Compassion, care and community spirit were in abundance as 250 flood-affected farmers attended a Farmers Community Connect event in Dunstan Rd near Gisborne.
The Rapid Relief Team (RRT) combined forces with Federated Farmers to support farmers as they recover from the severe flooding of recent years.
The event ran like clockwork as farmers queued in their 4WDs and trailers, showed their Farmers Community Connect registration and pulled up at a loading station where they were supplied with fence posts, before moving on to be provided with battens, wire, permanent strainers, staples and wire crimps.
The final stop was just as warmly received as farmers sat down in a marquee for coffee and the always-popular RRT burger, which has been served in 14 countries.
The end result was the free provision of 49,000 fencing posts, 34,000 battens and 35 tonnes of wire to farmers.
RRT director Jon Renton said the wire could extend about 850km and was the equivalent of about 200km of fencing.
“So, you’re able to fence from here to Napier.”
Farmers had to register and provide evidence of suffering from flooding.
Renton said the response from farmers was so great that Federated Farmers asked RRT to become involved.
“It gets farmers off their farms. They come here, get some fencing supplies, have an RRT burger, a coffee. It gets the farmers in here and just talking.
“The fencing supplies won’t [fully] fence their properties, but it’s a contribution to help get them back on their feet.”
Other social services such as rural finance counselling, veterinary support and health services were on site to support farmers.
Renton said staging the event was hugely rewarding.
“You can tell a lot of the farmers are under pressure.
‘We’ve got 58 RRT volunteers who have taken the day off work to help."
Farmer Katrina Williams said the event provided “a wonderful” environment.
“Everybody’s happy, which is great after the hand we’ve been dealt as farmers for the last couple of years. Farming is hard and pricing is tough, but that’s farming. You need to smart-farm and some are better equipped than others, and others learn as they go.
Williams said she had picked up 150 posts, battens and wiring and, like others, would make a second trip.
“Fencers are already on the farm and waiting.”
Williams said she was “blown away” by the scale of the event.
“The volunteers are all accommodating and happy.”
Her son, Sam, who was at the event, was celebrating his 17th birthday.
“He’s getting to understand the farming community today.”
RRT was established by the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church in 2013, and also operates in Australia, Britain, North and South America, the Caribbean and throughout Europe.
New Zealand has 41 branches.
The aim of RRT is to “deliver hope and relief to people across the globe, whether it be fire, flood or humanitarian need”.
Renton said RRT had staged five previous Farmers Connect Community Connect days in Hawke’s Bay.
Last year, RRT provided a free lunch to thank Gisborne Hospital staff for their work.
