South Burnett cattle farmer Kate Cosh’s life is now full of hope thanks to a bit of help from Farm Angels.
When she had the much-needed boost from Farm Angels two years ago, Ms Cosh had a cattle property in Kingaroy.
The single mum now lives on a bigger block in the Proston area, raising her two teenage ‘bush boys’ aged 14 and 16 and running her cattle property.
“It’s not a job for me, this is what I believe in and love, I love getting up in the morning and doing what I do,” she said.
Growing up on the land, it has always been a dream for Ms Cosh to run a cattle property.
“I’ve had cattle all of my life… cattle, horses and dogs are my passion,” she said.
She went to agricultural college, did some contracting work, and married an Injune bloke.
Two years after her divorce, Ms Cosh saved up enough money together to finally buy a baby rural block in Kingaroy. She bought some heifers and had a go at pursuing her dream.
It was not easy, with the basic property requiring a lot of work establishing fences, creating better water sources and building a house.
The severe drought conditions and battling with paralysis ticks on her farm made it a struggle.
“You don’t love the land to see the cattle die in front of you,” Ms Cosh said.
“I lost so many calves it was a joke.”
Amongst the farming pressures, the single mum tried to raise her two boys and grapple with her new diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.
One day a friend called in the lifeline that Ms Cosh needed to get through, Farm Angels.
“They rang me up and said we’ve heard your story, how can we help you?” Ms Cosh recalled.
Through Farm Angels the South Burnett farmer was also able to purchase tags for her cattle to deter the paralysis ticks.
She enjoyed the chats she had with the Farm Angels team, and was able to receive food and fuel vouchers for her family.
“You weren’t just a number, they actually followed up, they actually connected with you,” Ms Cosh said.
“I was in a very bad spot and they helped me out.”
Ms Cosh was also able to buy with Farm Angels vouchers a palette of milk for her poddy calves, and water for the homestead to help water the cattle.
The South Burnett farmer is very grateful for the assistance Farm Angels provided, allowing her to breathe again after many nights of being unable to sleep due to all of the stress.
“When my friend and Farm Angels turned up it was the light at the end of the tunnel, I wasn’t going to fail, I can pull this off with this team of people,” Ms Cosh recalled.
Because of the support of Farm Angels, and her friends, Ms Cosh was empowered to pursue her dreams further in Proston.
“Because they believed in me, they helped me out and I was able to do my dream -sell that place and buy a bigger place,” she said.
Farm Angels is currently running a ‘500 Reasons To Give’ Christmas Appeal.
Their goal is to raise $150,000 to support 500 farming families who are going through difficult times.
Providing a gift of $50 will fund a wellbeing check-in call to farmers who are doing it tough, $100 for a care package filled with essentials, $500 for on farm or community visits, and $1000 for initial financial relief to help a farming family get back on their feet.
Ms Cosh encourages the community to give through the Farm Angels Christmas Appeal.
“Christmas is about community, getting together and supporting each other and backing each other up,” she said.
For many farmers, who help supply the ingredients for the Christmas lunch we all enjoy, it will be a tight Christmas budget due to many factors out of their control like the weather.
“We love this life, it’s not a job, however we can’t control the weather,” Ms Cosh said.
“There’s some things that happen to us and it can be quite cruel what can happen…and to know the people we’re supplying the food to appreciate it …it means a lot.”
Farm Angels Founder Tash Johnston encouraged everyone to give to the Farm Angels appeal, and the farmers who tirelessly bring Christmas to our homes.
“And like a lot of our country, the South Burnett region has experienced its fair share of extreme weather these past couple years,” she said.
“Some farmers are still piecing together the impact of last year’s drought, while others are navigating the ongoing cycles of life on the land.”
Ms Johnston clarified that even though the farmers love the land, it can still be challenging in hard conditions.
“Our mission at Farm Angels is to shoulder some of that burden and make sure no farmer feels forgotten or alone,” she said.
This Christmas Ms Johnston thanks the farming families who help make Christmas happen.
“Whether it’s the ham at the centre of the table or the wine in your glass, it’s all thanks to a farmer,” she said.
“Our farmers work day in and out, all through the holidays, to ensure our country is fed.
“They deserve to know we’re standing with them. It’s just one of our many reasons we’re giving back this Christmas.”
To give to the Farm Angels 500 Reasons To Give Christmas Appeal visit: 500-reasons-to-give.raiselysite.com/
