Key points:
A mechanic by trade and his partner have helped the Shepparton dairy community by servicing machinery in need of service
Some modern machinery costs thousands of dollars to repair which is out of reach to drought-affected farmers
Charity group Aussie Helpers paid for servicing equipment, and major issues reported for fixing at a later date
A desperate Steve Dalitz wrote a short note in April where he said “at this point, cows will all be going at the end of the month. Sorry girls, I’m spent”.
“I’m broken mentally and physically. My brain and body are exhausted.”
Mr Dalitz was immediately inundated with messages of support and offers of help including from one couple, Alfie Jessup and Jess Mumford, who offered to come and help for a week.
The offers inspired the farmer to battle on, and welcome rain has since fallen.
Dairy farmers’ pressures

Unable to afford maintaining machinery
The problem with such a rush of offers to help was that Mr Dalitz did not have enough work — in such dry times — for workers to do.
A plan was hatched, and the couple eventually helped a number of farmers in their time of need.
In tough times, dairy farmers have been looking for any way they can to cut costs — including avoiding costly services on farm equipment and machinery.
Those concerns led Mr Jessup, who is a mechanic by trade, to spend a week with his partner Ms Mumford on drought-affected farms servicing neglected equipment for those who simply could not afford it.
“We got in touch with a few families in the Shepparton area and ended up with a dozen people to go and see,” Mr Jessup said.
Charity group Aussie Helpers paid for the equipment for the services, and the couple got to work.
Any major issues were reported back to the charity for fixing at a later date.
Mr Dalitz said farmers are extremely grateful for the help.
“Most modern tractors now they’re $1,200 to $1,500 just for a basic service. So when you haven’t got any money you go ‘I’ll just leave that another month’.
“So you just put them off, and put them off, and then things start going wrong.”
It has been a new experience for Mr Jessup, who has worked on Jaguar and Range Rover cars for most of his career.
“What can I say? There have been a few that were definitely overdue for a service,” Ms Mumford said of the farm machinery needing repair.
Members of the dairy farming community around Shepparton said they could not believe the two had been so forward in assistance, and helpful.
“Volunteering their time, which they don’t have to do … does seem strange. [But] it’s a great strange,” Mr Dalitz said.
As for a week of hard labour on dairy farms, the couple said they recommended it.
“It’s been fun,” Ms Mumford said.
“Especially with what Shepparton and the region is going through — with 30-plus farms shut down,” Mr Jessup added.
“That’s going to be a huge impact on the dairy industry. Anything we can do to keep these people afloat I’d definitely recommend it.”