Qatar

Wow - talk about going from one extreme to another!

Aside from the heat Qatar bears no resemblence to India whatsoever.  Here we were greeted by Annabel Coppin who previously worked with the MLA.  Once again we were thoroughly spoilt with the programme arranged for us. 

A picture paints a thousand words...

India in Pictures



Heading out of Bangalore



We were welcomed so warmly

India strikes again!



In the slums of Delhi - wonderful kids




India Gate - Delhi



Foodies - with Rick Stein in Amritsar



An "Aahhaa" moment



Ah, India…  the writer in me struggles to capture a small iota of the essence of this extraordinary country.

Sitting on a bus watching landscape and people stream by.  The colours sparkle in the saris and road signs offset by the dull, dusty roads.  The faces are stunning.  Eyes deep brown to hazel green.  Skin polished nut.  Ready to smile, nod acknowledgement, laugh.

It is no hard thing to imagine why the British were content to annex this wonderful land.  Taking tea in a colonial era hotel, the air perfumed with exotic flowers and spices, birds singing, dogs barking.  Wandering the halls of the Mysore Palace marveling at the art works, frescos and opulence.  Swaying, dreaming aboard an Indian Elephant.  Transported to another time.

The debris of human life, trash and open toilet drains, abandoned government infrastructure, women with babies strapped to their sides begging, endless coconut husks.  It’s not all pretty.

The livestock make me chuckle – each rural home has 2 or 3 cows tethered outside.  Often their horns are painted for festivals.  Indian zebus?  Definitely Bos Idicus.  Sheep few and far between.  Goats more common.  Not for milking, which surprises me?  Horses starved and struggling – the motorbike has taken over.  Dogs everywhere, barking, scavenging and doing what dogs do.  No cats at all.

I am transfixed, astonished, horrified.  I am blessed to be here, knowing I will come home to my most fortunate life.

On The Road in India

Ramesh was fantastic at painting the picture of India for us.  On the bus in the morning he explained the massive population surge the cities are seeing.  It is simply impossible to keep abreast of the infrastructure required (roading, sewage, electricity, housing, education, healthcare).  We are here in the dry season and the living standards we are seeing are challenging beyond imagination – the monsoon season can only be hellish.

Once out of the city we could see the first of the small agricultural plots, that many farming families are surviving on. There was rice, corn, sugarcane and some small horticulture plots. Most farms between 2-5 acres, with all the produce traded on a local market for other produce. We stopped at one sugar cane farm where the cane was ‘refined’ over an open fire and set in the air (and flies) alongside the dairy cows!

INCREDIBLE INDIA

We were met by Australian Nuffield Scholar, Marc Jackson, in Singapore who happened to be on the same flight to Bangalore.  Marc is exploring the opportunities for banana production in a joint venture in southern India.  Doing business in India requires a vast experience in relationship building and bucket loads of patience!!!  Marc will be with us for the next few days.



First Stop in India with Marc and Ramesh




Marc Jackson - Picnic Lunch



Arriving in Bangalore we were greeted by Ramesh, our Indian host for the southern part of our time here, who had a bus to the hotel – bed never feels so good as after a long haul flight!!

Thursday, 17 May

Bill Blackwell took me for a run around ‘Corea’ to have a look at their cell grazing system, improved pastures, Merinos and farm forestry blocks.  Bill and Cee have always been ahead of their time when it comes to careful stewardship of the land and their boys are continuing with this.  A balance of environmental sensitivity and robust business decisions has created a property that is both beautiful and sustainable.

Cee has a new project – she has fully renovated the Corea shearers quarters – check them out on http://www.coreaquarters.com.au/ I can’t wait to come back with my boys – they will love it.

The afternoon was on the road again to Echuca, home of Nuffield Australia CEO, Jim Geltch.

Wednesday, 16 May

Dunkeld and the Blackwell family farm ‘Corea’ was the destination today.  Cee Blackwell had arranged a couple of visits for the afternoon.

Jackie O’Brien runs the ‘Hazel Green’ Shop in Hamilton, Vic which specializes in hand crafts particularly knitting and supplies for quilting and sewing. 

Jackie has seen knitting boom recently which she attributes to younger people wanting to return to the values of generations past.  It is part of the movement that includes farmers markets, backyard vegetable gardens and DIY.  She, and her customers, rate Merino very highly now that the prickle factor has been addressed but the favourite is definitely a blend of Merino, Alpaca and Silk – perfect for baby wear.

Jackie believes her customers are becoming more discerning about the provenance of the products that they buy – they want to know the ‘story’ behind the wool they are purchasing.  This is more important now than any organic or similar certification.

Bill and Jenny Crawford’s farm in the Victoria Valley was our next stop.  In the middle of shearing, the woolshed was the perfect place to start.

Sierra Park runs 8,000 Saxon Merino ewes on 2,400ha.  Lambing is split Spring and Autumn with the Autumn lambs sired by Southdown terminal rams.

Bill and Jenny are partners in a vertically intergrated supply of super fine wool called Escorial.  Google it and check out the catalogue.  This group has grabbed an extraordinary niche market and run with it.  Not easy at times and definitely not cheap the finished products are simply exquisite.  With such an exclusive provenance their customers are drawn into becoming part of the story.

I came away from meeting with Bill Crawford so inspired I was just about floating!!  How to transfer even a tiny percentage of his vision and enthusiasm to the rest of our wool industry – now that is a challenge!!

The message for the day – tell the story – it may be just the daily grind for us as producers but our consumers WANT to know.