The Rural Voice, 1983-04, Page 63Junior Farmers
down -under
Seen on right are Les Falconer, Clinton,
Audrey Ritchie, Lucknow and Jane
Allen, Brucefield being welcomed by
two members of the Australian Rural
Youth organization.
Note the "roo" bar on the front of the
car which is designed to protect the car
in the event of a collision with a "roo"
[slang. for kangaroo]. A 400 -Ib. full
grown "roo" [they are nocturnal] can
demolish a car or truck if hit on the
highway. Favourite souvenirs brought
back were kangeroo statues and hides.
From Toronto, the Junior Farmers
flew to Hawaii where they toured for a
couple of days before flying on to
Australia.
After five days travelling around Aus-
tralia by bus, they met up with their
host families at Gawlor in the Barossa
Valley in southern Australia close to
Adelaide.
The Barossa Valley is near the fa-
mous Australian vineyards where grapes
are grown on dry land without irriga-
tion. •The current drought has brought
about severe shortages of water, poor
crops and a decrease in the livestock
population from 24 million head in 1980
to 22 million in 1983. The wheat
harvest, which was completed at Christ-
mas time, yielded about ten bushels per
acres. Fortunately, there is a 2-3 year
reserve of wheat to fall back on. A
senior agricultural official told Bill Arm-
strong, provincial director of zone seven
Junior Farmers, that input costs are
about 30% of ours in Ontario. Their soil
only requires phosphorous as a ferti-
lizer, no nitrogen or potassium. Very
little corn is grown in Australia.
After two weeks in Australia, the
group flew from Melbourne to Christ-
church, New Zealand, where they were
YOUNG FARMER
met
Far
See
by their hosts from the Young
mers Association of New Zealand.
n in the foreground after the flight
Janet Shaoton, Sharon Docking,
are
Gerald Johns [partly
Dunbar. New Zealand
of 3 million people
sheep.
hidden] and Bill
has a population
and 80 million
We have interested European Clients to Purchase
100 - 500 Acres Dairy Farms
`J_,/Y,t!e f, complete with cows, quota, and machinery,
77 Main Street
Seaforth, Ontario
AGENT - Bruce Rathwell
CaII Collect - 519-527-1200
Telex No. - 069-55223
also
We have presently purchasers
for 300 - 500 acres Cash Crop Farms
PG. 60 THE RURAL VOICE, APRIL 1983
J