Rural Aid

31/05/2026

🚜 FARM ARMY JOB ALERT
📍 Ashford, NSW

A farmer near Ashford is looking for a helping hand for a few practical property jobs during the July school holidays.

🛠️ Volunteer help needed:
• Assisting with fencing work and steel post installation
• Helping level and secure shed guttering
• Connecting water troughs to poly pipe

👩‍🌾 Who it suits:
A practical couple, travellers or caravaners who enjoy hands-on work and lending a hand on rural properties.

🏠 Accommodation available:
Own accommodation preferred, with access to shower, toilet and laundry facilities. Meals, electricity and fuel support provided.

🌄 Located near Ashford in northern NSW, with Texas and Inverell both within driving distance for supplies and amenities.

❤️ An extra pair of hands can make a real difference and help get important farm jobs finished before the busy season continues.

👉 Interested? Reach out via Farm Army here https://www.farmarmy.com.au/find-a-job/?entry=37630

29/05/2026

The Rural Aid team has been out on the ground in communities across Australia, sitting at kitchen tables, walking with locals in the main streets, running workshops and having honest conversations with the people living the reality behind the headlines.

From drought-affected communities in northern NSW, to locust-affected farmers in SA and WA towns battling the growing impacts of mice plagues - the stories being shared are filled with both hope and hardship. Farmers speaking about lost crops and impossible decisions. Small businesses trying to stay afloat while carrying extra pressure behind the scenes. Communities worried not just about this season, but what comes next.

No two communities are the same, but everywhere we go, we see the same determination to keep going, to support one another and to protect the future of rural Australia.

That’s why Rural Aid continues to show up. To listen. To support. And to stand alongside farmers, their families and rural communities through every season. 💚

27/05/2026

🌾 Farm Recovery Event – Loxton, SA
📅 31 May – 5 June

Rural Aid is heading to the Riverland.

Our next Farm Recovery Event will take place in Loxton, South Australia, where drought conditions continue to place pressure on farming families and rural communities.

While drought can sometimes be less visible than floods or fires, its impact runs deep. Ongoing dry conditions are affecting farm viability, livestock management and farmer wellbeing across the region.

Over the week, Rural Aid staff and volunteers will work alongside local farmers, lending a hand with practical on-farm jobs while supporting the community through connection and conversation.

Because recovery and support are not only needed after natural disasters. Sometimes it is the long seasons of drought that weigh heaviest.

💚 If you would like to be part of the Rural Aid volunteer community and lend a hand in Loxton or future events, you can register your interest here:
https://www.ruralaid.org.au/volunteers/

25/05/2026

25/05/2026

🐑 Big conversations about the future of sheep farming are happening across rural Australia

Rural Aid’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Counsellor, Louise O’Neill, recently attended a Western Australian event connected to the emerging Green Sheep Project, spending time with local farmers and hearing firsthand how producers are preparing for the future of the industry.

From climate pressures and changing seasons to sustainability and productivity, sheep producers are constantly adapting, innovating and planning ahead.

What stood out most was the passion farmers have for the land, their livestock and the future of Australian agriculture.

Events like these are more than industry discussions. They’re an opportunity to connect, share ideas and support one another through an ever-changing landscape.

For Rural Aid, being part of these conversations matters. It helps us better understand what farmers are navigating on the ground, while also creating space for connection and wellbeing support within rural communities.

💚 Agriculture continues to evolve, but strong communities remain at the heart of it all.

👉 Learn more about Rural Aid’s Mental Health and Wellbeing support here:
https://www.ruralaid.org.au/mental-health-wellbeing/

22/05/2026

Rural Aid is proud to welcome two new Mental Health and Wellbeing counsellors supporting rural communities across Australia.

🌾 Kylie Braes is based in North West Queensland near Cloncurry, where she lives and works on a remote cattle station. A counsellor, nurse and fifth-generation grazier’s daughter, Kylie understands firsthand the realities of drought, floods, isolation and the pressures often carried by rural families.

🌿 Lawrence Maskill joins Rural Aid in South West Victoria, bringing lived farming experience alongside a strong background in counselling and crisis support. Based in the Colac Otway region, Lawrence has worked in beef and sheep farming and is passionate about building connection within rural communities.

At Rural Aid, we know support looks different when it comes from someone who understands the land, the seasons, the pressures and the realities of rural life.

👉 Learn more about Rural Aid’s counsellors here:
https://www.ruralaid.org.au/mental-health-wellbeing/

20/05/2026

⏰ LAST CHANCE TO ENTER
The Play For Purpose Raffle #31 closes tomorrow night at 8pm (AEST).

You could win this incredible $300,000 First Prize Pack:
🚐 A Volkswagen Crafter Kampervan
🏕️ A $15,000 BCF voucher
🥇 $102,000 in gold bullion

And as always, half of every ticket supports Rural Aid, helping provide hay, water, financial assistance and counselling to farmers who need it most. ❤️🌾

🎟️ Buy your tickets now:
https://bit.ly/RuralAid-Play-For-Purpose

Winners will be drawn and announced on Monday 25 May 2026 at 10am (AEST).
Promoter: 50-50 Foundation Ltd. Permits & T&Cs at playforpurpose.com.au.

20/05/2026

“There’s just no feed in the paddocks.”

Across large parts of eastern Australia, ongoing dry conditions are continuing to place enormous pressure on farming families.

Fifth-generation Singleton dairy farmer Jason Cousins says conditions are becoming increasingly difficult.
“There’s just no feed in the paddocks. Even on 300 acres, there’s nothing there to keep stock going.”

For many farmers, support is becoming essential to help maintain livestock and manage day-to-day operations through prolonged dry conditions.

“We’ve had hay deliveries from Rural Aid, which has extended the lifeline,” Jason said.
“Without that, we wouldn’t be able to keep them going.”

In northern New South Wales, farmer Kathy Gleeson says recent bushfires followed by little rainfall have left paddocks bare and water supplies under pressure.
“We’re hand feeding cattle every day just to get through,” she said.
“One of our dams hasn’t been dry in over 80 years. We’re desperately in need of rain.”

Rural Aid continues to see increased demand for hay, water, financial assistance and mental health support, as drought conditions intensify across many regions.

💚 Support from the public and partners is what allows Rural Aid to continue delivering practical assistance where it is needed most.

👉 To support farmers through tough seasons:
https://www.taxtime.ruralaid.org.au

18/05/2026

National Volunteer Week is a chance to celebrate the incredible people who give their time to support rural communities across Australia 💚

This year’s theme, Your Year to Volunteer, is a reminder that even a few hours can make a real difference.

At Rural Aid, our Farm Recovery Events bring volunteers together to support farming families recovering from droughts, floods, fires and severe weather events. From lending a hand with practical recovery work to helping create moments of connection and support, every volunteer plays an important role.

No matter your background or skillset, there’s a role for everyone at a Farm Recovery Event. It’s all about showing up, helping out and supporting rural communities together.

If you’ve ever thought about volunteering, maybe this is your year 💚

Join the Rural Aid volunteer community and help make a lasting impact on the land and the people who call it home.
Find out more: https://www.ruralaid.org.au/volunteer/

17/05/2026

🚜 FARM ARMY JOB ALERT
📍 Alexandra, Victoria

After the devastating Victorian bushfires earlier this year, many farming families are still working through the long recovery process. Near Alexandra, one local family is now looking for a few extra hands to help tackle the jobs left behind and keep moving forward.

🛠️ Volunteer help needed:
• Fencing repairs
• Blackberry and w**d management
• General farm support alongside the farmer

👩‍🌾 Who it suits:
Travellers, caravaners or practical helpers who enjoy meaningful work and lending a hand where it’s needed most. Even a few hours here and there would make a real difference.

🏠 Accommodation available:
Plenty of space for caravans and campers, with accommodation potentially available for the right person.

🌄 Located just north-west of Alexandra in Victoria’s beautiful high-country region.

Recovery after bushfires doesn’t end when the smoke clears. Support from good people helps farming families rebuild, catch up on important jobs and feel supported through the long road ahead. 💚

👉 Apply here: https://bit.ly/FarmArmyJob-AlexandraVIC