Heartfelt note left for farmers struggling through drought
The NSW farming community has been moved by the kindness of a stranger who left $400 cash and a note to a couple battling drought conditions to keep their stock alive.
Tamworth’s Debra Clare and her husband Brian are among the many struggling farming families across outback NSW and Queensland battling to keep their businesses afloat while devastated by arguably the worst drought in 800 years.
With their own crops in short supply, the Clares, like many agricultural families, were forced to spend thousands of dollars to buy feed for their livestock. It was money they didn’t have, so Debra and Brian were forced to take out a $100,000 bank loan to keep their animals, and business, alive.
Mr Clare tends to the farm, while his wife has a full-time job outside the property, allowing the family to make ends meet. However the devastating conditions have caused the pair to contemplate walking out on their business.
Mrs Clare returned home on Wednesday to find an unexpected gift on her doorstep, that left her speechless.
“I came home from work today to find this in my door,” she wrote on a drought support Facebook page for the Australian farming community, sharing a picture of a blue envelope and $400 inside.
The cash was left with a note saying: “A gift to tide you over (maybe).”
“Would anyone have any clue who was around this area today? It’s amazing and I’d like to be able to get in touch with them,” she wrote.
While it is not known who the generous benefactor was, the random act of kindness moved her to tears.
“I started crying,” Mrs Clare added.
A community member said she also became emotional reading about the gesture, writing: “I cried too reading this, yep sometimes at the low times in life, amazing things pick u [sic] right up.”
Mrs Clare said she and her husband would spend some of the money on a night out for dinner.
Farmers in drought can expect more relief
The Turnbull government has promised farmers in drought-stricken communities of outback Queensland and NSW further government relief in addition to financial assistance already available.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud last month said there would be more funding announcements to come, subject to discussions with the states.
