By Aaron Cordy
WHEN the October 2022 flood swept through Congupna, it devastated many properties, including Nealy Bennetts. Underwater for nine months, they had to let the land sit for 18 months.
What appeared to be the silver lining was dashed after Nealy was approved for government grant money for farmers affected by the floods, only to have the funds run out. Discovering she wasn’t covered by insurance was another blow.
Faced with the many challenges of the time, Nealy, along with her mum Wendy, co-founded Farmers Arms Australia (FAA), a strategic partnership to strengthen education, farmer wellbeing and community support.
“When you get taken out by the floods and government runs out of money, where do you find the money to rebuild and bring back for the wider community?” said Nearly.
“We want to create local jobs back in the region itself. Create tourism back in Greater Shepparton and the wider community, and education.”
FAA has developed a National Proposal with a long-term vision of stronger, more resilient rural communities while increasing awareness, education, and support across the Australian agricultural sector. The proposal includes the development of a national agriculture educational program from Foundation through to Year 12, creating new pathways and opportunities for future generations.
Part of the proposal is establishing Children’s Farm in the Goulburn Valley. Located on Nealy’s property, it will provide educational experiences for children and families while strengthening the connection between the broader community and Australian agriculture.
“Living in regional Victoria, you understand about farming and how our food gets on the plate, but if you live in Melbourne’s CBD itself, a lot of these children know about farm animals; they go to school, they read books. But they have no idea how our food gets into the supermarkets. They just know mum and dad go shopping, and they pick it up from the supermarket,” said Nealy.
“There is no education around that. So, we’ve built an education program that we’d like to see rolled out nationally through the education department from Prep to Year 12 and, obviously, the greater community, for teaching them everything that is about the Food Nation and how it keeps Australia alive.”
Key areas of the proposal include:
- Farmer wellbeing and mental health support.
- Building stronger community support networks for farming families.
- Women in Agriculture.
- Understanding the journey from paddock to plate.
- Food production and Australia’s national food security.
- Animal welfare and responsible livestock care.
- Agricultural machinery, technology and innovation.
- Environmental sustainability and responsible land management.
- Manufacturing, transport and export industries connected to agriculture.
- The economic contribution farming makes to every Australian’s daily life.
- Increasing awareness of the realities farmers face, including drought, floods, bushfires, market fluctuations, financial hardship and mental health challenges.
FAA plans to establish a National Board comprising experienced professionals from across Australia. The vision is to create a single national charity that brings together the many services, organisations and support networks within Australian agriculture under one banner, while promoting collaboration, research and development for the future of the industry.
To learn more about Farmers Arms Australia, you can find them on Facebook while their website is being worked.
