The grass may look lush and green after last week’s rain but a dry summer has left some Wollondilly shire farmers in dire straights.
Mrs Rideout-Keanelly said what little water she had left in her dams had to be preserved in the case of an emergency meaning some of her trees had died and seedlings had to be planted late, impacting the business five years down the track.
“The reality is this rain has come to late,” she said.
“The damage has already been done.
It’s what we call a green drought.” Mrs Rideout-Keanelly said she was hoping for a wet winter to help get the farm back on track but other farmers had already lost much of their stock, particularly dairy farmers.
“With a fire or flood the damage is very evident, people can see the problems,” she said.
“But a drought is insidious, farmers suffer silently.
“There are farmers out there who have lost most of their business but they’re afraid to speak up.” The Oaks’ Sharon Robertson is among the organisers of the Dilly Drought Drive, a group of Wollondilly shire people fundraising to support local farmers.
“Community groups have got behind us and helped and we want to get the word out there that our farmers need some help.” Wollondilly Council will lobby the State and Federal governments for assistance and will look to review its hardship policy to support farmers in drought.
To lend your support, visit Facebook.com/DillyDroughtDrive