Winter has hit southern Australia with a ferocity not seen for years. The cold, wet and windy weather has many battening down the hatches, wishing away the rain and dreaming of the warm, summer days ahead. With good general rainfall throughout much of Australia, thoughts for our drought stricken farmers have fallen by the wayside. Despite the rain, there are still many parts of Australia that have received little or no rain in recent years. Sadly, farmers in these areas remain seriously drought affected.
One such farmer is Roger Wilkinson. Roger and his family, fourth generation wool growers and owners of Camborn Station, Wentworth NSW, are entering their fourth year of drought. In 2019, Roger partnered with MiniJumbuk, Rural Aid, and David Jones to help raise $50,000 for drought relief. Joining forces, this team worked to create a unique and iconically Australian quilt - the MiniJumbuk Farmer's Heart Australian Wool quilt.
MiniJumbuk has been handcrafting premium bedding products in Naracoorte, South Australia for over 40 years. The opportunity to work with Roger, exclusively using premium wool from his Poll Dorset Stud to produce a single source, luxury wool quilt was appealing.
For Roger, the project offered the chance to create drought awareness outside his struggling community, commenting 'I don't think the average Australian living in the city understands how severe it is. It's hard to comprehend the full effects until you witness the drought's impact first-hand.'
MiniJumbuk believed the venture was a meaningful way to provide assistance for farmers. Managing Director, Darren Turner, who travelled to Camborn Station for shearing, says 'MiniJumbuk have spent four decades championing Australian-made products and, in particular, rural communities. The Farmer's Heart Wool Quilt is our way of trying to give back to communities that have been affected.'
With its distinctive stitching design featuring the iconic outback windmill, there are limited stocks of Farmer's Heart Australia Wool quilts still available. Stocked exclusively at MiniJumbuk and David Jones stores, $50 from the sale of each quilt will be donated to Rural Aid to raise $50,000 and help Aussie Farmers get back on their feet.
