Neighbourly gestures helping Winchelsea farmer battle the drought

It’s the simple neighbourly gestures that are helping Winchelsea farmer Michael Hastings battle a gruelling drought.

The loan of an auger from nearby farmer Robert “Charlie” Earl to help Michael move cattle feed is more than just a practical tool – it’s a powerful act of support during tough times.

And it’s why the Neighbours Every Day campaign is urging people to reach out to others and create stronger community ties to help everyone navigate life’s inevitable ups and downs.

“To Charlie the loan is probably not significant, but to me it’s all of a sudden solved a big problem and extra expense of feeding I was worried about,” Michael said.

“What one person thinks is a minor gesture – in a time of high stress - is actually quite significant. Those little things really do make a big difference.”

“I was also offered some extra country across the river (by another landowner) to assist destocking and put cattle on for feeding.”

It’s the kind offers like these that are helping Michael handle the curveballs. And like many local farmers, he has been dealt more than his fair share.

Tough times for local farmers

A farmer of 35 years, Michael started out as an ostrich breeder to keep the property viable, but he said changes at the abattoir during the pandemic forced him to change course and focus on expanding his cattle stud.

“Then it was straight out of that and into the drought,” Michael said.

“Livestock farming in a drought is like the cost of living (crisis) on steroids. It’s an absolute pressure cooker. This is the first year I’ve looked at it and I thought: ‘Do I really want to keep doing it?’”

Michael’s farm experienced only 54 per cent of its normal rainfall. Last year was the fifth driest year in the Corangamite region since records began in 1900.

Around the area, Michael understands resilience levels to be lower than those of the last drought, but you mightn’t always know how people are faring.

“It’s tough out there. You can drive past a farm but you don’t really know their situation.”

Charlie adds: “You look over the fence and everyone’s doing better than what you are, but you don’t really know because they put that façade up.”

“No one will ever tell you. Buying hay is kicking the guts out of me. I’m going to have to work my butt off for the next two years to recover from this year. If they told you that you’d understand, but they put that positive spin on it.”

The importance of incidental conversations

The two Winchelsea locals talked about how farming communities had changed over the years, with face-to-face conversations declining.

“There is more disconnect out there now than there was 25 to 30 years ago.  It is tougher now,” Michael said.

“Farmers don’t normally talk, particularly in a drought, you work twice as hard and you actually get out even less, so it can be very insular.”

They spoke about how casual, everyday conversations often lead to knowledge sharing, offers of help and ultimately people feeling less on their own.

“If you want to know something you google it but you’re better going over and talking to (Charlie names a local farmer) because he’s got different ideas and then you sit there and talk about other things.  There’s a hell of a lot more you find out about farming by just talking to the farmers,” Charlie said.

Whether you’re on a farm or not, those incidental conversations are vital for creating neighbourhood connections, which help all of us to cope with everyday life.

Connect with your community your way for Neighbour Day

Sunday 30 March is ‘Neighbour Day’, which calls on all Australians to connect with their community in their own way, whether it’s a group barbecue, a neighbourhood walk and talk or a cup of tea with an old or new neighbour.

Beyond this annual event, the Neighbours Every Day campaign provides simple, practical tools to create and grow connections, each and every day of the year.

When people engage with their communities, they experience improved mental well-being and reduced loneliness. It’s also important when we’re faced with hardship and natural disasters such as drought, floods and bushfires.

There are plenty of tips and resources to help you establish stronger connections with those who live near you.

Reach out for support

Reaching out for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Victorian Government drought support grants and rural financial counselling services are available for local farmers.

There’s also a list of support services on Council’s Get Help page.

A number of events are being held locally to support farmers and anyone experiencing mental health issues.

We're co-hosting two events on 2 May with Rural Financial Counselling: 'Rural resilience' followed by a coffee/chat drop-in. Learn more about the events and book your spot.

There's also a Conquer the Corrugations Walk being held 29-30 March, where participants can walk 34km from Inverleigh to Winchelsea and back. The event aims to raise awareness and support those affected by mental health.

Find out more at the Facebook page ‘Conquer the Corrugations – Victoria’.