Gail Thornton is a Rural Aid community counsellor for farmers throughout regional northern NSW and parts of southern Queensland, and she visited Armidale last week to talk with farmers doing it tough because of the drought.
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"I have seven face-to-face appointments booked around Arimidale," Gail said
"But it's not just Armidale. We have nine counsellors in NSW and Queensland, and two at our head office at Acacia Ridge in Brisbane who do telephone counselling."
"I spoke to one farmer in this area a couple of months ago on the phone and he said I wouldn't believe the smell around his place. He said he'd lost 60 cattle and his neighbour across the road was the same so, they were burning them two at a time.
Gail said she was counselling another farmer further to the south a couple of months ago who was in a very dire situation
"There was talk about suicide and all sorts of things," she said.
"When I looked up the council website and on the community website, there was nothing. Because they're so remote. And the biggest thing is isolation.
She said they could just be isolated on their property with no money for fuel.
"People are crying. I ring a farmer and I say 'Are you out in the paddock?' because I can hear the wind and their sheep or cattle, and they'll say yes.
"Initially they'll say they are fine and that there are people who are worse off. But once I start listening and talking to them gently and coaxing them to open up, the'll just start crying.
"We can help them look at the positives and encourage them in different directions."
Rural Aid was born in 2015 from Buy A Bale, Australia's most recognised fodder assistance program.
"We've got the biggest hay run in Australia's history on the second week in December in Tamworth. That's going to be huge," Gail said.
You can contact Gail on 0436 035 188 or 07 3153 4623.