Day 5    Well it was partly to mostly cloudy this morning when rolling out of bed but our group did their best to hit the ground running.  After a bus drive and drinking my weight in water we arrived in the Lokhart district to a Suffolk and merino stud. This stud was family owned and managed by the Bouffler family.  Trigger Vale was their name and sheep makes is their game.     All of this sheep business over here is like a new world to myself and the rest of the k-staters.  Andrew explained to us in a lengthy power point presentation their operation and some insight into the sheep breed in Australia.   This family really takes pride in their product and are an innovator to the breeds that they produce.  The education that Andrew has in business and the economics that s implied makes things make sense.   He has a dual breed that helps move along and focuses on fat in the meat.and the fleece coat follows with the breed.  This wool s nothing like that i have ever seen before.  The staple is long, crimp is very small and the and fiber is very very small.  The passion is there at the diverse farm.     We the moved about to a very intriguing business of the emu farm.  The rock is what they call it because being established under a very large bolder mountain.  These are mysterious creatures that I am defiantly not partial to.  They harvest these beasts mostly for the oils that they produce.  There is about an inch of back fat that that is converted into an oil that is very high in omega 3.  This product is 10 times as potent than fish oil.  With that there are also bi- products such as the meat and feathers.  It is a unique operation with a fluctuating market.      After lunch at the emu farm we then traveled about a 4 stubby journey to a quite sought after shorty operation.  This short horn stud ran by the Spry family is one of the top studs in all of Australia.  We looked at some very powerful studs that have a hefty price tag and many show trophies under their belts.  Ardlui Shorthorn Stud is a prized short horn operation in Australia.  There genetics are focused on a solid animal with grading EBV' (estimated breeding values) that are through the roof.  Very nice family group that have a positive out look in their breed -Quote of the day--Butter my but and call me biscuit! Signing out  Wimer