Relentless rain has devastated the owners of a Macleay Valley fruit and vegetable farm

Australian farmers are constantly being challenged by Mother Nature, with bushfires, droughts and floods, not to mention a pandemic thrown in the mix.

But Wendy and Peter Cooper of Pete's Vegie Ranch in Kempsey, say the biggest blow of all in their 21 years in business, has been this year's rain.

When asked if they had found it difficult to find workers post COVID-19, Ms Cooper's response was that they simply didn't have enough crops to pick; half their produce had been washed away.

Macleay Argus reporter Ellie Chamberlain spoke to the couple on their farm.

The sun is shining on the day I visit Pete's Vegie Ranch in Kempsey, but the effect of recent rains are as clear as the blue skies above.

Wendy greets me in loungewear. There's no need for overalls today as there will be no picking.

Pete is in bed sick.

Their little dog "Wags" leads the way to the greenhouse which should be packed-full of spring stock.

Instead, on the ground lie two lacklustre trays only half-full of tiny sprouts; hidden amongst grass and weeds growing through cracks in the concrete.

I'm told the seedlings cost $300. Pete won't bother planting any more for the season.

Wendy, Wags and I take a walk down to the gardens.

We pass a shopfront with "open" painted by the door, but it is clear there is nothing for sale.

In fact, they've turned off all the cool rooms and fridges for the foreseeable future.

The neat rows of vegetables in abundance, which were posted on social media just months previously, are nowhere to be seen.

On show is a stark patch of dirt that on closer inspection has little zucchini plants attempting to grow. They've flowered much too soon.

Wendy hovers her hand above the ground, showing me a height the plants should have grown to but, due to the rain, will never reach.

"They're already flowering so we might get some this size," she says pointing to her thumbnail.

The dirt patch is surrounded by gardens all overgrown with tall grass and weeds.

In the next field a friend drives a ride-on mower over the land.

Gardening has been Pete's life's passion, but recently, he's lost the motivation.

"Pete's just let it go now. He's over it.

"He's just letting the weeds grow now 'cause it'll have to be mowed over and start again," Wendy explains

We continue our tour and I'm shown beetroots without leaves, kale with yellow leaves and cabbage with sagging leaves.

Local woman Jeanenne Ayoub arrives to buy a bunch of beetroots for $5.

She is shocked to know the paddocks were all full of vegetables not too long ago.

"It's a shame the rain has ruined crops for the local farmers," she said.

The three of us scan the damp dirt and rustle up a decent handful, ignoring the bulbs the size of a tea-light candle; another vegetable dwarfed with the wet-weather.

Ms Ayoub is pleased with the pick and places gold coins in Wendy's hands who apologises that this time there are no leaves to use for salad.

The family-run farm is open when chatting online about their losses.

Now they are getting four people on average drive through per week, just to see what the couple can salvage and sell.

"We're local and don't use chemicals, but we can't sell when there's nothing there to give," Wendy said.

While Wags the dog treads on flattened cabbage and almost disappears behind stalks of dandelion, Wendy shows me photos of the crops that were almost ready to pick before the recent rains made them "rot before their eyes".

Pete always made time for his garden, but recently he finds it hard to even look at it never mind tend to it.

The ground isn't drying quick enough, his vegetables have been spoiled and there's more rain coming.

Wendy doesn't think her husband Pete is going to worry about planting any other stock for a while.

It'd be too heartbreaking to lose it again.

"Pete has eggplants and capsicum up in the greenhouse," she said.

"But I don't think he's even going to bother planting them."

I notice the cows in the next paddock are now peering over the fence. Wendy explains they've been feeding them the wasted vegetables recently.

The cattle think it's lunch time.

Wendy says the rain has been the "worst downfall" for the business.

She explains that not only is there a loss of money with a loss of crops, but the rain causes industry prices to rise too.

"Because of all the rainfall and flooding all the prices went up, the freight and all that stuff.

"So, as a small business we just can't do it. I can't do the vegie boxes anymore," she said.

Wendy recently sold a box of cucumbers for $3. The box cost $2.

"We're struggling, just like everyone else, whatever it is," said Wendy.

The couple continue to sell vegetables picked at a smaller size than they'd hoped "just to make a few gold dollars".

Posting cabbages and beetroots on their social media pages this week, the farmers will continue to pick what they can, but are in no rush to plant more produce with their spring stock stunted.

"That's Mother Nature. You can't predict it and there's nothing we can do about it. This is our future.

"You can't change it, you just have to hold your head up high and hopefully in the future..." she said as her voiced trailled off.

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