THE ASTRALGUS GROUP

Hazels doing OK despite the crazy weather, the huge numbers of rabbits on the farm eating anything green, and the mobs of kangaroos who seem to take delight in knocking down the tree guards.

We have had a successful and interesting time selling our 4 mature steers, our sprayer (no longer required as we are doing pellet fertilisation now), some old tractor forks and our cattle trailer (which we had worked on to get into perfect order in preparation to take our steers to Hardwicks). Each of the buyers were genuine and the items sold quickly.

Given the policy change at Hardwicks Kyneton, we have to find new ways of selling our commercial cattle. We recently sold some machinery on Facebook, so we are trying it as a medium for selling steers. We shall se how it goes.....

Hardwicks Kyneton no longer process small numbers of steers. This was our #1 selling option for our steers, so it poses a significant problem for our cattle business, as we now have to explore alternative sales options. Time to get creative! " https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2024-12-02/kilcoy-global-foods-hardwicks-abattoir-stop-small-scale-process/104664962?utm_source=abc_news_web&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link "

With the first hazelnut grove taking shape reasonably well, we have installed irrigation in Paddock #1 in preparation for the second grove.

We think that a sudden gust of wind blew the tractor door shut ..... and it exploded! Finally fixed and insurance paid. Great work by CLAAS Ballarat ... incredibly helpful and a replacement job handled extremely well.

We had an early weather event arriving, so we took a punt and planted sorghum very early (late Ocotober). But we have seen a good strike and now have a lush paddock of early sorghum. Looking good for late summer forage.

After 2 years of planning, site preparation and selection of cultivars (Barcelona, Ennis + pollenisers), we planted our intial grove of 225 trees in Paddock 5. We also asked Brook Grumont to put in new fencing to isolate the hazels in Paddock 5 from the cattle in Paddock 6. Now, 3 months after planting, we are seeing decent initial growth (though the rabbits, kangaroos and high winds throughout winter caused a great deal of havoc. We have already started irrigating as the

It's been a huge and positive winter and spring. Wonderful oats and turnip crops. The cattle are FAT and HEALTHY.

Despite the ground still being very dry, we have planted forage oats, forage turnips and some new "Macedon Ranges" pasture mix. The oats...

Hmmm......so here we are again. Dry dry dry. Mid April and the pastures are pretty brown, the ground like concrete and the soil bone...

Having resurrected our bore, thanks to the excellent assistance provided by Darren Tolley at Tolley's Electric Pump Service, we have also...

We grew lemon trees at the Berwick farm about 15 years ago. We have never tried at Gisborne, so we have planted a trial plot adjacent...

With the excavator we can bury irrigation pipes.

We were spoilt the last two summers, with La Nina weather patterns. But 24/25 has been back to normal, and it has been pretty dry for...

After 20 years of farming, we finally decided to take the plunge and purchase a mini-excavator, and we then spent several months...

We had great results this Winter with our forage rape and our turnips.

Getting all the equipment ready to look after the farm, as the first warmth of Spring approaches.