This time last year we posted a story of OD farmers coming together to help one another out to provide much-needed resources in a time of drought. It is a bleak reality however the drought has persisted and it is an ongoing problem for most, if not all farmers.

After visiting a fellow OD’s farm, Fred Colbrone (1989S), John Albtertyn (1989S) was shocked to see the state of the livestock and veld brought on by the drought. Fred’s farm is located in the Willowmore area in the Eastern Cape and unfortunately does not receive funds from any drought relief initiatives.

“I thought I could make a small difference by sourcing feed donations from the Overberg and arranging the transport at the lowest possible rate,” says John.

John has experience of farming in the Bredasdorp area and so understands the gruelling nature that comes with the profession. By simply acting as the ‘broker’, John felt there was scope to make a difference. After contacting a few guys on Facebook, Whatsapp and old contacts, John was able to get donations of straw bales and hay bales from farmers in the Overberg region.

These farmers are currently in harvest, which means that John will hopefully be able to get a few mixed loads of fresh straw and feed grade barley by early December. A few more interlink trucks will be coming from various regions of the country and this will get the Willowmore farmers to January.

John’s work makes a huge difference and he must be applauded for his efforts. He, however, urges anyone who is interested in getting involved to please contact him directly at [email protected].

This is an ongoing story and will be updated accordingly.

Below are a few images and a video, which depict the results of John’s hard work.