeping on a couch and watching a 10 inch TV!!!”
Punctuation is Powerful
An English Professor wrote this sentence on the blackboard and asked the students to punctuate it correctly.
“A woman without her man is nothing”
All of the males in the class wrote: “A woman, without her man, is nothing.”
All of the females in the class wrote: “A woman: without her, man is nothing.”
GENERAL SIR JOHN MONASH
What a wonderful philosophy for we country folk to live by, as stated by General Sir John Monash.
“…equip yourself for life, not solely for your own benefit but for the benefit of the whole community.”
And that, dear friends, is why English lessons in school are important.