Well written Dipbuying. I do disagree about the propping up farms on the public purse, most farmers have received absolutely nothing and will probably not get anything in the future either. I would be interested to hear how you would encourage farmers to manage their stock more sustainably and farm their land in a way that can adapt to the Australian climate. Sounds good, makes sense but what does the encouragement look like? Governments have blocked a lot of water infrastructure projects, increased the price of electricity and diesel and made farming so difficult that a lot of older farmers once retired will not be replaced by the younger generation. Talk to a few farmers and they will tell you it's a "Mugs Game", a lovely lifestyle but if you are looking to make a lot of money and do not like 12 hour days you need not apply for the job. The kids of today are not stupid and will not be slaves to hungry consumers. The Coffee shop, just like a farm, cannot operate without water so I disagree with you changing my example. There are a lot of very good farmers out there who do not overstock and do their best to be a sustainable enterprise but even they are going broke. Apart from the lack of rain it comes back down to the public perception of what a farmer needs, people will pay $5.00 for a cup of coffee but are not willing to stop buying $1.00 a liter milk at Woolies. I find it hard to understand. If people care about our farmers (and HOW they farm for that matter) they should be prepared to pay a bit more for their products.
