Exeter truck driver Jacob Rofe is gearing up for another three-day drive to help struggling farmers.

He will be donating his time on the Burrumbuttock Hay Run to Muttaburra, north of Longreach, and he needs the community’s help to make sure his trip reaches as many people as possible.

The Bowral Co-op has become a donation point for the Hay Run, where Highlanders can buy a bale of hay or throw in a few dollars.

Manager of farm services Cara Metcalf raised the idea to use the agricultural service to help the Hay Run.

“I attended the Rotaract fundraiser at the MIttagong RSL in October, 2016, and thought it was a worthy cause,” she said.

“The Co-op is always interested in supporting the community, especially the agricultural community.”

Produce manager Ben Crockford said the amount of donations received already had been fantastic.

“I’ve had people I know who don’t live in around here give $100 for some hay or to go into the donation tin,” he said.

So far, in bales and money donations, the Co-op has collected enough for 400 bales to load onto Mr Rofe’s truck before he leaves on February 22 to meet up with the rest of the convoy in Sydney.

Mr Rofe said the Co-op’s initiative had been a huge help to fill his truck.

“As we’ve had an ordinary year in the Highlands, we can’t find the hay locally, so this helps load the trucks to reach the people who need it,” he said.

“While we’re normally used to green grass about 80 per cent of the time here, there are people up north who haven’t seen rain in three years.

“When I went last time, ironically it was raining as we unloaded, and there was this two-year-old boy who was running around who had never seen rain before.”

Donations will be accepted at the Bowral Co-op until February 18. The Co-op is located at 85 Kirkham Road, Bowral.

Donation bales can be bought for $18.50.

Cheques payable to ‘The Roatry Club of Sydney Drought Appeal’ can be posted to Rotary Club Sydney, GPO Box 1523, Sydney, NSW, 2001.

Direct deposits can be made to Commonwealth Bank, BSB 062 438, account number 102 111 56, description ‘drought appeal’.

The Burrumbuttock Hay Runners have completed 11 hay runs to farmers in NSW and QLD since 2014. 

Not only does the run provide valuable feed for stock, but also gives farmers struggling with mental health issues hope and helps relieve some financial strain.

Find out more about how you can help at http://hayrunners.com/.