The hugely popular Spirit of the Bush photography competition has returned in 2021.
Rural Aid is today putting the call out to snappers of all ages and abilities to submit their most stunning photographs of life on the land.
The winning photographs will be turned into a beautiful 2022 calendar, that will be available to purchase.
In the popular 2020 competition, Rural Aid received more than 700 photographic submissions- making it a very tough job for CEO John Warlters to choose his top snaps.
First placed winner in 2020, Kristin Walsh from the Riverina.
“The creative talent in the bush is outstanding and I’m always blown away by the images Rural Aid is sent,” Mr Warlters said.
“Last time we ran this competition, most photographs poignantly depicted the heartbreaking reality of drought. I hope that this time round, all of our farmers have been given the chance to capture some happier pictures. I’m excited to see green shoots, frolics in the rain and fattened livestock,” Mr Warlters said.
A panel of judges will determine the best bush snaps, based on twelve categories.
Farming Generations
Drought
Fire
Flood
Life On A Farm
Farm Animals
Rural Women
Rural Men
Outback Kids
Rural Landscapes
Man’s Best Friend
Small Towns
Winners will be awarded a feature in the 2022 calendar, and a Rural Aid prize pack.
Photos can be submitted through the https://woobox.com/srqwkg page up until 5pm (AEST) on Monday, 31st May 2021.
Australia’s leading rural charity Rural Aid has put a renewed focus on bushfire recovery efforts, through a new campaign to help the winemaking industry, called VineAid.
Aussie grape growers are still incurring significant financial losses in the wake of the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires, with some estimates suggesting $100 million worth of Aussie grapes were ruined in the horrific bushfires through smoke taint alone.
Rural Aid has also brought major wine industry players together for the relief initiative, with Naked Wines coming on board to provide financial assistance in the form of a $50,000 donation to struggling growers, to help kick start VineAid.
Drew Tuckwell, a winemaker in New South Wales’ Orange region, believes the industry needs vital support, “In a nearly 30-year career in winemaking, I have never not made wine during the harvest, but you need to harvest grapes to make wine and unfortunately in 2020, the grapes were completely ruined by bushfire smoke taint.”
“Not only was I unable to make my wines, but our whole cash flow cycle has been interrupted. This disrupts the funding for the next harvest.”
“Due to the financial backing of Naked Wines, I’ve been one of the lucky ones. But the issues are ongoing and there are more winemakers, growers and rural communities that need support. Programs like this are vital to our survival,” said Mr Tuckwell.
Bushfires haven’t been the only threat to the industry; crippling China trade tariffs, covid-19 tourist restrictions, insect plagues and severe drought have all wreaked havoc on the prosperity and financial success of winemakers and growers.
Rural Aid CEO John Warlters has acknowledged the role played by Josh Ingham from The Epicurean Collective, in recognising the need for an initiative like VineAid, and is encouraging grape growers to register with Rural Aid for assistance, “VineAid will provide financial relief and access to mental wellbeing support – two areas the sector has identified as being in high demand”.
Naked Wines Managing Director, Alicia Kennedy strongly feels this type of financial assistance must and should come from industry leaders, alongside more traditional income streams, “Supporting independent winemakers is business as usual for us and it’s important consumers and retailers do that everyday through buying, drinking and enjoying Australian wine. However, it’s just as important to provide real support in times like this where most small winemakers and growers don’t have the resources to get through and the consequences can be dire, long lasting and in some cases, permanent.”
“We’re proud to have been able to provide support for our own community of Naked Winemakers affected by the bushfires, but this donation and partnership represents the boundless passion of our members and employees who also wanted to extend their support to the broader winemaking and grower community.”
“Rural Aid has a track record for doing amazing, practical work in the rural community and we’re very happy for them to put our $50,000 donation to good use, kick start VineAid and continue doing what they do so well,” concluded Ms Kennedy.
The Epicurean Collective’s Wine Rewards is also supporting VineAid by donating 1% of its annual revenue to the cause.
Founder Josh Ingham is urging vino lovers to do their bit, “Consumers can help the wine industry by getting out and purchasing local wines and supporting the businesses that employ Australians”.
Growers registered with Rural Aid can apply for the full suite of assistance, including $1,000 of financial assistance or bill payments; a $500 pre-paid Visa card; drinking water and fodder. Importantly, they are also able to reach out to a member of Rural Aid’s resilience building wellbeing team for counselling support. Growers also have access Rural Aid’s community development programs, including the Farm Army service, where farmers are matched with capable volunteers and labourers. To register as a grower, or to donate, visit www.ruralaid.org.au/vineaid
About Naked Wines: Today, Naked Wines boasts 57 of the best independent winemakers from across Australia and New Zealand, including emerging and award-winning winemakers who have worked for famous labels like Yalumba, Penfolds, Wolf Blass and Vasse Felix, and now work for themselves. Six new local winemakers have joined the Naked Wines stable in the last 12 months, including the talented and acclaimed Phillip Moraghan (ex Curly Flat), Paige McCardle, Josh Pfeiffer from Whistler (ex Henschke), Glenn Barry (ex Knappstein) and Ben Riggs of Mr Riggs Wine Co. (ex Wirra Wirra). For years, the big supermarkets and their bottle shops have been giving winemakers and wine drinkers a raw deal. Their buying clout forces local winemakers, who want to reach Australian drinkers, to churn out wine which the big players then stick a fancy label on and mark-up significantly, meaning that by the time consumers buy it, the majority of what’s in the bottle is retailer margin and marketing. Winemakers are driven to the wall and consumers are, at best, short changed. In fact, the only winners are the big bottle shops and supermarkets.
About The Epicurean Collective: Combining decades of industry expertise with a deeply engrained family history in rural Australia of more than 180 years, Founder Josh Ingham is ensuring that Australian food and wine remains at the forefront of connoisseurs for generations to come. The Epicurean Collective is driven to reconnect consumers with the Australian wine industry by bringing exceptional cellar door experiences into the digital space. The Epicurean supports the Australian wine and tourism industries with their unique WINE REWARDS loyalty and rewards platform launching in October 2021.
Dirranbandi mother of six Anne Brischetto is now the face of a nationwide Rural Aid campaign, after winning big in a charity raffle last year.
Anne Brischetto on her Dirranbandi property
Mrs Brischetto features in a new video that has been published on the Play for Purpose and Rural Aid social media sites.
The Lott’s Play for Purpose raffle is a not-for-profit community raffle. Raffle tickets are $10, with a guaranteed minimum of $5 per ticket going directly back to the player’s charity of choice.
The raffles have helped Rural Aid raise tens of thousands of dollars towards its life-changing programs.
Mrs Brischetto said she chose to support Rural Aid because she knows how tough life on the land can be.
“I usually have cattle on the place, but because of the drought, which we’ve had for nine years, I’ve had to shift them away,” she said.
She said winning a prize in the last raffle was a huge thrill.
“A lady rang me and told me that I’d won the third major prize in the raffle, which was $7500 of Myer vouchers. I didn’t actually believe her because I never win anything!”
The video, which was premiered this morning, shows the headphones and home gym that Mrs Brischetto bought with her prize.
“I think Rural Aid is a very good charity to donate to, because it supports the farmers and you’ve got the chance that you might win something that you wouldn’t normally have,” she said.
Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said it was great to see a farmer have a win.
“We’re always appreciative of any donations made to Rural Aid by our generous Aussie supporters,” Mr Warlters said. “But it makes it that much sweeter when our donors benefit too!”
The current Play for Purpose raffle closes this Thursday with a $250k prize pack on offer. Tickets are still available at https://playforpurpose.com.au/rural-aid
For more information, contact the Rural Aid media officer on 0447 116 757.
A new Rural Aid event will better connect farmers and support agencies, with New England and North West farmers the first to benefit.
The upcoming Community Expo in Barraba is a chance for those on the land to easily gauge programs available to them, and determine their eligibility.
CEO of Rural Aid, John Warlters, said the event was crucial to filling in a knowledge-gap.
“Farmers have told us they struggle to sift through all the options when it comes to receiving support in times of trouble. This expo is a convenient way for those on the land to understand which services are out there, and able to help,” Mr Warlters said.
He added, “Rural Aid is passionate about helping country communities build stronger futures for themselves, and this event is a perfect example of that.”
A number of organisations are attending the expo including the Rural Financial Counselling Service, Rural Adversity Mental Health Program, Tamworth Regional Council, St John Ambulance, Centacare and Landcare.
The Community Expo will kickstart Rural Aid’s Our Towns project in Barraba on Sunday, March 21.
More than 60 volunteers will spend the week making over Barraba’s public and private spaces – boosting morale and injecting funds into the community. Barraba will also receive $100,000 over five years to keep the town thriving, thanks to Holdmark’s partnership with Rural Aid.
The Expo runs from 10am-2pm on Sunday, March 21 at the Barraba Showgrounds.
Entry is free and a morning tea will be provided. Due to covid restrictions, farmers must be registered to attend. Visit www.ruralaid.org.au/covid-registration to pre-register.
For more information, call Rural Aid media on 0447 116 757 or email on media@ruralaid.org.au
Queensland singer-songwriter Mick Lindsay is just one week away from launching his latest single as part of Rural Aid’s Good Onya Mate concert.
After hearing of the concert last year, Mick and country music icon Lee Kernaghan were so moved they put pen to paper, writing the “Good Onya Mate” single for the November event.
“It’s about Aussie mateship, culture and helping a mate out when times are tough. Our Aussie farmers have endured floods, fire, drought, and more recently, a lot of challenges with Covid-19,” Mick said.
“And although for the most part it’s looking up, there are still a lot of people on the land that could use a hand up,” he added.
Mick Lindsay
CEO of Rural Aid John Warlters said “Good Onya Mate” was the perfect reflection of the Aussie way of life.
“Mick’s new song is an Australian anthem. Rural Aid was proud to debut it at our Good Onya Mate concert,” Mr Warlters said. “It’s great to see Mick officially launching the song on February 26th. It’s the perfect way to end Rural Aid’s Mates Helping Mates Australia Day campaign.”
Mick Lindsay said the Rural Aid support of hay, water, financial help and mental wellbeing counselling has a powerful impact across the nation.
“Rural Aid is a vital part of rural Australia’s support network. I’d urge you to check out the work that they are doing by jumping on the socials or going to www.ruralaid.org.au,” he said.
“If you’d like to help out our farmers, always buy local, Australian-made produce and consider throwing a few bucks to Rural Aid to support their cause.”
