Pub pitches in with help for farmers

A SALAMANCA pub has joined the national “bale out” for drought-stricken farmers with its Parma for a Farmer campaign.

It’s the latest pub to join the social-media fundraiser, with a pledge of $2 from every chicken parmigiana and $1 from every pint of Cascade sold from now until September 6 donated to the Buy a Bale program.

And there’s no change to its regular pricing.

“We just want to throw as much as we can behind it to give [the farmers] a hand,” Irish Murphy’s duty manager Brent Munday said.

“We all know a lot of people who are part of the drought on the mainland at the moment, whether farmers or people who are working in the pubs who are struggling.

“A lot of our staff come from small rural communities. Zara [the licensee] is from a farm up north, and the head chef is from a farm, so we know how hard it can be,” he said.

The Facebook fundraiser is the brainchild of Bendigo cake maker Amanda Kinross, who acted after seeing images of the drought on the news.

The pub’s parmi was already one of the most popular menu items, with its braised ham hock sauce and housemade sesame crumb, but demand has increased dramatically since supporting the cause.

The Buy a Bale campaign raises funds for droughtaffected farmers in NSW, all of which has been declared in drought.

More than 500 venues have signed up to Parma for a Farmer, with more than 40 pubs taking part in Tassie. To register your business, go to www.buyabale.com.au/parmafor-a-farmer/

A lot of our staff come from small rural communities ... so we know how hard it can be — BRENT MUNDAY