Episode Details

In this re-release of our most heartfelt episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright sits down with John Warlters, CEO of Rural Aid, for an important conversation about supporting farming families through disasters and everyday adversity.

John shares insights from Rural Aid's 11-year journey since forming during the 2015 drought, the remarkable scale of their impact, how trust guides every decision as their north star principle, and the importance of being visible in communities rather than waiting for crisis moments.

They discuss John's journalism background preparing him for this role, the challenge of balancing strategic thinking with operational response, the importance of mental health support for all but especially for rural families, and why the difficult act of asking for help opens doors to support.

So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for insights on community resilience and the organization making a difference for rural Australia.

Key topics covered:

• How Rural Aid supports farmers first, their families, and communities as proudly farmer-focused organisation
• The scale of impact since 2015: 200,000 bales of hay, 100 million litres of household drinking water, prepaid Visa cards ($1,500 typical value) empowering individuals to meet specific needs with money flowing back to local communities
• Rural Aid’s national network of 10 counsellors seeing producers on-farm where possible in order to break down barriers around potential judgment or stigma
• Erica Halliday's story of receiving Rural Aid support during 2017-19 drought, then joining the board to give back to organisation that helped her family
• Trust as Rural Aid’s guiding principle: donors trust that funds reach the right people at right time, producers trust the organisation when making themselves vulnerable by asking for help
• Why Rural Aid waits for recovery phase rather than emergency response to avoid getting in way of front line and emergency services
• The dairy farmer who said he was "a little bit broken on the inside," put on smiley face each morning thinking that's what his family needed, but counselling helped him recognise he needed help and it completely changed his outlook
• How strategic thinking challenges John when operational response demands constant attention, and he balancing act between mental health counsellors on ground vs immediate disaster relief capacity
• How everyday challenges (rising costs, fluctuating prices, health scares, succession planning) need support beyond disaster context, not just emergency events
• Looking to 2030: growing to 20,000+ registered producers (currently 18,500) and amplifying Rural Aid’s voice to government
• John’s simple call to action: ask for help if you need it, phone 1300 327 624

Relevant links mentioned in the episode:

• Rural Aid https://www.everystep.ruralaid.org.au/
• Phone: 1300 327 624

Contact details:

This podcast is proudly brought to you by Angus Australia https://www.angusaustralia.com.au/

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