Category: News

Return and Earn, Buy a Bale team up to help farmers in drought

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Central west residents will have another reason to feel good about recycling thanks to a new partnership between Return and Earn and Buy A Bale.

Residents can donate their Return and Earn refunds to NSW farmers and rural communities currently being crippled by drought.

Return and Earn Network operator TOMRA announced the drought relief charity will become an official donation partner on Reverse Vending Machines (RVM’s) from August 27.

It will allow 10c refunds on eligible drink containers to be donated to those affected by the drought.

 

From August, 27 to November 25, Buy a Bale will appear as an official donation partner on all RVM screens to give recyclers another way to contribute their funds directly into the Buy a Bale relief fund.

Simply return your containers, then choose the ‘donate’ option on the RVM screen and select ‘Buy a Bale’ from the list of four charity partners.

If everyone donated just one of every 10 containers they return, we would raise up to $20,000 a day for NSW farmers

Ryan Buzzell, TOMRA CEO

The money will go towards rural NSW farmers and communities struggling to survive the harsh drought plaguing the state – providing them with much needed support like hay and other essentials to give them a fighting chance in these tough times.

But for those residents looking to donate to farmers immediately they can use a special ‘Buy a Bale’ barcode when visiting any of the 270 RVMs across the state.

The 10c per container refund will then be automatically sent to the Buy a Bale drought relief fund.

TOMRA CEO Ryan Buzzell said after seeing the harsh reality facing farmers and being inspired by the wider NSW community’s eagerness to band together, they were keen to get involved.

“With an average of two million containers being returned every day across NSW, if everyone donated just one of every 10 containers they return, we would raise up to $20,000 a day for NSW farmers,” he said

“So we’re encouraging everyone to give as generously as they can over the next four months.”

Every 200 containers returned will provide one small hay bale for farmers in need.

Plus every 1,100 containers returned will purchase a large hay bale, and every 95,000 containers returned is the equivalent of a semi-trailer load of hay.

Rural Aid CEO, Charles Alder, said even at the best of times, farmers and rural communities are faced with some of the most severe conditions, so every donation, no matter how small, can mean the difference between devastation and survival.

“All it takes is something as simple as a bale of hay or a container refund donation to serve as a reminder that the rain might have dried up but Australians’ willingness to support each other never will,” Mr Alder said.

The ‘Buy a Bale’ barcode can be found on the myTOMRA Australia Facebook page or at www.mytomra.com.au, and scanned before recycling at the front of every RVM.

Source: Western Magazine 

Penrith Panthers supporting Western Buy a Bale campaign with $100,000 donation

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HELP: The vital injection is equivalent to about 900 round bales of hay. Photo: FILE

 HELP: The vital injection is equivalent to about 900 round bales of hay. Photo: FILE

Penrith Panthers is leading the charge to help drought-stricken western NSW farmers survive unprecedented conditions.

The club will give $100,000 to the Buy A Bale Western NSW campaign – a partnership between Fairfax Media,Macquarie Radio and charity Buy A Bale – in Sydney on Friday.

The vital injection is equivalent to about 900 round bales of hay.

But the club isn’t stopping there.

Panthers general manager Phil Gould will make another drought-support announcement on Channel 9 on Thursday.

It comes after Woolworths pledged its support for farmers with a $1.5 million donation to the overall Buy A Bale campaign.

The supermarket giant has put $1.2 million of this towards buying hay, water and groceries for struggling farming families.

The remaining $300,000 will fund two extra counsellors in Rural Aid’s mental health program, the first face-to-face farmer counselling service in NSW.

Rural Aid CEO and Buy A Bale founder Charles Alder said more than 70 farmers were registering for assistance across the state every week and he expected that number to rise as conditions became worse.

Truck loads of hay have been arriving at farms across western NSW since the campaign started in June.

“Every donation, no matter how big or small, helps to provide some relief to our farmers,” he said.

You can donate or register for assistance at buyabale.com.au 

Source: Western Advocate

Woolworth’s $1.5 million pledge to Buy a Bale

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 DROUGHT: Cumnock. Photo: Andrew ‘Pony’ Munro
Woolworths has this week announced its support of Rural Aid, in a partnership that will help double the charity’s existing capacity in the next 12 months to support Australian farmers and rural communities impacted by the drought.

Hundreds of additional farmers are set to benefit from the $1.5 million investment from Woolworths via Rural Aid’s Buy a Bale program, which provides support to farmers in need by delivering hay for cattle feed, as well as other essential items.

Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci said Woolworths staff, particularly in NSW and Queensland, had experienced first hand the impact of the drought.

“A number of our store teams are already engaged with Rural Aid at a local level and they will continue to work closely to support volunteering and further fundraising efforts for the organisation,” he said.

“Rural Aid has worked tirelessly over the past few years to help farmers impacted by the drought.

“Our support will allow them to focus on increasing their delivery of much needed livestock feed to farmers and other essentials as the drought continues to cause widespread impact to many communities.

“Along with the financial commitment to Rural Aid we are also exploring ways our supply chain and logistics teams can support the organisation further.

Rural Aid CEO Charlies Adler said the organisation had received over 700 requests for assistance from farmers.

“We are truly grateful for the partnership and commitment from Woolworths,” he said.

“This significant boost to funding will allow us at a minimum to double our current capacity to deliver essential supplies such as hay bales or food for families in farming communities impacted by the drought.

“The support of Woolworths will also help provide a boost to much needed mental health services to rural and regional communities via our counsellor program.

“Our farmers need face to face conversations, not over the phone or via sms, so having additional counsellors will allow us to build trust and respect through personal on farm visits.”

Source: The Interval Times

Woolworths gets behind drought-affected farmers

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Australian grocery Woolworths has partnered with non-profit organisation Rural Aid to support Australian farmers and rural communities impacted by drought.

Aussie farmers will benefit from the A$1.5 million investment from Woolworths via Rural Aid’s Buy a Bale program.

The program aims to help farmers by delivering hay for cattle feed and providing other essential items. It will pave way to also increase the number of counsellors who are supporting the local farmers and their families, who are impacted by mental health issues due to the drought in the country.

“Our store teams in rural and regional areas, particularly in NSW and Queensland, have experienced first hand the impact the current drought is having on farming communities. Rural Aid has worked tirelessly over the past few years to help farmers impacted by the drought. Our support will allow them to focus on increasing their delivery of much needed livestock feed to farmers and other essentials as the drought continues to cause widespread impact to many communities,” Brad Banducci, Woolworths Group CEO said.

“Along with the financial commitment to Rural Aid we are also exploring ways our supply chain and logistics teams can support the organisation further. A number of our store teams are already engaged with Rural Aid at a local level and they will continue to work closely to support volunteering and further fundraising efforts for the organisation. This support will operate alongside the stores continued commitment to our other partners currently working to help regional communities.”

“The support of Woolworths will also help provide a boost to much needed mental health services to rural and regional communities via our counsellor program. Our farmers need face to face conversations, not over the phone or via sms, so having additional counsellors will allow us to build trust and respect through personal on farm visits,” said Charles Alder, CEO Rural Aid.

Source: Inside FMCG

Heartbreaking reality Australian farmers are facing

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A struggling farmer has revealed the devastating price the drought is having for hundreds of families working on the land.

Jason Maloney told Weekend Today the drought crisis was affecting farmers all across the country.

“This drought, that’s Mother Nature and we have no control over that,” he said.

Mr Maloney is one of hundreds of farmers suffering financially and mentally because of the drought. Image: 9News

Mr Maloney is one of hundreds of farmers suffering financially and mentally because of the drought. Image: 9News

However, he also said consumers opting for cheaper products at the supermarket came at the expense of farmers who were already struggling to keep themselves afloat.

 “Primary production across this country, the prices are way too low and we are seriously getting affected,” he said.

Since Mr Maloney’s story went to air thousands of Australians reached out to show their support.

“The most effective way people can support farmers like Jason is through campaigns like the buy-a-bale program we are running, because it consolidates the money which can be used to buy fodder, groceries or provide the mental health support our farmers need,” Charles Alder, the founder of Rural Aid, told Today.

He said Rural Aid  had raised almost $1 million in the past week to help farmers like Mr Maloney.

The drought is one of the worst the country has seen. Image: 9NewsThe drought is one of the worst the country has seen. Image: 9News

John Haycock is a third-generation farmer in Dubbo, NSW.

He told 9News his family are having to cut back on groceries and winter clothes because they are spending the money on keeping their livestock alive.

“People don’t realise how bad the drought is. NSW is virtually out of hay and we’ve got a pre-order to get grain for us and we can’t find it. It’s just being sold overseas,” he said.

Today Woolworths announced it would invest $1.5 million into the buy-a-bale program which directly helps farmers in need.

Mr Haycock said the government looked after the framers during the bad drought of 1982.

Farmers are losing livestock because they are unable to survive the harsh conditions. Image: 9NewsFarmers are losing livestock because they are unable to survive the harsh conditions. Image: 9News

“They paid our freight and half the cost of grain. This is what got farmers through,” Mr Haycock’s daughter, Krystal wrote in a letter to NSW Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair.

Mr Alder has also suggested visiting farmers could be a great way to show your support.

“A lot of these guys and girls are really lonely,” he said.

He also encouraged shoppers to buy local as a way of better helping our farmers.

Source: 9 NEWS