S.O.S. #saveoursheep Campaign Update

In February this year talk started to escalate about how livestock farmers were going to manage if we get a late break in the season. We all watched and prayed and planned for worst case scenarios. But this predicament has even the wisest scratching their heads. I was hearing many things, it was like a game of chinese whispers, so gathering real, sovereign information emerged as necessity.

Enter S.O.S. #saveoursheep

Other farmers started emailing furiously and the data started rolling in from across the state, but particularly from the hard-hit region of the western Eyre Peninsula. This really has helped provide a clearer picture of just what is happening and what action could be taken to assist farmers to keep as many of their flock as possible. Receiving this support and encouragement from other farmers has continued to fuel my fire because it is evidence I needed to be able to speak up in a clear and concise manner.

A big thank you to Sam Telfer MP – Member for Flinders for his genuine support and strong advocacy on our behalf in Parliament. Plus, Nicola Centofanti MLC – Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Senators Leah Blyth and Alex Antic, the Liberal Women’s Council, the District Council of Streaky Bay, Mentally Fit EP, The Lions Club and numerous others. I’ve contacted Minister Clare Scriven, PIRSA, PIRSA FaB Mentors, five hay delivery charities, Livestock SA, Aussie Helpers, Rural Business Support, Viterra, just to name a few. Media wise the campaign has been picked up by the Stock Journal, Advertiser, Eyre Peninsula Advocate, ABC Country Hour and Flow FM so far.

But… while all of this has bolstered my determination and passion to help others and gained a platform for our plight, it, of course has not been an easy journey to get results. There is ALOT of red tape, bureaucracy, brick walls, speed bumps, emotional rollercoasters and glimmers of hope that prove false. If I can shield anyone else, even slightly from this arduous process to provide a glimmer of optimism to you, I will. And today, I am feeling more hopeful than I was 24 hours ago.

The hay charity deliveries will continue to be sporadic, so expectations are low. I am in constant connection with three charities, and they are certainly aware of just how bad things have become. I have met some truly remarkable people, namely Mick, Linda and Michael from their respective charities have been so supportive and open in their communication. I must also point out they are under a lot of pressure due to the constant stream of tough stories they are hearing. I just find it astounding how we got to this point, interstate charities expected to help us all. Watch this space on that one.

A pain point certainly has been the millions of dollars announced in a support package but is glaringly obvious that the government missed the mark and did not listen to those who continued to tell them just how bad things could get. They got caught napping and by the time the second funding package was announced in Autumn it meant that Australia’s biosecurity cleared hay supply was severely depleted. I have been doing a tonne of work to secure help but as far as government support is concerned well, I think they like us are just hoping for rain to solve the problem.

I know of at least two stakeholder meetings with the minister have taken place. So, my question is why has the package missed the mark so dramatically? Is there no one willing to risk biting the hand that feeds, place their own importance to one side and advocate for others properly? Now more than ever the disconnect between city and country has become so clear and when the crisis does arise and we yell from the top of the empty field bin, grass roots advocacy seems to be ignored. There is so much more to unpack there but it cannot be denied farmers around Australia and indeed around the world are sick of it.

We don’t want to be in the news, we don’t want to tangle with the government, we don’t want any of this. In fact, we want the government to get out of our way and replace the barriers with supportive measures to encourage us to thrive as an industry. We just want to get on with doing what we know and love, feeding the nation and contributing to society in a purposeful and meaningful way, then getting paid appropriately for our commodities.

As for self-responsibility, we accept it all. Let this teach us all lessons, admit when we got it wrong, learn from our mistakes, not allow ourselves to sink into criticism and judgment, be open to change and adapt our farming practices, make decisions with our head not our heart and know our lives are way more precious than anything else.

So right now we look towards grain, feed pellets and yes unfortunately the continued destock, the very thing we’ve been fighting so hard to avoid. For those who struggle to understand, we are looking at livestock numbers dropping so significantly in my area that it will take years to recover. There are pockets of my area that certainly have reliable cropping but mostly we are marginal and rely heavily on sheep. In a normal year sheep thrive in our area and really do keep farming alive.

Rest assured I have some excellent people behind the scenes helping me fit some of the puzzle pieces together. I may fail, but at least I’ll go down swinging and at the very least I can guarantee, for what it’s worth, our plight to save our sheep is being heard! And yes, we have not forgotten about the domino effect of this for shearers, roustabouts, classers, stock agents, truckies and all the other key players. And we certainly have not forgotten about the horses in desperate need of hay.

The S.O.S. #saveoursheep information that farmers provided me has been collated, summarised and now sits with Minister Scriven, requesting crisis relief.

Please accept my deep gratitude to everyone who has responded and supported this campaign so far. Practical help, on the ground will be such a morale boost and alleviate stress and anxiety for us all. Thank you for trusting me and allowing me to listen to you and to be a conduit for good. Now more than ever is the time we need to pull all our resources together so we can collectively help each other get through this period in our farming journey.

As a community of farmers, we must remain mentally strong while enduring this unprecedented adversity. Remember this too shall pass, the rain will come, the grass will grow and a new normal will appear after the dust settles. But in the meantime, we fight. We are weakened when we play the victim card. We need to stay focussed, effective and fierce.

Go home and love your family, they are your team. Give me a hoy if you or anyone you know needs extra emotional support and if you are worried about yourself or someone else do not underestimate the impact one conversation or action can have. You do not need skills; you just need to be a safe place to listen and help someone receive the support they need.

Lifeline:

call: 131114 or text: 0477 13 11 14