Bees – A Global Discussion Underway

In truth, it’s not commonplace for environmental scientists to be in complete agreement about anything.

They may agree on generalities, such as that human activity is probably a contributory factor in global warming but oftentimes the specifics can prove to be more of a problem.

However, recently scientists from all around the planet have warned again that the global decline in bee populations is or should be, grave cause for concern.  That’s not only an issue in terms of losing species but also because of the critically important role that bees play in pollination and therefore some farmers’ livelihoods.

Apparently, the best brains are now fairly sure that the decline is caused by three main factors:

1. a parasitic infection that fortunately, so far at least, seems not to exist in Australia;

2. the destruction of their natural habitat leading to food shortages;

3. the use of pesticides (killing bees as an unintended by-product).

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/321-bees-a-global-discussion-underway.html

Strange Farming Accidents

We happened to be looking something up the other day and something relating to “odd farming accidents” caught our eye.

Now at first glance, this didn’t seem to be likely to be amusing. Far too many people continue to be injured and killed on Australian farms for this to be a subject for giggles but in fact it turned out to be a series of photos of ‘situations’ rather than accidents. We have to admit that some of them made us smile and you couldn’t help wondering “just how on earth could that have happened?”

One of our favourites was actually from the UK. It consisted of several large tractors (none of them Kubota Tractors we hasten to add) which were bogged down in a rain-sodden field almost up to their cabs.

A lot of guys were standing around scratching their heads and there was a large long-jib crane parked on the nearby road, reaching over trying to pull the tractors out. The legend explained that the ‘jam’ had come about after a first tractor had got bogged down and others went to its aid.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/320-strange-farming-accidents.html 

New Year

It probably won’t have escaped your attention that we’re approaching the festive season.

Now we mention this because recently on TV there was a programme talking about how a lot of office workers start ‘easing up’ in the run in to Christmas and continue that through to New Year’s Day.  Well, we smiled at that and couldn’t help saying “nice work if you can get it”!

Now we’re not knocking office workers or city industries. Those guys work long and hard too but in farming the idea of a ‘quiet day or two’ at this time of year is amusing. We get around Goulburn and its surroundings quite a bit and you don’t see too many farmers gathering together to talk about Christmas decorations or just how many days they can take off before the holiday so they can spend some quality time shopping.

OK, that goes with the territory in farming we know but it does introduce our usual Christmas and New Year message.

We know you’re busy and running those Kubota tractors flat out but do try and make some effort to find some time for the season’s festivities and meanings.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/319-new-year.html