ORGANISERS of a hay drive to help farmers in NSW say they are blown away with the support they have received from Wimmera residents.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Wonwondah farmers Rob Armstrong and Sam McGennisken are collecting hay donations for fire-affected farmers in NSW.
Mr Armstrong said hay donations were coming in thick and fast.
“We’ve got a phenomenal amount of hay,” he said.
“We probably won’t be able to move it all.
“We’ve got a few trucks allocated to go already, but we still need a few more.”
Mr Armstrong said the main thing the group needed now was fuel donations.
“We are hoping to partner with the company to make it easier for people to donate,” he said.
Mr Armstrong said originally the group was planning to go to NSW as part of the Burrumbuttock Hay Run.
The run has already donated hay to drought-affected farmers in Queensland and will soon be making a trip to NSW.
“Now, we’ve got so much hay that we will have our own contingency just from the Wimmera,” Mr Armstrong said.
“It worked out that this was a quicker way to getting help to NSW faster, because we are pretty much ready to go now and the Burrumbuttock Hay Run wouldn’t leave for a few more weeks.”
Mr Armstrong said they were looking at going in the first week of April.
The farmers involved in the Wimmera collection believed it is important that they help out.
Mr Armstrong said when fires hit the Grampians in 2014, people from all throughout Australia were quick to lend a hand.
“People took sheep on agistment for free,” he said.
“Farming is a brotherhood.
“We wanted to do our bit because we can’t abandoned our own people.”
Mr Armstrong said there was plenty of hay in the region at the moment.
“The past few years we haven’t had enough money to help out, but we can afford it this year,” he said.
He said anyone who wanted to help out could call him on 0497 589 776 or Mr McGennisken on 0488 219 802.