PRESIDENT JACQUE PHILLIPS welcomed members and guests, Chris & Ross Hardman, Judy McDonald, Rex Shields, John Van Poppering, Kay Moodie, and guest speakers Trinity and Mariea Richrds.
RLI attended at weekend by members
Art Show rapidly approaching
Graham Hodge making good progress.
INDUCTION OF NEW MEMBERS:
President Jacque inducted new members into the Club, Kay Moodie, Chris & Ross Hardman.
President Jacque Phillips, membership director Kate Hodge, Kay Moodie, Chris Hardman, Ross Hardman and sponsor Stephen Mills.
CHAIR: JUDY NEWMAN:
Trip to Vietnam at beginning of year and catching up with family in WA and Queensland.
GUEST SPEAKERS: TRINITY & MARIEA RICHARDS.
Trinity & Mariea were city folk in the hotel business when wanting a change in 1980 found land at Bearii with growing possibilities. Land had one tree on it, thus the Scotch name "Aintree Farm"
Established orchard planting 200 almond trees, then later a further 2000. Computerised irrigation system installed which registers soil moisture content and waters to trees by drip irrigation, water required.
Almond trees need cross pollination and required hiring bee hives. Because of cost, established own hives to be used in orchard and also hired out, and became an aviarist.
Diversified by planting 700 olive trees.
Almonds and olives harvested with a converted harvester with almonds sent to SA for cracking, due to transport costs bought own cracking machine.
Established value added products which are sold on the orchard, through speciality shops and markets.
Considering retirement but had second thoughts and diversified again by growing hemp.
Trinity concluded by saying "Diversification has meant survival".
REPORTS
SECRETARY PHIL MEAGHER:
Letter from Numurkah Secondary College inviting club to lay a wreath on Anzac Day.
Letter of thanks from Historical Society for BBQ.
P.E. STEPHEN MILLS:
Working with NDHS to organise a men's health day function on Men's Health Day in June.
Stephen showed photos of various Soldier Settlement monuments around district.
Request the return of Arts Show raffle books next week.
P.P. LOU HAMON.
Outlined the red tape and bureaucracy required to have a politician officially open Art Show, and to obtain Rotary insurance cover.
P.P. KATE HODGE:
Welcomed new members to the club.
P.P. TERRY BRENNAN:
Thanked Art Show sponsorship collectors - John, Steve, Judy, Jacque, Jennifer and Lou.
A.G. CHRIS SUTTON:
Ride to Conference BBQ raised $292.
Orange Juice stall at Lions Market purchased 6 crates of oranges, only used 2.
Remaining crates distributed to Numurkah Primary School, St Josephs and St Vinnies.
ATTENDANCE:
Ernest reported apologies from Phil Seager, Lorraine Greenwood, Allen Canobie, Jeff Buzza.
31 in attendance. 80%
FELLOWSHIP:
Judy reported Linda Boyd birthday February 28th.
HEADS & TAILS:
Frank Malcolm
NEXT MEETING
DATE: MONDAY 5th MARCH 2018
VENUE: SHAMROCK HOTEL
CHAIR: PHIL SEAGER.
APOLOGIES:
Ernest Jones
Phone: 5862 1968
Email: hidejones@bigpond.com
An Alby joke:
A beautiful woman loves to garden, but can't seem to get her tomatoes to turn red. She asks her neighbor, "What do you do to get your tomatoes red?"
He replies, "Twice a day I stand in front of my tomato garden and expose myself. My tomatoes turn red from blushing so much."
The woman decides to do the same thing. So twice a day for two weeks she exposes herself to the garden. Her neighbor asks, "How did it go? Did you tomatoes turn red?"
"No," she replies, "but my cucumbers are enormous."
