Category: Uncategorized

Leanne’s story is not rare. Between the unprecedented series of fires, floods, and plagues in recent years, and with international and domestic travel stifled thanks to the pandemic, labour demand is outstripping supply by a staggering amount, and farmers like Leanne face insurmountable workloads in isolation, and sometimes completely alone.

It was at this critical moment Leanne registered on Rural Aid’s Farm Army platform, and a serendipitous connection aligned. Melbourne-based volunteers Garth and Amy had recently completed another job in the area when they answered Leanne’s call for help. A four-day stay turned into ten… and then some. Having fallen in love with the Bairnsdale area, Garth and Amy put their hand up again to house-sit a local property, returning weekly to continue helping Leanne manage the long list of big and small tasks still to be accomplished.

“Having arrived at Leanne’s and getting to know her and the sort of things that she would like to have done around the farm… there are so many more jobs that people living in suburbia would have no problem in meeting,” said Garth.

“This is a great opportunity for people from the city to come and experience farm life,” said Leanne.

“It’s just a good feeling to know that you’re doing something, and that it’s appreciated,” said Garth.

Connection is and has always been key, not only in the sense of coming together to belong, but also in the pursuit of moving a community forward. Whether that means recovering from a significant hardship like a natural disaster, or simply working towards a shared goal of community advancement. Acting as individuals is too little, acting as communities is just enough.

Rural Aid recognises the importance of connection, shared knowledge and resources, and is committed to forging stronger community ties not only in times of celebration, but in times of hardship.

Rural Aid’s Our Towns program was initiated to provide support to communities impacted by drought, committing funds and resources over an extended period to help chosen townships develop and action long-term sustainability planning.

Where the Our Towns program has towns looking and planning introspectively, the Rural Aid Community Builders program seeks to turn the view outward, establishing a grassroots leadership program that supports and empowers local community champions within a defined geographical cluster. Together, these leaders can connect, share knowledge and resources, and build their region’s broader community and economy.

“The Community Builders program is about wrapping around a region, building a great, strong peer network, and strengthening up those ties between a region,” said Jen Curnow-Trotter of Rural Aid.

“Rural Aid recognised that there’s a strong connection between our farmers and the communities. So when the communities are strong, the farmers are strong, and vice versa.”

“At the completion of the program, with another 39-odd people cheering them on from their corner, they’ll walk away with a renewed sense of optimism for their communities and their town, and they’ll be able to face some issues of their region together,” said Ms Curnow-Trotter.

Like many of the harsh realities of bush life, the loss of animals, crops, resources and equipment to outbreaks such as that of varroa mite – or natural disasters like bushfires and floods – can have a severe and long-lasting impact on the recovery efforts and outlook for farmers. In response to this, Rural Aid re-launched it’s HiveAid initiative – a dedicated extension of its financial assistance service – to specifically support affected primary producing beekeepers. HiveAid was created during the Black Summer bushfires in partnership with Australian Honey Bee Industry Council and Hive + Wellness, the nation’s largest honey packer.

Eligible farmers like Rob Porteous were able to access financial support in the form of a $500 prepaid Visa card. Rob lost around 100 hives earlier this year and was in urgent need of financial assistance to keep his property and business afloat.

“When we first found out [about varroa mite], it just bought the industry to a halt… my initial reaction was devastation,” Rob said.

“The financial impact on my business has cost around $30,000… Because I can’t move the bees, I can’t make an income out of them.”

Rob thanked Rural Aid for providing a little bit of hope in a confusing and upsetting time.

“It kind of feels like someone has your back and people do care. The money that Rural Aid has given me has helped me out a lot. So thank you very much,” Rob said.

In addition to providing financial assistance via Hive Aid, Rural Aid’s Mates Day on 23 November is hoping to raise more funds to support farmers and rural communities, in preparation for the next unexpected challenge.

“Our beekeepers are the cornerstone of Australia’s agricultural industry, playing a vital role in pollinating food crops for both humans and livestock, and producing world-class honey. It’s imperative we help them in this ongoing fight against the varroa mite,” said John Warlters of Rural Aid.