Here we go with the letter B in our A – Z of Farming. In keeping with alphabetical order, we’ve got BushBabe up first: Amanda: B is for Beef Juicy rib-eye on the bone, delectable filet mignon, rich bolognaise, hearty warming winter stews… beef is such a great part of any menu. It’s a terrific source…
A while ago, we bought a house. It was very exciting. We had plans, you see. Ones that involved me coming to town four days a week, so we could transition our Number One Son into high school. There is a boarding house in town but, with his autism, we thought settling him into school…
Last post was all about meeting my family. Time to meet the animals. This was Weasel as a pup – he was the quietest and least mischievous pup we’d ever had… This is Weasel now – he love to run, works best in the paddock and licks anything that moves. This includes lambs!…
For those of you who have been visiting me for a while, you’ll probably have a good idea of my family and me. For those of you who haven’t, I thought it might be time to reintroduce ourselves! I’m Fleur. Mum, farmer, writer. In about that order! I grew up in the mid-north of…
A few weeks ago, you might remember I posted a ‘Beware, rant ahead‘ blog. I need to tell you all again, I don’t usually rant and I don’t usually get so uptight and upset. To sum it up quickly, buying a house in town, so the kids could be educated was turning out to be…
Squeeee! You may have seen this floating around, but here is the cover for Crimson Dawn. We’re in the process of re-branding my covers and name and this is the start of it – you’ll notice there is a lot more of the girl than in previous covers. You know what I love most about…
I’m sure you’ve heard of the craze “selflies”? Kids are doing it everywhere and posting photos of themselves on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and so on… I know I’m forever deleting photos of my daughter, from my phone (I keep the good ones!). I’ve actually never been able to understand the push to take a photo…
Special events always have to be fitted in around the main jobs in farming. We jokingly said our kids had to be born in between the heifers starting to calve and lamb marking – that way, I was available to help at both times and The boss was able to help me out, if things…
I’m wanting to hear some of your stories. Ones about women working on the land, funny ones, sad ones and everything else in between. The reason I’m looking for these, is because I have the opportunity to address some city people in the coming months and would like to be able to share how incredible…
Getting out of bed at 4am is not hard, when I can walk outside, sipping coffee and see this view. There wasn’t long to admire the sunrise, though, as we had 700 ewes to walk ‘up the road’. A cool ten kilometres. We’d shifted another 700 the previous day. Knowing it was going to be…
In the lead up to Christmas, I’ve been trying to work out, which Christmas’s was most memorable, weird, sad, happy, so on and so forth. I thought it might make a cool little series to read. Anyway, one that I came up with was my most disastrous Christmas. I need to give you a little…
Last Christmas, I had my first Christmas back on ‘home soil’ in more than 18 years. My husband took me ‘back home’ as a thank you for caring for his mum. I guess I should explain that, for farmers in Australia, Christmas is held at the wrong time of the year! It’s really difficult for…
The one thing about cropping, is as hard as you try, there is always likely to be something that isn’t quite perfect about the grain. It might rain, and it get stained or worse, begin to sprout. This decreases the quality. Sometimes you might find that the boomspray has had a blocked jet and there’s…
Even during the busiest times of the year, down time is necessary. I always know when it is needed, depending on the various levels of grumpiness that comes home, from the paddock. Sometimes, the men of the farm, work it out for themselves, other times, they need a woman to suggest it’s time…
I was so lucky to be asked by Margie Arnold to attend and speak at The Rural Women’s Gathering, which is a yearly event that has more than 300 women from across South Australia, attending. I have been to many Rural Women’s days and I love them – the camaraderie and networking opportunities are brilliant.…
I’m not a material person. Neither is my husband. In fact my mother-in-law used to joke we’d be happy sleeping under a barb wire fence and a broken one at that, just so long as we were happy and healthy. But I do have two possessions which are treasured. I think anyone who reads my…
It’s time for itchy eyes, ears and throats. Time for burning diesel and driving tractors. Time for all hands on deck. We grow pasture hay, for our animals. In a year like this; as wet as it’s been, the pastures have gone ballistic! We’ve had clover/ryegrass pastures half way between our ankle and knee! Can’t…
Have you ever had event in your life that makes you stand up and say; ‘That’s it. I’m changing.’ Or have you ever got yourself into a rut that is so hard to pull yourself out from? Well, that’s me. On both accounts. For those who follow me through Facebook, Twitter, or this blog, you’ll…
Every so often an opportunity arrives, that you just can’t pass up, no matter the circumstances. Harvest and Hay making are extremely important in farming world. Hay means there is food for the stock during the dry times and harvest is the money making part of the year. This year, canola harvest and hay making…
My next book, Crimson Dawn, is due out at the beginning of April next year. It’s been a hard slog to get it done, but my ever-patient publisher now how the file in their office. (Considering my deadline was June of this year and I didn’t submit until the 24th of September, I think Allen…
Writing for me is therapy. And this is about my journey with Mrs. Mac: For the last four years, my day to day life has been shaped around a strong and determined woman. My mother-in-law has been sick for some time, but it was only during these four years, that she has needed me to…
