Parmas help farmers

Local businesses support farmers through parmas.

GOOD CAUSE: David Kirkbride from Roma Grind and Ben Cannon from the White Bull Tavern and Commonwealth Hotel have joined together to raise money for drought-affected farmers with the parma for a farmer campaign. Picture: Molly Hancock

ROMA businesses have rallied to help those effected by the crippling drought by lending their support to Rural Aid's Parma for a Farmer initiative.

The Commonwealth Hotel, the White Bull Tavern and Roma Grind Cafe have raised more than $2000 for the Buy a Bale program.

"For the Comm this initiative has gone well as we have offered it with the traditional parma and the American parma and the same down at the White Bull,” Commonwealth Hotel and White Bull co-owner Ben Cannon said.

"We have raised $800 at the White Bull and just over $1034 here at the Commonwealth.

Roma Grind owner David Kirkbride said he had been keen to lend his support.

"We don't usually have a parma on our menu, so we decided for two weeks to do it as a special and have sold around 120 parmas and raised $614,” he said. "People just loved getting behind it.”

The two business owners said they were working together for a great cause.

"Parmas have always been a popular choice on the menu but I think people wanted to know how they could help and this was a way they could easily,” Mr Cannon said.

Mr Kirkbride said it was a way for people to help out those in need.

"People don't realise how much of an impact it has on local businesses when it is dry,” he said. "This is our way of giving a bit to those feeling it the most and those are farmers.”