The Merriwa beef farmer put up her hand to help The Lions Club’s Need For Feed Disaster Relief program distribute hay to farmers.

That initial role last year led to logistics coordinator for the hay runs, and on Australia Day she dealt with a whopping 67 truck loads of hay – 47 road trains from Farmers Across Borders and 20 Lions trailers, which were distributed to farmers spread over 200,000 kilometres.

Two trailers lost to a fire during the trip from Western Australia – and scorching temperatures over 40 degrees, wasn’t enough to dampen the volunteer’s spirits or distract them from their focus.

The mother-of-two had spent 14 hours a day – for almost two weeks, planning the route and organising depots where the hay could be dropped off. 

Read more: Unity comes through drought

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Truck drivers took the hay to farms between Wilcannia and Gilgandra, and Gilgunnia and Cunnamulla, on January 26.

Farmers spent the week collecting their allocations. 

But her efforts with Lions wasn’t the reason Upper Hunter Shire Council chose her for the accolade.

The award recognised a Facebook page she created early last year called One Day Closer to Rain. 

She started the public group after her daughter burst into tears when she was told some of their cattle had to be sold because they could not feed them. 

The group has more than 30,000 members and helps unite the city and the country. It  also gives farmers a voice, provides online support, and raises awareness about the drought.

Ms McLaren hoped the accolade would inspire others to do what they could to help drought-stricken farmers and struggling rural towns. 

Everything you need to know about drought – click here to read more: The Big Dry

“It was a lovely gesture, I was surprised and I didn’t believe it for a while. I didn’t expect it. It didn’t really sink in until I got home,” she said. 

“Some areas have had a reprieve, but it’s not over, and people still need a help and we need to do whatever we can to help them through it.”

On her way home from Cobar the severe situation in western NSW was evident. 

“Around Narromine there was a little bit of growth and the land east of that was far better – some had crops they had baled. Anything west of Narromine looked bare and in desperate need of help, they haven’t had the rain,” she said. 

“There has been a little bit of green growth in the Hunter but as we headed south we noticed the lack of rain.”