Monday, July 16, 2018
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THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY
PHOTO TETSURO MITOMO 150718-TM-0169
Showing support for our farmers BY SUSAN SANDYS
SUSAN.S@THEGUARDIAN.CO.NZ
Hampstead heartbreaker P17
Mid Canterbury farmers and their families shut the door on a bleak day yesterday to share in some warmth and hospitality at the Ashburton Racecourse. Leaving behind their gumboots and on-farm worries, more than 300 attended the Farming Families Day at the Races. As temperatures hovered around six to eight degrees and it rained lightly, there was plenty of conversation, raffle prize draws, children’s entertainment and food and drink inside under the grandstand. Attendees took time to also pop outside and see the harness racing under way, or view it on the screens inside. It may have only been one day, but it was one day which meant a lot to those
who attended. “I think it’s absolutely wonderful,” said Ashburton farmer Monique Smith, one of the more than 300 who turned out. “Even the feeling when we came in, how everyone is so welcoming, and it’s not very often you get an event like this,” Smith said. Compere Craig Wiggins came up with the idea for the day, after the mycoplasma bovis crisis hit and following dismal weather in June. “I realised that community spirit needs to be boosted by having community events,” Wiggins said. Mid Canterbury Rural Support Trust chairman Peter Reveley said it was a great day, and representative of how the whole community was going to have to work together in the face of mycoplasma bovis.
The repercussions of the disease were far reaching, and altogether one third of farms between beef, dairy and grazing were affected in some way. “We need everybody to look after everybody else,” Reveley said. “If you know of someone you should go and visit, just phone and go and visit them.” Rangitata MP Andrew Falloon and wife Rose were serving at the bar. Falloon said it was fantastic to see the community come together and show their support. “A huge number of prizes have been donated by businesses (for the raffles) around the district, and I think that goes to show the huge amount of goodwill towards our farmers, and the desire to see them through what’s a pretty tough time.”
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