Heart of the Nation - Dairy Farming
"Go way back, Ben"
Cows a' coming in
Dawn awesome
Birds chattering
Flick power on
Kettle boiling
Cuppa delectable
Then yard 'em in
All my old girls
First baled in
Wash 'em teets
Cups go on
Tune the radio in
It's wonderful
Feeling fine
Sing along
My routine
Milking
Thinking
All over New Zealand
Fellow dairymen
Are tuned in
Listening to the news
The new day breaking
"Efficient production
Nation's backbone"
Pondering on
This day's action
Ben gets his biscuits
Yard washed down
Vat cooler is on
Household humming
"Morning dad"
Kids to school departing
"Hi Darling"
Porridge with cream on
Eggs and bacon
Taste buds tingling
Larconic comment
Much laughing
Another day is
Welcomed in
Deciding this day's
Action plan
"Rural living"
At the shed the
Tanker's filling
Cow's relishing
New feed pickings
Hay paddocks heavy
Ready for baling
Mail and paper
At the gate
Company's cheque in.
Ever changing
Through the season
Calving, calf rearing
Spring's flush of grass
And silage making
New metal on some
Wet patch bogging
Artificial insemination
And bull watching
Daily break feeding
Flash spring flooding
And more coming.
Drains to clear
And fence fixing
A culvert here
A new trough there
Welcome summer
With haymaking
Holiday time
Boy's breaking in
City cousins
Learning traditions.
Household life and
Complimentary rhythm
Washing, gardening
And lawn mowing
Chooks to feed
And grunting pigs
Bottling pickles
Jam and chutney
Apples for Mum's
Apple pies
Peaches and Nectarines
With thick gooey cream
An homekill loads
The freezer full
And Ben his bones too.
Mince for meatballs
And barbecue patties
Mince for fine
Italian dishes
Steaks and roasts
And long eye fillets
Salty silverside
Cabbage and carrots.
Washing walls and
Window cleaning
Gutters cleared
And vacuuming
To T-tree patch
For firewood cutting
Chainsaw sharpening
Fuel, oil and grease
In tractor tending
Welders handy
Implements mending
A day in town
When the cheque comes in.
Jet boat out
There's a river
Beckoning
High tide and
Water skiing
Over the bar
Another day outing
Island hopping and
Fishing, fishing
"Bastards been
In-shore trawling"
One more can, cool beer drinking