Farm Gate News Jan-Feb 2014

FARMGATE NEWS

Written & Published By

JAN-FEB 2014

A BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTER TO INFORM AND ENTERTAIN YOU

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ERRATIC RAINFALL P4 Farmer’s Solution To Avoiding A

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BUSHFIRE EMERGENCY FARM GATE NEWS The Farmer’s Newsletter

PHONE 1800 088 528

GRANT SHEDS PO Box 29, Monash, SA 5342

P7

EMAIL info@grantsheds.com.au

FAX 08 8583 5402 WEB www.grantsheds.com.au

GRANTS SHEDLY FAMI P6

What Makes Country Life So Good? ... COMMUNITY

Sheep Only Story Helps Another Farmer We are delighted to hear that our FARM GATE NEWS has been getting like-minded farmers together.

Jack Pryse from Torrita in Victoria was so impressed with Neil Klingner’s story in our July-August 2013 newsletter that he ‘googled’ him on the internet, called him and then, with family in tow, visited and spent time with Neil at his Crystal Brook property.

Bushfire Dangers And How We Cope

Neil decided to quit cropping over a decade ago and to focus on sheep only. As this was a path that Jack and his son Daniel were considering, the information was timely for them.

While our family was enjoying a quiet evening of relaxation on the River Murray at Berri, water skiing after a stinking hot day, and watching the amazing lightening display, little did we realise that the lightening had started 250 fires in SA and 350 in Victoria (or so we heard on the radio the following day).

Memories About Grant Telfer And it’s a small world … Jack’s wife Lyn used to work for Greg & Dot Brown at Underbool and Lyn was interested to read the story about the Brown’s in the Sep-Oct 2013 edition.

It included one about 30km north of our house and factory at Calperum Station National Park.

We’ve never had a truly close call with a bushfire so we were probably a bit laid-back about it all.

Three days later, thinking the fire was still way beyond harm’s way for us, Danny and I were travelling to Adelaide for an appointment when we got a phone call from Brenton at our office advising that the CFS were visiting our neighbourhood advising people to evacuate because the winds were bringing the fire in our direction rapidly.

At that point it was expected that the fire may be upon our home within an hour. Mmm… we were already too far away to return in that time frame. So instead we asked our sons to head up to our place (500 metres from our factory, and out amongst Mallee scrub) to just get our photo albums and shut up the house. We couldn’t think what else to tell them to take out and figured that our house is just a “thing” and it’s insured anyway.

Our daughter in law Melinda thought to take our 3 dogs home to her place.

I also called my Dad who lives nearby and told him of the situation and as I expected he wasn’t too keen to leave - though he did agree to get an overnight case ready and point his car in the right direction for a quick escape if needed.

Another call was made to an elderly neighbour who lives alone to check on her. She suggested she get her medications together … I hadn’t thought of that.

Some time later, the wind dropped, giving more time than initially expected to prepare our home.

So our boys (adults) took some vehicles from our home shed and stored those elsewhere, turned garden sprinklers on and faced them toward the bush to wet that down, filled gutters with water etc and then…. Well they sat on the roof with binoculars, searching the horizon for signs of the fire, other than smoke.

And … this may sound terrible to others who are experienced with bushfires or more fearful than we were ... but they had a couple of cold beers while they watched and waited to see what

Dark, smoky sky behind Brenton who is on our roof watching for signs of flames in the distance. Brenton works with us in the office, but he closed the office on this day to prepare our house for the bushfire danger.

would eventuate.

Yes, they planned to leave our home. We’d insisted on that. Brenton has a young family and we didn’t want him or our other son Tony in any danger and we didn’t want their families worrying and stressing about them.

However, as it turned out, a change of wind direction well before the fires got to us, took our home and factory out of danger - but put others at Cooltong and Renmark West in higher danger.

That’s the nature of bushfires. This experience made us realise how underprepared we are and so I’ve searched the web to find some useful Bushfire Preparation information to share.

That information is on page 7, along with the web site it was gained from. Stay Safe!

Recent Farm Visits In January we visited Rob & Tracey Broad at Angaston in the Barossa Valley. They’ve just had a huge new Grant Sheds farm shed built on their new property there, after the first shed company they ordered their shed from closed down, leaving the Broad’s with no chance of getting their substantial deposit repaid.

Rob has owned farms in a wide range of areas around SA and even way north of Alice Springs, so you’ll find his stories fascinating when we feature him later this year.

P2 FARM GATE NEWS: The Farmer’s Newsletter

Lyn remembers Grant Telfer (Ali’s dad and original owner of Grant Sheds) when he delivered sheds in their area (must have been back in the 70’s) … dressed in his white overalls and bare feet. Couldn’t get away with that these days!

For people who don’t know Dad, he’s quite a character. He wears what he feels most comfortable in (overalls and bare feet), rides his push-bike most of the time (just because he enjoys it), and was the maker of the Old Monash Playground which brought immense joy to hundreds of thousands of visitors and was FREE to enter, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

When Mum was alive she’d insist that he wear ‘normal civvies’ when they went out to tea. When people saw him in his civvies, the joke was that he was going incognito so that no-one would recognise him.

I don’t think we even have a photo of him in normal clothes.

See … No Shoes!

Alison with her parents, Grant & Margaret Telfer.

FREE BEER Don’t forget about our FREE BEER offer when you buy a farm shed this summer. More information is on page 8 and on the enclosed flyer.

Until next time,

Ali & Danny Halupka

Co-owners, Grant Sheds PS: We haven’t introduced him before but it’s our youngest son Tony on the front cover. This photo was taken after he’d helped prepare our house for the oncoming bushfire. The roof was a good lookout point.

Rob Broad, Angaston

You Little Ripper... Grant Sheds

Local Aussie Legends CFS Volunteers...True Aussie Legends When disasters strike, our true Aussie Legends appear. And this is never so apparent as when our country is struck by bushfires, as we were in January.

I think everyone in our country communities then really appreciates the outstanding efforts of our volunteer fire-fighters.

At other times, perhaps we overlook the effort they put in to regular training, localised building fires, small grass fires, road accidents, etc.

We know that a large number of farmers are involved with their local CFS and even those who aren’t, are quick to lend a hand using their own on-farm fire-fighting equipment.

During periods of disaster like this there is also a lot of back-up support needed and this comes in the form of fire-fighters arriving from other regions and even interstate to help out, along with people who help make up meals, provide accommodation etc. I think we’d all like to be able to do more to help in these situations, but often don’t know where to turn to offer our time.

And even after the fires are brought under control and the immediate danger has passed, there are ways that we can help people who have lost property, fences, livestock and pasture.

Photo courtesy of ABC web site: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-18/sa-bushfires-residents-told-to-stay-on-high-alert/5206758 I know there are Riverland groups banding together to offer their services to help re-build fencing, farmers are offering hay and grain to others who have no feed, and no doubt similar is happening in other areas.

In the Riverland there are a lot of wine grape growers who have treated permapine posts that they don’t need and cannot get rid of. These may

Facebook Thankyou to Firefighters Here’s some heart felt comments on Facebook, to Victoria firefighters who travelled over the border into SA to help out. I think the laid back Aussie attitude of ‘We’re not legends’ is just so typical, along with a little interstate sledging/rivalry.

E “A MASSIVE THANKYOU TO TH INTERSTATE FIRE FIGHTERS!a heart

be useful for farming fire victims who need new fences.

If you have treated pine posts you are happy to donate or if you are a farmer who needs to replace fences and would like some posts, please contact Danny and we’ll see if we can put you in touch.

Email: danny@grantsheds.com.au Ph: 08 8583 5262 Fax: 08 8583 5402

“We were in main street of Loxton as lots of fire trucks came thru and down to the hotel on Saturday. It was very interesting to see the names of where they were all from, including many places we’d never heard of and which I assume were Victorians. At a time like this, of course we’ll welcome the Vic’s ... and when South Aussies are needed over there, I’m sure we’ll be welcomed too. All parochialism set aside.”

Alison Halupka, Monash SA

heroes but you all have Not only are you guys and girls absolutes everyone affected by the fires for k of gold. Thankyou all so much, I spea er grateful. I couldn’t help but forev be we’ll in some way when I say that g me that they were now heading giggle when one of the men was tellin champs!” out to ‘Alwalwonna’ though! Absolute SA Lauren Lidgerwood, Loxton North, es. Just good Aussie “No thanks necessary & we’re not hero g what Aussie’s do. mates trying to make a difference doin will be repaid ur favo the Lend a helping hand. I’m sure favour after our a ying repa just we’re be sometime or may d give your coul we Black Saturday. Whichever way, glad all for the you k than to like ‘firies’ a break. We would also if it was only a brief stay. even us ed treat & d ome welc ity way the commun often get that with new you but n Sorry we couldn’t speak South Australia Gary Taylor names & places.”

FARM GATE NEWS: The Farmer’s Newsletter P3

1952-2012

Upper North Farmers Adapting to

ERRATIC RAINFALL

acre farm – 40% of which is workable – or roughly 5000 acres. The rest is used as good grazing ground for the sheep the Byerlee’s have on the farm. In fact, the grazing is so good in the back hills, that when the sheep are taken to Jamestown market, the auctioneer is always impressed by how well the sheep are grown out. Those sheep and the 30 head of Hereford cattle they also keep on the farm are what help to carry the farm in the years they aren’t able to sow and get a return on their crop.

Shed Neil, Malcolm & Emily Byerlee and their 12m x 24m x 5.1m Grant Sheds Hay

So what makes the sheep grow out and be so beneficial to the farm? The oats that are planted they use for feed as well as the standing wheat for weaning the lambs onto gives them a really good start.

and security. Hay With 6m openings and a partitioned off area they have both convenience nt can be equipme or vehicles while , weather the from d can be stored quickly and protecte lining in fertiliser a added have Byerlee’s The doors. sliding with section the in stored securely . required when well, as the partitioned section so they can store super The Byerlee family - Neil, Emily and Neil’s father Malcolm, live at Carrieton, near Orroroo in the upper north of South Australia, on their family farm “Ailerue” (that’s ‘Eurelia’, a local town, spelt backwards).

Malcolm Byerlee’s grandfather and his family were original settlers in 1876, when they came up from Manoora in the mid north. They took up the original Byerlee property, “Belforest”. Malcolm was one of the few people born on the ‘Belforest’ property.

Malcolm is also proud of the fact that he’s never spent a day in school in his entire life. But that’s not to say he’s not an educated man. His older siblings went to school at Carrieton, which is about seven miles away, by horse and buggy, but since Malcolm was the youngest child by several years, he was home on his own and therefore did his schooling through correspondence, with his mother as the supervisor.

Marginal Cropping Country Solutions The farm is still fairly isolated in the marginal cropping country where they may get 12-13” of rain some years, followed by multiple dry years.

“Back in the 1970’s and 80’s it was probably more

reliable,” says Neil. “We’d still get droughts but we were getting a lot more reasonable or average years as well.” Malcolm adds, “Earlier on, we’d only get 1 or 2 dry years in a row, whereas in more recent times we’ve had many dry years in a row or erratic rainfall years – not necessarily real low rainfall, but rain falling at the wrong time.”

And the average crop on their farm? Neil says that back in the ‘normal days’, it used to be around 7-8 bags to the acre, but nowadays they are battling for an average of 5 over the past 20 years, though that does include the years when they didn’t sow anything at all.

2001 was their best year ever for cropping, when they reaped a 32 bag barley crop and 23 bag wheat crop.

The weather can wreak havoc on the cropping season. “Like last year,” comments Neil, “There was pretty good average rain across the state, yet we didn’t sow a crop. It didn’t rain until July and I knew we wouldn’t get a return then, so we just decided not to sow anything. There have been quite a few years that we’ve done that and it’s saved us a lot of money.”

What started out as a 2500 acre farm when Malcolm took over in the ‘60s was built up over the next 30-40 years into what is now a 12,500-

With the varied weather and alternating rain and dry seasons, the Byerlee’s have tossed around the idea of not sowing any crop and just going back to relying wholly on sheep. “But in this country, unless you have put a little bit of fertilizer in, and stir the soil up a bit, you just don’t get the best of your pastures,” Neil points out. “If you can keep good cropping pastures up, it does improve them, and we run a lot more stock because of that.”

The Byerlee’s are conservative stockers. From mid January to June, they have 1200 sheep locked up in their feed-lot on the ‘Belforest’ farm, just to keep them off the paddocks so they don’t bare them out. “We used about 90 tonne of hay and a couple of thousand bags of grain, just to keep them off the country for a while,” explains Neil.

13 Aussie Tough Grant Sheds On The Farm When it comes to the farm sheds they use on the property, most are Grant Sheds built over a 46 year time span, between 1967 and 2013, on their two properties ‘Belforest’ and ‘Ailerue’.

The Byerlee’s have built all of the sheds on their 2 farms themselves – with no formal training – yet they all went together very well. This includes the most recent shed which, as Neil tells it, “We had absolutely no trouble. All the pre-punched holes

Here are the Byerlee’s 13 Grant Sheds farm sheds!

The Byerlee’s 1988 18m x 30m x 2.4m wall height Bulk Grain Shed, with very roof pitch that matches the angle that grain piles at. This is an old pipe framed shed, but modern versions with even higher walls are now available.

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1967 1968 1974 1986 1987 1988 1992 2002 2005 2006 2006 2006 2013

Mouseproof Barn 9m x 30m x 3.6m Machinery Shed 9m x 15m x 3.6m

Shed Farm 9m x 30m x 3.6m Machinery Shed 9m x 19m Sheep holding shed 18m x 30m x 2.4m Grain Shed 15m x 30m x 4.8m Truck Shed 12m x 18m x 5.1m

Shed Car/Horse Truck 18m x 36m x 5.4m

Shed ry Machine 12m x 24m x 5.1m Hay Shed 6m x 42m x 3.6m Leanto 6m x 12m x 2.4m Garage for Barn use 15m x 30m x 4.5m Horse Riding Arena

in there make it so easy and everything just goes together easily.” They built the shed in just a few days.

Farmer’s Solution To AVOIDING A SHED BUILDING DISASTER Neil & Malcolm have helped other people build sheds they’ve bought elsewhere and these days always ask first, “What brand is it?” because they’ve been caught out with terrible sheds to build for others before. As Neil says, “One shed just looked like it was ‘chucked together’. It looked like the shed company had just gone out the back to the scrap pile and just jumbled a heap together, brought it all in and said, ‘Build a shed out of that,’ because nothing matched. The apex struts were all either too long or too short. None of the holes lined up.”

And it was missing things too. “When you’d ring them up it was just like you were a bad smell.

They didn’t want to talk to you or answer your questions,” says Neil.

“The wall iron was 100mm (4”) too short and they told me that when I put a concrete floor in it, that would cover that gap! But we were not going to put a floor in it at all, so that also meant that the sliding doors were too short as well, with a 4” gap under them!”

“When people ask me about building a shed now, I just recommend they go to Grant Sheds,” says Neil. “I always go to ‘Grants’. I

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Grant Sheds Horse Riding Arena Protects Against Our Harsh Aussie Weather

Emily’s friends are envious of her new Horse Riding Arena and her “Handy Hubby” who built it .

never go anywhere else. They’re probably not the cheapest shed, but the amount of steel they put into them, they’re the best quality for what you get because they’re certainly not flimsy. They’re a proper good thickness.”

“But some of those really cheap ones you wouldn’t even touch with a barge pole,” he advises.

Malcolm had some basic background in building and helped erect a lot of other sheds and house additions for other people. “Including the toilets at the Carrieton hotel,” Neil added, and … with a very cheeky grin asked, “Would that classify him as a shit-house builder?” Words only a dearly loved son could get away with!!

The latest additions to the Byerlee family farm are Emily’s 7 horses. She’s always been a horse lover, and she was 4 when she got her first pony.

Emily is a country girl from birth. She was born at Cowell on the Eyre Peninsula and her father John (Jack) Crooks had a farm at Taragoro, near Cleve.

She lived there until she was 6 years old when her father was killed in a car accident and she moved back to Adelaide with her mother.

Farmer Wants A Wife...

She lived in Adelaide until she met Neil at a

neighbour’s shearing where he was working in the yards (neighbour at Carrieton … not Adelaide!!).

Neil was injured (motorbike busta!) shortly after.

Emily phoned him several times, but got limited conversation from him. Later Emily discovered that Neil’s family were listening into his phone conversations, due to him being laid up on the lounge, and were all ribbing him about his loveinterest.

They starting seeing each other and it was coming up to a Leap Year when Emily said to Neil, “Oh, you’d better watch out next year Neil. You know that women can ask men to marry in a leap year?”

She forgot about it then, but on the 29th of February, Neil phoned Emily and asked, “Is there something you wanted to ask me…?” Emily’s mum was in the room, so Emily took the phone out of the room, and she was really nervous, when she asked Neil … “Will you marry me?” He never really said yes or no, yet here they are, happily married!

Emily does western show riding with her quarter horses and has quite a bit of success with them.

Most of the horses that they’ve been breeding have been doing really well in Halter and undersaddle, and her black filly, ‘Paris’, has been the State Champion Trail Horse for three years running.

Compare the Footings

Grant Sheds

Solid steel, thick baseplates and large diameter, zinc plated footings bolts on Grant Sheds.

The owner of this Grant shed is not putting a concrete floor in so has grouted from the top of the footing to the underside of the base plate. Notice that the wall iron still covers down, past the baseplate, to the top of the footing.

X

Another Brand

This photo shows the thin side plates and small bolts, bolted through slotted holes on the vertical edge of the other shed company’s column.

It doesn’t even have a backing plate or decent washer on the inside of the C-section flange to stiffen it up.

The Byerlee’s 18m x 36m x 5.4m Machinery Shed. In larger span sheds, UB (Universal Beam) columns and OWJ (Open Web Joists) are a Super Strong and very cost-effective option from Grant Sheds.

grout

FARM GATE NEWS: The Farmer’s Newsletter

P5

We Welcome New Members To Our 1952-2012

GRANT SHEDS FAMILY Welcome to our

GRANT comSHe theEfolDlowSingFpeoApleMintoILourY“Grant

We are delighted to wel e from our members (shed buyers) com Sheds Family”. As you can see And es. typ d she of buy a wide range a broad geographic area and eds ” Sh nt Gra “ gh Tou multiple Aussie there are lots who have bought te qui It’s *. k eris ast se with a red over the years. I’ve marked tho yers we have and we thank you -bu eat rep amazing to see how many ef forts port and appreciation of the sincerely for your ongoing sup sheds. ng stro and ice munications, serv we put in to give you great com t. tha t jus do to e mise to continu That is our forte and we pro

Colin Penfold Robe Machinery Shed

Anthony & Ruth Bacskai* Glossop Garage Justin Bunney Seaford Garage Toby Wallace Brown Hill Creek Machinery Shed

Mark McCarthy Kapunda Machinery Shed Rhonda Axon Renmark Garage Newton & Sue Lines * Pt Vincent Garage Riverland Field Days Barmera Garage Taso & Melanie Kargas Barmera Garage Mt Compass Cup C’tee Mt Compass Machinery Shed Cherie & Clint Troy Berri Garage Matt & Karen Weatherall Loxton Garage Dave Rowden Mt Pleasant Garage Mark Piggott Morgan Garage Andrew Bruce Kadina Machinery Shed Neville Rowe Kadina Machinery Shed Neville Rowe Kadina Machinery Shed Steve Boord Middleton Garage Glen & Tracy Farr* Wunkar Leanto Ron Hards * Yarrara Hay Shed Wayne Roocke Booleroo Centre Machinery Shed Paul & Cherie Anderson* Wynarka Machinery Shed Ashleigh Cooper * Monash Garage Trevor Bottrill* Alawoona Hay Shed John Kirchner Crystal Brook Machinery Shed Mark Bigg Balaklava Machinery Shed Gwen Harris * Minlaton Leanto Jeff Schwartz Manoora Machinery Shed Dale Calderbank Stirling Machinery Shed Clive Wilkie Pinnaroo Garage Simon Calvert Coonalpyn Garage David Pocock * Loxton Machinery Shed Ian Atkins Minlaton Machinery Shed Chris Grieger Waikerie Garage Andrew Slater* Curramulka Machinery Shed Grant McCallum Orroroo Machinery Shed Allen Masters Willaston Garage Allen Masters Willaston Machinery Shed John, & Elsie Pocklington* Bunnaloo Machinery Shed Dave Schilling* Meringur Fertiliser Shed Chris Kohlhagen Verdun Machinery Shed

12m x 25.2m x 5.1m + 6m l-to 9m x 12m x 3.6m Ext 6m x 12m x 2.4m 12m x 12m x 4.8m + 6m leanto 15m x 6m x 5.1m 6m x 9m x 2.7m 6m x 10.2m x 3m 6mx 15m x 3.1m 9m x 9m x 3m 12m x 13.5m x 4.2m 7.5m x 12m x 2.4m 9m x 6m x 3m 7.5m x 10.8m x 3m 6m x 9m x 3m 15m x 31.5m x 5.1m 12m x 27m x 5.1m 12m x 27m x 5.1m 7.5m x 9m x 3.6m 6.5m x 18m x 5.1m 12m x 40.5m x 5.1m 15m x 24m x 6m 9m x 12m x 4.8m 6m x 6m x 2.4m 12m x 18m x 5.1m 12m x 18m x 5.1m 18m x 31.5m x 6m 9m x 18m x 4.8m 9m x 24m x 3.6m 12m x 24m x 6.3m 7.5m x 21m x 3m 9m x 12m x 3.6m 12m x 27m x 5.1m 15m x 33m x 5.1m 6m x 12m x 3m 15m x 30m x 6.3m 12m x 19.35m x 5.1m 9m x 12m x 3.6m 15m x 15m x 4.2m 12m x 27m x 5.1m Super Shed Items 12m x 18m x 4.2m

P6 P6 FARM GATE NEWS: The Farmer’s Newsletter

Len Nutt* Tintinara Machinery Shed Rob & Julie Symonds Willunga Machinery Shed Bronte Blyth Brentwood Machinery Shed Ivan Fiegert * Edillillie Machinery Shed David Cass * Loxton Machinery Shed Louis Curtis* Paringa Machinery Shed Barry Beattie * Ceduna Machinery Shed Andrew Cass * Loxton Garage John Hoare * Carrieton Machinery Shed Ron Reichelt Tarnma Machinery Shed Barry Laubsch Kapunda Machinery Shed John Blight* Currency Creek Machinery Shed John Launer Sandilands Machinery Shed Tom Shannon * Loxton Bulk Grain Shed Butch Dunn * Penong Leanto Greg Davis Murray Bridge Machinery Shed Paul Brown * Penong Leanto David & Dianne Farr * Loxton Machinery Shed Milton Chandler * Ceduna Machinery Shed

Phil Marrett Renmark Garage Philip Arbon Balaklava Machinery Shed Phil Combe Crystal Brook Machinery Shed Bruce McCallum Edillillie Machinery Shed Bruce McCallum Edillillie Machinery Shed Shane & Nyree Trowbridge * Penong Machinery Shed Rob Orrock Mt Compass Machinery Shed Shawn Klose Cambrai Machinery Shed

12m x 18m x 4.2m 12m x 27m x 5.1m 12m x 27m x 5.1m 12m x 27m x 5.1m 9m x 18m x 3.6m 12m x 27m x 5.1m 12m x 18m x 5.1m 2.6m x 3m x 2.4m 12m x 18m x 4.2m 12m x 27m x 5.1m 12m x 12m x 5.1m 15m x 18m x 5.1m 12m x 27m x 5.1m 20m x 60m x 5.1m 9m x 30m x 5.1m 9m x 15m x 5.1m 9m x 30m x 4.5m 15m x 36m x6.3m 15mx 30m x 6.3m + 9m Leanto 7.5m x 9m x 2.7m 10m x 18m x 5.1m 15m x 27m x 5.1m 15m x 15m x 6.3m 15m x 15m x 6.3m 15m x 12m x 5.7m 9m x 14.4m x 4.2m 12m x 30m x 5.4m

Positions Vacant from king expressions of interest ent which Welders Grant Sheds is see ym plo em ual cas g kin see experience people with MIG welding nse an advantage able. Truck and forklift lice may lead to full time if suit but not critical. lders. You must have seeking additional shed bui Shed Builders We are also ent and vehicles, builders license and insurances ipm quality workmanship your own team, plant, equ demonstrate a history of top r work. to e abl be st mu you and you h wit ted igh del are and customers who e who ns, or you know of someon If interested in these positio tact Danny Halupka con may be, please u danny@grantsheds.com.a Ph: 08 8583 5262 Email:

Plan For A

BUSHFIRE EMERGENCY

January 2014 Bushfire. Photo taken from Pt Pirie wharf, looking toward Napperby, SA Here is some practical Bushfire Survival information gained from the following web site. http://www.abc.net.au/news/emergency/planfor-an-emergency/bushfire/#survival

Your Bushfire survival kit Fire agencies recommend having a kit ready at all times during the bushfire season. Keep your survival kit in a familiar place and make a list of items you will need to locate quickly in your home.

Your kit should include: •• Battery-powered radio (with spare batteries) •• Protective clothing for each person - longsleeved cotton or natural fibre tops, pants, overalls, sturdy protective shoes or boots, woollen socks, hats, face masks, towels, eye protection such as goggles.

•• Medicines you’re taking and a first aid kit •• Overnight bag with clothes and toiletries •• Special needs for infants, the aged and people with disabilities •• Important information - passports, birth certificates, wills, photos, jewellery, insurance papers •• Pet food, water and bedding •• Mobile phone and charger •• Up to ten litres of water per person (should last three days) •• Canned food items + can opener and utensils •• Wool blankets •• Strong plastic bags •• Contact information for essential services and locations of local bushfire shelters

Before a Bushfire •• Develop a written bushfire survival plan and discuss this with your family •• Know the Fire Danger Ratings and what they mean. Use them as your trigger to stay or leave the area •• Consider moving children, the elderly and people with illness or disability as well as animals from danger as early as possible •• If you live in or intend to travel to a high risk bushfire area, know the location of the nearest bushfire safer place, meeting point or evacuation centre and how to get there •• Check the frequency of the nearest ABC Local Radio station to stay up to date with the latest conditions and fire danger rating •• Don’t wait and see. It’s extremely dangerous to leave after there are signs of fire in your area.

Decide in advance, when to leave your home, where you will go and how you will get there.

•• Always notify your family and friends of your plans and intensions to stay or go

If you decided to leave your home, make sure you: •• Close doors and windows, fill gutters with water and move outdoor furniture away from the house •• Pack food, water and your survival kit in your car, adding any final items •• Turn off mains gas supply •• Take your list of contacts to inform them of your departure and destination •• Develop a back-up plan, including where you will shelter if you have not left early and it is unsafe to leave. This is a dangerous situation and you must know where you will seek shelter from radiant heat.

•• Establish the location and route to your closest Neighbourhood Safer Place. Neighbourhood Safer Places are places of last resort. They may save your life but they do not guarantee safety.

•• If you are able, identify several exits to ensure you can leave safely if your planned route is blocked.

•• Make sure you are wearing protective clothing, as this is critical to shield you from deadly radiant heat.

If you decide to stay and defend your home: •• Fire agencies say defending your home requires at least two able-bodied, fit and determined adults •• Both adults need to be sure they’re physically and mentally prepared to work in difficult conditions •• Homes in an area with a Code Red or Catastrophic fire danger rating are difficult to defend, even if well prepared •• You should ensure your home is fully prepared by following a guide like this prepared by the Country Fire Authority in Victoria. You should ring your state’s fire authority and ask for an assessment or advice.

•• It’s recommended that you have 10,000 litres of water for fire fighting purposes, as well as a fire fighting pump and hoses •• Other equipment needed includes a water sprayer, bucket, mop, shovel, torch and battery powered radio •• Ensure you have adequate protective clothing, as outlined in the survival kit. Radiant heat is biggest killer in a fire

During a Bushfire Travelling in a bushfire Driving during a bushfire is a last resort. It will take longer than you expect and road conditions can become dangerous. There may be road closures, smoke, fallen trees and embers.

Cars are a very dangerous place to be during a bushfire as they offer very little protection from

radiant heat. If you get caught on the road, this is a very dangerous situation.

•• Park behind a solid structure to block as much heat as you can. If this is not possible, then pull over to the side of the road into a clear area, well away from debris that may ignite •• Wind up your car windows, close the vents, put on your hazard lights and headlights, leave the engine running and air conditioning on recirculate •• Get down as low as possible below window level •• Cover up with a woollen blanket until the fire front passes. Drink water •• Get out of the car only once the fire has passed If defending your home: •• As soon as there is a fire in your area, everyone defending your home should wear protective clothing •• Make sure all cars, farm equipment, caravans and portable gas cylinders are moved away from the house •• Also remove door mats, outdoor furniture, pot plants and all other flammable items away from your home •• Ensure the mains gas supply is switched off, switch off air conditioning units and gas cylinders should be kept upright with their relief valve away from the building •• Fill the gutters with water and wet down around the building. Keep a supply of wet towels and rags nearby •• Windows and doors should be closed and wet towels used to fill gaps under doors •• It’s recommended that you shelter inside until the fire front passes, but still patrol for embers and extinguish them on landing •• If you house catches alight, close the door to the room behind you. Never get caught in a room without an exit and if you must go outside, move onto burnt ground as soon as possible Due to a lack of space, we’ve been unable to include all of the information available on the web site. More information is available on •• Seeking shelter •• Bushfires & Radiant Heat •• After a bushfire •• Property Damage •• Insurance •• Utilities Visit this web site for more information: http://www.abc.net.au/news/emergency/planfor-an-emergency/bushfire/#survival

FARM GATE NEWS: The Farmer’s Newsletter P7 P7

Get a farm shed and enjoy

FOR A WHOLE YEAR! Reward Yourself This Summer

with a nice …

Frosty Cold … BEER.

We all know the farming game can be a hard slog … Backbreaking work, especially during those long hot summer days. And there’s nothing better than finishing off a steamy, energy sapping day than by knocking back an icy cold “life-saving” beer!

So we’re having a

Sizzling Summer Celebration!

Here’s an unbelievable offer that you won’t see very often!

You’re going to think we’ve gone crazy when you read a bit further, but that’s alright.

We subscribe to the theory “to make a difference, you’ve got to be different!” I believe you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better shed than a Grant shed and I want to give you a chance to find out for yourself....I’m either confident or crazy!

What I truly believe is, we make the best “Aussie Tough” farm sheds around.

Here’s your chance to find out. Get all the details on the enclosed flyer of this edition of FARM GATE NEWS!

Get Your NEW SHED and FREE BEER Now! FREECALL: 1800 088 528

MONTHLY HUMOUR PRONUNCIATION LEADS TO NAME CALLING!

Back in the olden-days the passenger train was stoppi ng at the South Australia upper north town of Eurelia.

Being unsure how to pronou nce the name, the guard steps from his guard’s van to announce the town, and pronounced it as , “You’re-ALiar …. You’re-A-Liar”.

The Station Master appear s, saying in a loud voice, “Yo uReally-Are … You-Really-Ar e” Passengers were left confus ed about why two railway me n were calling each other nam es in such a public location.

RA

LIQUID VIAG

d

iagra an r his liquid V fo d e h c a re y mate Mick iquid Paper.

Last night m igged from a bottle of L orrection. sw h a HUGE c it accidentally w g in rn o this m He woke up

Political Stand ce On Beer!

itician was aske An Aussie pol de toward BEER about his attitu as… and his reply w that e demon drink If you mean th d, pollutes the body, in poisons the m mily life and inflames fa s te ra nst it. desec I’m dead agai sinners, then n the cheers of But if you mear a friend or cobber, s fo congratulationld relief after a stinking the frosty co cial ale to join friends hot day, the so xable potion that puts ta together, the funds into public coffers ed ed ne ians, much t of all Austral for the benefi all for it. then I’m not ition and I will This is my pos promise. com

GRANT SHEDS PO Box 29, Monash SA 5342 EMAIL info@grantsheds.com.au © Copyright New Horizons (SA) Pty Ltd, Trading as “Grant Sheds” No portion of this newsletter may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. This newsletter is distributed with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering any legal or professional advice of any kind. The publisher disclaims any personal liability for the information, advice, recommendations and/or strategies presented within. It is up to the reader to comply with any local, state or federal laws.

FARM GATE NEWS: The Farmer’s Newsletter

PHONE 1800 088 528

EMAIL info@grantsheds.com.au

GRANT SHEDS SA 5342 FAX 08 8583 Grant ShedsPO Box PO 29, BoxMonash, 29 Monash SA 5342 Fax: 08 5402 8583 WEB 5402www.grantsheds.com.au web: www.grantsheds.com.au