| Summary: | South Australia endured 3 catastrophic drought years. In 2025, Rotary & Farmers Relief Agency teams visited over 300 S.A. farms, delivering FREE Hay to help families feed their starving livestock.
Beyond Hay – we delivered HOPE. Truck loads of Hope. 10 Tonne on average per farm, not only saving thousands of animals, but 6 farmers from suicide (that we know of).
At last, 2026 has seen widespread rain return and healthy crops reappearing in fields, but families will take years to financially and emotionally recover to become truly viable again. Bank accounts don’t replenish overnight. Nor the memories of 3 traumatic farming years in a row vanish.
Our Rotary Clubs’ extended network recognise the need to wrap our arms around our Farming families to say “someone cares about you”. |
| Challenge: | Often farmers are desperate and at their wits end before they reach our for help. Rotary wishes to be even better prepared to have LOCAL supplies of emergency relief items on hand, ready to roll.
Our challenge now is to build LOCAL hay supplies now, to enable fast, responsive and economical emergency aid.
Even generational farmers can have difficulty predicting Australia’s harsh climate. But Rotary’s team see responsible ways to PLAN and react faster – stretching our public donated $$’s further to help more people, quicker.
Maintaining Quality, nutritious fodder and supplies is critical. When starving animals receive our hay, our farmers need to know it will instantly sustain that animal and nurse them back to health. |
| Solution: | Rotary will build a supply of local Hay and other supplies such as fence posts and sandbags and more, ready to react when future drought, bushfires or floods happen.
By purchasing local, we’ll support our farmers as they recover from the recent S.A. 2022 to 2025 drought.
Rotary is determined to be ready to respond, even if it is only one or two farmers needing help. Too often we hear their needs are too small to garner Government support or Media attention.
Rotary can be ready to move relief supplies FAST – without red tape.
We’re eager to build emergency stockpiles today, to have a Solution ready for tomorrow. Whenever that tomorrow arises. |
| Long term impact: | Community Reconnection is vital to reduce isolation and rebuild the health of S.A.’s farming community.
Our recent 2026 www.RotaryPioneerAdventureDay.au highlighted farmers’ desires to be able to gather with like minded families, struggling through the same challenges in a FUN atmosphere. The physical and mental health wellbeing benefits literally saves lives and did one more BIG thing … we recreated SMILEs, hope & fresh determination.
By bringing families together, Rotary can continue to break isolation as another way to reduce the impact of severe natural disasters.
These remote families truly appreciate knowing they’re not forgotten. Rotary recognises THEY are the future of the food we put on our plates.
Please do donate to help our Rotary volunteer network succeed. |
| Website: | https://rotaryadelaidecentral.org.au/projects/save-sa-farmers-livestock-giant-hay-bales-appeal |
| Sponsored by: | Rotary Club of Adelaide Central, District 9510 |