Women on Farms
The Baw Baw Region Arthritis Support Group all have a spring in their steps after a cold winter.
Great attendances in winter have kept good joint movement and well-bring hand in hand, with the enjoyment of the exercise and social activities have benefited all.
Recently the group learnt of a range of new products available to benefit their lives from guest speaker Lauren from Australian Hearing.
This was followed by afternoon tea and much laughter at the Warragul Country Club.
The group discussed its big fundraising street stall to be held in Warragul on Saturday, October 8.
This enables the group to be able to pay for professional leader trainings and updates. The group is thrilled to have four more chairbased leaders trained under Move, along with two leaders trained in aqua therapy.
If you would like to improve your flexibility, movement, balance and memory, come along to the friendly group. They meet at Warragul Uniting Church, 210 Sutton St Warragul, on Mondays and Fridays at 12.45pm, exercise and finish by 2.30pm after a friendly cuppa.
Contact leaders Bev 0435 554 747 or Madeleine 0410 353 339 for more details.
The Warragul Evening VIEW Club recently held a big celebration for its 28th birthday.
The club welcomed national councillor Trish Brooks and 110 guests to join it in their celebrations.
The Warragul Country Club set up the room beautifully. The theme of the day was “The OlympicsThinking Outside the Square”. The club decorated the tables with the flags of many countries and table napkins and cake in the Olympic colours. There were 10 raffle prizes.
The show “The Olympics-Thinking Outside the Square” was well received by the audience. Once participants heard the laughter they were so happy. They had thought the show would be amusing and were delighted with the reaction of the audience.
The club dedicated the show to well-loved member Chris, who in her last week, outlined the show for them with the help of her daughter Tammy. They are sure Chris would have approved of the outcome. Thanks Chris and Tammy.
With superb master of ceremonies Lois in full flight, items included the chess championship, breathtaking in its intensity, synchronized swimming from a group who had never actually practised in water, only in a squash court, sheep trained by an amazing dog, Bessie, who only had to bark commands and the sheep knew exactly what to do, a washing folding competition, a fly swatting final, (Australia won of course) and a tennis match with two women, one of whom turned out to be of questionable gender.
The MC kept the show going at a good pace and provided many witty comments. The breaks had many games and prizes for the winners. A fun time was had by all.
Congratulations to Helen and Anne who dressed up as the fencing team, using farming fencing including wire and pliers and overalls. That was really thinking outside the square.
Thank you to all the wonderful VIEW women who gave up much time and put in so much effort to write and enhance the script, perform, make the cake, organise decorations, raffle prizes, help with costumes and props and all the other bits and pieces that ensured the success of the day.
After lunch Trish gave an overview of the VIEW club achievements for the past year and it was heartening when the group observed how many students they help and the amount of money raised by VIEW women.
On Thursday September 8, more than 20 members enjoyed a beautiful day at Coombe Cottage Coldstream, Dame Nellie Melba’s home. It is still owned by the family.
They had a most informative tour of the beautiful garden and were enlightened by many interesting facts about Dame Nellie’s life. They had Devonshire tea in the beautiful restaurant and lunch in a nearby park. The club thanked Greg for driving the bus and putting up with the chatter.
Upcoming events include lunch at Berwick Springs and Wonthaggi dinner on October 17, morning tea at the Gippy Goat on Tuesday October 18 at 10.30am, the VIEW Lunch Settlers Run at Cranbourne on October 20 and a Bunnings barbecue on Saturday October 29 from 9am to 4pm.
The next meeting is on Wednesday October 5 at the Warragul Country Club, Sutton Street, Warragul, 6.30pm for 7pm.
Guests for this meeting will be a breast cancer survivor and a breast care nurse.
For dinner bookings and apologies email or phone Liz on rechsteiner@dcsi.net.au or phone 0427 934 010.
For social events enquiries phone Jenny 0447 381 600.
The Warragul Evening VIEW Club is a valued member of The Smith Family
The group had a stall in Kiosk on the corner of Smith St.and Palmerston St. in Warragul on Saturday September 17, which was during National Stroke Week.
The group had balloons for the children and free blood pressure checks for the adults. As an incentive everybody that had their blood pressure checked received a free raffle ticket.
Judging by the amount of people who took the up the offer, it was very worthwhile. There were also a few people who had it suggested to see there doctor for a follow up.
The group thanked the nurses who gave their time on the day to check the blood pressure of so many people, in particular Jessie, who was there for entire time always with a smile.
The next meeting of the group is to be held in Little Tea Cups Café at the rear of the Coles Arcade, not the Community House as it is still undergoing renovations.
For more information phone Jean Hoare on 0400 342 291.
At the August meeting of the Baw Baw Budgerigar Society, members were quizzed on their knowledge of varieties and colours.
Members were also posed with the question how a member had bred a Spangle from a Grey parent and an Albino parent.
To test members’ knowledge, the Society held an impromptu entering of birds for show night, which required recognition of colours.
They also had a discussion on how members’ breeding seasons were progressing and how to deal with common issues as they pop up.
The next meeting will be held on Sunday October 2 and will be club selection of a team of UBC’s (UnBroken Cap, Baby Budgies) to represent the club at a competition the following week.
If you are interested in budgies and would like to see the many colours they come in up close, the Society will have 27 different colour classes on display and would love to see you there, visitors are most welcome.
For more information phone Darren on 0418 507 379.
Andrew Bayley admits to a momentary ‘Oh God, what have I done now?’ panic on day one of his newly installed, computerised and highly complex wood burning boiler.
This Austrian designed system generates heat from waste wood. Hot water is then piped to warm hectares of under-cover hydroponic tomatoes on the Yarragon farm.
It is one of many state of the art components of intensive vegetable farming. The Bayleys’ ‘Blackwood Park’ specialises in cherry truss tomatoes. Grafted tomato stock are nurtured, pruned, trained and provided with the optimum growth requirements needed to produce rapidly. Vine ripened tomatoes are picked eight to 10 weeks from planting.
Each elongated plant continues growth for up to 10 months, producing uniform, healthy trusses of twelve cherry tomatoes each truss. These are marketed through Flavorite Tomatoes in Warragul.
Together with the dairy, the hot houses employ about 30 staff, a number being originally from the Philippines and Taiwan, but many locals also find employment on the property.
The innovations and growth of both enterprises have tested the Bayleys’ sense of risk and innovation, generated work for local industries such as engineering and trucking, and have ultimately delivered Gippsland products to markets as far as Hong Kong.
Food production on this scale demands efficiencies and focus. At the same time it shares the fundamentals driving all farmers need for markets, pest and disease prevention, reliable water and sunshine, and balanced plant nutrients.
Hydroponics also require sustained levels of carbon dioxide and humidity. Andrew ensures the adequacy and constancy of the growing environment in the large plastic and glass hot houses.
With Andrew and Angela starting in dairying, being the fourth generation on their farm, not only did they diversify from cattle to tomatoes, but gradually acquired more land as neighbouring properties became available.
The dairy, currently supplying Fonterra, relies on a 44 stand rotary milker. Given the crisis with milk prices, the Bayleys are more than pleased that they have their tomatoes.
Women on Farms members who attended this farm visit were generally astounded by the sophistication and ambition of the enterprise. At the same time, they felt proud that such farming success is in their local area.
Women of all ages are welcome to join Women on Farms. The key criterion is an interest in farming and farming women. There is no need to be actively farming to participate.
For more details contact secretary, Jean Irvine, phone 0429 488 156, or visit the website at www.womenonfarms.org for the monthly program.