Slashing Safety Guidelines Over Summer

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/317-slashing-safety-guidelines-over-summer.html

Thought of the Month - Value

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200 people, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?"

Hands started going up.

 He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up.

 He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air.

 "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" He then dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

 He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

 "My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/316-thought-of-the-month-value.html

Krone Hay Equipment

Making hay is tricky at the best of time... and trying to make a good quality hay without the right equipment is impossible.

White’s Tractors has all of the hay equipment you need to make your job easier. We have the best quality mowers, rakes, balers so you can make the hay quickly and easily.

Krone hay equipment won’t let you down...

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/machinery/hay-equipment.html

Kubota Spotlight – Kubota L4600

Redesigned and re-engineered from the bottom up, the L4600 offers a new curved hood with matching fenders, multiple headlamps, an easy-to-read dash panel, a more powerful E-TVCS diesel engine and a mechanical shuttle transmission, for a higher level of tractor performance and confidence.

Redesigned and re-engineered from the bottom up, the L4600 offers a new curved hood with matching fenders, multiple headlamps, an easy-to-read dash panel, a more powerful E-TVCS diesel engine and a mechanical shuttle transmission, for a higher level of tractor performance and confidence.

Add Kubota’s new powerful front loader and backhoe, and the L4600 gives you more capability to handle tough jobs with ease.

We have received this season’s stock and this is currently our biggest selling lifestyle tractor…come and find out more!

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/spotlight/315-kubota-spotlight-kubota-l4600.html

PP Series

For all tillage and row crop establishment methods, Kubota offers proven technology. Today Precision Farming has become more and more important. With GEOcontrol and GEOseed® Kubota offers two applications for the PP range that maximise the machine output and prevent double seeding. Even in total darkness your seeding results will be exceptional. The PP models can be used for standard or mulch seeding (depending on optional equipment). The PP series is available with working widths from 3.00-6.00m with flexibly adjustable row widths and a wide range of additional equipment.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/pp-series.html

Spreading Equipment

The Kubota Vertical spreader is a proven solution for the use on dairy farms, vineyards, general agriculture and golf courses. These spreaders have the best spreading pattern for even distribution. A variety of spouts for different applications and working widths makes it possible to spread fertilizer, seeds, sand, salt, pellets or any other granular product.

VS220-VS330 Series

Optimal spreader for working in small areas. This smallest model of the Kubota pendulum spreader range is ideal for use on golf courses, sport field and grounds, as well as in many horticulture and municipal applications. The VS220 has a hardwearing polyethylene hopper with a basic capacity of 200 litres and an optional extension rim to create 330 litres hopper capacity. The compact design in combination with the short spreading surface gives you an optimal spreader for working in small areas. Spreading width from 1 – 15 metres is possible.

VS400-VS500 Series

 A Truly Multi-Functional spreader. With hopper capacities of 400 and 500 litres the VS400 and VS500 models are the ideal solution for small farms and special applications, like golf courses and sand and salt spreading. Spreading quality and ease of operation of this unique machine are unequalled – now as in the past. Spreading width from 1 – 15 metres.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/spreading-equipment.html

Cultivation Equipment

Kubota grass and straw choppers cope with whatever is required; every model is built for a variety of different tasks. Solid construction with a robust gearbox and very strong power transmission to the ‘V’ belts driving the rotor. The chassis is strengthened with double plating in the areas subjected to highest stress. The combination with Kubota’s precisely manufactured rotor shafts and hard wearing blades makes them extremely reliable. Minimal maintenance is required.

This plough series aims at light to heavy soil conditions and tractors up to 200Hp. The standard Auto-line system guarantees the correct pulll line at any time. Smart: It adjusts automatically. Robust ploughs fitted with an induction heat treated 1 box section frame. No welding to avoid weaknesses. The headstock and its main shaft are also heat treated for maximum strength. Choice of 85cm or 100cm interbody clearance. The clever design of the plough, and of the bodies associated to heat treated steels and hollow legs reduce the weight of the plough and make it easy to lift and to pull.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/cultivation-equipment.html

Seeding Equipment

 For all tillage and row crop establishment methods, Kubota offers proven technology. Today Precision Farming has become more and more important. With GEOcontrol and GEOseed® Kubota offers two applications for the PP range that maximise the machine output and prevent double seeding. Even in total darkness your seeding results will be exceptional. The PP models can be used for standard or mulch seeding (depending on optional equipment). The PP series is available with working widths from 3.00-6.00m with flexibly adjustable row widths and a wide range of additional equipment.

The SD Series is the ideal machine for small, medium and large-sized farms and combines a compact, light design with the proven Kubota quality. Working widths from 3.0 to 4.5m are available. The power requirement is from as little as 55 kW due to the close centre of gravity. Due to the large hopper volume litres set-up times are reduced and the performance increased.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/seeding-equipment.html

Thought of the month - Get Rid of the Splinter

At the start of a new year, everyone is focused on improving things.

New Year's resolutions abound, everything from vowing to wear more skirts to the office to committing to advanced education or maybe even trying for another baby! Everybody seems to enter the New Year with refreshed hope that all those wonderful things that we dream could happen will really come true this time.

But, is there something that you already HAVE in your life that is holding you back?

The other day, I saw my four year-old was limping noticeably. I asked him if something was wrong with his foot but he replied "no". This happened three or four times before he finally admitted that he had stepped on something and it had gotten into the bottom of his foot.

If there is one thing Douglas does not like, it’s Mommy or Daddy having to remove splinters. He was willing to put up with the pain of the splinter rather than admit that he had a problem. It was hard for me to understand why he preferred the pain of the splinter to the solution but, he was in denial. He had talked himself into believing that the splinter wasn’t that bad, that it would go away and that the pain would get better.

We laugh when we see a child behave this way but do you have a splinter in your life that you are ignoring?

Maybe your health isn’t so great or you owe too much money. Maybe you are having family problems or are afraid to fly in a plane. I’ll bet almost everybody has something that they are choosing to ignore.

I have a splinter but I’m not going to tell you what it is - and I won’t ask you about yours. Because I think the thorns in our life are too personal. It is easy to talk about our goals, our dreams and our schemes. It’s fun to share with people our hopes for the future, especially when we have set solid resolutions to see them to fruition but the splinters in our life are different.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/314-thought-of-the-month-get-rid-of-the-splinter.html

Kubota Spotlight - New Diesel Zero Turn Mower

We have put it through our own testing and WOW – has it got grunt!!!

Want more from your zero turn mower? If so, then the Kubota ZD1011-54 is for you.

Experience powerful performance and sheer grunt with a 19HP Kubota diesel engine, renowned worldwide for their reliability. Enjoy peace of mind with easy maintenance and a super smooth ride in exceptional comfort with Kubota’s hydrostatic transmission and hydraulic deck lift.

The Kubota ZD1011-54 is the ideal mower for the commercial landscaper or home owner.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/spotlight/313-diesel-zero-turn-mower.html

Kubota Implements

Kubota is a leading company developing, producing and distributing agricultural machinery and services. A strong focus on innovation allows us to provide an attractive, unique and broad product range with high quality. Kubota offers an extensive package of effective and efficient implement solutions to the professional farming community. The Kubota Implement range includes a large variety of machinery which specialises is Spreading, Cultivation and Seeding Equipment. Kubota is a leading company developing, producing and distributing agricultural machinery and services. A strong focus on innovation allows us to provide an attractive, unique and broad product range with high quality. Kubota offers an extensive package of effective and efficient implement solutions to the professional farming community. The Kubota Implement range includes a large variety of machinery which specialises is Spreading, Cultivation and Seeding Equipment.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/machinery/kubota-implements.html

Thought of the Month - Trouble Tree

She’d hired a plumber to help her restore an old farmhouse and he had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire had made him lose an hour of work, his electric drill quit and his ancient one ton truck refused to start.

While she drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited her in to meet his family. As they walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands.

When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward, he walked back to the car. They passed the tree and her curiosity got the better of her.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/311-thought-of-the-month-trouble-tree.html

Kubota Spotlight

Our much anticipated Kubota M7stock has arrived!!! Even if you’re not a lover of tractors, you must admit that they’re impressive.

These include the 150hp and 130hp models plus a 130hp demo unit available for you to try out on your property.

We are organising demo days in Crookwell, Braidwood and Yass… to register your interest or if you would like a demo on your property give us a call on 48215944.

We’d be delighted to show you these exceptional tractors priced to give you value for money. They’re going to be in demand so the sooner you call the better.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/spotlight/268-kubota-spotlight.html

Dogs on Farms

We were reading somewhere that a dog owner had said that he didn’t bother getting his dogs ‘jabbed’ as it was expensive.

Well, we can’t tell you what you should or shouldn‘t do with your pets but Man’s best friend is often a key member of ‘the team’ on many farms so it’s worth thinking about protecting its health. True, we haven’t decided to diversify away from Kubota Tractors and such into veterinary medicine – not even we’re THAT clever! Even so, we do know a little bit about these things.

Although the recommendations vary a bit from State to State, generally speaking, your dog should have regular shots against:

1. Distemper – a nasty and very contagious disease this. Its symptoms include a runny nose, conjunctivitis and fits. It’s best prevented because once contracted, treatment often doesn’t work very well.

2.Parvovirus. This is another piece of bad news. Yet again, it’s a highly contagious and is a virus creating gastroenteritis. You might see your dog showing symptoms such as depression, appetite loss, vomiting (sometimes very bad) and blood-laced diarrhoea. Your dog can get sick and die very quickly.

3. Cough. Just like in humans, canine coughs can come in a number of forms and may be due to bacteria or a virus (sometimes both if an infection is a secondary effect of another illness). Not all coughs in dogs are serious but many are ane you could see persistent coughing over weeks. This can be debilitating and isn’t always fatal – though it can be in older dogs and pups.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/267-dogs-on-farms.html

We’re not just about Big Tractors!

Recently we heard someone suggest, quite naturally in passing, that White’s Tractors only dealt in big heavy-duty agricultural machinery.

Well, in a sense that statement’s a compliment, as it shows our expertise in that area is now widely recognised. However, it’s also not entirely correct.

As large numbers of our regular customers know, while we do deal in prestige larger equipment like the incomparable Kubota M7 Tractor, we also provide a lot of domestic gardening equipment too. In fact, we’re experts in things such as domestic lawnmowers and mowing techniques etc.

We’d like to be clear on this one. We take ALL of our customers equally seriously. It doesn’t matter whether you’re considering buying a new mower for your front lawn or a Kubota Tractor for your farm, what you’ll see from us in unrivalled expertise and a firm focus on customer service.

What’s more, please don’t overlook our spares and parts services. We’ve now got a large inventory on-site and even if we don’t have exactly what you’re searching for, there’s a pretty good chance we’ll be able to get it for you.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/265-we-re-not-just-about-big-tractors.html

Zero Turn Mower

Zero-turn lawnmowers aren’t as expensive as they once were but even so, few people would describe them as ‘cheap’.

Although the price differentials have eroded somewhat they’re still likely to be more expensive than a roughly comparable centre-mounted mower and that means you may well have to think carefully about how to pay for one. So, if you’re anything other than rich, read on!

The Basics of Economic Purchasing

Some people think that the cheapest way of buying something, including zero-turn lawnmowers, is to pay by cash if you have it available. It seems to be a no-brainer.

As a point of technicality though, they may wrong.

Let’s say you have your cash currently invested and its earning you (e.g.) 2.5% net interest. If you take that out to pay for a new lawnmower, then it’s no longer earing you that interest so that is a ‘loss’ to you even though you now have a capital asset in the form of a new mower.

The cost to you is, therefore, the purchase price of the mower plus that 2.5%

By contrast, if you were fortunate enough to get a zero-interest purchase deal from the provider or manufacturer, then you’ll be far better off purchasing it on finance rather than using your own capital – assuming everything else is equal.

For more details, please visit - http://hubpages.com/living/Zero-Turn-Mower

Kubota Spotlight- Kubota M7 130-170hp On Their Way

Here’s how we have publically summarised our views and position……..

“We are really excited with the expansion and direction Kubota is going in. We are proud to be associated with such an expanding and quality product”.

Now OK, we know that sounds a little like ‘Corporate Speak’ but it encapsulates our position totally. To put it bluntly – we mean it.

The M7 series is simply superb!

Andrew and Mitchell have had the 1st round of M7 demo tractors here and haven’t stopped waxing lyrical about them. They can’t wait for their ordered Kubota’s’ to arrive.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/spotlight/263-kubota-spotlight-kubota-m7-130-170hp.html

Livestock Theft – In the News Again

It’s sad to report that, yet again, the news recently has covered large-scale livestock thefts from just about all parts of Australia, including NSW.

True, this isn’t anything new.

Livestock theft has been with us since the beginning of time and isn’t just an Australian problem. It can be found in every country in the world and can range from the theft of an individual animal right up to the disappearance of virtually entire herds or flocks etc.

The police have lots of good advice on what you can do to help prevent the theft in the first place or to aid the recovery of (more correctly, stand a better chance of recovering) the livestock if stolen. It’s worth looking at the web sites of the various official bodies to check the specifics.

Today there’s a lot of emphasis on the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) ear tags and marking etc.  That’s no doubt sensible.

Even so, it’s probably worth keeping in mind some of the old basics. For example, keeping loading ramps well away from perimeters and making sure that your boundaries are relatively secure certainly helps. It’s also a good idea to make sure that you and your friends/neighbours in the area keep an eye out for people and vehicles that seem to be ‘loitering’ or parked-up for no obvious reason.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/262-livestock-theft-in-the-news-again.html

8 Quick Tips for Proper Winter Maintenance of Your Machinery

            For more details, please view - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/260-8-quick-tips-for-proper-winter-maintenance-of-your-machinery.html

Kubota Spotlight - Pre Season Mowers Research

                                                                  

This month’s spotlight - Zero Turn Mowers and Pre-Season Stock Ready Now!!

We anticipated a huge season after all the rain during winter. So, to avoid not being able to supply right as the grass takes off, we have some of our Kubota mower stock arriving now…

However, stock is still limited and some people are ordering now for spring delivery so they miss the rush and get their new Kubota mower ready for the much anticipated bumper spring!!! In our opinion, that’s a smart idea.

There is a fantastic range of Kubota zero turn mowers from domestic to commercial.

Now we don’t for a moment expect you to just take our word about them. We currently have a great range in stock for you to inspect and compare for yourself

There is a fantastic range of Kubota zero turn mowers from domestic to commercial.

For more details, please view - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/spotlight/259-kubota-spotlight-pre-season-mowers-research.html

Thought of The Month – The Ship’s Captain

                            

Many of you would have heard of the following classic anecdote which wonderfully illustrates the perils of stubbornness and the need to change. The original of the story is attributed to Frank Koch, a naval officer.

A battleship had been at sea on its routine maneuvers but for some days it had been under heavy weather conditions. The captain, who was worried about the deteriorating weather situation, stayed on the bridge to keep an eye on all activities.

One night, the lookout on the bridge suddenly shouted, “Captain! A light - bearing on the starboard bow.”

“Is it stationary or moving astern?” the captain asked.

The lookout replied that it was stationary. This meant the battleship was on a dangerous collision course with the other ship. The captain immediately ordered his signalman to signal to the ship: “We are on a collision course. I advise you to change course 20 degrees east.”

Back came a response “You change course 20 degrees west.”

For more details, please view - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/258-thought-of-the-month-the-ship-s-captain.html

Kubota M7 Tractors

                                                                  

MOST POWEUNDER THE HOODRFUL TRACTOR EVER

CLEAN, DEPENDABLE, FUEL-EFFICIENT POWER AND PLENTY OF IT

The V6108 engine boasts the latest in clean-engine technology. Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) injects diesel exhaust fluid (DEF/Adblue) into the hot exhaust gas, transforming it into harmless water vapor and nitrogen.

DRIVING POWER

K-VT KUBOTA VARIABLE TRANSMISSION

Available on the M7-1 Premium K-VT, this model provides a virtually infinite number of forward and reverse speeds, allowing you to work at the optimum pace for each job. Highly responsive and reliable, the KV-T transmission also features dynamic braking, ensuring you maintain control and a constant travelling speed when descending on slopes.

For more details, please view - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/machinery/kubota-m7.html

To Buy or Not To Buy – That is the Question with Second-Hand Agricultural Equipment

                                                     

We really like to have an extended chat with our customers to get to know them and their requirements before starting to offer any advice. That’s particularly true on the perennial debate about new versus second-hand.

However, we’d like to share a few fairly basic points as a starter on this one:

1. There’s a very big difference between ‘second-hand’, where that is another way of saying ‘clapped out’, and quality inspected ‘pre-used’ agricultural equipment. It would be unthinkable for us to sell the former and you can be 100% sure all our pre-used equipment has been THOROUGHLY checked by us before we offer it.

2. Quality used equipment can be attractive financially and some good deals can be had. Buying a ‘cheapo’ tractor or baler (etc.) can, by contrast, prove to be a financial disaster. Don’t do it! Talk to us instead.

3. Surprisingly, if you look at financing deals and guarantees, it can sometimes be more financially attractive to buy New as opposed to Used. A lot will depend upon what you’re looking for, your financial position and what deals are around at the time.

For more details, please view - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/257-second-hand-agricultural-equipment.html

Don’t Forget Your Health

   

      Anyone working in agriculture is inclined, at least sometimes, to think that they’re a bit tougher           than others.

     We’re out in all weathers, working long hours and often engaged in heavy-duty physical labour.        There’s also our cultural history here – the ‘hard-as-granite’ Aussie farmer is maybe a stereotype        but deep down many of us are proud of it.

    There’s a danger though of taking this a bit too far and starting to think that we’re somehow                  immune from the natural world. Well, we’re not and we need to take care of our health.

   So, here are a few gentle reminders  

  1.  Keep your Tetanus shots up-to-date.

  2. If you suffer a wound, even a minor one, make sure it’s immediately cleaned and protected. Use         that first-aid kit you have available to do so.

  3. It doesn’t matter how weather-worn you think your skin is, use barrier cream when working in the        sun.

  4. Use that eye safety gear that you really should have in your cab or close-by when working with            machinery. Protect your hearing too.

   

    For more details, please view - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/256-don-t-forget-your-                   health.html

Kubota M Series

                                    

The M-Series, high performance and affordability which blend together to bring you a line of tractors that can tackle just about anything you throw at it. That’s no exaggeration! Kubota has recreated one of its most durable and affordable models, with now a totally redesigned cab and hood, new direct injection engines, powerful front loaders and a host of ergonomic improvements.

The M-Series is perfect for baling and cutting as well as cattle, dairy and many more applications.

For more details, please view - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/spotlight/255-kubota-spotlight-the-m-series.html

Cleaning Up your Machinery Parts

                      

Basic sensible maintenance means that sometimes you’re going to need to clean up one sort of ‘part’ or another.

Recently, there’s been a lot of talk about ultrasonic cleaning and related questions. Here’s our take on the subject….

1. Ultrasonic cleaning involves the suspension of the item to be cleaned, usually in a liquid. Transducers create ultrasound that in turn causes bubbles in the fluid to explode – removing dirt and grease from the item concerned.

2. Theoretically, plain water can be used but for heavier applications and to reduce the risk of subsequent corrosion, specialist cleaning and rinsing fluids may be required and they’re not cheap. If you do use plain water on ferrous items, remember that very thorough drying and the application of a protective layer will be required afterwards unless you’re into rust breeding.

For more details, please view - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/254-cleaning-up-your-machinery-parts.html

Hay Fever and Mowing Grass - Some Solutions

Do you have hay fever symptoms when you're mowing the lawn?

If you're in doubt, an allergy to grass (and other) pollens can result in one or more of the following:

• red, sore and runny eyes
• a blocked nose and/or sneezing
• skin rashes and blotches plus a general 'itchiness'
• a blocked and catarrh-ridden throat
• a tickly cough perhaps combined with wheeziness
• sinus headaches
• a general feeling of malaise.

Of course, if you're suffering any such symptoms, it would always be sensible to get a doctor to check your assumptions about hay fever as a cause. Assuming it is though, what can you do about it?
Don't Ignore It
Hay fever was once laughed-off by many, including some heath care professionals, as being a trivial thing or 'in the mind'.

In today's more enlightened times, it's recognised to be a potentially major problem that can seriously reduce sufferers' effectiveness in work or when doing jobs around the house.

There are some medications you can take to help and your doctor will discuss those with you including the traditional anti-histamines, although other treatments are also possible. They may also advise taking some tests to try and specifically identify just what type of pollen or dust you're allergic to.

Precautions

In some cases, those working with agricultural machinery and lawnmowers might wish to consider a few additional tips that may help.

Depending upon your specific allergy, research which times of the day offer the best working conditions. Some pollens are far more active in the early morning and others in the late evening etc. Avoid those times!

If the main effects on you are respiratory and throat-related, consider using a mask. Make sure it's rated for pollen elimination.

If you're mainly affected in the eyes, think about goggles but you'll need special varieties that don't have unfiltered ventilation holes or you'll be wasting your time.

Consider using overalls and 'covering up' if the worst effects are skin-related. There are also some barrier creams that can be effective.

Remember that some allergies commonly called "hay fever" are nothing to do with pollen at all. Your allergies might be due to, say, harvest dust or just the dust thrown up when driving around on the land. Another culprit is often household dust, the largest component of which is usually dead human skin cells! If you're really allergic to harvest dust and related issues, then you'll need to take some of the above steps or also look at working in a vehicle with a cab providing filtered air

When you've finished your cutting, make sure you undress outside the house and try and shower quickly once inside. There's little point keeping lots of the pollen on your overalls and mask if you then take it all into your home at the end of the day, shaking it about as you move around!
Most employers are sympathetic to employees who suffer from hay fever, so if you need anything to help you get through the day and perform adequately, let them know.

If it's a personal rather than a work related issue, then you might just have to ask your spouse, kids or a well-disposed neighbour to lend a hand in the peak allergy season!

Read more about second hand machinery, agriculture machinery, mowers and tractors.

Thought of the Month - Your Personal Bank Account

If you had a bank that credited $86,400 to your account each morning, carried over no balance from day to day, allowed you to keep no cash in your account at the end of 24 hours, and cancelled out whatever part of that amount you failed to use, what would you do?

Try to spend every cent, of course! Well, everyone does have such a bank, and its name is TIME. Every morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds.

The next morning at the same hour it rules as lost whatever of this you failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance and allows no overdrafts.

If you don't use the day's deposit, the loss is yours. There is no going back, no drawing against tomorrow.


How do you spend your daily surplus?

Best wishes for an Enormous Return on your investment today!

The Kenny Kubota Factory Tour in Japan

Kubota head office in Osaka-Japan

 

Along with Andrew and Michelle, I recently travelled to Japan with Kubota Australia as a reward for the sales growth achieved in 2015. We achieved top 3 in our category in Australia and yes, we’re very proud of that...read more

Thought of the Month - The Starfish

Once upon a time there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.

 

As he got closer he called out, "Good morning!

What are you doing?"

The young man paused, looked up and replied,

"Throwing starfish in the ocean."

"I guess I should have asked, WHY are you

throwing starfish in the ocean?"

"The sun is up, and the tide is going out, and if

I don't throw them in they'll die." Read More http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/247-thought-of-the-month-the-starfish.html

How to Fund That Zero-Turn Mower Purchase

ero-turn lawnmowers aren't as expensive as they once were but even so, few people would describe them as 'cheap'.
Although the price differentials have eroded somewhat they're still likely to be more expensive than a roughly comparable centre-mounted mower and that means you may well have to think carefully about how to pay for one. So, if you're anything other than rich, read on!
The Basics of Economic Purchasing
Some people think that the cheapest way of buying something, including zero-turn lawnmowers, is to pay by cash if you have it available. It seems to be a no-brainer.
As a point of technicality though, they may wrong.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9447498

Weed Resistance a Growing Problem

Sorry about the title of this blog because it looks like a pun but in fact, it is no such thing.

Many local farmers know only too well that there is a problem looming on the horizon relating to the increasing resistance of certain types of weeds to herbicidal treatment.  Leaving to one side for a moment the debates about alternative methods of control that are a little greener, many ordinary farmers are becoming worried about this phenomenon.

That’s why the recent announcements that Bayer in Germany have set up a big research lab to look at this will come as good news. It’s also interesting to see that numbers of top Aussie scientists have been seconded to work in Frankfurt to help the fight. for more detail visit http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/246-weed-resistance-a-growing-problem.html

Lawnmower Types - Pros and Cons

Looking for a lawnmower, but puzzled by what seems like an infinite variety of lawnmower types?
Well, here are a few pointers to help you understand and eventually select the one that's right for you.

Push - scissor action

These are those great usually steel mowers that you push along.

In terms of technology, they would have been familiar to our ancestors a century ago. As you push the mower along, a rotating blade turns along a rotating horizontal axis. It then simply cuts the grass in a scissor-type action.

Pros

Close control cutting. Many perfectionists swear by these mowers and say you can't get a better finish...Read More

Farming and Sun Health - Top Tips

For at least 30 years there has been fairly consistent communication of public health announcements and warnings about the dangers of over-exposure to the sun.

The dangers come from the very real physical issues associated with immediate over-exposure (i.e. the old term 'sunstroke') and the more insidious long-term cumulative effects of over-exposure that leads to skin damage and perhaps eventually cancer.

Although many sectors of the population are getting the message and changing behaviours, there's some suggestion that agricultural workers might not be. That's because being out all day over years may have toughened their skin leading to the impression that they're somehow 'immune'....Read More

Crime Rears its Head

 

Sad to say, the news recently has indicated an increasingly number of rural thefts and related criminal activities.

One farm over in Gunning had several hundred pregnant ewes stolen and there has been a spate of break-ins over a wide area.

Of course, it’s a myth that crime is restricted to the big cities and in the countryside we’ve always had the odd incident to contend with but the scale of recent thefts is alarming...Read More

Eating Fruit and Vegetables is now Non-Green

Just when you thought you’d seen everything by way of crazy news, along comes a US scientific study claiming to show that eating fruit and vegetables is bad for the planet.

Say what (as our US friends might say)?

Well, a group of scientists have apparently done a lot of calculations and have come to the rather strange conclusion that if you look at water consumption, energy use in harvesting, fertiliser making and lots of related activities, it takes more in greenhouse gasses to produce fruit and veg than meat. So, if you want to do your best for the planet then this group of scientists would argue that you should eat far less ‘healthy’ food and much more beef, chicken, pork and so on...Read More