Edward Ross had to Google how to kill his chickens when salmonella infected his Colo Vale farm.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The former Southern Highland Organic Eggs owner said he received a directive from the NSW Department of Primary Industries to cull the hens.
However there was little else in the way of support when his eggs were recalled in April.
Mr Ross and his family were faced with the devastating task of gassing and burning 24,000 chickens as well as decontaminating their land.
As the family lived off the grid, they relied on gas for their home but the gas company stopped delivering orders to their property due to the contamination.
They were left without heating and the ability to cook food during winter.
"We were freezing. No cooking, no gas, we had to go back into the stone-age," Mr Ross said.
After about three months, the land was retested and the family received confirmation the farm was no longer contaminated.
The gas came back on but it was not business as usual.
The family sat down to decide if they would restock the farm but came to the conclusion there was not enough support for those living on the land.
Now Mr Ross wants better services for farmers in times of disaster.
"We had no help from the government, no help from anybody. It was just 'kill your chickens' without any help," he said.
"We've got to carry it out or they drag you to court and impose a fine on you.
"If you can't pay the fine, you can go to gaol. It's a totally cruel system."
The family supplied eggs to Woolworths and Highlands-based stores.
The $3 million turnover business employed 10 to 15 people for the past seven years.
"What about some help? What about some recognition?" Mr Ross said.
"It doesn't make any difference whether you're a cow grower, a sheep grower or a chicken grower.
"It doesn't make a difference; if the rain doesn't come, you're on your own.
"There's no system to protect you or help you in times of need."
The family recently transitioned from farmers to cafe owner-operator's when they bought Bowral's Hunger Therapy cafe.
The business, located at 325 Bong Bong Street in Bowral, has been renamed Bites and Drinks.
"I'm not a cafe person but this came up for sale. I'm not going to go back to farming," he said.
"If anyone asks me for advice [about farming], I say don't. I would discourage people and I will give them evidence.
"If a disaster happens in any form, you're on your own, no one's going to help you."
Mr Ross said farmers needed a trained body to advise and assist during the tough times.
"We need an agency, we need a body that advises and helps the farmers understand the environmental risks involved," he said.
"The body needs to advise people on the risk they could be exposed to - contamination, fires or floods."
Mr Ross has also demanded more action be taken by our politicians.
"They need to come up with some understanding of the farmers overall," he said.
"They need to understand farmers are not multinational companies. Almost all of us are individual families.
"Usually we only know about 10 per cent of what we're doing and the other 90 per cent is totally unbeknownst to us.
"We need a system similar to the National Disability Insurance Scheme."
Mr Ross does not want his words to be taken in vain.
He hopes his family's story will help create change in the industry and help farmers suffer less.
"If it's going to help establish something to help the farmers make these people listen I'll do anything," he said.
