15 Selling the wool

I asked Johnny how to sell the wool. Take it into TWG on Polo Flat in Cooma, ask for an estimate and if you don’t like it take across the road to the other agent. What should I get? Should be a fair amount, he said, because it’s beaut wool, about 19 micron. I borrowed John’s trailer and with some difficulty rolled the bale and bits up some planks onto it. It looked strange perched up behind the Alfa.

I recalled Garry’s story about when he sold his first wool clip, just 3 bales, and driving into the Agent’s car park and queuing behind semi trailers stacked high with wool. How much you got they asked. Three he replied which they mistook for 300.

The agents weighed it, opened it and pulled out a few hands full. Nice wool! Who’s your shearer? I told them. How did you get him they asked, he retired? Did he class it? I said he and John did that. They approved. It seemed both were well known and considered good enough to delve no further. I had been in good hands. Paper work was filled in with unit, price per unit, amount and total. There were 3 categories and it all came to $1210.

Inputs were $850 for the sheep which included the agent’s fees and delivery plus $45 for insecticide and $100 for shearing so I was $215 ahead in just 3 months of farming. Plus I still had 34 sheep, mainly carrying lambs. I would have maybe $1600 income next year. Farming was money for jam.