IT’S not everyday that people will stop to take a picture of silage bales in a paddock.
But at Carabost in southern NSW there is one paddock which is causing plenty of interest.
Jeff and Hellen Rial of “Kiddle Park” have wrapped their silage bales in pink plastic to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer.
The pink wrap is part of a promotion by Tapex and $5 from each box of plastic sold is donated to the McGrath Foundation.
But aside from raising funds the Rials are thrilled with how much interest the pink silage is generating.
It’s not unusual to see the clover and rye bales rapped up in green plastic or white wrap. And in Victoria some fodder producers use black plastic too. But it is the pink wrap which has got everyone talking.
“Hellen and I decided that this would be a great thing to do,” Mr Rial said.
“It has just been astounding how much interest it has received,” he said.
“There are posts on Facebook and social media and we have had emails and phone calls … everybody is talking about it,” he said.
Due to the popularity of the pink wrapping Mr and Mrs Rial were only able to secure 10 boxes.
And the lengths they went to in getting it were impressive.
They initially inquired about securing the pink wrap at Henty Machinery Field Days.
But it was only after driving six hours each way to Warragul in Victoria that they were able to get their hands on the pink wrap.
And then the transportation was challenging. They managed to put 10 boxes of the wrap in a small sedan before making the journey back to Carabost.
“It was like trying to get a ticket to an AC/DC concert, it just went in about five minutes,” Mr Rials said.
“What we are doing here is fantastic and we feel like we are helping out,” he said.
“In the city it is easier to raise awareness and you can host morning teas and functions,” he said.
“We feel like this is something different that we can do to contribute,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Rial said the seasonal conditions had been pleasing.
“We have had 50mm of rain here in the past week and it has really made the spring for us,” he said.
“It is amazing how much the grass has got away,” he said.
The silage at Carabost will be used to finish steers.
