Despite the catastrophic floods, farmers trucked much-needed fresh produce to Lismore on the weekend.
Key points:
- The Lismore Farmers Market went ahead after catastrophic flooding in the town
- Growers trucked in fresh produce despite losing livestock and crops
- Volunteers pulled together to ready the venue for the event
The Lismore Farmers Market, held at the showground, was able to go ahead after a massive clean-up effort by volunteers.
Pasture-raised chicken producer Phillip Partridge had 90 per cent of his farm at Tatham, near Casino, inundated.
He estimates he lost a few hundred chickens to the floodwater from the Richmond River.
"We've got 5,000 to 6,000 birds, all different ages, out on pasture — bit hard to get them all into a shed," he said.
"We're just going to run out of grass very soon for them … we'll see how it recovers."
The Partridge family were kept busy selling three freezers' worth of produce at the market.
"Nearly everyone said they were very grateful to us for bringing food into town — there's not much around," Mr Partridge said.
Vegetable and herb producer Charmaine Ball said 70 per cent of her Eltham property, north-east of Lismore, went under.
"We brought in 80 per cent of what we normally would have, because the other 20 per cent didn't quite make it because of the rain," she said.
"We're quite lucky to have it on two acres up beside the house … the house didn't go under, so we were quite lucky the produce didn't go under as well."
Dorper lamb producer Marina Wiggins was isolated on her farm at Bexhill, 10 kilometres north of Lismore, for a week.
"The torrential rain — I've never heard rain so heavy in all my life and I've lived in lots of places that have had a lot of flooding areas," she said.
"We've had a lot of runoff and erosion, gully flooding, fencing down.
"Home was saved … [we had] nothing to the extent of what the people of Lismore are really feeling and have been through.
"We are so appreciative of the support and people coming down with all different stories that we're hearing and we're putting out our love and support any way we can."
Fifteen kilometres north at Dorroughby Ian Mulligan had some of his macadamia crop wash away with the heavy rain.
"Last Saturday night we had over a metre of rain — we don't know exactly how much we had because my gauge ran over," he said.
"I think I'll have to go up to Fraser Island and pick up my nuts up there, but three to five to eight tonnes — who knows?
"What you haven't got you can't lose can you?
"We'll just pick up what we've got left and hopefully we'll be able to sell them."
Supplier survives, but will the buyer?
Greg Galea said he and wife Sheila are feeling fortunate that their free range egg operation escaped any damage.
"We're here more to support the people of Lismore, they're hurting big time," he said.
"It's really, really devastating what's happened — they've got nothing.
"We're at Caniaba on the ridge, so we were high and dry.
"We just had to keep the birds from getting too wet and we're lucky we've got generators there, so we were able to keep the coolrooms going for that day we lost power."
Mr Galea is concerned that the Lismore businesses he supplies may not recover from the "total devastation".
"I don't think they'll come back, personally, seeing the shops the last four days, I really don't know how they're going to make it back," he said.
"You've got to have a strong will to come back from what's happened … it's terrible."
Backpackers put backs into it
Berkay Buyukyagci and his sister, Cansu, arrived at Lismore Showground in their caravan a few days prior to the Wilsons River peaking.
"There was a safe place at the back of the showground, they said this is the most safe place in Lismore, so that's why some people helped us to move there and we stayed there for two days," Mr Buyukyagci said.
The brother and sister were part of the volunteer crew that helped clean up in preparation for the market.
"We see a lot of people need help and we were just sitting here — we were feeling helpless and we said we can help people, and they helped us as well and they didn't make us pay for anything," Mr Buyukyagci said.
"Everywhere is closed — that's why we wanted to open the farmers market, because everyone's out of supplies."