Genevieve Gleadow, Anna Tolland and Liz Hayes have been busy organising Benalla’s 2026 Farmers’ Day Out.
Benalla’s second annual Farmer’s Day Out will be a day for attendees to relax, connect and ‘let their hair down’.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Organising committee member Liz Hayes said the idea behind the event was to support the mental health of the farming community by putting on a free day out.
“It's not a fundraiser. There's literally no cost to the people that come to the event,” she said.
“We’re not getting people to pay for raffle tickets or anything like that. You can leave your wallet in your pocket for the whole day.”
After the success of the 2025 event, Ms Hayes said the committee was dedicated to ensuring it was something that could be held every year for the farming community.
“This year we've got the same sort of format, with the event being held at the Lakeside Community Centre during a football game,” she said.
“It will be in Sunday, August 15 during the game between Benalla (Saints) and Tutura, which is the last home game of the season.
“We've got amazing guest speakers, Legless and Blind.
”They tell their storey of overcoming adversity, using humour to talk through the tough stuff.
The organising committee had so much great feedback from the 2025 Farmer’s Day Out, they decided to make it an annual event.
“People coming along will be able to hear from them and enjoy refreshments and food provided from Goldhammer Catering.
“It’s just a day where people can connect and have a conversation, get off the farm for a bit and enjoy a day off.”
Ms Hayes said this type of event, with a focus on supporting the farming community’s mental health, has many benefits for attendees.
“I think that farmers are generally pretty isolated in their work,” she said.
“They're often spending lots of time by themselves and not connecting as much as they may have done years ago.
“So, reducing that isolation factor, having a chat and realising they're not alone in how they may be feeling can really help.
“Having those conversations and connections, is important for them to feel like they're not on their own.”
In order to keep the event free, the committee has secured the backing of several sponsors.
“We’ve had a major grant from Ski for Life,” Ms Hayes said.
“We've had support from Nutrien Benalla, Quality Wool, Western Ag, CropSmart, the Australian Wool Network and a grant from Benalla Rural City.
“And we've had goods donated from businesses, local businesses as well, to go towards things like lucky door prizes.”
Ms Hayes said while anyone from the local farming community is welcomed, it would help if people could RSVP for catering purposes.
You can do that via 0407 336 098 or farmerstothefooty25@gmail.com
“The day isn't about formal presentations or fundraising — it's about creating space for people to catch up, check in with each other and remember that they're not facing life's challenges alone,” Ms Hayes said.
The 2026 Farmer’s Day Out takes place on Saturday, August 15 from 12pm-4pm at the Lakeside Community Centre, also known as the Glasshouse.
8°C