Seeing through a farmer's eyes - Calendar available

To order a calendar, contact the CWA on 6231 3706. Order forms also are available online at FarmPoint (1 page, 509 kb, pdf file).

The Tasmanian Government is providing an additional $40,000 to the Country Women's Association to help drought-affected farmers with personal expenses such as power and food bills.The announcement takes to $115,000 the total State Government donation to the CWA alone for drought relief efforts.

Tasmanians can gain a greater understanding of the experiences of drought-affected farmers through a new CWA initiative aimed at bringing images of today's farm-life into homes throughout the State.The CWA was impressed by the quality of entries to the recent Farm Photo competition run by the Department of Primary Industries and Water.The aim of the competition was to highlight both the impact of drought and also the importance of agriculture to all Tasmanians.

The CWA has now produced a Visions of the Land calendar for 2009 with a selection of the images highlighting the beauty of Tasmania's agricultural landscape as well as the stark reality faced by drought-affected families.

CWA State President, Shirley Morrisby, said that the calendars will be sold through Tasmanian CWA branches across the state to assist the drought relief effort. The calendars will cost $15 each and all money raised will go to the Country Women's Association in Tasmania (Inc) to benefit Tasmanian drought-affected farming families. The Country Women's Association has been distributing drought relief funds since November 2006. We are pleased to be a partner in continuing this most worthy project.

By purchasing the calendars, individual Tasmanians can add their contributions to the Tasmanian Government's donation. The money will enable grants of up to $2000 to farm families to further assist them with personal expenses such as food, school, clothing and power bills. In addition to raising funds for the CWA's drought relief work, the images allow people in towns and cities to see the world through the eyes of people living on farms.This initiative helps lessen the distance between the farming community and the rest of Tasmania. It's always good to look at things from someone else's point of view.

Thank you to the families who contributed the photographs for sharing aspects of their lives with the rest of us, and we urge Tasmanians to support this calendar.

To order, contact the CWA on 6231 3706. Order forms also are available online at FarmPoint (1 page, 509 kb, pdf file).