Day 4    We started the morning off in McDonald's trying to get some blogn done and was barely successful.  After mass confusion of ordering an American meal at an Aussie establishment we were off.  Skippy drove like a mad man and delivered us to Lawson Angus bull stud.       This is the biggest seed stocker operation in all of Australia.  This angus herd ends up selling around 800 bulls every year.  This operation has over 2000 head of mama cows that have a spring and fall calving season.  What's interesting is that their spring calving is at the time when we are fall calves are hitting the ground, and visa versa.       There is a lot of Gardiner influence in the herd here.  They have taken info from the family and made it work over hare.  The partnership between these to operations is very unique.  Harry Lawson was sure to include his success in Australia is possible by the help from the states.       We visited on of the operation sites where they grow their bulls.  They have a sort of intense grazing system.  They are continuously doing pasture replanting with perineal rye grasses for the summer months.  They graze these paddocks with a one bulls per acre management system.  It is intensely managed to ensure 1 kilo of growth per day.  Very interesting trip.      We then traveled on to a commercial Hereford operation about an hour away to Lima park where we saw a commercial Hereford operation.  Hamish McMillan also manages 3000 head of cross bred ewes.  They try to have two and a half lambs every year.       This commercial operation is focused on lbs per head in both species.   He has one of the fastest Hereford heds that I have ever laid my eyes on.  He one had a cow the was 2400 lbs.  Thats a BB.  His management ideas were very practical for just one other soal helping in the operation.      The sheep are a combo breed.  He is unique in the sense that he leaves the fleece on the sheep in the summer and sheers during the onset of the winter months.  The wool is sold to pay for the fertilizer costs that are spread on the paddocks.      Headed to Albury now it was a good day down under. Signing out Michael 

Day 3      Well I started Ina bit of a fog.  But these Aussies can make a real mean breakfast.  We shoved off at about 7:30 a.m. Headed to the Brooklyn Abattoir.  This slaughter plant is owned by JBS swift and is one of the biggest in the southern hemisphere.  It was quite interesting to be able to compare this process with those plants in the united states.     One aspect that was unique was the fact that they slaughter both beef and lamb at the very same time.  They kill 5000 sheep and  around 1200 beefs a day.  One thing that struck me odd that is very different from those in the states is that the plant consists of a few buildings instead of under one roof.       With the fact that Australia has strict identification system the plant can identify each carcass by the hook.  It is odd seeing these light weight calves hanging with yellow back fat and nearly no intramuscular fat to speak of.  The process is very similar to that oft he states except for a few differences.  To start with that is very bizarre the way that they move there cattle around in the yard before entering the plant is with herding dogs.  Really cool, but i don't know about for stress level. The production line is much slower and have less workers than the plants at home.  I think that this have most to do with the fact that here the spend a lot of time on cuts that we don't.  They Save and process a large amount of the head meat.  It is stripped of meat completely.  And they also take the time to cut eat out from in between each vertebrae.  This is time consuming and not done back home.  From knock box o the cooler takes but a half an hour.  Carcasses hang for only  24 hours before hitting the fab floor.      The sheep slaughter was amazing.  Not ever seeing sheep slaughter myself it was quite an experience .  It is really different how they do this but they have a system that is very efficient.  The technology that is in place makes things move right along.  They have automatic fleece pulled that was never off.  Awesome!  This plant supplies Coles a national grocery chain with all of their meat needs.  Around 90% of the nations meat is ordered and delivered to them.    We then traveled out to Webb Black simmentals to take tour.  By far one of the best stops yet.  Learning how they are trying to implement the semmi cattle into the Australian industry. The Web stud is struggling getting there beef out there because of the all the perceptions that people have just like we do I the states.  Beef is good!  --fun fact-- The toilet's here have two flush options.  Number 1 and number2.  Lol Signing out Wimer

  Day 2 Day two started out with a wonderful breakfast at the travel lodge hotel.  Then we took about a mile walk through melbourne and admire all of the wonderful architecture.  Everything is so very different looking.    We made it to the department of primary industries where the state of Victoria's livestock headquarters is.  There we we discussed the importance of   Animal ID systems.  It is mandatory  by the nation that all beef cattle have an EID tag from the day they are born until slaughter.  Although each state is incharge of there own identificatin speculations but nationaly inforced.This program started back in 1996.  This started because of the need to rid the country of brucellosis, TB, and to insure that foot and mouth disease stayed out of their country.  It was very interesting to learn how their industry is more similar to ours than I thought it was.       We then jumped on the bus and toured over to the Victorian WWI memorial.  This building is the largest granit structure in the world.  Here I learned how proud of a country is.  They are very proud Country.  There are walls and walls of medals and memorabilia.      And currently we are at a beer maken place .  And it was a n experience to learn how they make they make there beer.  They make beer 24 hours a day five days a week. The samples were very tasty.  Very tasty.   Signing out  Wimer

Day 1   Ok well this is my second try on my first blog.  Obviously technology sucks and deleted my 500 word blog.  But anywho I made it to the country of kangaroos.  A horrible 16 hour flight brought me over to this land on a A380 BFP.  So since this is my second go I will make it short and sweet.    We started our day going through customs for around an hour or so standing in line.  We then met our fearless leader Mr. Mitchell and our bus drive "SKIPPY".  We then took a short hour ride on a top heavy bus through the winding roads of the outback.      Apron arrival at the Healsville Sanctuary we got to experience the Australian wildlife.  We saw one of the most awesome aerial show by the Australian birds.  These things were going amazing stunts with little help from the handler.  It's s good start to the trip. Signing out  Wimer

Voyage Awaits Us

           Less than a month before we venture across the great blue sea.  I joined this crew of voyagers a little late in the process but have learned lot about the Australian agriculture system.  It was interesting to be able to compare that of Australian culture of way of doing thing to that of ourselves as animal producers.  From over sized flightless birds to criminals taking over the continent by storm.  Australia is a very interesting place in the world and here are some tid bits that i picked up while in class.

• History
• Australia is the only country to govern a whole continent.
• Was established by convicts that were shipped over there by King George and they started convict colonies.
• Aborigines were the natural habitats of this country, but captain James cook Founded the coast of Australia. That is until he ran into the Great barrier Reef.(biggest Reef in the World)

• Gov/society
• Current Prime Minister is Julia Gillard, but still consider Queen Elizabeth II to be the queen of Australia.
• 95% of there legal voters cast their ballets!!!!!  We don't even have half that here.
• Have a flat tax rate.
• Currency rate is $1=$.935  but this will fluctuate over time.
• Mining and Agriculture make up 57% of the countries exports
• National debt is 2.1 trillion compared to the U.S. of 15.3!!!!
• Agriculture
• Almost all farms are family owned and operated equalling about 134,000 of them that nearly fulfill the Australian daily food supply
• Crops= Wheat, Barley, and sugar cane
•  Beef Herd is around 28 million head compared to the 92 million in the US
• A large number of these animals are grass feed on thousands of acers(hectares)
• 2nd largest beef exporter behind Brazil. The most impressive thing about these exports is that a vast majority of these are live exports!

• Australians take there beef production seriously.  Especially of those that have a branded product. Visit Campbell beef at http://www.campbellfoods.com.au/index.html
• Have a large market in veal production
• I have never had lamb before and i am sure that i will get a chance with this trip seeing how Australia is a huge lamb and mutton producing country.  They run around 72.74 million head.
• It is also very interesting that some of there bigger feedlots and packing plants are nearly next to each other

There are so many things that i look forward to do and learn on this trip that i am so very privileged to go on.  I believe for me that most interesting thing will be the opportunity to see what other producers in the industry.  I want to learn how there live export business can work for them with the increasing over head costs with fuel rising so much.  I want to learn alongside my class mates how we as American meat animal producers can fall into different markets and answer the needs of new customers.

500 words exaclty  Schaake

Blue Mountains and Beyond!

                This Region is included in the state of New South Wales on the southern coasts of Australia.  It supposedly has all the wonders of the country in one central area.  The mountains are vast and green and new scenery in every direction that you gander.  The great blue sea off towards the coast, wheat fields in the valleys, and hints of the desert off to the west.

                In 1770 the eastern half of the country was claimed by a fellow by the name of Captain James Cook.  Not Captain Hook in peter pan but a non-fictional chap that founded the colorful land that our class is soon to see.

As we have learned previously in class the British inmates in that time were sent to places such as this for punishment.  They then developed very prosperous farm lands along the Hawkesbury River and building the state as it is today.

New South Wales has the great city of Sydney which we will make a journey to and learn the history and the mysterious lives of the “Tjapukai” or better known as the people of the rain forest.

New South Wales has the most developed coasts of all the country.  The way of travel along the coasty is very excisable.  There is an extensive rail system which we from the states are not very accustom to.   Their roads are mostly are just simple two lane highways that I’m sure we will have plenty of windshield time going down.

There are many attractions along the great Blue Mountains to speak of.  The mountains highest point is 3600 feet above sea level.  There is a skyway ride that you can take to enjoy all the beautiful sights below.

This is just a preview or a quick flash of what we will see in New South Wales. There will be certainly more to come when we visit this area.