Sydney-based production company Brightworks has created a captivating film in support of the community initiative 200BALES that is helping drought-affected farmers in the mid-western region of NSW feed their stock.
200BALES was established by a group of Mudgee residents looking to help struggling farmers as they battle the drought.
The initiative offers everyday Australians the opportunity to pledge $200 toward a quality round bale, and donor’s names are attached to the individual bales on the truck as they are sent out to farmers in need of a helping hand.
Brightworks founder Cameron D’Arcy also owns Sierra Escape Mudgee’s first and only luxury eco-glamping experience and is passionate about telling the local farmers’ stories of hardship and resilience, having witnessed the catastrophic impacts of the drought.
“We wanted to give farmers in the mid-west region a voice and shed some light on the heartbreaking reality behind the drought and the ongoing struggle to keep livestock alive.
“While these real stories are confronting, they expose what a drought really means for our farmers: dying stock, no feed, slashed incomes, no money for maintenance work, no options and only hope that change or rain is near,” says D’Arcy.
Initially aiming to donate 200 bales to drought-affected farmers, the 200BALES campaign continues to gain momentum, now having contributed more than 1,600 bales to local farms.
“200BALES is a local grass-roots movement, where people can be assured that 100 per cent of all monies donated is going toward drought-relief efforts.
“This community-driven initiative has been doing amazing work, and its success in ensuring our farmers feel appreciated and supported is a testament to the generosity of the local region,” D’Arcy added.
Brightworks has created two gripping videos and a Community Service Announcement that captures both the scale of the drought’s affect on farmers who are “just hanging on”, and the impossible task they face of finding feed, with no end to the drought in sight.
The 200BALES films have been released in market via various social channels. Channel 7, Prime Seven and Win TV have agreed to run the CSA with the other leading Australian TV networks currently being approached for CSA and editorial support.
200BALES organiser Glenn Box says the films will help those outside of country towns see the glaring reality of what’s happening in regional areas, and calls on others to pitch in.
“The bales are making a difference, and they can help a farmer who might otherwise have to euthanse their stock.
“The current dry spell is taking an immense toll on Australian farming families across the region, and 200Bales is just one way we as a community can help get our farmers through the drought.”
