I have been impressed with your in-depth knowledge of farming and associated environmental issues and of course your past professional experience now now explains why.
From my travels out the country areas I have been disappointed by the apparent farmstead and local towns neglect and the overwhelming sense of despair that that the Bush seems to engender. IMO this is a far cry from the Bush I experienced 50 years ago where people were upbeat and cheerful and the towns were abuzz with activity.
I have also traveled through France, Germany, Northern Italy and I'm always impressed at how farmers there have adapted and developed farm based and market town based agribusinesses whereby they, their extended family & local community, have ongoing yearly work rather than stressing about seasonal crop hands They are very proud of their food products and are always eager to promote them at the farm gate or the local farmers markets.
In fact many city folk take the weekend trip to do food shopping and partake in a truely farm grown lunch with a local wine or cider
I remember being on the edge go the Back Forrest having brunch at a farmhouse that had a Shinken & Wurst shop at the gate and a smoke house at the back . I asked the waitress if the eggs were the farm's own in my high school German and quick as a flash the young daughter aged about a full 7 ran our and returned with a Rhode Island Red hen under her arm in a kid-like "show & tell".
Has Australian farming got to change so that not only the land is managed in a sustainable way, but also the farming community is too?
