Issue link: http://ssaansw.uberflip.com/i/763383
20 Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc. It's encouraging to see that interest in the Farmer Assist program is steadily growing with members, landowners and key farming stakeholder groups after SSAA NSW attended several regional field day events. NSW Shooter randomly selected a landowner who recently posted a job online to find out more about their experience with the program so far. SSAA NSW: How did you find out about the program? Farmer: I'd originally sought help through an online forum seeking help with my wildlife management issue. It was one of the forum members that recommended I check out SSAA's Farmer Assist Program. SSAA NSW: How did you find the registration and job posting process on the Farmer Assist website? Farmer: It was so easy. I think the entire process took all of 5 minutes to complete. SSAA NSW: Were you happy with both the number and types of responses you received from SSAA members? Farmer: I was surprised how quickly and just how many responses I actually received. Some were very brief whilst others were quite extensive. SSAA NSW: Did you manage to find suitable candidates for your project? Farmer: Yes, I did. It was difficult to choose given I didn't know any of the shooters and some of the responses simply had "I can help, call me." That doesn't really give me enough information to make an informed decision about who I invite onto my property. In the end, I chose a couple of local lads. They were both polite and considerate of the needs of the farm and the expected outcomes that we wanted to achieve. SSAA NSW: Did you check the member's credentials when they arrived? Farmer: Yes, I did. They both presented their SSAA membership card, firearms licence and their Farmer Assist target. SSAA NSW: How would you rate the members' performance? Farmer: One did well, the other didn't quite manage to meet the necessary outcomes that we needed to keep the wildlife numbers down. SSAA NSW: Do you plan to continue to use the Farmer Assist program to help with your wildlife management? Farmer: Definitely. There simply aren't enough hours in the day to perform everything necessary to maintain the farm, with wildlife management often taking a back-seat. I can see this program being able to help with this well into the future. SSAA NSW: Would you recommend the Farmer Assist program to anyone? Farmer: Well, funny you should ask. I've had neighbouring property owners take a keen interest in what I was doing to help curb the wildlife issue. One wanted me to organise the shooters to go to his property as well. I told him that if he needs shooters, go to the Farmer Assist website, register, it only takes 5 minutes, and find yourself a couple of suitable candidates to come help. So yes, I would definitely recommend the program to others. I think it's a fantastic initiative run by SSAA. As I said before, I cannot believe how easy it was to register and find shooters to help me. Keep up the good work! Farmer Assist: Connecting Farmers with SSAA Members