So says Elmore farmer David Johnson. He remains optimistic about his farm’s prospects despite a dry winter outlook from the Bureau of Meteorology, on top of an unusually dry summer and autumn.

On Thursday, the bureau released its quarterly seasonal outlook predicting continued warm and dry conditions through winter.

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Conditions aren’t ideal, but Mr Johnson thinks local farmers are doing alright, especially compared to those over the border in NSW who have experienced a prolonged dry spell.

Mr Johnson farms around seven and a half thousand acres to the west of Elmore. He’ll try his hand anything on the land, but he’s currently sewing lots of crops, and running merinos, suckers and a few cattle.

He, and others he knows, has been buoyed by a good store of hay made in 2016, which has had a high market value due to dry conditions elsewhere.

Mondays rains were “terrific” to get begin pasture growth, he said, and he’s hoping for another in the next few days.

“It’ll get everything going,” he said. 

“Everything that’s been dry sewn will germinate and come up with that rain.”

Conditions have been dry, but record wool prices mean most farmers are yet to feel the effect, says Bendigo based Rural Financial Counsellor Ken Slater.

A lack of feed is the real issue most farmers face right now. Sunday night’s heavy rains will help crops along, Mr Slatter said, but farmers still have to face a dry gap before they take effect.

At this stage, it’s the potential to get dryer which is of the most worry to farmers.

“It is a bit dry, but it could still turn around. Farmers tend to be optimists, you have to be I think,” Mr Slatter said.

“Mainly at this stage it’s a query, it’s a lack of confidence in what’s coming.”

He urged struggling producers to contact Rural Financial Counselling if they were in need of help. 

“Rural counselling is a free service, and it’s there for anyone who needs a bit of help,” he said.