Farm Gate News Sep-Oct Edition 23

What Makes Country Life So Good? COMMUNITY

Country kids love a bonfire. Some of our younger grandies here.

Country Kids Follow Their Dreams … with parental & community help

let the distance and limited opportunities hinder his passion for the sport. At around 16 years old, he made the courageous decision to move to an Adelaide boarding school for his Year 10-12 education, all in pursuit of his dreams.

Further to the page 3 story in our JulyAugust edition of Farm Gate News, we honour another family & community today.

In the vast landscapes of South Australia’s countryside, there are remarkable individuals like Kade Chandler from Penong, a small town situated on the far west of the Eyre Peninsula.

Kade, a talented AFL footballer and now playing for the Melbourne Demons, didn’t

Kade’s father, known affectionately as “Mildy Chandler,” understands the challenges faced by country kids when it comes to chasing their aspirations. He reflects, “It can be tough on country kids, but it also creates a level of independence in these young athletes, making it easier for them to adapt and flourish if and when they get drafted and also sets them up for other career opportunities.”

This sentiment highlights the resilience and self-reliance instilled in children growing up in rural areas. The unique circumstances they face often mold them into individuals who can navigate unfamiliar environments with determination and adaptability.

Support For Grieving Families

The pain of losing a child is unfathomable, but did you know there’s a dedicated South Australian group that offers support for country people (& city folk)?

Known as “The Compassionate Friends SA”, the charity is part of a worldwide organisation offering friendship and understanding to families following the death of a son, daughter, brother, sister or grandchild.

SA president Karen O’Brien, who lives at Burra in the mid-north of SA, explains the organisation was founded in 1990 and runs workshops, events, and support services including a helpline to assist family members find a positive way forward through their grief.

Karen’s commitment to the cause is personal. In 2015 she lost her 19-year-old son Nathaniel in a car accident and turned to Compassionate Friends for support. “The support and help that we offer in the darkest times after losing a child, I know how much it helped me,” she reflects.

In the past year alone, the group has fielded nearly 200 calls to their grief helpline from people needing one-on one support and over 200 attendances at a bereavement support group across SA.

SEEK HELP: If you, or someone you know, is in need of support following the loss of a loved one, you can learn more at www.compassionatefriendssa.org.au

DONATE: You can assist the work of this valuable initiative via a donation at www.compassionatefriendssa.org.au/donate-now/

Donations are tax deductible and will help with the running expenses so that their important work of helping others can continue.

Kade Chandler’s story serves as a shining example of the tenacity and ambition found within South Australia’s country communities. While the challenges of limited resources, transportation difficulties, and financial constraints persist, the passion for sports and the unwavering support of their families and communities propel these young athletes forward.

In the end, it is not only about joining elite sports but also about fostering a spirit of resilience, independence, and a nevergive-up attitude. Kade Chandler’s journey reminds us that our rural backgrounds can be a stepping-stone towards achieving our dreams, even if it requires venturing beyond the familiar landscapes of our country towns. The sacrifices made along the way lay the groundwork for future success, shaping not only talented athletes but also well-rounded individuals ready to take on the world.

Yorke Peninsula Field Days 26th-28th September

Call in for a yarn at Grant Sheds site 361 Wintanerta Road. We’d love to see you.

Just a few of our many ‘Grant Sheds Family’ who popped in to say G’day at the EP Field Days last year.

All the best, Ali & Danny Halupka

Owners-Grant Sheds

Country Kid, Kade Chandler (at right) playing for the AFL Melbourne Demons and confidently talking to the media after a game.

Luke & Levi Hansen, Georgetown (3 sheds)

Good ‘ol Allan Schwarz, Port Lincoln (5 sheds)

Stuart Scholz, Wudinna (5 sheds)

President of Compassionate Friends SA, Karen O’Brien with son Nathaniel who died in a car accident in 2015.

You Little Ripper... Grant Sheds LOCAL AUSSIE LEGENDS

A Tough Farm Generation - Mort Mattschoss

A proud family man who loved the land and devoted his life to farming has been fondly farewelled by the Morkalla community in Victoria.

Mort Mattschoss recently passed away aged 91 after spending his entire life in the Millewa region and dedicating over 75 years to the family farm where he was raised. He was part of a generation of farmers who witnessed huge change in their lifetimes, recounting everything from childhood memories of horsedrawn ploughs right through to early combine harvesters and the innovation of satellite navigation and auto-steer machinery.

He was also from a generation that did it tough. One of 10 children, Mort left school at 13 to help out on the farm.

“His first job was cutting wood to stoke the charcoal firepits and send away as firewood,” Mort’s son Rod recalls.

“It was tough work and he used this story to remind us how easy kids have it today.”

It wasn’t the only job he had. Mort started shearing aged 16 and, once he got his licence, drove a truck, collecting rabbits and foxes from around the local area then delivering them to the chiller in Morkalla.

He later took on other roles, including driving trucks for Dyer’s in Renmark, undertaking a stint as a builder’s labourer, and working at

the wheat receival site at Karween rail siding. Mort took over the family farm along with his brother Les in 1951. They ran the property together for more than 30 years until Les retired and Mort and wife Paula became the sole owners.

“They didn’t have the best land in Millewa, but they made it work well,” Rod reflects. They also expanded the operation, building it from an initial 1100 acres to two sites encompassing 8500 acres of farming land, predominantly dedicated to cropping. Along the way, they became regular customers of Grant Sheds, owning more than 13 as part of a relationship with the brand dating back to 1959.

But farming the land he loved wasn’t without its challenges. From dry years to mouse plagues, rabbits and locusts, Mort saw it all. His daughter Wendy notes he responded to adversity in a way that was far ahead of his time, setting up a transport business to supplement the farm income. Mort’s tireless work ethic extended to his community, including involvement in the Country Fire Authority, school council, Lutheran church and numerous sporting associations.

He played tennis, cricket and was an avid football enthusiast who donned the Morkalla jersey in his youth then later served on the committee of Karween Karawinna Football Club where he was awarded a life membership.

Above all, Mort Mattschoss was a family man who told it like it was, forged deep ties with

his community and had an unwavering love for the land.

He leaves behind his wife of more than 70 years, Paula, along with four children, and grandchildren.

“Dad loved the land, he loved Morkalla and he loved, and was very proud of, his farm,” Rod states.

13 ‘Grant’ farm sheds on Mort’s Morkalla properties! Here’s just 3 of them … *Bulk Grain Shed, *Super-C Machinery Shed and *Sliding Roof Fertiliser Shed.

Beautiful country couple, Paula & Mort Mattschoss of Mildura and Morkalla. What a full and interesting life Mort experienced, supported by his loving wife, Paula.

In August this year, a Riverland family quietly marked a significant milestone. Together, four generations of Hampel’s unveiled a private plaque on their property at Nadda near Loxton noting their 100-year connection to the region.

It’s a tie to the area that dates back to the original clearing of the farmland in 1923 and celebrates a history that now also encompasses farming.

Successful Multi-Generational CELEBRATES

More than 25 years later, the next generation settled in the same area and started a farming tradition that’s now in its third generation. “I guess the farm was bought the year before I was born,” Lyndon says. “Prior to that it was owned mainly by people who lived elsewhere and had share farmers working the property.”

These days the Hampel property encompasses around 14,500 acres, having grown and diversified over time.

Lyndon and his son Brian grow crops, including barley and wheat, but also retain livestock in the form of pigs and sheep to shore up the farm’s income on the years when cropping proves tough.

Second

generation farmer

Lyndon Hampel explains his father, Clifford, first started farming in Nadda in 1959, but long before that his grandfather and great uncle had a contract to clear the area.

“In August 1923, my grandfather and his brother came up from the Barossa, from the Bagot Well area, near Kapunda,” he says. “They came up with their horse team and slept under the wagon to start with. It would have been tough because I think they would have used a chain or cable and, with the horses, they just dragged the trees down.”

They currently have 90 sow piggeries with 900 to 1000 pigs, operating on an insemination cycle where batches of sows are impregnated four weeks apart. There are also 2500 breeding Merino ewes and up to 6000 sheep are on site at the height of the lambing season.

“We’re not just croppers,” Lyndon notes. “We’ve got the sheep and pigs to help diversify and take the risk out of the crop and to drought proof ourselves.”

‘Spreading the risk’ is something Lyndon’s grandfather believed in and his father too, and it’s a philosophy that’s paid off in recent years.

In an area where rainfall averages around 250mm a year, there have been good years and those that are lean.

The late 2010’s proved particularly dry with the Hampels only getting seed back from their crops. But they were followed up by nearly double the average rainfall and the best cropping season they’d ever had in 2022.

The Hampel’s 15m x 27m x 5.1m Super-C, open one end, Machinery Shed stores valuable farming machinery. When that equipment costs hundreds of thousands of dollars it’s certainly worth protecting to prevent sun damage to rubber, plastic, paintwork, LED screens and upholstery. Lyndon

Each weather extreme brings its own challenges. In wet years like 2022, extra fungicides were required for crop spraying and it also had an unexpected impact on the lambing. Lyndon notes the lambing season extended far beyond the norm, with mildew on clover likely contributing to the phenomenon. “The ewes were becoming pregnant right through to the end of this January, so we’ve had really spread-out lambing,” he says. “A suggestion is that the mildew affected the oestrus cycle of ewes, and so in turn we’ll probably have one of the poorest lambing seasons.

To manage the highs and lows, Lyndon and Brian have a farm management plan, where

Four generations of the Hampel family celebrate 100 Years of family farming at Nadda, near Loxton SA. The memorial plaque is a great legacy to past, present and future generations and gives historical significance and understanding for the family. Thanks Lauren Hampel for the 100 year photos.

Hampel & Danny from Grant Sheds inspect the shed.

The plaque acknowledging 100 years of Hampel farming at Nadda, near Loxton.

Multi-Generational Farming Family 100 YEARS

they put cash aside in the good years. “The idea is that in drought times and lean times, you draw on that,” Lyndon explains. Still, little prepared them for the extreme weather of 2021, with the impacts being felt well beyond farming. Two years ago a severe hailstorm ripped through Taplan and Nadda. “We only got back seed that year because of the hail. It flattened up to 100 per cent of the crops,” Lyndon says.

Brian adds it wasn’t just their paddocks that took a hit. The storm also damaged houses and infrastructure. At Brian’s home, a tree branch came through his daughter’s bedroom ceiling. “It was like a tornado coming through,” he recalls. “We had water coming through the ceiling and there was a foot of hail at the back door, because it was coming in that direction.”

The storm also wiped out half the old hay shed, Lyndon’s house had broken windows and shredded screens, and trees were down across the property.

The destruction of the old hay shed prompted Brian and Lyndon’s recent investment in a new storage structure, adding to a collection of Grant Sheds that also includes a workshop and machinery shed.

“We were probably looking at wanting to shift the old hay shed in a sense, but because the storm took it down, it sort of forced our hand,” Lyndon says.

Asked why they bought Grant sheds, the response was,

interests beyond the farm remains a priority for both Lyndon and Brian.

In addition to being involved with the Country Fire Service and his local church, Lyndon also attends the gym once a week. He notes it helps with both the physical and mental side of farming, allowing him to meet different people and socialise.

“The farming’s not as active as it was,” reflects. “There’s still work around the piggery, carrying buckets here and there, but most of it’s automatic now, so you don’t work as physically hard anymore. But that’s just part of it. The main part, I think, is meeting different people.” Meanwhile, Brian’s love of cricket and football offers a similar outlet. He’s played over 200 footy games for Browns Well and serves as a ruck in the local Aussie Rules footy team. “That gets me off the farm a bit,” he notes.

But as they plan for the future, the Hampel family are also pondering the past, with

the

“It’s where my grandfather and his brother camped initially, and so it’s pretty well in that vicinity,” Lyndon says. “My Dad grew up and

Brian and Lyndon note weather and managing its effects are all part of the ebb and flow of farming, and now they’re looking to the future, with succession planning on the agenda. Lyndon says he’s keen to remain on the farm, but concedes he’ll want to start tapering off the workload in the coming years.

The next generation comprises four siblings, with Brian’s elder brother Nigel also owning 1500 acres nearby. “There’s too much work on our place for the current workforce, so really, I guess we look at my immediate future,” Lyndon says. In the meantime, balancing work with

“We really didn’t look anywhere else. It was a case of ring Grant’s and get a price.”

unveiling of the plaque offering an opportunity to mark their history in the region.

“A strong, well designed, easily erected shed (Smart).”

Lyndon Hampel, Nadda Farms

Nadda via Loxton, SA

Future-proofing the farm: Hay fodder for their pigs and sheep livestock is protected in this Grant Sheds Super-C 12m x 24.3m x 6m Hay Shed. 3x8.1m wide beams makes manoeuvring during loading & unloading easy and bale bumper rails on the rear wall prevent wall iron damage.

Brian ‘Rowdy’ Hampel appreciates both the ‘value’ of farm machinery in great working condition and the ‘cost’ of repairs. A good machinery shed creates a place of protection and a more comfortable workspace for maintenance.

4 Generations of farming Hampel’s - Lyndon, Clifford, Brian & Caleb (front)

We Welcome New Members To Our GRANT SHEDS FAMILY

Joining the ranks of Respected Farmers who own a Grant Shed are the following landholders. As you can see, the “Grant Sheds Family” come from a broad geographic area. Many farmers have invested in multiple Grant Sheds and are proud to recommend us to family and friends. Key: Multiple Grant Shed owners are identified by a red asterisk *, their name in blue and the number of sheds they own is in blue brackets ( # ) Thank you for your ongoing faith in our sheds and your trust in the relationship you have with us. Said another way:

= Existing Grant Shed owners buying from

again.

24% = Referrals from existing Grant Shed owners & people who have always known of Grant Sheds.

The secret lies in the unique combination of our 70 years with a culture of understanding and caring for farmers and building great sheds that you and we are proud of.

Thank you for putting your trust in us to build your new Aussie-Tough shed.

“We build bloody good sheds for bloody good farmers!”

FARM SHED SOLUTIONS Ideas

Leon noticed “Shed Envy”

His comments: “Very impressed with the finished shed. The builders did a fantastic job … can’t fault them at all. Nothing like creating a bit of shed envy.”

Leon Bartlett, Cleve SA

MEGA Hay Shed

12m x 24m x 5.1m

Super-C

Machinery Shed & Farm Workshop

Machinery Shed area: 12m x 18m open one side with 2 x 9m widespan beams. 1 sliding door in the rear wall for access to behind the shed. 1 personal access door into the workshop. Workshop area: 12m x 6m wide fully enclosed area with 1 x 6m wide beam & 2 easy-roll sliding doors on one side.

MEGA Drive-Through Machinery Shed

24m x 48.6m x 8.2m

MEGA Hay Shed

Have A Look At These Beauties... To Help You With Your 18m x 48m x 6.5m MEGA Drive-through Machinery Shed - Makes Life Easier for Aaron Freeman, Koolunga

8.1m Bays, Bale bumpers protect the rear wall, Unique fast-flow gutter system removes water fast in heavy downpour conditions. Under Construction for David Hahesy, Roseworthy SA

SA

Grant ‘Mega Sheds’ Features: *Heavy-duty, open web roof trusses *Super-strong galvanized UB columns *Significant wind-bracing (X bracing & fly-bracing in roof and walls ensures the shed cannot ‘sway’ in high wind & uplift situations * ‘Bridging’ between the wall & roof purlins prevents twisting. *Heavy, welded steel baseplates & 4 large footings bolts anchor the shed with a connection style superior to non-welded baseplating systems .

THE GENERATIONAL FARM SHED

Respected Farmers see the value in ramping up their investment in farm infrastructure to make ‘coming home’ an attractive proposition for the next generation.

Check out the ‘Generational Farm Sheds’ Special Feature included with this editin of Farm Gate News.

PLUS - See the Limited Time FREE Special *BONUS OFFER Inside it.

Film Director: You’ve been offered a role as a husband who’s been married for thirty years.

Actor: I was hoping for a speaking part!

DUCT TAPE IT CAN’T FIX STUPID BUT IT CAN MUFFLE THE SOUND!

Friday Funnies

How To Join the Fun!

We know that the jokes on this page are one of our readers favourite sections. With that in mind, we’ve just started sending “Friday Funnies” emails.

Every Friday morning, we send out a light hearted joke or two to give you a laugh at the end of your busy week. They’ve received a great response so far.

But ... you’ll only get it if

• We have your email address recorded and

• You haven’t unsubscribed from receiving emails from us.

may not be obvious at first!

If you have not received any “Friday Funnies” emails (started at end of January 2023), and you’d like to, then contact us by one of these methods and provide your email and permission.

Phone: 1800 088 528

Email: info@grantsheds.com.au

Web: grantsheds.com.au/contact-us/ Don’t miss out.

Join up and enjoy the laughs!

I love putting on warm underwear fresh out of the dryer. Plus, it’s fun to look around the laundromat and guess who they belong to!

I decided to make sure my wife woke up with a big smile on her face this morning. Now I can’t have Textas in the house anymore.

Once you understand why the pizza is made round... Packed in a square box... And eaten as a triangle … Then you will understand men … women … Farmers ! There’ll be a good reason. It just