Half the year in the rearview mirror ...
The old saying "time flies when you are having fun" is very real in our world. Lucky we love what we do.
The reality of this hit us on June 19, when Dan turned 52 and had totally forgotten it was his birthday! We woke in the dark and I wished him a happy birthday. He responded with "You’ve got to be joking. Is it really my birthday?". Anyway, it was up and at it, just like any other Sunday. Fixing a breakdown before our animals could be fed, then driving 80km to ‘Woodlawn’ to check on the cows whose calves we had just weaned. We found a water issue with the tank and trough system. Luckily, we have also maintained the dams in our paddocks to ensure 2 water sources are available at all times.
It was also a day to be very grateful for another lap around the sun.
As I write this, Dan and I are at the Roma Saleyards. This is the largest cattle selling centre in Australia. Each Tuesday Dan comes to Roma to purchase cattle as a part of our business, as we trade cattle in addition to breeding calves from cows. Tuesdays are all about our trade cattle.
As we sell cattle each week to a large supermarket chain under the MSA system (Meat Standards Australia), we need to buy each week.
We need to buy in, or trade as we call it, as we are unable to breed enough to meet our supply-demand.
To do this, Dan purchases suitable cattle and we background these on grass prior to finishing in the feedlot. The cattle Dan buys must be in a specific weight range and breed type. These cattle are usually in our care for approx 9 months. Hence, the Roma Saleyards play a very important part in our beef supply chain.
The Saleyards are open to the public and they run tours on select days. There is also an interpretive centre that provides the history of the cattle industry and the role of the Saleyards. If you are in the Roma area I can recommend a trip to the yards to learn more about the beef supply chain.
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