Networking the Nation

Herc and Margaret Shepherd

The Shepherd’s crop 2,100 hectares over three locations from Wild Horse Plains to Tarlee in South Australia’s mid-North.
Herc Shepherd connected to the internet in July 1998 but didn’t use it much for a couple of years, however he stepped straight into Online Banking and Online Share Trading after having his appetite wetted at a Farm500 workshop.

ONLINE BANKING

The Shepherds’ have been registered with NAB On-line for banking for two years. Files are transferred out of the Phoenix software into the Bank software to enable a number of transactions to be grouped together and processed as one transaction. “My cheque usage has dropped dramatically, in fact I’ve had the same cheque book for two years” says Herc.

“The Online banking has saved a lot of duplication, you don’t have to write it out in the cheque book, categorise it and then enter it it to your financial program, you just enter it once into your financial program and that is all that has to be entered”.

SHARE TRADING

Herc has purchased shares over the internet through NAB Online Trading. He saw the site demonstrated at the Farm500 e-business workshop and adopted it virtually immediately. “ I like to be in control of the transaction” says Herc. “It happens very quickly, you get the email confirming the transaction and I print it and file it”.

Herc appreciates the convenience of being able to do his banking when it suits him, and to be able to manage carefully the timing of bill payments and other transactions.

WEATHER

Weather access is monitored through the www.Ezigrain.com.au site and also through www.thefarmshed.com.au . “I find that you can access a lot of detailed weather information for free through the internet.

HARVEST MANAGEMENT

Herc tried to use the www.Ezigrain.com.au site during the 2001 harvest but had a problem with his PIN which wasn’t sorted out until after harvest. “That was another site that we learned of through Farm500 and I am keen to make use of it, as I think it will bring a lot of efficiencies” says Herc.

INTERNET USE

Herc spends about one hour per week on the internet, mostly doing specific tasks such as the banking. “The line speed is quite good here and we are happy with it” says Herc.

Herc has completed a short course on using email, and attended three Farm500/Networking the Nation workshops. Herc and Margaret also obtained some one to one assistance from the travelling trainer that was funded through the project. “We found the on-farm training very useful, because it was on our own computer, with our own browser and email software. Nikky helped us to understand how to file and manage emails and how to be more efficient in our internet use”.

“My son downloads updates for our farm recording software PAM which is very convenient”.

In conclusion, Herc believes that the internet will continue to provide efficiencies in the financial administration and banking fields. “Access to facilities, like direct share trading, will also continue to develop but it is hard to guess what will be the next big advance” says Herc.

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