Milne Feeds recently welcomed Paul Nenke to the team. Paul has been involved in the agriculture sector for over 30 years. He is from a farming family based at Kukerin. The family first established their farm in 1908 and developed it into a grain and sheep enterprise. Having completed many harvests (more than he’d like to count!) Paul shares his thoughts and tips for surviving the rigors and challenges of harvest:
‘It’s that time of the year again when the crops are coming off and the pressure is on. I have experienced all sides of this - from being a young child sleeping on the harvester, then graduating to being the header driver, to eventually becoming the controller, whom all the stress came to, or so I believed.
During harvest, it is easy to feel like you are the only one in the world who is stressed. There are many challenges and concerns about things such as poor yields, protein issues, not meeting certain grades, abundance of weeds in a ‘so-called’ clean paddock, and machinery that always seems to break down at the wrong time. The grain dealers always seem to be in bed when you really need them, whilst you are working all hours, and often irrational questions begin to flow.
Well, the truth is we all face these issues on every farm across the world. There are farmers under stress trying their best to race through and get the crop off, and it is important to remember that we are not alone. Your mates, who are a “2-way” or phone call away, will be there to listen. They understand because they are dealing with the same challenges - just like you.
Perhaps, as farmers, we are all a little crazy because we choose this life, for which there is very little thanks, but it has been in our blood since we could touch the pedals or help dad feed the sheep. My tip is that it’s really important to stop, smell the roses, enjoy what you have achieved, and congratulate yourself on a job well done.
There is a long running joke in my family, which was started by my children (and they continue to remind me to this day). During harvest time, they said instead of “Where’s Wally?”, it was a case of “Where’s Dad?”. We often put ourselves under huge pressure saying, ‘we must get the crop harvested yesterday because maybe it will rain, or some other problem will arise but, in reality, how many times did that really affect us? Taking a day off on the weekend to spend time with your family and friends will be long remembered but, in 3, 10 or 20 years’ time, will anyone remember the day you finished harvest? The crop, the harvester, or the farm will not care, but taking time off to refresh and be with loved ones will last forever.
Here is some advice from someone who has pushed it too hard to finish – hold on to your hat and take some time out for yourself. The best option is to get some sleep and rest because not only will it help you physically, it will also help you mentally. When we are over-tired mistakes can creep in and, if you get injured on the farm, it will take even longer to get the crop into the bins.
As a final word I have a joke that many will appreciate and understand.
Question: “What do you call a harvester driver?
Answer: “GOD. Because he thinks the world revolves around him”.’
Paul is well known across regional WA for his involvement in, and passion for, agriculture. He enjoys volunteering in his local community as an ambulance officer, firefighter and coach of sporting teams. He also has a degree in Commerce from Murdoch University. Paul looks forward to helping Milne Feeds customers reach their production and profit goals through quality feed and nutrition. He can be contacted on 0407 720 040.
