In March 2023, fresh from the aftermath of the devastating January floods and Cyclone Gabrielle, John crashed a Rural Support Trust dinner in the rugby club at Te Kōpuru, just south of Dargaville.
There he met Michelle Ruddell, a dairy farmer, Chair of the Rural Support Trust in Northland, tireless advocate for better farming practices and better support for farmers, and mother of three daughters.
A year and a bit later, John and his camera operator Clint traveled to the land she farms, roughly thirty minutes north-west of Whangārei.
During their visit, Michelle shared how the prolonged stress from weather events, economic pressures, and rising costs have taken a toll on the farming community. She spoke of the resilience required to keep going and the urgent need for more support and certainty from the government.
'At the moment we’re working with them on an accumulation of prolonged stress and financial difficulties and the ongoing recovery from losing their crops last year…'
‘And in the most serious cases, how intense is the stress?’ asked John.
‘Massive. Massive.’ replied Michelle.
Northland, stunning yet struggling, consistently tops New Zealand’s deprivation index by nearly every measure. In the lead-up to Budget Day 2024, John Campbell and his camera operator Clint Bruce traveled to the North to uncover the challenges faced by locals such as Michelle, and to explore how the Budget might impact their lives.
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