Ozgirl
little buddy
You have just restored my faith in human nature.
Tonight I would like to talk to the farmers.
I have been working on our new web page listing all the Free Range farmers.
Let me simply say that the Free Range farmers must find a platform.

They must speak out against intensive farming and extreme animal welfare groups.

You must have the courage of your convictions.

Celivia, Scout, Robert, Antje, Taryn ,Benny Michael and others including myself have offered to support you.

Now you can listen to Yabby if you like.

You can not have it both ways. We have also been offered the assistance from Michael which is not to be sneezed at.

There are some farmers who want to have a shilling each way.

They are actually frightend to be seen working with a Animal Group.

Thats a serious mistake. Our people are just a concerned bunch who want to see a better deal for the farmers doing to right thing and! the Animals.

You cant expect Ciliva Scout and all the others to work to help you if you wont help us help you.

This forum has been around long enough to have reached the bush telegraph of Free Range Farmers.

I was speaking with a cattle Free Range Farmer earlier this evening
who told me he used to live export.

He said when he actually went there and saw the way our cattle are treated he stopped that day.

He now runs on six thousand Acers and will only send them locally for slaughter.

Thats very good to hear. I just hope he will go one step further and speak out as a live exporter as to what he saw.

We have to stand together and cop any bullying from the industry if we are going to make a difference.

Otherwise yabby is right. We will all be waisting our time.

You can start by publicly joining this Support Free range Group.

If you cant support the people who are supporting you I am going on a long overdue five year lunch.

Celivia, nobody has attacked the Catholic Church about its role
in politics more then I have, including in its political involvement
in the abortion debate.

My point is a purely philosphical one of consistency, anything
else is simply short term expediencey to suit your agenda.

I repeat. I believe that the role of the churches in a secular
democracy, should be to preach to their flocks and no more.

Religion should simply be a lifestyle choice, not enforced by the
state, because of religious politics.

As I am against the churches getting involved in politics on
any issue, I have to be consistent in my beliefs.

If you accept that the churches should become politically involved
in the animal welfare issue, why do you think they should be denied
political involvement in the abortion issue?

pig farmer.

Where do you think the drought grants come from?
Of course! there are many more lerks and perks within the other side of the industry that your farm would not be given.
for Eg You pay your fees but get nothing back. Places such as Amanda vanstones etc do get it back because WE pay for things like the new pork adds. The funds are made up of half from the industry and half from the public purse.

Now the Pork board the MLA , Cattlemans ass and all the others SHOULD be putting half into marketing Free Range and half into intensive iF THEY SUPPORT ANIMAL CRUELTY.

However the last time I checked there was stuff all marketing done for good farmers such as yourselves.
Thats totally unfair.
Free range Farmers support groups and working together with the public but form a free Range Group First.

That is what is required.

To a small degree only I agree with a past comment made by Yabby.

He said it was up to the smaller farmers to get together and market their products and sell themselves.

Sitting back complaining wont do it.

Working together with our organisation will.

Tell you why pig farmer we are the fIRST to stand up for farmers like you against the extreme Animal Welfare lot that tell the public not to eat ,meat.
However we need your open support as we have tried to support Free Range Farmers.
We can help make the money spent on levies and taxes fair.

We cant do it without the farmers coming out from the coral however.

You have to stand up and shout. I am a Free Range Farmer and I want a Fair Go. Talk to the public "publicly" and do not be intimated.
There are people only too! happy tostand up for you guys and from there things will get bigger and the Free Range Group will get stronger .
The tax money from the public be handed out fairer.

Stand up Wendy? How much more 'stand up' can actually running a free range farm be? I'm not just talking about it, Im doing it. Along with my own website plus another neutral site were other farmers can be promoted. Again, it is a reality, not talk. Its neutral because a lot of people run for the hills if they think animal activists are involved or they feel they have to conform to one persons ideals. You are just annoyed because i wouldnt hand it over for pale to take control.

You are also annoyed because I said I hadnt yet seen any of your work. It was a fair comment, not a put down. You quoted a submission for share farming in 2003. Yabby is so right. I dont want to 'share' all my hard work and capital input with a stanger from overseas.

Stop telling people what they HAVE to do, and listen a little to what they have to say without making it so personal. I think we all picked up on the last posts were aimed at me, I was the only one not on your list!

ABC
" NEWS RELEASE"



Bush Telegraph


Rural Programs


Rural News
Bush Telegraph

Free range pigs -
Free range chook farms are now commonplace in Australia, but it's not every day that you come across a free range pig farm! Reporter Melanie Sim visits Bernard Murray on his farm at Strathmerton, near Cobram, on the Murray River to see his operation first hand. She arrives just in time to see a sow give birth to some 14 piglets in a special farrowing hut in the open paddock. The huts give the sows (and the newborn piglets) protection from crows and foxes. Bernard switched to a free range operation several years ago after his intensive piggery was hit by disease. He says he and the pigs enjoy the freedom that a free range operation offers.

Pig Farmer

No your wrong I was actually speaking to the Journo at the bush telegraph.
I was following up on a conversation we had just! had re story above.
The comment was NOT aimed at you but all farmers.

I dont know why you think I am trying to steal your business but let me put you straight.

We are not an extreme group as you should know by now.


We had a meeting with familly first Steve Fieling it was of great interest to me.

My comments are directed to everybody.

If your not interested to expand your Free Range piggerys so be it .
Yes you are doing it and I would have liked to use you as a role model but of course! you dont HAVE TO HELP.

I think its pretty clear we put a great deal of time into live exports as well.

The whole co joint venture is to put some funds back into Australia building or updating abattoirs for ALL animals

Somebody has to actually come up with a lot of money and its not! going to be the Government or the farmers.

To bi- pass the middle man is the way to go.

Wendy, that article is over 12 months old.
Who said anything about stealing my business? I am concerned however that your knee jerk reactions could damage it. Not only have you posted my details to a public forum, (without my knowledge) I have learned that you have forwarded a private email to other parties. Just great for business! You are discrediting me without even giving it a thought. You take snippets of information (any source will do) and run with it. Scary stuff. Eg Lastest pork ads – were in the planning 12 months ago well before the Amanda Vanstone thing. You give APL too much credit.

We do not receive a cent from the government. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get drought relief? Another thing you are forgetting – farmers are taxpayers too, stop talking like we are leaches. How do you earn a living Wendy?

I cannot shout any louder that I am a free range farmer.I am doing all I can to balance my livelihood with animal welfare. Do a search on the words free range, you will find me on the first page of any search engine. You can afford to make all the noise you want and draw attention to your organization (good or bad) and it will just serve to give you publicity. For farmers that align with you – potentially disasterous. You proudly tell me how many people hate you, how many departments wont speak to you and the death threats you get ?? Is this supposed to be a good thing?

You want help but with what? I cant find any free range campaigns you are involved with – just talk.
You voice your opinion here loud and clear but look out anyone that dares question anything you say. You expect us to follow you blindly? It was heartening to see that you actually read my last post though, I know you generally dont have the time.