IDEAS FOR PICTURES

I love hearing what people have done with my pictures that you purchased, so please leave a comment letting me know what you have done!

Robyn sent me a picture of what she created with a windmill, shearing shed and old truck all in black in white. Thanks Robyn looks terrific, big thanks for helping our farm in drought.

Delivery of HAY

Very pleased to announce had the first hay delivery, very exciting.

If you can make out one large square bale on the trailer, that is what we need to feed the cattle daily, one big one like that. So although the hay wont last that long it made a huge difference with your help so thankyou.

Farmers have so many expenses and normally have money from stock coming in to pay for all these things, but with half the stock gone so as not as many to feed. The money that was received for them put us in the red as instead of $80 what the sheep were worth lucky to get $8-$20 due to the drought.

So keeping what stock we have left on the farm is crucial for the farm to survive. We sell them and running a farm can no longer happen.

It is amazing how some people know how hard farmers are doing and still dont give them time they need to get back on there feet.

For example my uncle had to pay $3000 for QVE insurance to insure the shearing shed for 12 months thats right just the shearing shed. They only allowed 45 days to pay ( Which when you have no farm income is very hard to pull out from your empty pocket) Now contact was made and my uncle said just need more time! but they would not hear it and got Collectors house limited onto it and although my uncle got the money together like he said he would just a bit late, but because it was late now they want him to pay $900 or the sheriff will come and take that much money worth of things. Talk about kicking a bloke when his down. I shared this story as it is common with all farmers for these things happening. Be it tractor payments etc.

That was just one example of a farm expense that has to be paid drought or not. That is undoing the true aussie battlers.

That is why i stepped in to help raise money for feed for the stock to take some stress off and literally save the farm as every little cent counts

Some think farmers have it good as they get government assistance? I can assure you not all farmers can comply to all the rules and regulations with the long list of requirements they put in place for you to pass just to get it. If you do maybe $100 a week if your lucky and really what will that cover not even petrol let alone phone, power, food which is just the household basics. Let alone a entire farm to run. yeah good on ya government you have stepped up to the plate on that one.

You think that the farmers supply the meat, veges, fruit, wool, dairy, etc So will it take the government to sit down for there nightly meal to have nothing there for them to take more action?

Farmers are bloody hard workers who need to be protected as we need the farmers who know what they are doing to stay on the land. So as not to ruin our country as it isnt a job anybody can do without proper knowledge and practise. My personal opinion is that farming is in most farmers blood they know instinctively what to do with animals and the land and are amazing to watch.

As it is no wonder so many poor buggers out on farms commit sucide with stress of a drought. A guy was telling me he worked for country energy for a while but had to leave the job as he couldnt handle for example ' One lady rang him and was going to be disconnected and her husband had committed sucide with the stress and the son followed. Now this little old lady was left by herself and they had to disconnect her power as they had done all they could.

Life on a farm is basically screwed until the rain comes.

I had one misinformed lady contact me and say how great farmers have it, and why should she waste her money on a picture to help? She continued on saying -they have a flash lifestyle and all the kids go to private college and they have holiday houses. It went on and on now im not sure where she got this info but i seriously think she was dreaming but just for the record. My Uncle Billy has never been overseas or even to a footy match, he rarely leaves the farm and it is this dedication that makes me so proud and more determined to get the awareness out there.

Puppies

I am happy to annouce only have one male puppy left and he is beautiful. I was taking pictures of rabbits and he jumped in the basket and i snapped this picture. Please email me if you want to give him a home.

Kealys

Michael Kealy and his family were extremely helpful with encouragement to talk to the media when i first started this.
Michael encouraged me to create this Blog as my own personal website which i have created by myself which i didnt think i could at first
Michael and his family also have a farm and decided to bring in off farm income by people donating money to help them out.
It is so wonderful that more and more farmers are coming up with new ways to bring in off farm income as it is very tough out there.
They were seen on TV as well and so they were great to speak to the couple times i needed some advice
I wish there family well and hope there farm survives the drought as well.

PUREBRED KELPIE PUPPIES FOR SALE

Just arrived are three week old purebred kelpie pups that need a good home. They are 'Bob' the Kelpies pups who are in my ebay pictures under aws803 or farm picture also other pictures of these pups are listed on there. And Jess above obviously is the mum there are 6 pups 2 Black and 4 tan. email me for any further information.

alicewsmith@bigpond.com

Thats Life Magazine and the LAND

I was in this weeks thats life magazine they contacted me through my ebay and send them a couple pictures. They wanted to do a story, Iwas disappointed they didnt put more about my Uncle Bill in there as I  had told them. But this media thing is still new to me dont understand it all.
I am also in the land there right up was more accurate i will post what was written. below!
ITS said a picture is worth a thousand words.
Alice Smith, so far has sold three, worth up to$300 each, with the money raised going to assist her uncle and local farmer, Bill, who is battling the drought. While visiting her uncles 670-hectare grazing property,Ranger, west of Oberon,during the Christmas period,Mrs Smith became concerned about how the property appeared, particularly how empty the hay shed was, and started thinking of ways she could help.
While fashion parades and other more traditional fundraising events first sprang to mind, Mrs Smith wanted a better way to get the city tothe bush.Thats when the idea of selling photos came to mind. Armed with her trusty camera, Mrs Smith set about taking a range of photos of daily life on thefarm (such as the onebelow), and the impact the drought was having.
These were then posted onthe Internet shopping site, eBay, and before she knew it,Mrs Smith had several hits. So far shes sold about 24 pictures and raised about$1200. Purchasers of the photos have come from the UK, as well as West Australia and Tasmania, while people from across Australia have been contacting Mrs Smith with support for her efforts . about 523messages to date.
Mrs Smith said her target was to reach $15,000 to help buy some hay and oats for her uncle, a fifth generation farmer on the property. In the not to distant future she also hopes to establish a State-wide drought fundraising campaign involving arubber wrist band, which would be sold through banks and supermarkets. Depending if she can reach her target¡ Contact Alice Smith, alicewsmith@bigpond.com

4 generations in one photo. My grandmother, mum, me and my beautiful kids

I have sold 100 photos!

So been very busy going to post office, camera house and listing etc has become a busy routine as im doing it all myself but very worth it. My husband has been terrific around the house while i been flat chat he reminds me to eat, which for me is huge normally i dont stop eating.

My sister is coming home on the weekend she will be minding the kids so i can go and take more wonderful pictures, so if there is any requests email me before next weekend. alicewsmith@bigpond.com