Yard and Sheds from Road
The yard surrounding the sheds was in a shambles. Fifty plus years of accumulated rubbish had been allowed to accumulate, without any plan. All farmers love to keep 'stuff' in case they can find a use for it. This farm was no exception. The first task was to sort out the used farm implements from the old and obsolete and to create some order. The grass was then cut, the rubbish collected and burned and a start made on sorting through scrap, the junk being discarded; the good stuff being stored in a suitable location.
The second target of attack was the lamentable state of the farm gates. Gates that don't open properly rank up there with washing dishes, shopping and bedmaking on my irritation list. It seems that the "boer maak 'n plan" mentality was very prevalent on this property. Gate hinges were broken, gates had rusted through and been tied together with wire, and worst of all gates had not been hung properly and had to be partially lifted to get them over the rough ground when opening. The staff were tasked with fixing gates as an ongoing priority. Slowly but surely we renovated each broken gate, and rehung those that needed it.
A Typical Farm Gate
One amusing incident occurred. One Monday, a staff member had not returned from his weekend and was absent without permission. He returned the following morning very hungover and was barely staying awake during the daily rounds. We arrived at one gateway where the gate had been removed for repairs. I stopped the vehicle and I gave him the keys and told him to unlock and open the gate. The rest of the staff caught on immediately, and mocked him about being "babbelas" and blind when he protested that there was no gate to open. It kept them amused for the rest of the morning. Once the gates were done, a start was made on fixing fences where strands were broken and droppers were replaced. It took no more that two weeks to get the gates and fences up to standard.
Once the gates and fences were up to standard, we set about subdividing the stone 'kraal' attached to the shed. it is here that all the sorting dosing and handling of sheep, lambs, cattle and calves is carried out. Without smaller pens to hold those sorted, the exercise is futile. This was soon completed and we were in business.
