Nineteen-year-old Poppy Renton set up a life-changing Facebook page to help drought-affected Hawke’s Bay farmers after seeing her mum and dad struggling.
Over 5000 members of the rural community have signed up to the page to support one another and offer a helping hand, with Wairarapa farmers sending thousands of bales of silage and hay for free.
Locals also put on a drought shout and a food run for Hawke's Bay farmers doing it tough.
Ms Renton’s idea was borne out of seeing the affect the drought and Covid-19 were having on her family.
“I could see mum and dad were struggling with the drought and with Covid-19 being all locked up so they couldn’t go and ask their friends what they were doing differently,” she told Seven Sharp.
“I thought if we have a platform for all the farmers to be able to go to and see how everyone else is coping, then that would be a good thing to do.
“I’ve heard so much feedback from everyone, from it’s saved lives to people just being able to get their hands on some feed, or get rid of some stock, because they’ve been overloaded in the drought."
While she was on the show, Seven Sharp put out the call for anyone who has work for the teen, who dreams of a career in farming but lost her job in the pandemic.
SHARE ME