Jack Berne

Meet Jack Berne & A Fiver for a Farmer. From a $5 idea to a National movement

In 2018, 10-year-old Jack Berne was learning about the devastating drought affecting farmers across Australia. He couldn’t believe how tough things were for the people who grow our food, families struggling to keep livestock alive, crops failing, and communities breaking under the pressure of ongoing hardship.

Jack felt he had to do something. So, he came up with a simple idea: if every student in Australia brought in $5, they could raise millions to help our farmers. He called it A Fiver for a Farmer, and it started with his school community dressing up as farmers for the day and donating $5 each.

That small act of kindness sparked something massive. The story spread like wildfire, first across his local area and then nationally, with schools, businesses, and individuals from all over Australia getting involved. By the end of the first campaign, over $1.6 million had been raised for drought relief charities including Rural Aid and Drought Angels.

Since then, Jack has continued to rally support for Aussie farmers, expanding the cause to help during floods, bushfires, and even mouse plagues. He’s spoken at TEDx, won awards, appeared in national media, and founded the Jack’s Mates Foundation to grow the mission further.

Today, afiverforafarmer.com.au is the central hub for schools, workplaces, and communities to get involved each year. Participants are encouraged to dress like a farmer, host events, donate what they can, and most importantly, learn about the people behind their food.

The message is simple but powerful: From little things, big things grow. One kid. One idea. A whole lot of impact.

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