RURAL AID CONGRATULATES WOLFF COFFEE ROASTERS ON PHILANTHROPIC AWARD

Posted on 23 September 202031 October 2023

Wolff Coffee Roasters supports our Aussie farmers

Rural Aid has congratulated Wolff Coffee Roasters on it recently being declared the small-medium enterprises Philanthropist of the Year winner as part of the Queensland Community Foundation’s Awards.

CEO John Warlters said Wolff Coffee Roasters was a great supporter of Rural Aid and it was through the generosity of leaders like Peter and Penny Wolff that Rural Aid was able to provide much needed assistance to primary producers, their families and the communities they called home.

 “CEO Penny Wolff is the driving force behind Wolff Coffee Roasters giving and at Rural Aid, we know that it takes the commitment of your team to bring that support to realisation,” John Warlters said. “The positive impact that has on individuals and communities in need is immeasurable.

“Our farmers are going through challenging times. They’ve been impacted by one of the longest droughts in living memory, followed by devastating bushfires that destroyed homes, fences and livestock. It may not be obvious to all, but for many farmers the impacts of drought and bushfire are still very real,” Mr Warlters said.

“Penny and Peter have been very generous in their support of Rural Aid. It is thanks to support of everyday Australians and businesses big and small that Rural Aid is able to continues its work.”

Wolff Coffee Roasters CEO Penny Wolff said that having grown up on the land and witnessing first-hand the many pressures her parents faced, due to droughts, rain, managing limited resources, financial stress, her heart goes out to our farming community, who are doing it tough.

“At Wolff Coffee Roasters we are proud to have built a brand that takes social responsibility seriously. Penny Wolff said. “Peter and I dearly value being able to support not only our farmers locally but our coffee farmers abroad also.  A culture of giving creates immeasurable impact and we are proud to be playing our part.”  

“At Rural Aid, we receive heartfelt thank you notes from farming families who have received financial assistance, fodder and/or water and Wolff Coffee Roasters is also part of our extended team giving back to our Aussie farmers and their communities,” John Warlters said.

Marriage and a new baby – a note of thanks from a farming family

We write to express our sincere thanks for the assistance offered from Rural Aid.

An exhaustive 2019 saw the drought climax with the worst bushfires we’ve seen on our property. In November, we were forced to evacuate our property due to immediate bushfire threat. When we returned home, we were lucky, we had a home but still spent the following days fighting fires. This firefighting exhausted our water supply, with local emergency services using our last stock watering hole to save our local community.

Despite the effect of drought and fire we remained resilient, we even got married on the weekend after the fires hit. The Rural Aid Christmas parcel and financial bill relief meant so much to us. With our livestock suffering depression with no feed and little water, this token reminded us we weren’t alone.

With 2020 bringing a change we were excited to see the rain begin. This too brought challenges as the rain caused local floods and further property damage with erosion. During this time, we were isolated on the farm due to flooding. This was a nervous time as we were expecting the birth of our first child any day! In February we welcomed our daughter, Ember on the day the creek subsided to allow us access to town. The Rural Aid visa card was another unexpected surprise that was invaluable for our young family.

With COVID outbreak our resilience was once again tested but the acts of support and kindness like that that Rural Aid provide will continue to see us succeed. So, we apologise for the delay in passing on our gratitude, as you can read, we were a little distracted!

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Media enquiries: 0447 116 757 | media@admin.media.ruralaid.org.au

Media spokespersons: Rural Aid CEO John Warlters – 0409 618 641

About Rural Aid

Rural Aid is one of Australia’s largest rural charities. Well known for the highly successful ‘Buy a Bale’ campaign, the charity also provides financial assistance, water and counselling to farmers in times of drought, flood or fire. Other initiatives support its vision that farming and rural communities are safeguarded to ensure their sustainability both during and after these natural disasters. Visit www.ruralaid.org.au for further information on these programs and other support for our rural communities.

Visit www.ruralaid.org.au/snapshots for Rural Aid’s latest assistance statistics.

Follow Rural Aid for updates on:
FB: @ruralaidaustralia | @buyabaleofhay
IN: Rural Aid Ltd
TW: @ruralaidaust | @buyabale

RURAL AID ROAD TRAINS TRAVEL TO COOMA NSW TO DELIVER HAY THIS WEEK

Posted on 20 September 202031 October 2023

WHERE & TIME WEDNESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER:

• 10am Cooma Saleyards -12 Saleyards Road, Cooma NSW
• 1pm Willow Glen farm (John Teschke) – 150 Browns Camp Rd, Delegate NSW – 6 farmers
• 2.30pm Woodborough farm (Ron Reed) – 981 Corrowong Rd Delegate NSW – 6 farmers

WHERE & TIME THURSDAY 17 SEPTEMBER:

• 1pm Undowah farm (Andy Murdoch) – 54 Poddy Hut Rd, Bibbenluke NSW trucks arrive, and farmers arrive at 2.30pm to pick up the hay – 8 farmers.

WHO TO:

• 6 local farmers at each of the Delegate drops on Wednesday
• 8 local farmers at the Bibbenluke drop on Thursday

CONTACT: Rural Aid Media – 0447 116 757 | media@admin.media.ruralaid.org.au

ON-SITE CONTACT: Rural Aid Counsellor Gary Bentley | 0499 527 327

Rural Aid will make five drops to deliver 425 large bales of hay on the back of 10 trailers to 32 drought affected farming families in the Cooma NSW area, on Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 September 2020.

Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said this generous donation of 277 tonnes of hay, made possible thanks to Bushells and our everyday Aussie donors, will go a long way to help make life a little easier for the farmers and their families struggling to feed livestock in this disaster impacted area. 

“Our farmers are going through challenging times,” John said. “They’ve been impacted by one of the longest droughts in recent history, followed by fires and in some areas, floods, that devasted the land, people, livestock and homes. Now they are dealing with the impact of current restrictions. It may not be obvious to all but for many NSW farmers affected by natural disasters, the impact is very real.

“In some areas, rain has been welcomed but will only make a tangible difference short term. For others, a lack of rain has meant that restocking or planting a crop isn’t an option and, that stock feed is in short supply across winter months.

“To further assist our Aussie farmers, Rural Aid Counsellor Gary Bentley will be on hand to catch up with our farmers.”

Located in the Snowy Mountain region, Cooma is about 114 kilometres south of the nation’s capital. It was once the hub of construction for the Snowy Mountains Scheme and is now the gateway to the Snowy Mountains snow fields. The Cooma area is also known for its cattle and sheep farms, that have also been impacted by drought, fires and floods

“Transport continues to be an essential service during these current restrictions, by leveraging Rural Aid’s proven delivery model we are able to continue to support farmers to feed their livestock, thanks to the generosity of our donors,” John Warlters said.

The five drops on Wednesday, 16 September and the Thursday, 17 September include Bombala, Cooma, Bibbenluke and two at Delegate. On Monday, 14 September 2020, Rural Aid delivered 168 bales of hay in Cooma area to 14 farmers in Lochiel, Nimmitabel and Bodalla of NSW.

Assisting farmers and their communities

John Warlters also added that just like any other business through this COVID period, Rural Aid is pivoting and finding ways to navigate restrictions so the charity can deliver on the ground for farmers.  

“Obviously, under slightly reduced capacity but thanks to our drivers and operations team, we’re continuing to deliver for our farmers,” John Warlters said.  

“Week in week out, hay is on the agenda as we help farmers manage through drought and restock after bushfires and floods. 

“We are also recognising a greater need for our services than ever before and as we add international trade repercussions to the mix, we expect that need to grow. 

“We’ve also found unique ways to stay connected with farmers and rural communities through our counsellors – Gary Bentley’s column published fortnightly in regional and rural newspapers. 

“We are also continuing to support our farmers with financial assistance.”

END

About Rural Aid
Rural Aid is one of Australia’s largest rural charities. Well known for the highly successful ‘Buy a Bale’ campaign, the charity also provides financial assistance, water and counselling to farmers in times of drought, flood or fire. Other initiatives support its vision that farming and rural communities are safeguarded to ensure their sustainability both during and after these natural disasters. Visit www.ruralaid.org.au for further information on these programs and other support for our rural communities.

Spokespeople: Rural Aid CEO John Warlters | 0409 618 641

Follow Rural Aid for updates on:

Rural Aid – FB: @ruralaidaustralia | IG: @ruralaid | IN: Rural Aid Ltd | TW: @ruralaidaust

Buy A Bale – FB: @buyabaleofhay | IG: @buyabale | TW: @buyabale

FARMERS DISCUSS REPAIRING FIGURATIVE FENCES

Posted on 14 September 202031 October 2023

Rural Aid webinar series addresses the importance of boundaries

Rural Aid has today announced the September theme for its regular primary producer webinar, where skilled counsellors present on timely topics affecting farmers and rural communities.

‘On The Couch with Rural Aid Counsellors’ is a webinar series tackling key topics and themes related to farmer welfare and life on the land.

This month, Darling Downs based counsellor Jane McCollum will host a session at 6pm AEST on Wednesday 16 September on the importance of having healthy boundaries.

The theme of the session is “Healthy boundaries are like solid fences – how are your fences?”.

This session is held for primary producers, country families and rural counsellors, Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said.

“Most farmers are very invested in the quality of their fencing; and prioritise rebuilding or replacing boundary fences that are in need of attention. We want to discuss the other boundaries farmers need to look after, the ones that relate to responsibility, relationships, communication, work and the people in their lives,” Mr Warlters said.

“Quality fencing and boundaries on the farm are crucial for keeping threats like wild animals out – to an extent – and protecting livestock. We’d suggest that personal boundaries are just as important.”

John Warlters said primary producers, farming families and rural counsellors are encouraged to register for the 60 minute live sessions at https://www.ruralaid.org.au/counselling/

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Media enquiries: 0447 116 757 | media@admin.media.ruralaid.org.au

Media spokespersons: Rural Aid CEO John Warlters – 0409 618 641

About Rural Aid

Rural Aid is one of Australia’s largest rural charities. Well known for the highly successful ‘Buy a Bale’ campaign, the charity also provides financial assistance, water and counselling to farmers in times of drought, flood or fire. Other initiatives support its vision that farming and rural communities are safeguarded to ensure their sustainability both during and after these natural disasters. Visit www.ruralaid.org.au for further information on these programs and other support for our rural communities.

Visit www.ruralaid.org.au/snapshots for Rural Aid’s latest assistance statistics.

Follow Rural Aid for updates on:
FB: @ruralaidaustralia | @buyabaleofhay
IN: Rural Aid Ltd
TW: @ruralaidaust | @buyabale

RURAL PHOTOS CAPTURE THE SPIRIT OF THE BUSH

Posted on 6 September 202031 October 2023

Life on the land or in the bush – photographic competition winners announced

 Rural Aid has today announced the winners of their inaugural “Spirit of the Bush” photo competition, after evaluating over the 400 entries submitted in just one month.

Rural Aid CEO John Warlters the organisation put the call out for photographers to send through their best visualisation of the “Spirit of the Bush” and they were inundated with entries.

“We wanted to see images, ground level or aerial, of our Aussie farmers and their families and a depiction of what their life is like on the land or in the bush,” John Warlters said.

“As well as giving the world a snapshot of farming life, the land and the bush in Australia, this competition is also a great way of giving greater exposure to rural photographic talent.”

“First place has now been awarded to Kristin Walsh from the NSW Riverina town of Gerogery. So much of the strength of the bush starts with family and a generational love of the land, and we thought this shot was a striking depiction of the theme. Kristin receives gift cards to the value of $500 for her efforts,” Mr Warlters said.

Kristin Walsh is an amateur photographer who took this photo during the NSW Covid lockdown on a second hand DSLR. In fact, it was the first photo she captured on that camera. 

“It is a photo of my son, Finn, and his dad, Kevin. To me it tells a story of love, caring, teaching and guiding the younger generation. It shows an unbreakable bond between the two. It really pulls at my heart strings to look at and I know if our son is half the man of his father, he will be a great man,” the winner said.

“Second place was awarded to Bunderra Cattle Co with their photograph of the ubiquitous wide, flat land that is seen in so much of the Australian landscape, and a silhouette of a family in front of a spectacular sunset. Their prize is gift cards to the value of $250,” Mr Warlters continued.

“Third place was a busy mustering shot taken by Trina Patterson of Rolleston, Queensland. The rich brown tones in this scene are synonymous with much of Australian bush life: cattle, horses, dry grass and dust. Trina wins a Rural Aid prize pack to the value of $100.”

Photographer Trina Patterson said her entry was taken as the drought was “sinking its teeth into Queensland”.

“The Burnes family from Quilpie had already been on the road with their cattle for quite some time when I met them on the stock route near Rolleston in Central Queensland.  I captured this image as young Lacey Burnes was helping push the cattle into the night yard, an electric taped area where the cattle would remain safe until daylight the next day.  Both of the kids were helping their parents with the cattle and there were also two other friends helping them out. The kids knew the routine, they knew what to do and they were so practical and resilient and thoughtful.  True little future bush leaders,” Ms Patterson explained.

In running this competition, Rural Aid was looking to give additional exposure to talented photographers across Australia who are also facing challenging times with events and travel impeded by Covid.

“We thank the 400 photographers who sent us their entries. What a joy it was to see the abundance of talent in our rural creative community,” Mr Warlters said.

END

Media enquiries: 0447 116 757 | media@admin.media.ruralaid.org.au

Media spokespersons: Rural Aid CEO John Warlters – 0409 618 641

About Rural Aid

Rural Aid is one of Australia’s largest rural charities. Well known for the highly successful ‘Buy a Bale’ campaign, the charity also provides financial assistance, water and counselling to farmers in times of drought, flood or fire. Other initiatives support its vision that farming and rural communities are safeguarded to ensure their sustainability both during and after these natural disasters. Visit www.ruralaid.org.au for further information on these programs and other support for our rural communities.

Visit www.ruralaid.org.au/snapshots for Rural Aid’s latest assistance statistics.

Follow Rural Aid for updates on:
FB: @ruralaidaustralia | @buyabaleofhay
IN: Rural Aid Ltd
TW: @ruralaidaust | @buyabale