As farmers are still reeling from the effects of what is called the “worst drought in living memory”, pubs and clubs across Australia are heeding their call for help through the Parma for a Farmer campaign.
Amanda Kinross, an English expatriate who with her Australian husband moved to Australia 25 years ago, came up with the idea for a fund-drive that she called “Parma for a Farmer”.
Whilst reading and watching news coverage of the drought, Ms Kinross was moved by the image of a farmer who had to put down his starving livestock yet could not even afford bullets.
Ms Kinross launched the campaign through the “Parma for a Farmer” Facebook page and was quickly picked up by a local radio station. The initiative has since caught the attention and support of dozens of venues across Australia.
The Australian Hotels Association has also expressed their support for the fund drive calling pubs nationwide to jump on board as well. The “Parma for a Farmer” campaign will have registered pubs and clubs donate to the ‘Buy a Bale’ campaign, one dollar for every chicken parmigiana that they sell.
So, what happens to your donations? The funds collected will be used to buy hay that will be shipped to the affected farmers to feed their livestock.
Here is a breakdown of your donation in action:
- $20 buys a small bale of hay and helps transport it to the affected areas
- $60 buys 3 x $20 gift cards to help put food on the table
- $100 buys a large bale of hay
- $500 buys 5 large bales of hay
- $1000 buys 10 large bales of hay
- $5700 buys a single-trailer load of hay
- $9500 buys a semi-trailer load of hay and transport it to an affected area. (up to 900 km)
For venues who would like to get involved with this campaign, you may check out the Buy A Bale webpage, The Parma for a Farmer Facebook page, or email parmaforafarmer@gmail.com.