The ladies played their championship singles in round robin format on 7th of February and some excellent bowls were witnessed. New bowlers Therese King and Jenny Joyce played very well and showed that they will be tough competitors in years to come. The final game to decide this season’s champion proved to be an exciting and high class game between Debbie Smith and Bev Davidson with the two trading shot for shot, however Smith was able to draw away at the finish to win this season’s title.
 
The men’s championship singles were completed on Sunday the 21st of February which saw two new names in Ian Faulkner and Tim Adams play the semi-finals, however  the two premier bowlers of the club in Clive Bahr and Matthew King won through to have a rematch of the previous year.  Clive Bahr in a masterly display of consistent draw bowling won convincingly. Clive and Debbie will now represent the club at the League singles at Lake Grace this Saturday 27th February.

The men’s plate final was contested between cousins Ross Ditchburn and Graeme Taylor and in a very closely fought contest Taylor led early but Ditchburn eventually prevailed in a high class game.
 
 The three pennant games played in February have resulted in a loss to Kulin, and a win against Lake Grace and Newdegate which leaves Kukerin in third place at the end of the home and away games.  The finals are to be played on the weekend of 12th and 13th of March. 

Finally the Kukerin Bowling Club offer condolences to members of the Castle family on the passing of Bill who was a long time member and champion of the club.

​Thanks to P.Adams for this sport article   

​​Cricket returned to the Upper Great Southern on the 30th and 31st of January with a fixtured double header. Kukerin-Dumbleyung came away from the weekend with a bye and a washout.

On the 6th February Kukerin-Dumbleyung hosted Harrismith at Kukerin. In warm conditions Captain Kalan Joyce won the toss and elected to bat.

With training over the Christmas Break mainly consisting of watching the Big Bash, you cod tell from the start that Dame Leo had been dedicated to training. Dame got that team off to a strong start in swashbuckling style. He was a my supported by Ryan Taylor who now has a string of solid supporting knocks. When Ryan fell the scored had passed 50. Kalan Joyce contributed with a handy score which kept the runs flowing. At drinks the score was 3/112. After drinks the runs kept flowing but so did the wickets which brought Pete Joyce to the crease. He immediately looked at home, balancing patience and aggression to develop good partnerships with Scott Jefferis and Conan Holder which saw Kukerin-Dumbleyung to 7/225 of their 45 overs.

With Harrismith boasting a strong batting line-up, the score was competitive but a good bowling performance was required. The innings started in a deadlock with Dabid Head and Scott Gray restricting the run rate but unable to break through. In warm conditions the bowlers were changed over quickly. Conan Holder came on and got the breakthrough. At drinks it was still evenly balanced with Harrismith behind the run rate but only one wicket down and with plenty of firepower still to come. After drinks, Kalan Joyce, Pete Downey and Conan Holder bowled good tight spells to retrict the runs and increase the pressure. Harrismith were left with a bit of work to do in their last ten overs. Scott Gray returned and bowled a very tight spell which was followed by another tight spell from Conan Holder who also picked up a couple of vital wickets. David Head and Scott Gray returned to finish the innings off. With which run rate required the wickets started to fall. Harrismith in the end fell short, finishing on 7/199.

There will now be two byes in a row before the final two rounds are played. Kukerin- Dumbleyung are currently sitting in third place with the top three going through to finals.

KDCC 7/225 def HDCC 7/199

D Leo 61
P Joyce 46*
S Jefferis 39

C Holder 3/29 (10)
S Gray 1/24 (9)

Congratulations to Kalan Joyce, David Head and Conan Holder who represented Upper Great Southern at Country Week. Kalan played in the 1st team that were defeated the A Section final by Peel. David played a bit in both teams however David and Conan played in the 2nd team that won the D Section final against Wyalkatchem.

NEXT GAME - Williams vs. Dumbleyung played in Williams.
Cheers Jiminy Cricket for the writeup

After pioneering Quinoa farming in Australia, Dumbleyung local Megan Gooding together with her business partners Ashley Wiese and Agronomist Garren Knell will have their product on Coles  shelves in April. 

The product will be available as Coles branded quinoa, while the trio also launches their own brand “Three Farmers”.
 
The whole grain quinoa, which serves as a substitute for pasta and rice and can be used in the making of beer and whiskey has taken 6 years to perfect.
 
Mrs Gooding's company Australian Grown Superfoods has received a $500,000 Coles Nurture Grant to build a processing facility on Mr Wiese's farm south of Narrogin.
 
This processing facility will allow the three farmers to sell their grain, as no current conventional grain processing facility is able to scarified, washed and dry the grain which is what is required for consumption.
 
The Coles grant will cover a third of the cost of the processing plant currently under construction.

Article written by M.Gooding and C.Mott

Between feeding children and play time the new manager of Dumbleyung Daycare, Briony Adams sat down with CRC Coordinator, Alison Peters to talk business.

It’s really exciting to have a daycare service available in Dumbleyung! Many would know you’ve offered childcare services privately within the Shire for some time, have you always had a keen interest in Childcare?

Like others I started babysitting when I was a teenager and I guess it’s just stayed with me. Privately I’ve been babysitting for approximately eight years and have enjoyed all eight of those years. In some way shape or form I’ve always wanted to work with children/babies whether it be childcare or teaching etc. it’s always been an interest of mine.
Some days can be challenging but like all jobs there are both challenges and rewards.

I imagine it didn’t happen overnight, how long has it taken you to make this service available?

I’m a qualified EA (education assistant) but unfortunately this position is generally a relief role. With the hope of having a more consistent work schedule the idea of opening a daycare started in early 2015 and overall it took approximately five months to complete.

The Dumbleyung Daycare is a franchise of the Great Beginnings Family Daycare Service in Narrogin and it was all a juggling act as I organised paperwork and other work commitments to make sure all boxes of the planning process were completed.

It’s pretty inspiring to see a young adult start up a business. Do you have any words of wisdom or tips for other young adults looking to venture out and do something similar?

Just do it! If you enjoy the field of work and have a true interest in that area then don’t hold back. I was nervous but nerves are normal, the hard work will pay off.

All your hard work has definitely paid off! Now that you’ve opened do you have any exciting plans install for 2016?

Not really, well not at the moment. In late 2015 we opened one day a week and this year I’ve increased the opening hours to Wednesday and Thursday and added casual childcare as a service. Later this year I may look into new ideas and initiatives but it’s hard to plan on my own and while the business is still new.

We look forward to seeing the Dumbleyung Daycare grow and flourish just like all the children you look after! Thanks Briony for your time!

If you’re interested in utilising Dumbleyung Daycare casual placements are still available for 2016. Call or email Briony at briony_93@live.com.au or 0428 770 862.

Interview/Article by Alison Peters

Succession planning workshop received "extremely worthwhile" feedback

More than 10 people attended a great succession planning workshop hosted by Lincoln's accountants Albany, at the Dumbleyung CRC on Monday February 22. 
 
Receiving nothing but positive feedback from all those in attendance, one attendee commented "A simple overview and snapshot of a very complex issue, well explained and do-able. Extremely worthwhile".
 
The workshop which ran for just over 2 hours is designed to help attendees identify the first steps in the process of handing over the farm or business to the next generation. The aim is to break down any barriers, deal with attachment issues and make the transition as smooth as possible for all involved.

With communication the key, attendees walked away with numerous tips on how to get the ball rolling, when is the right time to start and how to go about it for a positive outcome for all involved.

If you're interested in Succession Planning and would like to attend a workshop please register an expression of interest with Alison at the CRC on 9863 4829. We hope to host another session in mid 2016.Please note you do not have to be affiliated with Lincoln's to attend.

Article written by A.Peters