General News
21 January, 2026
Funding for farming communities in tough times
IN response to the bushfires and ongoing drought, a new round of applications for the Look Over the Farm Gate community events program opened last week.
The Look Over the Farm Gate program will offer grants of up to $5000 for events and activities that support the mental health and well-being of farmers and farming communities.
Since June 2025, funding has been provided to over 160 events, including more than 130 Look Over the Farm Gate-supported events.
The program is part of the Victorian Government’s $146.5 million drought support package and will be administered by the National Centre for Farmer Health on behalf of the Victorian Government.
Agriculture Services acting director, Aimee McCutcheon, said the program will help local organisations deliver events for their community who are doing it tough and has been extremely popular across the state.
‘We have seen a range of fantastic events coming through, from BBQs to film screenings, guest speakers, to sporting activities – all focused on meeting the needs of local communities,’ she said.
One of those last year was a Farmers-Q event in Cavendish for 140 people.
Event organiser Wayne Vearing said, after a successful event in 2024, they wanted to keep the momentum going with a BBQ for the whole community, and the money raised from donated items went back into the local community.
Applications for this new round of funding will remain open until the allocated budget has been exhausted or until June 30.
Find out more and apply via the National Centre for Farmer Health website at farmerhealth.org.au.