tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1466963098416784344.post3407902795604418989..comments2024-03-28T22:42:05.143+11:00Comments on Bessie at Burragan: Everything I know about rain…JournoBesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07254126713763818375noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1466963098416784344.post-75358888614425489442013-06-03T19:42:39.354+10:002013-06-03T19:42:39.354+10:00Hi, I think I found your blog through Mamamia. I l...Hi, I think I found your blog through Mamamia. I loved your article, it spoke to me.<br /><br /> I live in Hay, NSW (A recent move due to my first permanent teaching move. <br /><br /><br />Will continue reading!!Lanellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08534982830503932291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1466963098416784344.post-13652810451743897602013-06-02T12:29:27.289+10:002013-06-02T12:29:27.289+10:00Hi Bess,
In this world of instant gratification a...Hi Bess,<br />In this world of instant gratification and have it done yesterday, you bring a breath of fresh air and sunshine to my day. Thank you.Toni Chandlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1466963098416784344.post-64035345585732928992013-06-01T14:09:40.932+10:002013-06-01T14:09:40.932+10:004) In real life (rather than blog world) we pick a...<br />4) In real life (rather than blog world) we pick and choose our audience of when we call ourselves farmers or graziers, just as anyone does. In fact there are also times we refer to ourselves as Wool Growers too! <br /><br />5) I've had this conversation with many people on facebook and find it endlessly interesting...(I am a lover of language after all!)... Last year I asked ST if it worried/concerned him when people called him a farmer rather than a grazier. It went a little something like this:<br />Bess: "Babe, do you mind when people call you a farmer rather than a grazier?"<br />ST: "No, why would I?"<br />Bess: "Well I've noticed a lot of graziers don't like being called farmers, because they say farmers are people who grow crops or plant pastures."<br />ST: "Well yeah, techinically that's what we call a farmer I guess. But we're all farmers, it's just that specifically we have grazing country. I guess it depends what kind of country you have as to what specific type of farmer you are. But in the end aren't we all doing the same thing?"<br /><br />So if the man calls himself a farmer, that makes me a farmer's wife! <br /><br />Station, on the other hand, I have a different thought process on. I do try not to call Burragan a farm, I don't like calling it a farm, because to us it is indeed Burragan Station...but I also more often refer to it as a property rather than a station. There are often times I'm willing just to call it a farm and not worry about it, for ease of conversation with those who aren't up with the lingo. <br /><br />Thank you for giving me the chance to explain my thoughts. I'm not trying to change your mind - just giving you an idea of where I'm coming from when I use the terms, and letting you know I'm not throwing the terms around due to lack of understanding. You have also reminded me I should add Station and Grazier to the Urban Dictionary. Thank you! xJournoBesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07254126713763818375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1466963098416784344.post-45151492448977724212013-06-01T14:09:18.231+10:002013-06-01T14:09:18.231+10:00But I hope you'd be pleased to know my reasons...<br />But I hope you'd be pleased to know my reasons for using the term farmer rather than grazier were well thought out and the decision was not made lightly. <br />My thoughts were something like this:<br /><br />1) Grazier, to me, is a subcategory of Farmer. Farmer is the overarching term which covers ALL food and fibre production. A bit like someone just introducing themselves as a Doctor rather than a dermatologist. So I believe farmer is correct - just not specific. <br /><br />2) I see the word Grazier as being more "jargon" than is necessary for many of my readers. I have lots of friends who read the blog, from school and uni who spend most of their lives in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Saying Grazier to them rather than Farmer would be like me using words like presser, grab or par (press release, quote and sentence) when talking to someone with no media experience. As a journo you're taught to write so that someone in grade five could understand your stories. I'm trying to be more accessable and less exclusive...meanwhile the graziers still know what I'm talking about anyway, so it's no harm to them.<br /><br />3) To those not in the know, I believe the term Grazier can conjure a simplistic view that our livestock just grazes on the bushland and we just sit back and watch. We are every bit a farmer as one who tills the land. We are growing something (wool and lamb) every bit as alive and in need of care and "farming" as a cropping cockie. We prepare our paddocks and our mobs, we join the ewes and rams at certain times, we monitor the mobs as lambs are born and wool is grown - making sure there are no pests or diseases, we have periods of busy times when lamb marking and crutching etc, and then our "harvest" of shearing... All of this is "farming". <br />JournoBesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07254126713763818375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1466963098416784344.post-14102381863309404302013-06-01T14:08:33.182+10:002013-06-01T14:08:33.182+10:00Hi Gidyeagirl,
Thank you so much for reading, and...Hi Gidyeagirl, <br />Thank you so much for reading, and for your comments! While I know that you would obviously know that I know (wow, how confusing is that!) that Burragan is a Station (that is my address afterall, "Burragan Station") and that we are graziers (that's what we put when we have to fill in occupation on a form)... you are very correct in your comment that I'm taking advantage of commercialisation and artistic license. However it's nothing to do with being a newbie or a journo. <br />As a journo I've interviewed wheat farmers from southern WA, beef producers from the Kimberley and Top End, veggie growers in tropical North QLD, cotton growers in northern NSW and fruit growers in Victoria... my agricultural vocab and understanding is rather wide ranging! <br />TBCJournoBesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07254126713763818375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1466963098416784344.post-89608956003756096612013-05-31T11:33:37.283+10:002013-05-31T11:33:37.283+10:00Bess, it has been real pleasure to findyour blog a...Bess, it has been real pleasure to findyour blog and be able to look lightly upon the life that I grew up with through your eyes. I grew up on a place in the nsw corner country and so many memories are hard ones its nice to hear a lighter version.<br /> I will take exception however to the ease with which the word farmer is bandied about these days by all and sundry as if it applies to any man that makes a living from the land. This is of course incorrect, farmers are people who generally work or till the land and crop it. The business you are in dear Bess is much more civilised. You are a Graziers wife and 70000 acres would entitle you to call your little slice of heaven a "Station". <br />Being a newbie to this station life and a journo, you are forgiven for the obvious artistic license and taking advantage of the gross commercialisation of the words "farmers wife" ( tongue in cheek ) just this once. <br />I am a graziers daughter but also a ( insert groan ) a cotton farmers wife, so thankyou for the giggles and I look forward to the next installment. Gidyeagirl.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1466963098416784344.post-82963339623582120352013-05-24T14:27:48.994+10:002013-05-24T14:27:48.994+10:00Who’s that handsome man rescuing the goat? Not su...Who’s that handsome man rescuing the goat? Not sure about the joggers in the tank though… must be from “town”. ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1466963098416784344.post-195386833475434712013-05-13T10:49:07.396+10:002013-05-13T10:49:07.396+10:00It is difficult times Sharon isn't it... but S...It is difficult times Sharon isn't it... but ST's Dad always says that it always does rain again, it's never going to forget how to... so fingers crossed your time will come soon! Chin up xJournoBesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07254126713763818375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1466963098416784344.post-71875624520100901362013-05-13T10:47:30.951+10:002013-05-13T10:47:30.951+10:00Thank You BushBelles, I love having you here readi...Thank You BushBelles, I love having you here reading! :) JournoBesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07254126713763818375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1466963098416784344.post-76248008694307968602013-05-12T21:31:37.435+10:002013-05-12T21:31:37.435+10:00yes, up here our "dams" haven't had ...yes, up here our "dams" haven't had a fill for two years (despite not bad rain in the start of 2012, just none heavy enough to run into them) but this year? woeful. 3" to date for the year. Lucky we have a bore.sharonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12354883388516186987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1466963098416784344.post-22512032271571068882013-05-12T17:47:13.391+10:002013-05-12T17:47:13.391+10:00Love reading your blog Bessie.Love reading your blog Bessie.BushBelleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11959011767903495601noreply@blogger.com