Allora’s own Laura Geitz has teamed up with not-for-profit charity Rural Aid in the hope of opening up national conversations about where Australians get their food from.
The former Australian netball captain and Commonwealth Games medallist wants Aussies to consider the back-breaking hardships felt by farmers in getting food from the paddock to dinner plates across the country.
After spending what she described as an ‘incredible childhood’ growing up on a 607-hectare cattle and grain property in Allora, Geitz will head the charity’s annual “Mates Day” fundraising campaign as its official ambassador.
“I’ve had a connection with Rural Aid in the past and love what they stand for and what they do,” she said.
“Supporting farmers in crisis, whether it be through droughts, floods, bushfires or anything else that happens in the world of agriculture is wonderful and wholesome work to be involved in.
“There are extremes that farmers are constantly battling with, and we speak so much about raising awareness of what our farmers do for us. And for me, this is a perfect way of raising that awareness.”
Ahead of “Mates Day” on 20 March, farmers will share the unseen journey behind their produce before it makes its way to consumers’ dinner plates.
Geitz said the convenience of supermarkets and the availability of takeaway options can sometimes lead consumers to taking their food for granted.
“I was thinking the other day, wouldn’t it be amazing to actually sit down and look at your food on your plate and ask where do you think that came from? Wonder what the farmer had to go through to get that steak or sausage or broccoli on the plate,” she said.
“Let’s start having the conversation around that because none of us do that.
“We take it completely for granted that we can zip down to the shops, grab what we want, get home, dish it out, or we call Uber Eats, it arrives and we eat these beautiful meals, but let’s strip it back a bit.
“We really need to be asking where does that food come from? It comes from these farmers that are absolutely bending over backwards, battling with market prices, battling with the elements to actually dish that up on our plates.
“The majority of us have absolutely no concept of what they’re going through to allow us to sit down and eat a meal.”
Rural Aid chief executive John Warlters encouraged everyone to donate come Mates Day on 20 March, whether they have links to agriculture or not.
“Rural Aid’s Mates Day is a great opportunity to support Aussie farmers and to stop and realise exactly what they do for us,” Mr Warlters said.
“If you’ve got ties to agriculture, that’s great. But if you don’t, I think it’s just this opportunity to be able to donate and help our mates in the bush and thank them for what they do for us.
“Because they do something for us every single day by putting food on the table.”
