And that’s just the average operator. The larger beef and dairy farms are paying tens of thousands of dollars a month to stay afloat. 

This is still happening despite the decent deluge that most of the Lower Hunter received last week.

The rain has helped but it hasn’t magically taken away all of the challenges farmers are facing, or wiped clean the severity of the drought. 

In the Upper Hunter conditions remain dire and farmers are still looking to the sky and praying for a decent deluge, amid dwindling cash flow and piling bills. 

Rural Aid CEO Charles Alder (pictured) summed up the predicament when he asked “how would you shell out $5000 to $8000 a week to keep your business going over the next six months?”

The Buy A Bale Hunter campaign has raised $140,000 and while there have been a few companies and small businesses that have donated or sponsored a truck load of hay, there hasn’t been many. 

Families and community groups are the reason that more than 1000 bales of hay, water and hampers have been delivered to farming families and their animals who desperately need support. 

In some cases making a donation has meant a family has had to cut back on their weekly spending, go without, or pull out of activities to help.

The Newcastle Jockey Club’s willingness to support the cause – and call on the wider business community to follow suit - must be congratulated.

The race day on Saturday, which has been dedicated to raising money for Buy A Bale Hunter, will hopefully reach its $100,000 target and see 900 bales of hay delivered to struggling farmers. 

Mr Alder thinks the business community should see value in contributing to farmers and the agriculture community. 

He thinks there is a lack of appreciation in most capital cities for the dairy and beef cattle industries and the value they bring to the local economy – even in cases where farm land is very close to suburbia.

“The mentality is a bit like – you won’t miss it until it’s actually gone. If all the dairy farmers or if all the cattle farmers left the marketplace the Hunter would lose it’s the proximity to the products.”