Some good news this May
In light of current events, you’ve probably noticed that we’ve been sharing some good news stories each month. We’re going to keep bringing you these posts to help take our minds off the pandemic for a minute and hopefully spread a little bit of joy. Here are the next three stories along with a follow-up we promised on Prickles the sheep from an earlier post.
Central West farmers rejoice in huge rainfall totals after years of drought
Farmers in the Central Western region of NSW have been delighted with rain as the region received more downfall between February and early May than it did in all of 2019. After more than three years of crippling drought, producers are hoping this will be their best season in years. Many have already been able to get most of their cropping program in the ground and farmers have reported that “livestock are now… up to their ears in feed.” Farmers that were forced to sell their cattle during the drought are now restocking (although this comes with its own challenges) and rural supply stores have had a huge influx of returning customers. The owner of a rural supply store has said, “the mood has really turned around, everyone has become really upbeat,” which we think is really great to hear!
Rare sighting of whale shark in knee-deep water spotted by campers north of Broome, WA
A 10-metre whale shark was spotted swimming up and down the coast of WA, about 30km north of Broome. It was feeding in the shallows, as close as two metres from the water’s edge – so shallow that part of the majestic beast was out of the water. Experts have said this occurrence was “really rare” and “pretty exciting.” The shark’s behaviour was unusual, which can sometimes be a sign of poor health or environmental disturbance, however, this shark appeared to be completely healthy and was just taking advantage of the food in the area.
Farmers step up to help meet ‘huge’ food relief demand after drought, bushfires and coronavirus
Demand for emergency food supplies has been ‘huge’ for Australians over the past year and especially the past four months with the drought, bushfires and now coronavirus. FoodShare, an organisation that feeds up to 3,000 people a week in southern New South Wales and north-east Victoria, was struggling to meet demand, especially for fresh fruit and vegetables. That was until a volunteer at FoodShare connected with a local farmer, who offered to donate their spare produce. Now, FoodShare has partnered with about 30 farms that regularly donate hundreds of kilograms of fresh produce. The generous group of farmers is now lending a helping hand to ensure thousands of Australians receive much-needed food supplies.
Update on Prickles the sheep from last month’s good news stories
After seven years of unchecked growth, Prickles’ fleece was shorn away. To the owner’s surprise, Prickles’ fleece was thinner than expected and only weighed 13.6kg – nowhere near the record of 41kg they thought it could beat. The competition to guess the weight of Prickles’ fleece had over 200 entrants from across the world and raised over $12,000 for the UN Refugee Agency. A charity specifically selected to help those who don’t have the luxury of being able to self-isolate (as well as Prickles did) during these challenging times.
We hope these stories provided you with at least a moment’s relief from all the other news we get these days! Stay tuned for next month’s good news stories.
Feel free to share any of your good news with us too!
