Using your Tractor with a Geiger-Counter in your Hand

Just occasionally, we wander off from the serious business of farming and agricultural equipment when something rather unusual catches our eye.

One such example occurred recently when, quite by chance, we saw an article or rather brief note relating to a nuclear-powered tractor developed a long time ago.

This immediately struck us as a mixture of incredible and hilarious. We had mental images of farmers around Goulburn driving their tractors in lead-lined anti-radiation suits. We couldn’t help smiling also at the thought of our customers bringing equipment into us and our first action being to run over them with a Geiger counter!

OK, this is largely a bit of fun but incredible as it sounds, there were plans in the 1950s and 1960s to use nuclear-powered tractors.  One such photo of a prototype is included here.

The idea, of course, is that such tractors run forever and on an unlimited range basis, given they virtually never need fuelling.  Of course, the practicality of this meant it never happened and the potential health issues, even in a full shielding scenario, are too horrific to contemplate.

For more details, please visit - https://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/345-using-your-tractor-with-a-geiger-counter-in-your-hand.html

The Environment and Common Sense

Most farmers in Australia regard themselves as custodians and protectors of the countryside.

Yes, mistakes have been made in the past and nobody is suggesting that the farming community is perfect. However, given most farmers earn their living from the land they are not likely to treat it with extreme disrespect.

Over many years now though, both state and national governments have passed increasing numbers of environmental protection laws that appear to suggest that confidence in the farming community is less than total.  Some of these laws appear to make little or no sense and in some cases, even contradict each other.

At this stage, we’d like to shift the focus over to France.  Like Australia, many European countries over the last 20 years have passed increasingly aggressive environmental protection laws and some are arguing that these have gone too far.

We read of a situation recently where numbers of French villages are becoming completely overrun with weeds in their very centres because laws now state:

1. herbicides cannot be used under any circumstances, where said weeds are near any form of water course or drain system;

2. even if pulled manually, bonfires/incinerators can no longer be used to dispose of garden or agricultural waste;

For more details, please visit - https://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/344-the-environment-and-common-sense.html

Tree Cutting – Be Careful

Now a lot of our great agricultural equipment and Kubota tractors themselves, can play a part in tree cutting. That’s great and most people, with a little practice and experience, can master the safe operation of a chainsaw.

Problems often arise though in one of three areas:

trees or branches falling on the person who has just cut them down (or bystanders/helpers);

people falling out of trees;

accidents due to inappropriate or absent safety equipment.

So, here are a few friendly safety reminders.

1. If you can afford it, get a professional in. If you can’t, question if the work is REALLY necessary right now;

2. Take trees down in manageable top-down stages if you can. It’s safer.

3. Using ladders whilst wielding a chainsaw is simply an accident waiting to happen. Don’t do it. Read more TreeCutting – Be Careful

How to Sterilise Soil

This is a question we’re asked regularly. It’s usually from gardeners who keep looking at that old discarded compost pile and wondering what to do with it.

Well, let’s leave to one side those issues to do with Green approaches for the moment or feeding the compost again. The chances are, if you have such a pile, you might want to dig it in or use it in your pots but not if the result is going to be lots of inherited weeds strangling your beloved plants or nicely nurtured bugs chomping on them.

So, here are a few ideas - though none of them include Kubota Tractors for once!

1. Bake your compost. Make sure it’s in oven-proof containers and stick them into the oven at about 80-100C for half an hour or so.  HEALTH WARNING – unless you want to find yourself swinging from the rafters, make sure that whoever is normally considered to be ‘in charge’ of the kitchen and appliances (if not you) is either kept fully in the dark or consulted in advance.

2. Place your proto-compost into microwave-proof dishes and simply zap them at full power. The tricky bit here is time because a lot of advice varies on this one. Look this up on the net and form your own view. You’re also unlikely to be able to produce big quantities this way. HEALTH ADVICE – as above!

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/337-how-to-sterilise-soil.html

Photos of a White Kangaroo

Many ‘old timers’ have quite a few stories to tell about strange things they’ve seen while out and about in the countryside.

We’ve certainly heard tales about the white kangaroo and maybe smiled but recently up in WA, somebody has seen one and this time caught it on camera.

This isn’t the first time that farmers have been laughed at when reporting strange sights. In many cases, unfortunately, they’ve had to put up with it for the rest of their lives because they just didn’t have a camera available to back up their version of events. However, with the mobile phone, that’s now all changing.

No doubt some of these fantastic stories can be attributed to perhaps having had one too many at the local or an over-active imagination but the world’s a strange place. The mobile phone’s camera might start to prove that more and more in the years ahead.

Anyway, while we were pondering this, it gave us an idea for our newsletter. Read more http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/336-photos-of-a-white-kangaroo.html

Spotlight And Offer – M7

M 7-1 series 0% p.a. promotional interest rate

Take advantage of Kubota’s competitive finance rate of 0% p.a. on M7-1 series tractors for a limited time only! See details below.

DETAILS

Term 36 months

Repayment frequency monthly

Minimum deposit 20%

Minimum financed amount $4,000

Credit criteria, terms and conditions apply

Offer expires 30/06/2017

Offer is only available for ABN holders who are using the equipment predominantly for business purposes. Credit provided by Kubota Tractor Australia Pty Ltd ABN 72005300621, Australian Credit License Number 442007. Terms, conditions, fees charges and credit criteria apply.

Specifically designed for the farming professional who wants a versatile and hard-working tractor, the M7-1 is powered by a next-generation 6.1 litre, four-cylinder diesel engine, incorporating Kubota’s clean-air technology and available in 130HP, 150HP or 170HP variants.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/spotlight/333-spotlight-and-offer-m7.html

Top Garden Lawnmower FAQs

Here are some of the most commonly heard FAQs covering domestic lawnmowers.

What are the advantages of electric rotary cutters?

Typically, these are nowadays encountered in smaller domestic environments.

As their name suggests, they’re usually an electric motor driven by a lead connection to the mains supply. The motor drives a circular rotating blade or sometimes a plastic cord.  

Their big plus points are usually that they’re light to manoeuvre and can be quite effective mowing at steep angles. They’re also usually fairly simple in design and maintenance terms.

On the downside, they’re not usually considered viable for larger areas and trailing electric cables can be a concern both in terms of range and safety (use a circuit breaker when using one of these).

Are zero turn mowers dangerous on slopes and uneven ground?

No – this reputation goes back to some teething troubles back in the very early days of this type of mower. That was a LONG time ago now!

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/330-top-garden-lawnmower-faqs.html

Some Worries About Beef

Yet again, it’s slightly uncertain times for our domestic beef production. We’re also speaking here about Australia as a whole and not just NSW.

Apparently, the latest statistics show a widening gap between the price of beef, in retail circles and that of some of its main competitors such as chicken, lamb, pork and even vegetarian food. That’s leading to some concerns that consumers might be driven away from beef onto other cheaper protein sources.  

To make matters worse, the spectre of US imports is on the horizon. The economics are puzzling given Australia’s abundance of cattle but for whatever reason it looks as if US beef could be heading our way – subject to tariff quotas etc.

The third wave of concern being expressed is over a combination of increasing drifts away from red meat for health reasons (whether you agree with those concerns or not, is does seem to be happening) plus the changing demographics of Australia. Read more http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/329-some-worries-about-beef.html

A History of Roundabouts

Now some of you might be rubbing your eyes at the title of this one!

Maybe you think we’ve clearly ‘lost it’ or have far too much spare time on our hands. Well, nothing’s further from the truth (we hope)!

Here’s the explanation….

As you probably know, we’ve recently had some modest inconvenience locally because of the roadworks and construction of the new roundabout in Goulburn. We’ve kept everyone informed in the monthly newsletter and we think the now finished result is a big improvement.

During the works, somebody actually asked who invented the roundabout and where. It's a simple enough question but do you know the answer? We didn’t!

So, here’s the information you’ve all been desperately waiting for.

It seems that circular traffic systems of ‘circuses’ go back to at least the 18th century and England.  They started to be used for larger traffic volumes in the earlier 20th century with arguably the first real traffic system roundabout appearing in the USA in 1907 shortly followed by one a couple of years later in the UK.

Now it’s important to note that these weren’t modern roundabouts as we know them today. They were essentially just a round traffic island and something of a free-for-all going around.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/328-a-history-of-roundabouts.html

What does Brexit Mean for Australian Farming?

A lot of international news time has been taken up by the UK’s vote to leave the European Union (EU) – the so-called ‘Brexit’.

As always when big political change is in the air, the politicians are queuing up to make epic speeches. Of course, this is very much a British/European issue that doesn’t directly involve us as such politically – but it might do in the longer term where trade is concerned.

Why?

Well, anyone older than about 55-60 should be able to remember the days before the UK was a member of the EU. Back then, the UK was a huge market for Australian and New Zealand agricultural products and indeed the political and social ties between the countries were probably stronger and closer than they are today. Read more http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/325-what-does-brexit-mean-for-australian-farming.html

Thought of The Month - The Seed of Honesty

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.

Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you.”

The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. “I am going to give each one of you a SEED today – one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.”

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/324-thought-of-the-month-the-seed-of-honesty.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