“IT’S hard not to feel emotional when you see how badly affected they are up there,” David Gibson, Gibson Pastoral Company, Dorrigo, told News Of The Area, after he’d spent the day delivering silage to flood-devastated farmers on the Northern Rivers.

David was one of five local beef and dairy producers on the Dorrigo Plateau who got together to see how they could help their rural friends whose farms have been flooded out during the catastrophic floods in Lismore and surrounding areas.

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“I’ve got two good mates in Lismore, Darryl Boyd, a baling contractor and Dwight Wyatt, an AI breeder, and in chatting with them they asked for direct deliveries to their farm.

“And we thought if we’re going to do it, we must do it quickly, and deal direct with the farmers who are in desperate need.

“We rallied in two days with five of us leaving on Sunday morning (6 March) in our trucks loaded with 180 donated silage bales and headed up to Lismore and surrounds.

“We just went straight to the farmers.

“A couple of our trucks went to the area between Casino and Coraki.

“These guys were nearly in tears when they saw us.

“As we were with them, seeing their plight.”

With more silage pledged the Dorrigo Plateau farmers hope to target Coraki again during the week.

“It’s amazing how people are supporting each other.

“Some of them are wiped out, but we experienced the good old Australian way of having a laugh together…the resilience of people is amazing.”

David Gibson can be contacted on 0427 571 183, in and out of reception, but leave a message.

The Dorrigo Plateau group are looking into ways of people donating the price of one bale and will release details of how to do that once it is set up.

If twenty people donate to buy a bale each, that’s a load bought.

For further information see Dorrigo Lions Club Facebook page where Sue Francis is posting updates.

By Andrea FERRARI