When we think of drought, we think of barren, dry lands.

We think of starving, emaciated livestock.

We think of heat, scorching and destructive.

And whilst these factors do have some truth, we tend to forget the work and the humanity behind keeping farms running during drought.

We forget the organisation in getting through a drought and keeping the land and livestock alive.

Ken Hole is a cattle farmer from Modewarre, Victoria. He has lived through three droughts and says that preparation, community, and letting go is key to surviving drought.

The most recent drought was caused by a lack of rainfall, which led to farmers like Ken struggling to grow crops and feed for their livestock. According to the Australian

Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria averaged rainfall 71 percent below average in May 2025, the driest since 2005.

Ken’s farm belongs to a co-operation of five neighbouring farms, of which he says his role is being “the engine that drives it all”.

“We were desperate for a rain to get crops in, to get grass growing, to cut fodder for the cattle for the winter,” he says.

“We spent a lot of money on fertilizers and just hoping rain would come but it never eventuated. So, we were like a lot of other farmers.”

Ken says the co-op sold off roughly 60 percent of their stock that they couldn’t carry through the winter. He said that by letting go of the stock they were able care for the remaining cattle with enough feed and water.

Ken says being a part of a community largely helped in preparation and sharing of resources to ease the lack of materials.

“Two of us and myself had been through, back in 83’ Ash Wednesday, the drought then,” he says. “So, I was fairly prepared with that, and we were pretty well organized. Between the co-op, every Wednesday we meet and have a morning smoko, a morning coffee. And we just chat of what we were up to, what we’re doing.”

It’s these conversations, whether they be about moving around cattle, or where they would graze, that were vital to the co-operation’s survival of the drought.

Ken also gained advice from the Victorian Department of Agriculture’s Better Beef program. He says that attending meetings has given them strategies for parasite control, feeding animals, and nutrition.

Bu Ken says the Department of agriculture lacked in giving drought relief grants that were most helpful. Despite giving grants to more than 2,800 farmers, the Department couldn’t give grants for water or feed – the biggest issue for farmers.

“You could get the funds for a hay shed, but every hay shed was empty,” he says.

Aside from the maintaining the farm during the drought,  there were other ways in which the community dealt with the harsh period. Although he and the members of his co-operation did not experience any mental health struggles, he witnessed other farmers struggling.

“I know that there were farmers that were experiencing mental health issues and the problem was that they just they didn’t want to let go. They didn’t want to recognize it, that there was a drought, and it was affecting them,” he says.

“They didn’t want to sell their animals off. I think that I think that was the biggest issue and once they sold off, and lightened off, and had neighbours helping them, they were much better off.”

Ken describes his weekly talk with his neighbours, and being well-prepared was a salvation.

Looking forward, Ken says staying positive and making smart choices, the co-operation will be able to maintain their farms.

“The worst of its behind us, so we’re optimistic.”

This story is part of a project exploring regional Victoria and the issues farmers are facing. See the whole collection here.