We LOVE houseboat holidays on our local River Murray! In late spring, we took another trip with interstate friends. It is such a wonderfully relaxing time and a great experience.
We’ve been on houseboats with adult friends and also with families with children. Both are great, yet very different, experiences.
With friends, it’s relaxing... time for deep conversations, fishing, kayaking the creeks, campfires, reading and snoozes.
With kids it was full-on, swimming, water sports games and feeding their always hungry bellies.
We chose to hire from Renmark Houseboats and head upstream because we like the wide river that’s easy to navigate, fewer boats and therefore quieter waters, as well as an abundance of creeks to explore, in kayaks or dinghy.
During our recent adventure, on ‘Sensational Spirit’, we discussed how houseboat holidays on the River Murray are a well kept secret from many. People often don’t even consider them for holidays in today’s environment of ocean cruises, cheap Bali trips, etc and Tourism SA
Maintaining Friendships
Maintaining friendships, even in busy times, is an important aspect of life. It’s so easy to think we’re too busy, not important or too tired but making a little effort for our friends is important for them, and also for ourselves.
We were recently invited to a friend’s significant birthday. He lives at the south end of the Yorke Peninsula, at Yorketown, so it’s a 4 hour drive each way and many might decline. But we’ve been friends with Rob Higgins for probably 20 years. We met him through field days and when he bought a Grant Shed for his Minlaton Engineering business.
We didn’t really expect to know any other guests but that didn’t matter, we were doing it for Rob and to celebrate him.
So we took the road-trip down to Yorketown, enjoying a brief stop at Kapunda and again at Pine Point, where their community was celebrating the town’s 150th anniversary.
The weekend away recharged our batteries and, as it turned out, we knew a number of other
What Makes Country Life So Good? COMMUNITY
doesn’t seem to promote them much. Yet they are not particularly expensive, especially when costs are shared with others.
They are an ideal getaway to rest and recuperate and reconnect with loved family and friends, away from your usual life.
We highly recommend them and it’s why, with this edition of Farm Gate News, we’re offering an exciting incentive when you buy a shed in JanFeb 2025. We’ll cover your houseboat hire cost for a 3 or 4 night trip so you too can discover the joy and the serenity of SA’s River Murray. It’s our way of spreading the joy, supporting local SA businesses, and encouraging you to come to us when you need a new farm shed!
*Conditions apply
Approaching 2025 with Optimism
Our Farm Gate News magazine goes out to people from many different ag sectors including cropping, livestock, viticulture, almonds and others.
We know 2024 has been a difficult year all round and we all hope for improvements in 2025. In the meantime, find things that keep you productively busy (or the opposite, take a well earned holiday) and focus on the things you can do now rather than worry too much about those you can’t.
guests, many of whom receive Farm Gate News, so they certainly knew us!
It’s great to stay connected with good friends and to meet new ones so we encourage you to say ‘Yes’ to invitations.
Thanks for the invite and Happy Birthday Rob. We really enjoyed ourselves and we know you did too.
Well-being Tip: Make time to see your mates, no matter how busy life gets.
For practical tips to improve your wellbeing, visit ifarmwell.com.au Amongst other things they have Tip Sheets that cover a wide range of issues such as grief, natural disasters, financial stress, succession planning and more. Until next time…
Ali & Danny Halupka OwnersGrant Sheds
Sensational Spirit houseboat, moored for the night, upstream of Renmark, SA
Ripped! Danny, chilling on the houseboat, in his Christmas ‘vest’!
Rob Higgins (left), at his birthday celebration with Bill Hamilton (Minlaton) and Kingsley Clift who we also met years ago through his Minlaton business, Kingsway Welding.
You Little Ripper... Grant Sheds
LOCAL AUSSIE LEGENDS
Age is No Barrier in Country Communities
A Jewel in the Victorian Mallee’s Crown
It takes vision to reimagine a small country town as a tourism drawcard. It takes time, determination and a community to bring that vision to life. Hopetoun in the Victorian Mallee region is a prime example of just that.
In a recent edition of Farm Gate News, I mentioned how much Danny and I enjoyed our visit to Lake Lascelles, with its water sports, accommodation, and campgrounds. It’s located just 500m from the small town of Hopetoun.
And it turns out there’s more to this story than meets the eye, with Farm Gate News reader Ken Solly (who is a coach and mentor to sheep farmers and writes a column in the Stock Journal), writing to let us know how the Mallee Bush Retreat at Lake Lascelles came to be and the role the community and his mother played in bringing this bold vision to life.
Ken explains, it was the 1990s, Lake Lascelles had run dry and the community of Hopetoun was in a downturn when local matriarch June Solly had an idea.
Years
Her vision was to transform the lake into a recreational space for locals and visitors alike by building facilities that would cater to functions, events and camping.
Aged in her 80s at the time, she boldly gained an appointment with the Victorian Minister for Regional Development in the quest to secure funding to erect an initial building. It was granted on the proviso that a lake management committee was formed. This was done and the building was finished shortly after.
Bush Retreat is now considered a jewel in the Mallee’s crown.
Offering free camping along with paid options, it is funded by grants and donations, is managed by the local community and attracts tourists who enjoy activities including water skiing, bush walking, bird watching, school camps, family reunions, and even weddings.
Then in 2010, after a decade of lobbying, Lake Lascelles became one of the first recreational lakes filled with water from a new pipeline from the Grampians.
It was a gamechanger. The committee obtained further funding for accommodation options ranging from simple cabins to 3.5star rooms inside grain silos.
Fast forward almost 15 years and Mallee
June passed away in 2022 aged a wonderful 95 years. Her legacy is the Mallee Bush Retreat – a testament to the power of a strong vision and country community support and perseverance. Well done to the Hopetoun community and to June Solly who has been a jewel in this Mallee community’s crown!
We highly recommend you visit, especially if you’re a caravanning family that enjoys serene country or water sports.
More information here: https://www.malleebushretreat.com/
PHOTOS:
Above left: The Function Room (with AC, TV, Full Kitchen, Tables & Chairs) on the edge of Lake Lascelles
Above right: ‘The Grain Store’. Sleeps 6 & ‘The Silos’ has 1 Queen bed in each
Above Centre: Much admired, community matriach, mover & shaker, June Solly
Bottom left: Lake Lascelles
Riverton Farmers CHANGING FACE
Grant Sheds Machinery Shed: Darryl Behn ordered this 12m x 22.5m x 5.1m Machinery Shed in 2017 as an open fronted shed with 3 x 7.5m wide beams. Then in 2022 ordered sliding doors to fully enclose it for security and added weather protection and a nice workshop/working space including a pit he installed. Adding doors later is something Grant Sheds offers that cannot be done by all shed companies. So if you need a shed to protect your expensive farm machinery but want to keep costs down right now, then this is a way you can start basic and work towards your ideal shed later.
Third generation primary producer Darryl Behn has seen a few changes in his time. From the techniques to the tools and machinery, farming today is a very different game to when he first started out.
Now aged 71, Darryl has a 2200-acre property, along with an additional 900 acres he leases and share farms at Riverton.
It’s a true family operation, with his wife Allison, their son Scott, and Darryl’s brother Adrian all part of an enterprise that’s predominantly focussed on cropping.
“It’s mainly wheat, barley, some canola, beans, peas – all of it. It’s mixed,” Darryl says. “And then you throw in a self-replacing Dohne Merino sheep flock.”
Darryl’s family has been in the Riverton region since the late 1890s after his grandfather emigrated by boat from Germany. “They walked from Port Adelaide to Saddleworth. There was no transport, so they just took whatever they could carry and then my grandfather, he married someone down here and that was it.”
These days, one of Darryl’s biggest income streams is export oaten hay, with his property producing around 700 tonnes in a good year.
“This year’s a little bit less, but it’s still quite good tonnage,” he says. The hay is sold as 4’ x 3’ bales to local stock feed supplier Johnsons and shipped to markets including Asia and the Middle East.
Darryl stores the bales on his farm and delivers them to Johnsons on request. “They might ring me and say ‘Hey, we’ve got an order for 150 tonne of your hay, which might be 300 bales, could you bring that in?’ And they’ve got depots around the place that you can put it in.”
Higher Price For Hay Stored On-Farm
Storing the hay on farm results in a higher price per tonne for Darryl. “You’re paid about $25 a tonne less if you put it in their sheds,” he says. And if you’re producing around 700 tonnes a year, that price quickly adds up. Meanwhile new requirements have been introduced in a bid to reduce the risk of hay storage after a fire ripped through a large supply shed a couple of years ago.
“This year, they said we’d like you to put on this Hay Guard as you’re baling as it lowers your risk of spontaneous combustion,” Darryl explains. “So, we put that on, and they said the feedback from their overseas buyers is that is makes the hay a bit more palatable.”
At a cost of $10 a tonne, Darryl says Hay
Guard is a worthwhile investment.
“Even from an insurance point of view, they will be very happy to know that you’re putting it on because when they insure the hay, the first question they ask is what moisture did you bale this hay at?”
The reality is Darryl’s no stranger to the innovation and changing practices of farming. It’s part of the reason his operation turned more of its attention to cropping.
“Back in the 70s we were running more sheep then, because the cropping wasn’t where it is now,” he says.
“But then we started getting into this cropping no-till, better varieties, better chemicals and all, and slowly your availability of shearers started to dwindle, so now, we’ll drive the tractor.”
Among those game-changing chemicals was Round-Up, which Darryl helped trial on his property in the late 1970s, ultimately becoming the star of a local advertising campaign for the product. “My name sold a lot of it, it really did,” he says.
As for the future, Darryl says he has no plans of retiring. Like his father who was born and died at the family farm, Darryl says he’ll see out his days there.
Ultimately the property will be passed onto his son, who’s already involved in the day-today operation.
“He’s very keen and he’s got plenty of mates here, they’re all the same age and keen to get into it,” he says.
“And I don’t blame them. I think it’s a good lifestyle. It’s not hard, it’s just all controlled by the weather.”
The Behn’s 2024 grain harvest has been a stop-start affair nights of heavy dew.
Farmers Embracing The FACE OF FARMING
A Shed That Solves A Dangerous Problem
Darryl Behn’s shed features a termite treated, weatherproof timber lining instead of traditional corrugated iron.
This allows the shed to be truly multipurpose. In addition to providing a space to work on and store machinery and equipment, it houses grain during the harvest and fertiliser from January and February onwards.
The timber lining protects the shed from the fertiliser and it’s now proving a popular addition as farmers look to sheds as an alternative storage option to silos.
Farmers Looking To Sheds To Avoid Dangers of Silos
As Darryl explains there’s good reason why this shift is occurring – fertilisers such as diammonium phosphate (DAP) tend to retain moisture, which causes it to set and harden. Best case scenario, it makes the DAP tricky to get out, but in a worse case situation, it can actually cause the silo to collapse.
Darryl says he recently experienced the inconvenience of DAP hardening in a silo and was concerned about the risk of someone getting hurt in the attempt to get it out.
“I mean, we’ve always put our fertiliser in silos,”
Darryl says. “But you’ve got OH&S to consider and I’m starting to get too old to be crawling and poking around in the silos.
Combination Grain, Fertiliser, Machinery Shed: This muli-purpose shed is 12m x 18m x 5.1m and it’s fully enclosed with bottom roll sliding doors & an outrigger so the end of the shed can be fully open and wide machinery can enter. The internal lining is a white ant treated, weatherproof timber that won’t be damaged by the harsh properties of fertiliser stored inside and can also be used for grain storage. The stays on the outside and closely spaced wall girts provide the strength needed to cope with the weight of grain or fertiliser that may be stored. Above: Danny from Grant Sheds (right) inspecting the new shed with Scott & Darryl Behn at Riverton, SA .
And when you pick your fertiliser up, you will get a piece of paper that says ...
Solid Construction Great Builders
“A very neat and tidy shed of solid construction, built by great builders. They just get on with it. Got the job done with no fuss.
Would have Grant Sheds again for an- other when needed.”
affair due to frequent light showers and
Daryl Behn, ‘Indoota’ Riverton, SA
Meanwhile, Darryl has opted for a concrete floor, which is ideal when it comes to
The Value of Respect
Cut The Strings to Get Things Done
The first police officer reaches under the one-ton bale of hay and attempts to lift it off of me. Of course, it doesn’t budge. He grabs his flashlight and shines it under the hay into my face. I blink. He yells over his shoulder to his partner, “He’s alive! He’s alive! Help me move the hay.”
Even working together two officers can’t move it – not a fraction of an inch. A thousand pounds each? Of course they can’t move it.
“Cut the strings,” I whisper. My voice is weak. They can’t hear me.
I am not going to last much longer. If they will just cut the strings, the bale will break apart, and they can drag me out of here. “Lift, Joe, lift!”
“Just cut the strings,” I mumble, “Please cut the strings.”
“C’mon harder,” the two men yell. “It’s too heavy! We can’t lift it. We gotta go for help! Hang on, we’ll be right back!”
I am alone again in the growing darkness. Wonderful painless, peaceful, irresistible sleep beckons. I struggle to remain conscious. One. Two. Three. Four… Where are they? How long does it take for police, fire, ambulance, to arrive? Where is the Coast Guard? Where are the Marines? Where is that one old farmer with enough common sense to just cut the strings?
The desert air grows chilly as the sky darkens. I grow weaker. Dizziness overcomes me and I begin to drift off into that gray space somewhere between the living and the dead. Help finally arrives. One of the police officers bends down so I can see his face. “Hold on! A fire engine is here. There are six men aboard.” I do the math. Two big, strong cops and six burly firemen must move a ton of dead weight off me. That’s two hundred forty five pounds each. No way can they possibly do that – but somehow, miraculously, they do. A couple of
neighbors who have arrived at the scene stand by to catch me. They lower my limp body to the ground where I lie in a broken heap. Why didn’t they cut the strings? They could have saved a long, tortured hour. How heavy is hay?
A piece of hay is about the weight of a feather. How many pieces of hay does it take to make two thousand pounds? Lots.
That package of sixteen bazillion individual pieces of hay wrapped in a gigantic bundle is a crushing weight. But separated, it would have been nothing. I feel bad saying this, because it makes me sound ungrateful – and I am very grateful to the guys who saved my life that night – but there is a point to be made here, isn’t there?
Is it too big? Is it overwhelming?
Cut the strings – just cut the strings!
Are you buried under crushing burdens? Projects that are too huge? Schedules that are too complicated? Maybe you are trying to do too much at once – trying to do everything instead of doing something.
Cut the strings and cut yourself free. Do one thing at a time – and get it Done.
Note: At all times, and especially when feeling overwhelmed with “stuff” that needs to be done, write yourself a list.
Write in your projects.
List all the tasks required to complete each project.
Prioritise the projects and the tasks.
List who will do the tasks (you, your team members or outsourced to others)
Then get started on the tasks of highest importance
When broken down to tasks, the list may seem long, but you’ve now got it all listed and can take it out of bouncing around in your brain … giving your brain less fog and more clarity and peace.
We are always interested to learn what farming people are doing on their farms and in their personal lives. We have so much respect for the knowledge, skills, community spirit and resilience of farmers.
We all place a high value on feeling we have the respect of our peers, and it’s easy to understand why. Farming is more than a job—it’s a lifestyle, often passed down through generations. It comes with its own set of challenges, and only those who’ve walked their land and put in the hard yards truly understand the work involved. That’s why respect from fellow farmers carries so much weight.
Respect from peers validates the effort and skill that goes into farming. Whether it’s managing the land, caring for livestock, or navigating unpredictable weather, rural landowners take pride in doing their jobs well. When another farmer acknowledges your effort, it’s a nod of understanding and appreciation from someone who truly gets it.
There’s also a strong sense of camaraderie. Rural life can be isolating at times, so having the respect of others helps build a sense of belonging and community. Farmers rely on each other for advice, support, and even just a good yarn at your local club or pub. Mutual respect strengthens these bonds and creates a network of support.
Respect among farmers also fosters connection. Whether it’s sharing ideas on improving yields, swapping tips for managing drought, or teaming up for community projects, respect opens the door to working together. It’s easier to cooperate when you know your efforts are recognised and valued by others in your industry.
At the end of the day, earning the respect of your peers gives you a sense of pride and fulfillment. It reminds you that your work matters, not just to the community but to those who share your struggles and triumphs. For a farmer, that kind of acknowledgment is priceless.
Most people believe they are not as competent as others think they are. Let’s change that by sharing genuine compliments with each other.
Well-being Tip: Compliment others frequently. And accept compliments graciously.
Danny from Grant Sheds having a deep conversation with Peter Rundle of Lameroo.
To Help You With Your FARM SHED SOLUTIONS Ideas Have
Combination Almond & Machinery Shed
Creates efficiencies at harvest time
17m x 37.5m x 5.3m MEGA Almond & Machinery Shed
The ability to store the crop as harvest continues, and to deliver as fits with the processor’s schedules, means that these sheds ‘cycle through’ a very large tonnage of almonds.
“By having a big shed, we don’t have to store almonds in the open, covering with tarps if there’s any chance of rain and then taking tarps off again to prevent moisture accumulation.”
“Almonds need an awful lot of machinery, and it’s pretty expensive. So I don’t like having any machinery out in the sun and rain.”
Peter Freeman, Renmark & Murtho, SA
MOST POPULAR MACHINERY SHED
12m x 27m x 5.1m Super-C Machinery Shed
Open one side with 3 x 9m widespan beams, Colorbond walls
“We definitely recommend Grant Sheds”
“The quality of the shed is even better than I expected. The value and quality are obvious as soon as you walk into the shed. Everything looks well constructed and strong. Heaps of strong bracing and all over good finish. The shed looks great all over. The builder and his team were fantastic to deal with. They wasted no time and built the shed fast with great attention to detail. Overall the service and quality were fantastic. We will be recommending Grant Sheds to all our family and friends.“
Michael & Jane Beckwith, Merbein, Vic
100% TAX DEDUCTIONStill applies on sheds for fodder *Conditionsstorage Apply. Seek your independentown advice
12m x 24.3m x 6m Hay sheds
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 sheds are the Kernich’s 14th & 15th Grant Sheds, over 20 years, on two farms.
“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 its head for a few months.”
Sandy & Phil Kernich, 2024 ‘Yarrawin Downs’ Brimbago SA
15m x 27m x 5.1m Super-C Machinery Shed
Drive-through for quick and easy parking of long & wide farm vehicle combinations. No need to unhitch. Fast, safe, easy.
Phil Combe, Crystal Brook, SA
Imagine, this could be you...
See Special Feature included with this edition of Farm Gate News for all the details. Or go to www.GrantSheds.com.au/catalogues
I’m really into writing short fiction… Mainly to-do lists!
Ijustaskedme9year old son what he learned inschooltoday. Hesaid,“Apparently notenoughbecause Ihavetogoback tomorrow!”
Love Is…
know their wife’s favourite flower.
Paddy turned to his wife and whispered, “It’s self-raising isn’t it?”
Sticking Points
Is “buttcheeks” one word? Or should I spread them apart?
Does anyone know if doctors could take some of my butt flesh and graft it onto someone who isn’t a relative?
Ass-skin for a friend.
I farted in front of my son. He said, “That sounded like a duck!”
