THE work starts early for farmers in the Dungowan valley feeding livestock.
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The work is constant and the days are long.
With on-farm work occupying more time than ever, a number of people in the community were becoming concerned the trying conditions were pushing the tight-knit town a part.
A wave exchanged from the cabins of passing cars might be it for a number of weeks.
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Uneasy with the growing isolation, Dungowan local Robyn Munt wanted a way for the community to “reconnect”.
This weekend, the Dungowan Memorial Hall committee hosted the “community mate muster”; a free event to help people leave the drought behind in lieu of fundraising or charity awareness.
It was the brainchild of Mrs Munt.
“I just felt there hadn't been anything like it for sometime,” she said.
“With the drought, people weren’t getting together very much.
“I just noticed people weren’t seeing each other a lot because they’re feeding of have jobs in town and I felt a bit of a lack of community at this time.”
The organisers wanted it to be a strictly Dungowan affair and publicised the events discreetly to keep it community-focused.
North West church made a donation to help fund some entertainment and food for the get together, while the Penrith Giants footy club also donated a stack of hampers while it was in the region.
While it was all about simply sharing some time and having a yak with fellow Dungowan folks, a makeshift salon run by Barbershop 2340 was an unexpected hit among the 100-strong crowd.
There was seven barbers on hand giving out free haircuts well into the night.
Hall committee treasurer Jacqui Gidley-Baird said it was a small luxury farmers either didn’t have the cash or time for in recent months.
She said the event didn’t raise any money but there was plenty of call for more get togethers in the future with the idea for an open-air cinema night floated.
While it has been a tiring and trying period, Mrs Gildey-Baird found a small silver lining from the intensive work which would hold the in good stead for the future.
“It has made us better farmers, we’re a lot more on top of health issues and nutrition,” she said.
“It’s a good learning curve, but we're over it and we just want it to rain.”