Farmers and Ranchers are the same all over the world when it comes to drought.<br />n<br />n<a href="http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,20860040-5006029,00.html" >Drought, despair and the farmer</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>Behind us is a tin shed with bales of feed piled to the roof. There's little left for the stock, and he's forked out $8000 for the hay, the first time he's ever had to do this.<br />n<br />nWe're talking about the prospect he faces of having to start letting numbers of his cattle go, instead of continuing the job of building his own herd.<br />n<br />nIn common with most farmers, John is an optimist and, despite his worsening predicament, still has time to consider those worse off than him.<br />n<br />nHe tells me about a dairy farmer in the Western District who was obliged to sell off the herd his family had built up over generations, because he could no longer afford the spiralling price of feed. </blockquote><br />n<br />nIt's amazing how continued drought on weigh in a person and drive them to despair. It gets so hard to make the tough decisions on how to cutback and where that you get tired after a while. Questions like, "Does it ever get easier?" come to mind. I'v all ready heard ranchers here lamenting that it's too dry and they will have to sell all their cows next year for lack of feed.<br />n<br />nMy sympathies and understanding go out to the farmers and ranchers of Australia. They are hurting right now in their drought and I completely understand the situation. Remember, next year will be better. You always have to believe next year will be better to keep going. That little bit of hope is sometimes all a person has.<br />n<br />n<strong>But what is Hope? Nothing but the paint on the face of Existence; the least touch of truth rubs it off, and then we see what a hollow-cheeked harlot we have got hold of. Lord Byron</strong>