We Made the Social Pages.......

.......of The Land Magazine a few weeks after our Ball in the Hall.  It was a full page colour spread with lots of photos from the night.  Everyone made a big effort to get dressed up and it paid off in the end!

Oh What A Night!!!!

The Year of the Farmer Ball in the Hall was a HUGE success!!!  There were 140 people there to enjoy the night - we ate, drank, laughed and danced our night away!!  We raised almost $3000 which we distributed amongst our Kiva committments, Birthing Kits Australia, the local school, and the Hall to upgrade the kitchen.  Everyone was too busy enjoying themselves to take any photos of the night!  I've only got these ones taken before the guests arrived.  In 2 years we'll be doing it all again!!

The Hall has NEVER looked this good!!

Some of the items we auctioned off and gave away as lucky door prizes.

Our unique bar tables with a bit of schushing!!

The entry to the Hall is always fun to decorate.

A board of photos taken around our district.

Our very talented Liz painted 4 chooks for the auction - they proved very popular!

Slow News Day??!!!

Rural news must be a bit slow around here lately because our group has featured in a news article again last week.  We had just had a meeting to see how our last minute preparations for the Ball were coming along.  I think the newspaper is going to be there on the night to take photo's, so we'll be featuring in the Daily Advertiser again soon!!!

Preparing for Ball in the Hall

Our fundraising "Year of the Farmer - Ball in the Hall" is this Friday night, so this week our group has been busy preparing the Hall to looks fabulous!  

 First there was 60 tissue paper pompoms to fluff!

Then we had to decide how to decorate the Hall using whatever we could find around our farms - metal chooks and barbed wire balls.

We have about 130 people coming for the night!

There were windmills, old boots and camp ovens!

Hanging the barbed wire and fairy light "chandelier" that Jo made which will be used on the night then auctioned off to raise money for our Kiva programme, Birthing Kits Australia and the Hall to build a new kitchen!

A couple of brave souls volunteered to man the scaffold to hang the chandelier and pompoms!

Another update after the next working bee at the Hall on Thursday - then it's all systems GO for a fantastic night of celebrating being a farmer!!!

Newspaper Article

Our Ball has featured in a local newspaper article as well this week.  Our local Coolamon Shire Council has a wonderful Tourism Officer in Linda and she wrote this glowing article:

MARRAR TO HOST ‘OLD-FASHIONED’ BALL

Farmers from the Marrar region will trade their riding boots for dancing shoes to help celebrate the Australian Year of the Farmer.

The Marrar Ag-n-Chat group are set to host the ‘Ball in the Hall’ on Friday, 26 October in the Marrar War Memorial Hall.

Organiser of the ball, Donna Carmichael said there hadn’t been a real “glitz and glamour” ball held in Marrar for a long time so the Year of the Farmer provided the perfect opportunity.

“It is a way for us to celebrate not only the Year of the Farmer, but also our local farmers and their families who contribute so much to the agriculture industry,” she said.

“It’s also just a really good excuse to dress up and get-together with everyone in the community.”

Established out of the drought in 2003, hosts of the event, the Marrar Ag-n-Chat group, is a group of like- minded rural women who get together to learn new things, network, provide fundraising support and help out the community.

“We just thought this would be a fun way for us to celebrate the farmers who produce our prime lambs, canola and cereal crops our region is known for, as well as hopefully make a profit which we can then pass on to charity.”

Mrs Carmichael said tickets for the ‘Ball in the Hall’ cost $55 per person, with tables of 12 available.

The formal evening would include a three-course meal by Michele Seymour Catering and entertainment by band Who’s the Boss.

A full bar will be operating and a live goods auction, including a handmade patchwork quilt and artwork, would happen throughout the evening.

Coolamon Shire’s Tourism and Business Development Manager, Linda Tillman, said the ball being hosted in Marrar was a great opportunity for locals to celebrate the small community.

“Being held just before harvest will also give our farmers a chance to have a bit of fun before one of the busiest times of the year.”

Proceeds from the ball would go to charities Marrar Ag-n-Chat group currently support.

For tickets and more information contact Donna Carmichael (02) 6927 4321 or purchase tickets from Marrar Sales and Service/Post Office.

In the Media

Our "Ball in the Hall" has reached far and wide with the Australian Year of the Farmer website posting a small story on our group highlighting the planned Ball.

Marrar ‘Ag n Chat’ rural women's group set to turn on the glitz for AYOF 2012

Marrar 'Ag n Chat', a community rural women's group in NSW plans to recognise and celebrate Australian Year of the Farmer 2012, with a "glitz and glamour" style ball to occur in October this year.

The Marrar 'Ag n Chat' "Ball in the Hall" will raise money for a Kiva micro finance loan charity, which the group has specifically targeted at providing to rural women in remote African regions since 2010. Throughout 2012, the group has made generous donations to empower rural women in remote and impoverished nations.

The idea to host the event stems from the recently successful "Opulence in the Outback" event - which was hosted on 17 March 2012 (Western Australia) to coincide with Australian Year of the Farmer 2012. "Opulence in the Outback" celebrated local producers and thanked farmers in the region. The event was an immense success, raising more than $93,000 for the selected charities: St John Ambulances (North Midlands Sub Centre, Western Australia) and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Marrar 'Ag n Chat' is a group of community-minded rural women aged between 35 and 70 who started an agricultural based group in October 2003 situated around the Marrar district of NSW.

The group meets on the third Thursday of every month, converging to discuss a wide range of topics organised by the group at an annual planning meeting.

The group have discussed a range of issues over the years, including; grain marketing, wool, gardening, fire preparedness, women's health, mosaics, communication and motivation, swaps and options, garden metalwork, olive growing, dairying, climate change, soil types and social network technologies.

The Australian Year of the Farmer is about recognising what farmers do for all Australians. It's about what we eat; about fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy, grains, fish, meat, eggs and about wool, cotton, timber - all the fine quality products that our farmers grow and harvest in large and small businesses. Events such as "Ball in the Hall" and "Opulence in the Outback" showcase locally grown food, while celebrating the farmers who produce it.

The Australian Year of the Farmer is honoured to see such incredible grassroots' community support for the Year. Events such as "Opulence in the Outback" and the upcoming "Ball in the Hall" truly demonstrate the power of rural communities and celebration - integral components to the Year.

"Ball in the Hall" Progress

It's less than 2 months until our Ball and we are progressing well with our plans.  We have booked a fantastic local caterer (and she's a farmers wife!), the entertainment is a local husband and wife team who will sing anything from the 60's to now to suit everyone, and the local footy/netball club are manning the bar for us!

Our hall was in need of a major makeover, so the committee got together and organised for it to be completely painted inside.  So it's now all nice and clean with cream walls instead of purple and blue?!!  I know, what were they thinking - purple and blue!!

Our next dilemma is how to spruce up the hall to make it look special for the evening.  We've had a lot of suggestions from our group, so we're confident it will look fantastic on the night.  We decided on very colourful decorations and they have all been handmade, so we've not had to spend a lot of money to make the Hall look fabulous.

We have a number of handmade items to auction off on the night to make it a more personal event.  Any profits will go towards the Kiva programme our group supports, and some other local groups we'd like to help depending on how much money is left over after the dust settles!

Applique banner for the front entry of the Hall

Quilt finished ready to be auctioned for charity

Close-up of quilt detail

Handmade decorations ready to go - preserving jars with candles, punched tin cans with candles, button flowers for the tables, and fabric bunting for the stage

60 tissue paper pom poms to be fluffed and hung, and colourful serviettes to brighten the tables

Advertising posters ready to distribute

Christmas in July

                    

Saturday night saw 13 of our members plus husbands enjoy a Christmas in July celebration.  We have an End of Year/Christmas/Post Harvest celebration in December each year but a lot of people are so busy with other commitments or may still be harvesting that we usually only have a small party.  So it was decided a few years ago that a mid year outing would be more well-supported.

This year we went to Graze @ The Factory within the Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory.  It was a wonderful night with lots of catching up for everyone, but especially the husbands who are only invited along to 2 events each year!!  

Year of the Farmer "Ball in the Hall"

Due to 2012 being the Year of the Farmer, our group has decided to hold an event that Marrar and district has not seen in a very long time - a full on glitz and glamour old-fashioned "ball".  It was decided that it was time for our group to get dressed up to the nines and have a fantastic night out in our little country hall.

The ball will  be happening at the end of October and we'll be having a scrumptious 3 course meal by a wonderful local caterer.  We've got a husband and wife duo lined up for entertainment, and we'll have some fantastic prizes for a raffle and even some items that have been handmade by a few of our members to be auctioned off.  All funds raised will go to charity - we haven't decided which charity but our Kiva microfinance loan programme might be the one to benefit

We can't wait to finalise all the details and get some advertising happening to make it a wonderful night to remember!  We'll keep you posted!

The idea for our night came from this event - Opulence in the Outback.  Check out their website and see how much money they raised from their event - unbelievable!  As their website says -

"Opulence in the Outback is our way of thanking our local producers and helping to lift the profile of farmers in our region - not to mention offering the perfect setting for our farmers to enjoy a well earned evening of opulence and entertainment surrounded by their peers and supporters.

In 2012, we celebrate the Australian Year of the Farmer. It recognizes what farmers do for all Australians. It's about what we eat; about fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy, grains, fish, meat, eggs and about wool, cotton, timber - all the fine quality products that our farmers grow and harvest in large and small businesses.

In our region, farming and agriculture is synonymous with our way of life. Most of us are either farmers ourselves, come from a farming background or serve the agricultural industry in one way or another. The Year of the Farmer, gives us the perfect opportunity to show our respect and acknowledge the important impact our local farmers have on our community, region, state, nation and even the world."

Christmas in July

Last night Ag n Chat held our Christmas in July celebration. This year we decided to hold it at the historic Coolamon Up-To-Date Store while the annual Coolamon Art Show was on display. It was a great night with a lovely atmosphere and superb meal provided by the Coolamon Anglican Church ladies. There were 13 members with their husbands in tow for the night which was organised by Marilyn. Jo organised a few Minute to Win It type games for us to enjoy as well as admiring all the artworks on display.

Jan and Phil playing a Minute To Win It game

Vicki and Carol trying to transfer little Christmas trees with straws to a cup

The Coolamon Up-To-Date Store opened in 1909 and became both a retail and social focus for the people of Coolamon and the surrounding area. Everything from building materials to horse harnesses, castor oil to the finest silk stockings, “from a needle to a haystack” was sold over the counters of the Up-To-Date Store. It offered the best of quality at the lowest of prices and
presented its customers with a range of goods not often seen outside the `big stores' of the metropolitan area.

Coolamon Up-To-Date Store

The store features the only working Lamson Cash Conveyance System in the world. It was designed to solve the "problem of women being less numerate than men"!! Not only did the system provide the store personnel with the very latest advances in retail technology, but also provided the assurance of customer care to the Coolamon community, with this quick and efficient method of cash handling. Undoubtedly, the Store’s piece de resistance, this earlier form of cash carrier is gravity operated. Timber balls with money and docket safely tucked inside roll from counters to cashier’s office along little ‘railway’ tracks.

Lamson Cash Conveyance System

A Night Off With A Bailey(s)!!

On Friday the 30th October 2009, Marrar Ag n Chat hosted a visit from Sam and Jenny Bailey to speak at Marrar Memorial Hall from 6pm.

Sam suffered a spinal injury in a car accident when jackerooing in the Northern Territory at 19-years-of-age, leaving him a C6/C7 quadriplegic. Against the odds, he returned to the family farm and fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a farmer. In 1999 Sam married ABC Radio Rural Reporter, Jenny Black, after proposing to her 'live' on ABC Regional Radio. At the time Jenny had spent 17 years as a newspaper and radio journalist. She now helps Sam run their Croppa Creek farm, speaks with him and together they're about to start writing his next book. They appeared in February 2000 on ABC Television's 'Australian Story' and their book 'Head Over Heels' was published by ABC Books in 2006.

Sam and Jenny’s day began with a visit to Yanco Agricultural High School to speak to the 300 students and teachers there. Sam emphasised the need to be responsible when driving a car and to always wear a seat belt. He suggested that the students write the letter “C” for consequences and “SAM” in the corner of the windscreen of their vehicles to remind them to always wear a seat belt and to not speed so they don’t end up in a wheelchair like Sam. The students were all very interested in Sam and Jenny’s story and asked a number of questions afterwards.

Sam and Jenny then spoke at St Michael’s Hall in Coolamon where St Michael’s School hosted students from Coolamon Central, Marrar Public, Ganmain Public and Matong Public. He presented copies of their book “Head Over Heels” to all the school libraries.

Sam and Jenny arrived at the Marrar Memorial Hall at 6pm to find a large number of people already seated. There were approximately 350 people who attended the night which was far more than expected. People came from all over the Riverina – Marrar, Coolamon, Ganmain, Matong, Grong Grong, Junee, Wagga Wagga, Culcairn, Gundagai, Barmedman to name just a few.

Thank you to everyone who helped with organising the night – Marrar Public School P & C who served the supper, Marrar Football Club who operated the bar, Sarah Heinjus and Libby Hanlon Community Support Workers from the Riverina Division of General Practice who were there with lots of information for our farming families, the NSW Government Industry and Investment who sponsored the supper, Bill Thompson, and of course the wonderful Marrar Ag n Chat ladies especially Kim, Marilyn and Donna.

The night was totally sponsored by local businesses, and community and sporting groups. Thank you very much to these sponsors for their generous donations:

Coolamon Shire Council, Marrar Tennis Club, Hart Bros Seeds, MC Croker Pty Ltd, Marrar Football Club, Delta Agribusiness, Rodwells & Co, RAW Design and Fabrication, WH & D Glass,
Winchendonvale Landcare, Coolamon Rotary, Club GJ Hulm, Logan & Hitchens, Rannock Tennis Club, Active Print, Coolamon Lions Club and Armdale Park Poll Dorset Stud.

Local boy Scott Reardon was asked to speak about his latest waterskiing achievements and becoming World Overall Disabled Water Ski Champion for 2009 when he competed in France. Scott is now focused on his scholarship with the AIS in Canberra and his athletics career which he hopes will take him to the London Paralympics in 2012. Scott did a fantastic job speaking to a huge crowd of people for the first time.

Sam was then lifted onto the Marrar Hall stage where he told us his inspirational story of triumph over tragedy. He had lots of funny stories to tell about his life before and after his accident, especially about his courtship and proposal to Jenny on live radio. Sam said he has no regrets about his life and he is very thankful for the life he has now. He has the opportunity to travel all over Australia meeting many wonderful people who want to hear his story. He also has the love of his life in Jenny to share this experience with.

Sam and Jenny were very generous with their time and spoke with the crowd afterwards and signed their book.

Everyone agreed that the night was a huge success and Marrar Ag n Chat should do it again next year!!

Thank you to everyone who helped on the night and supported this initiative of Marrar Ag n Chat.