Two of the country’s leading agribusinesses fired up the barbie for Mates, Meals and Mo-ments, an initiative to support Australian farmers and the Movember men’s health movement.

Corteva Agriscience and Muirs joined together to host relaxed barbecues in Muirs stores or on local farms around the country, to share good food and conversation and celebrate the people who keep agriculture going.

“Mates, Meals and Mo-ments is our way of saying a simple, heartfelt thanks to our customers, who are the growers, teams and local farming communities that make up the backbone of Australian agriculture,” Muirs national marketing manager Emily White says.

“Our farming communities juggle unique pressures, from seasonal swings to market volatility and isolation on-farm, so we want them to know they are valued and appreciated,” she says.

“Whether it’s a neighbourly chat over the fence, a friendly cuppa, a call from the tractor or truck cab, or sharing a snag at the end of a tough week, the small moments can make a big difference.”

A fourth-generation Australian family business, Muirs is a farm supply retailer with almost 50 stores nationwide, offering chemicals, fertiliser, after-harvest care and market delivery to mixed farmers, horticulturalists and livestock producers.

“We’ve previously supported the Mo-vember movement but this year we decided to combine with Corteva, one of our key suppliers, to broaden our support to Mates, Meals and Mo-ments,” Emily explains.

“We also had three barbecues scheduled with a group called Young Horties from the fruit and vegetable industries, in Ulverstone, Tasmania; Manjimup in Western Australia; and at the Horticulture Business and Investment Summit in Melbourne,” she adds.

“While we’re chatting round the barbie, we also told customers about anything new and relevant to their crops.

“And our stores sourced the food locally, whether that’s sausages in bread or bacon and egg rolls, which is what National Ag Day was all about – supporting local communities.”

Gregg Baynon from Corteva Agriscience says the company chose to partner with Muirs for Mates, Meals and Mo-ments to foster connection through sharing a meal together.

“As a company we don’t see as many farmers as Muirs do, but we certainly encounter the effects of tough times when we’re talking to staff in the Muirs stores,” Gregg says.

“They’re sometimes looking for a relief valve because of what clients have been telling them, so we almost become counsellors to the reseller staff. Ultimately, we’re all in it together, supporting the farmer,” he says.

“National Ag Day is an opportunity to highlight our role in feeding the world, and we’re also very aware the past 12 months has been very tough in parts of Australia.

“We want Mates, Meals and Mo-ments to be the equivalent of a warm hug for farmers, to say ‘We’re here for you’.”

The Movember charity was registered in Australia in 2004 to publicise key men’s health issues of prostate cancer, testicular cancer and suicide prevention, encouraging men to grow a moustache through November and raise money to fund health services.

Corteva Agriscience country lead, Ian Corr, paid tribute to the initiative from Muirs and said support for farmers and agricultural workers was critical to the future of Australian farming.

“Corteva has previously supported TradeMutt’s mental health movement to start a conversation between mates, and we’ve also seen some pretty competitive moustache-growing amongst our staff for Movember,” Ian says.

“As a major supplier, we’re grateful to have the opportunity to team up with Muirs for Mates, Meals and Mo-ments to show everyone involved, from corporate accounts to regular farmers and workers, that we appreciate what they do for our farming communities,” he says.