North and West Rural Report
Friday, November 28, 2008
Latest Report
Tourist ignores road closed signs in far north
Over the past week it's been raining in some parts of the far north, and while some pastoralists may not have seen the flooding rains fall on their place, they've got the evidence to prove that it did somewhere in the vicinity.
Warren Fargher from Wirrealpa Station east of Blinman says the road that runs past his homestead had to be closed because a swollen creek has caused a bit of damage along the track.
It's been estimated that the damage bill to far north roads because of the rain is between 700 and 800 thousand dollars.
But he says even though the road is closed, that's not stopping some people from trucking on through.
Water bill passes Senate
Mary Goode
After three days of political wrestling over the north-south pipeline, water buybacks, and irrigator subsidies - the Water Amendment Bill has been passed through the Senate.
The question on everyone's lips is whether the Federal Government will accept any of the amendments made, when the bill is returned to the Lower House next week.
Yorke brewery still developing
For entrepreneurs on the Yorke Peninsula getting developments approved can be a long process.
Which is what Yorke Peninsula brewer Justin Murdock has found in trying to get the first brewery up and running on the heel of the boot.
A couple of years ago, the idea was set in motion and it looked ready to go, but since then he's been caught up in development red tape.
He's now found a place and is almost ready to start renovating.
Wheat prices lifting
Grains analyst Tim Ruddenklau with Australian Growers Direct says wheat prices have lifted slightly over the past week, but barley prices haven't improved.
The global financial crisis is being touted as the main reason why prices are low.
Up to 90 per cent of farmers are warehousing their grain and previous reports from WA indicate there are ships waiting offshore to be filled with grain.
South Australian Features
Wooden Wudinna
How often have you walked through the bush and seen a piece of wood that looks like a wombat's bum?
Grapegrower mixes it up with DJ career
Grapegrower mixes DJ career with farming.
Worm farm near Broken Hill reducing waste and fighting aphids
You may have seen a worm compost in someone's garden before, working to break down their garden scraps into rich, healthy mulch.
Well, imagine a worm farm doing that for a whole town's green waste, and you'd see something like Australian Vermiculture in Broken Hill.
School of the Air treasure chest
Decades old School of the Air memorabilia to be valued.
No more bad backs
Manually planting thousands of trees is a strenuous task - one that your back never thanks you for later on.
Cooped up in a caravan
They were a "home away from home" for the road crews sent bush to build roads and bridges early last century. A mobile workers' van, built in 1906, was on display at the recent Kingston Show in South Australia.
Getting the good oil
So you can pick a shiraz from a cabernet - but can you pick a blended extra virgin olive oil from a single varietal?
Impressions of sheep production in Brazil
"Their sheep are abysmal, they have no wool on them, there like a skinny goat and when I saw some in the abattoir I said I wouldn't feed this to a dog back home."
Native Blooms
As I drove into the flower farm at Furner in the south-east of South Australia, I could see rows of banksia and protea bushes but very few flowers.
Looking for the cause of Mundulla Yellows
Why has funding into finding the cause of this disease that has killed thousands of gum trees stopped?
