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Some things i noticed in western canada

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    Some things i noticed in western canada

    How friendly everyone is and laid back.

    Harvesting "your not done till everyone is" meaning you help neighbours finish this isn't the norm in Australia.

    Tolerance to herbicide drift with neighbours "some year I get some drift other years I cause some drift" in Australia everyone sues the shit out of each other.

    Coffee/breakfast at local diner seems a ritual always lots of farmers in there especially in states.

    Lack of bakeries in every small town our small local town has a cracker of a bakery 500 people.

    Lack of newsagents in every town to get a newspaper or western producer.

    Said it a while back lack of local butcher shops again almost every town has one in oz.

    Found it hard to get a decent beer ended up drinking miller mostly but found our South Aust icon "coopers pale ale" in a fair few places.

    How cheap cocktails and ceasers were.

    Suprisingly hard to find what I called a good steak maybe I'm fussy the best was "the keg steakhouse and bar" and some of the small diners oh the cattle baron a few miles from Calgary airport was a worthy mention.

    The smoke from fires in bc guess they will welcome snow sooner rather than later.

    All the dead trees in rockies particularly around jasper.

    How good your machinery dealers are staying open.

    How cheap your haul out/chaser bins are in Aust a 30t bin no change out of 110k to 130 stupidity.

    The 4h and ffa programmes just wonderful and great way to keep kids keen on ag and even you school programme different and better.

    Smooth flowing traffic in cities maybe I was lucky but Saskatoon and Calgary a breeze to drive in for a guy who drives on wrong side of the road at home. Worst traffic was actually banff over rated but jasper was good.

    Every changing landscape like cypress hill just pop up out of no were.

    No crappers on the interstates crossed border at raymond mt drove to regina no rest stops for was it 160 kms in aust we have em every so often. Mrs mallee had to drop here pants on side of highway in a break in traffic for a twinkle once.

    Jeans wranglers which I wear half price irvines and frontier were comparable with states price wise.

    Not everyone hated Donald trump as expected that's Canada and usa.

    Lack of police on highways or everywere really guess your a low crime country.

    On news nightly seems western Canada is almost a add on to eastern Canada rarely rates a mention.

    Ahhh Walmart I kinda felt underweight there.

    pick me apart with my skewed observations guys guess some are right some are wrong

    edit nobody just nobody sits on speed limit always 10 15 kms above limit

    Farm co-ops sell food as well and hot dogs and coffee.

    Unlike Australia who are sport mad I'm not , but Canada doesn't shut down on weekends due to sport your productivity must be high.

    Rancher in montana saying was "I work to live and live for my family" and he has every sunday off family time either direct or cousins etc,seems you guys are more family orientated wereas Australia is have a beer with you mates type thing.
    Last edited by malleefarmer; Sep 6, 2017, 15:50.

    #2
    Nice post Mallee,

    Thanks for sharing your observations. I think you made some interesting points and tell your wife we have all had to use the side of the road rest room on occassion...

    Can you tell us about where you went during your vacation?

    It sounds like you had a nice trip.

    Comment


      #3
      I would say your observations are pretty correct.

      I have always said we need rest stops every so often. We you travel with little kids you make note of how far to the next one.

      Glad you had a good time.

      Comment


        #4
        Hmm started in Calgary had a wedding. Day trip to Banff after wedding to acclimatise my driving skills. Then to turner valley couldn't contact our friends there had a night in town and a 4.30 am departure from Cougars bar if anyone knows it and caught up with friends 4 mile out of town at 8 am for breakfast. And a ranch visit, Then to Watertown national park were all the Aussies at the wedding caught up. Back to cardston . Pincher creek across to coal hurst???? Back to lethbridge then to brooks. Brooks we headed south and crossed border into Montana and headed to a small place called plevna eastern Montana baker was kinda biggest town nearby. Stayed on ranches there, then due north to Regina balcarres hum bolt Saskatoon then the big drive to Dawson's creek up in the peace. Dawson's to grande cache then jasper to cross field and back to Calgary.lots of farms ranches First Nation reserves,characters diners/cafes and hospitality along the way. Lots of detours here and there. All at our own pace.

        I much prefer being a traveller than a tourist. Had to learn that 2/3 beer 1/3 tomato juice is actually a refreshing tasty drink......maybe only in Montana lol

        Comment


          #5
          Mallee, what's Oz's policy on foreigners owning land down under? Is there any restrictions? How much is an "acre" of average land worth and what are the lease rates per acre? What did you think of the diversity of the farmland in Western Canada?

          Comment


            #6
            First I am no expert and don't pretend to be one.

            Any investment I think over 5 million has to go before foriengn investment board for approval, investment has to be in "best interests" o f Australia. Others tell me its one million.

            This is to be tightened even more for housing as chinese are buying up blue ribbon properties in Sydney etc causing house to spiral even higher so I will go with the former figure.

            Govt blocked sale of kidman properties to chinese 325mill dollars 11 million hectares in same family for 116 years eventually a aussie has 51% and chinese 49% but very strict controls over how it can be sold in future.
            chinese buying dairy farms as well even Canada teachers pension fund has a fair bit of oz.

            land my patch 2t ha to 2,5t cereals canola 1.0 to 1.5 t ha legumes 1t ha average around $ 450 to 600 per acre. rent 20 to 35
            4t ha cereal 2.5 t ha canola 3t ha faba beans 1800 per acre. rent 60 to 80

            prime lentil wheat country 5t ha cereal 3t plus lentil basically all they grow no canola 3500 to 5000 per acre rent apparently as high as 270 per acre.

            I reinerate in no expert as you can see I farm in slum of the ghetto but my direct costs are stuff all compared to many and hey weve struggled since 1911 still here but our area is mixed farming due to often crop failures but with better farming practises that becoming rare.

            when you tell people you were a malleefarmer kinda frowned upon looked down at but hey you guys like us/me lol

            you may have similar areas in western Canada actually quite good with bad previous reputation dust storms fallow etc etc in 40s and 50s and 60s gave us bad name

            Comment


              #7
              Thanks mallee. Even the mediocre land here is getting stupid expensive to buy. And rental rates that only seem to make sense with above average crops. ..too much risk.

              Australia would be a nice place to see....like you said though....not as a tourist but a traveller. Is it generally safe?

              Comment


                #8
                Took me a few weeks to get comfortable driving on the wrong side of the road in Aussy. Remember right and left hand turn rules are opposite as well. Did you find it took some time to get used to mallee?

                Like getting into a case combine after any other brand. Up is down and down is up. What the hell were the engineers thinking?

                Comment


                  #9
                  Rent at 270$/acre you are going to give all these renters a heart attack. We used to have campgrounds and rest areas every few miles but when our savoir King Ralph was elected he decided we didn't need to make a pit stop and gave them all away and as they needed any maintenance they were closed. Sounds like you enjoyed yourself,I have thought I would like to see oz but it is like here to dam big to relay get a look at. As for good steaks I think it all depends on what you are used to,I liked our barley fed over US corn fed but then the big boys could get cheaper corn so there went our barley.To each his own.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Usually look for some bush near the side of the road for a 'rest' stop. Gotta watch you don't poke your eye out on the bush though. Shit or go blind!

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Too bad you didn't get a chance to experience Canaryseed dust. It is special!😂

                      Comment

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