Devondaler-June-2015

6
MAY 2015
DEVONDALE MURRAY GOULBURN
BUTTERFLY’S KITCHEN
AFTER 147mm rain in the
past 10 days, it’s no
wonder the farm is wet
and slippery. This heavy autumn
rain didn’t immediately soak
into the ground so feeding stock
with the tractor has been difficult
and dangerous at times and
caution has been the byword in
the hills.
This week we dried off the last
of our seasonal spring calving
herd and now have them spread
in groups all about the back hills
so that the closer milking pasture
has a chance to grow and build a
feed wedge before calving and
winter.
I am very lucky to live in a
wonderful community and just
last night almost 40 locals came
together at the Hallston Hall for
a barbecue and huge bonfire.
We were fortunate to share in
the generosity from Tony the
fireworks man who had returned
for a visit back to his childhood
home and shared his talents with
new and old friends with a spectacular
display of fireworks in
the paddock next to our gathering
place.
It was surreal as the rain had
gone and with barely a breeze,
the stars shone as the night sky
came alive with colour.
Standing by a huge bonfire
creates the best ambience for
chats with neighbours, new
locals and for me, the opportunity
to ponder.
I admit I felt a little emotional,
for not only was my community
gathered together, I was reflecting
how this week, 10 years ago,
we moved here to a new farm at
Allambee.
There was much excitement
on my behalf for the time had
finally come to buy my own
herd of cows. Yes, the ultimate
Butterfly’s
Chocolate Cake
Serves 10 to 15 and is lovely
with or without icing.
Ingredients
● 250g Devondale unsalted
Butter
● 200g Dark chocolate,
roughly chopped
● 1 tablespoon instant coffee,
dissolved in 1 1/2 cups hot
water
● 2 cups castor sugar
● 1/2 cup plain flour
● 1 1/4 cups self – raising flour
● 1/4 cup cocoa
● 2 eggs, lightly beaten
● 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Method
Preheat oven to 150’C. Grease
and line with baking paper a
24cm spring form cake tin. If
you plan to ice cake with
glossy icing and want a soft
smooth top then cut a piece of
baking paper the size of the
cake top and place it in top of
the mixture before baking.
Melt the butter and chocolate
in a saucepan over low heat,
stirring to melt. Add the coffee
and water mixture and sugar,
stirring to dissolve. Remove
pan from heat and pour into a
large mixing bowl and cool for
5 minutes.
Sift the flours and cocoa into
shopping experience for me
indeed!
In fact it had taken almost 10
years to get to that point with the
long, often difficult journey,
from farm hand, managers, share
farming and moving regions
while gathering experience and
skills, proving commitment and
of course, saving money so the
Chocalte decorations put finishing touch to Butterfly’s Chocolate Cake.
the chocolate mixture and stir
through. Add eggs and vanilla
and mix well with an electric
mixer until smooth.
Pour mixture into prepared tin.
Bake for 90 minutes or until the
cake is cooked through, keeping
in mind it’s a very moist cake.
The top will be crusty and
cracked or smooth if you have
covered it.
day would come when it all
came together.
Now as the 11th year begins
here and with some uncertainty
on what the future will bring, I
can honestly say I feel so proud
to have had this time here in the
hills I call home with my beautiful
girls.
This herd not only provides
CHOCOLATE GLAZE
● 175g dark chocolate and
150ml Devondale Cream
Chop up the chocolate into
small pieces and combine with
the cream in a saucepan.
Heat gently, stirring occasionally
until the mixture is smooth.
Pour mixture into a cool bowl
and place in fridge to cool until
it coats the back of a wooden
me with financial security but
has given me much joy as I
watch them grow from strength
to strength.
So to celebrate my dairy
herd’s 10th birthday I baked my
much-loved celebration chocolate
cake and shared it amongst
friends at the bonfire night.
Naturally I didn’t tell anyone
spoon, then mix well and pour
over cake.
CHOCOLATE WHIPPED GANACHE
(ideal for kid’s birthday cakes
or layer cakes)
● 200g chocolate / 200ml
Devondale cream
Follow as above and once
cool, whip with handheld
mixer until mixture is light and
fluffy.
that I baked it with love in my
heart for my girls because they
probably would have given me a
good ribbing and chuckled at my
expense.
I have learnt much on my journey
and while life will always be
full of uncertainty, there is no
doubting that a thousand mile
journey begins with one step.
FARMER HEALTH
Take up the fight against influenza this winter
JEANNE
DEKKER
DAIRY directly employs
around 43,000 people and
to manage your staff
effectively and as part of building
the people within your business,
employers should consider
offering the influenza vaccine as
part of a workplace illness prevention
program.
The flu can be serious, with an
estimated 2800 Australians
dying from the flu each year. A
further 18,000 are hospitalised
with serious complications of
secondary bacterial pneumonia
and inflammation of the brain
and heart.
People with an underlying
medical condition or reduced
immunity are at a greater risk of
influenza complications. The
high-risk groups include:
● anyone aged over 65 years.
● children under five years.
● pregnant women.
● people with a chronic conditions
such as diabetes, heart disease,
lung disease and chronic
neurological conditions.
● residents in aged care facilities.
● people with severe asthma
who require frequent hospital
visits.
The flu is highly contagious
and spreads from person to person
by respiratory droplets
released during talking, coughing,
sneezing, laughing or
singing.
People with the flu can be
infectious shortly before signs
and symptoms appear and last
for up to 5-7 days after becoming
sick.
The flu is not the common
cold as it is more severe with
symptoms lasting up to a week
with muscular pains and shivering
attacks with a sore throat and
runny nose.
Dairy farmers who work with
or live in close contact with people
with an underlying medical
condition or reduced immunity
should be immunised.
Dairy operations that employ a
number of staff members can
have influenza seriously impact
your workplace.
The close proximity and people
coming into work unwell
makes it the ideal place to share
the highly contagious disease.
Influenza can affect your dairy
operation as it takes workers
with flu two weeks to recover.
The farm gate is the workplace
for dairy farmers and it is
worth being immunised against
the symptoms of the flu.
It will protect staff from illness,
protect those who live and
work on the farm and reduce
absenteeism.
Dairy farmers and staff of
dairy operations who get vaccinated
against influenza every
year are better protected than
those who do not get vaccinated.
Your doctor and local government
immunisation service can
assist you.