Australia is still being consumed by the worst wildfires it’s seen in decades, and staggering numbers of dairy animals and dairy farms are among the casualties. The country’s fire season started in late July–bushfires are typical in northern Australia from April to September due to the region’s climate. This season the blaze was accelerated by individuals who deliberately started fires. Police in New South Wales, the area most affected, have arrested at least 24 people, and their search for arsonists continues. According to CNN, more than 2,000 homes have burned, farmlands have been destroyed, and key dairy regions have been hit. The fires are unlikely to end soon, which means the country and its inhabitants need our help.
Donate to:
- Red Cross
- The Salvation Army
- NSW Rural Fire Service
- WIRES
- Port Macquarie Koala Hospital’s Go Fund Me
Australian Dairies at Risk:
Madison Trapkin
Former Editor-in-Chief Madison Trapkin is an Atlanta-bred, Boston-based writer. She graduated from Boston University’s Gastronomy master’s Program in December 2018 and started at culture in March 2019. She is passionate about The Feminist Agenda, pizza, and regularly watering her houseplants.
Thanks again. But it was mainly the reported arson that got me fired up (pardon the pun). Misinformation has been a real issue during this emergency. Diluting the environmental message.
Hi. I, too, am a dairy farmer in southern australia. Some of the information in your article is incorrect. I am near to Meredith dairy and we have been untouched by bushfire, although we are blanketed by thick smoke from fires 200 miles to our east and 100 miles to our west. Narawilly dairy has been badly impacted, although their herd and milking infrastructure remain intact. They will take a long time to recover. Pecora dairy got through unscathed, after being on high alert for months. Woodside cheese and udder delights are both near Adelaide and suffered power outages and fire fronts coming 50 yards to their back gate. They are back in operation and will work towards getting back. Thank you to everyone who cares about us out here. But THE FIRES WERE NOT CAUSED BY ARSON. There have been a couple of arrests in Western Australia but the east coast fires were caused by dry lighting in dry areas of forest. This is climate change. This is the new normal. We need to act now. Corinne from Drysdale Cheeses.
Hi Corinne! Thanks for this thoughtful message, and for sharing your perspective as an Australian dairy farmer. We agree that this is definitely climate change at work, and want to clarify that by including the bit about arson we only intended to present factors contributing to the ongoing issue. While your own dairy + Meredith Dairy may be untouched by the bushfires, the thick smoke still stands as a remainder of the blazes + the greater devastation here. This was not meant as an exhaustive list of AUS dairies/cheesemakers, either! Simply a way to call out a few folks and direct our readers to where they might find more info. Thank you again for participating in this conversation and adding your voice!