Blog note. Jesus indicated that ‘fearful sights’ (various natural disasters) would occur leading up to the time known as the Tribulation and Great Tribulation (a combined seven year period of great destruction on earth). Although these types of things have occurred in the past for centuries and thousands of years, they could be identified as the ‘season of the times’ due to the ferociousness of these events. They would be occurring in greater intensity, severity, frequency, size, duration, scope … just like the pains that a woman experiences in labor the farther along she is in the labor process. We are in the ‘season of the times’ that comes just before the seven (7) year Tribulation/Great Tribulation period

… And great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luke 21:11).

… And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; (Luke 21:25)

… Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken; (Luke 21:26)

… This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2 Timothy 3:1)

Jesus is giving a series of prophecies about what to look for as the age of grace comes to a close. These verses are several of many such prophecies from throughout the Bible. 2017 was the worst year in recorded history for the intensity, frequency, severity, duration and occurrence of a large number of severe natural disasters worldwide. Earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, torrential flooding, unprecedented wildfires in unusual places, devastating droughts, excessive/scorching heat setting records everywhere, record snowfalls in Europe and Russia. Snow in the Arabia. This list can go on. Most studied Eschatologists believe these ‘fearful sights’ and massive natural disasters are all part of the ‘CONVERGENCE’ of signs that this Biblical and prophetic age is closing. Most people who study prophecy are familiar with the routine reference(s) made that these things will be like a woman having labor pains, growing in intensity, frequency, size, duration and scope.

It has been heart-wrenching’: Australian farmers on living with drought. Video.

The Guardian. November 6, 2019

Vivien Thomson: for now, we’re waiting and watching

This is the second drought that my partner Robert and I have faced in the last decade at Carinya, our property in Muttama, New South Wales. After the millennium drought broke in 2011, we felt a bit bruised, but thought that we would have a few good years to rebuild.

As we grew our business again and raised our children, there was always this dread at the back of our minds, that we’d face another drought soon.

This drought set in around 2017, and it hit hard. It has been heart-wrenching to see our animals go from grazing on fresh grass to rationed drought feeding routines, native plants dying slowly, and wildlife struggling to cope with the lack of water and food.

Our family is also feeling the mental, emotional and financial strain; we’ve had to make tough decisions about our animals and business.

Robert and I know that the impacts of this drought are worsened by climate change, and with every day that passes without rain or credible climate action, it gets harder to stay positive.

We are trying hard to have enough resilience left to undertake a recovery, so for now, we’re waiting and watching. We’re coping the best we can, and hoping that every day brings us closer to rain.

Vivien Thomson is a farmer based in Muttama in the Riverina, southern NSW

John Hamparsum: you start to question why you farm

The Liverpool Plains area is famous for having some of the most fertile soils in Australia. Unfortunately, it all changed after the November flood of 2000. The rain stopped and the last four years in particular have been off the scale in below-average rainfall. I have never experienced anything like it.

We use farming techniques that help to store moisture in the soil. However, when it doesn’t rain for years on end there is nothing to store.

The hardship of the drought is often focused on the livestock industry and I understand that – we have been hand-feeding our horses for two-and-a-half years. However, there is less focus on cropping farmers – we haven’t grown a wheat crop in three years and west of me they have only had one crop in seven years. We borrow money to pay our staff in the hope that one day it will rain.

The drought is insidious, it creeps up on you. After years of telling yourself “it will rain soon” and it doesn’t, doubt starts to niggle, your mental health is slowly being white-anted, that positive mindset is like the soil as it dries, it loses structure.

The ups and downs lose rhythm. The dust storms remind you that you are not alone, that is someone else’s farm that blows past on its way to New Zealand; you try not to see your own farm being blown away.

You start to question why you farm – you do it because you love it, the exhilaration of seeing a seed you planted grow into a healthy plant that you harvest and supply food and fibre to the masses. I hope that chance comes again soon.

John Hamparsum is a cropping farmer, Liverpool Plains, north-west NSW

Anika Molesworth: my future on the land hangs on tenterhooks

On evening walks down the dry creek bed on my farm in Broken Hill, alongside my parents and kelpie dogs, I feel a deep sense of belonging. I am part of this landscape, with its apricot pink skyline and corellas taking up roost in the old river red gum trees, and it is part of me. This love for the land underpins everything I do to protect its future.

We are already seeing the impact of climate change on our land in the form of scorching heatwaves and relentless drought. The increased frequency and intensity of such events has led us to sell most of our sheep. We are also trying to help local endangered species struggling to cope by conserving their habitat, among other things.

Future predictions are pretty bleak. In 2050, by the time I’m the average age of an Australian farmer, the increase in extreme heat and reduced rainfall could end our livestock business. So I focus on addressing the causes of the drought and working on the solutions to climate change.

My future on the land hangs on tenterhooks, but I draw hope from being part of groups like Farmers for Climate Action, a coalition of food and fibre producers advocating for policies that cut our emissions. I’m optimistic that together, we can save the places we love and call home.

Anika Molesworth is a farmer on her family’s sheep station in Broken Hill in NSW and the founder of Climate Wise Agriculture. She was 2015 Young Farmer of the Year, 2017 NSW finalist for Young Australian of the Year, and NSW Young Achiever Award for Environment and Sustainability

Mike Hayes: as they say in the bush, ‘things are grim Jim’

In my 40th year in the wine industry I have never witnessed the slow-moving drought that has rolled out through the bush over the past two years. I have reverted to old-style farming, fortunately taught to me years ago. We have totally run out of water for the 270 acres of grapes situated in Ballandean, south Queensland.

It hasn’t rained for some time here. Recently just over an inch fell, and this has simply polished the outside without fixing the internal damage. It’s been nearly two years now since the creeks have run dry, and that forced us into changing our farming practices. In winter vine plots were reduced to a one bud spur instead of the traditional two bud spur, fertiliser was broadcasted by the tractor right across the vineyard to be dissolved into the soil once rain returns, and all grass removed under the vines along with between the rows.

We are now spraying nutrients on via a foliar spray cart and if the drought continues, we will remove the entire crop to give the vines a chance of survival. At this stage we will be purchasing grapes from southern states to accommodate our export market. As they say in the bush: “Things are grim Jim.”

Mike Hayes is director of viticulture and chief winemaker at Sirromet Wines in Mount Cotton, Queensland. In 2012 he toured Europe on a Churchill Fellowship to search for wine grape varieties to combat climate change