Two former city girls are putting the country back into small town hospitality and are improving the welfare of local farmers while raising money for charity.

Key points: Miriam Telfer and Eden Telfer began a community cafe in Ungarra SA, is small town with only a school and a church

Miriam Telfer and Eden Telfer began a community cafe in Ungarra SA, is small town with only a school and a church The cafe is entirely volunteer-run and all profit goes to local charities or overseas missions

The cafe is entirely volunteer-run and all profit goes to local charities or overseas missions Opening the cafe has connected farmers and community members, creating a supporting place to come together

Adelaide women Miriam Telfer and Eden Telfer married cousins who farm at Ungarra on South Australia's west coast.

They moved 650 kilometres from the big smoke to begin new lives.

Their husbands farm 4,250 hectares with four other families.

About four years ago the women started the volunteer-based Ungarra Community Cafe.

The cafe has been attracting all generations. The local church women have been donating cakes each week to go with the barista-made coffees, adding some city style to the country hospitality.

They do not get paid and any profit that is made goes to local charities or overseas missions.

The cafe runs for lunch on Mondays and morning tea on Fridays but had to close a month ago because the building they were using was put on the market.

Faced with the town losing its cafe, the community has rallied to find it a new home, so it now runs at the back of the town hall.

Eden utilises her barista skills at the cafe twice a week. ( ABC Eyre Peninsula: Jodie Hamilton )

Hub of the community

There are no shops at all in Ungarra, just a primary school, a church, and a sports complex for the 38 families in the town.

In its heyday the town had a bank, a bakery, a school up to Year 10, a general store and two churches, but since its creation the cafe has become a lifeline for the district.

"People are always so happy that it's happening and they're really excited to come and support it, especially last year when it was particularly tough for farmers around the place," Miriam said.

"It was really dry and a lot of people weren't able to put crops in and it still remained a place that people could come together and have support and chat to each other.

"That was really important for the community because they didn't have anywhere else to be coming and meeting people and chatting about how tough things are or what's been happening on their farm."

The cafe has also had social benefits in the town.

"There's been mothers from the playgroup who were feeling a bit lost in the town. They didn't feel they had a place," Miriam said.

"They have been coming along and there's always this amazing loud table of kids screaming, and people sitting and chatting.

"People feel like they have a bit more of a place."

'Beyond our expectations'

Eden said they were not expecting to find the cafe so rewarding.

"We don't necessarily see the effects of the cafe but it's quite rewarding when you see a big group of farmers sitting out having coffee and a chat out the front, or the mums that meet up each week, or come specifically to meet with others," she said.

"It's gone beyond our expectations that we had initially and we don't get paid but it's pretty rewarding a lot of the time.

"I think the community feels a bit of ownership for it now and it's sort of become an integral part of the community too."

Miriam and Eden have been overwhelmed by the community support for the local cafe. ( ABC Eyre Peninsula: Jodie Hamilton )

Their move to a new premises has kept the hall doors open but also provided some modern facilities for the cafe.

"We're mainly super excited about running water which we didn't have over there," Miriam said.

"Having hot water on tap and the toilets are just there 20 metres away — there's lots of little things that we probably shouldn't be excited about."

For four years they had to cart 20 litres of water to the cafe each session bucketing water for washing dishes and an urn was the only source of hot water.

Supporting community charities

As well as providing locals with a space to meet and connect, the cafe has raised $12,000 for charity.

"Before we even opened we made a mission statement and in that mission statement we said that it's not about making money," Miriam said.

"It's about providing a place for people to come and have good food, good coffee, and chat to people … any money that we did make would be given away.

"We've still done that through the whole four-and-a-bit years we've been open."

Miriam swapped the city for a country life and loves spending time on the farm with daughter Florence, 3. ( ABC Eyre Peninsula: Jodie Hamilton )

Eden said they aim to cover their own costs and do not need to pay wages as the cafe is run by volunteers.

"Our first day we made $11. We were sort of like 'oh' [disappointed], but that's okay, its fine," she said.

"We donate all our profits to community-linked charities or overseas mission work or community groups.

"It's [the amount donated] over $12,000. We've managed to cover our costs and be able to give that away.

"We think that's a pretty amazing achievement by the community, something to be really proud of."

Adjusting to rural life

It took a while for Eden to adjust to country life relishes the lifestyle with her husband and daughter, Hazel, 2. ( ABC Eyre Peninsula: Jodie Hamilton )

Eden's move to the country was not an easy process.

"I found it really difficult," she said.

"I was working as the pastoral care worker at the school while Miriam was on maternity leave so I had a job, but I struggle really quite badly with anxiety so moving from Adelaide was really difficult initially.

"Getting involved in things like netball and the school community and things like that really helped."

The cafe has helped others too.

There are few job opportunities in the community so the volunteers who help out feel connected," Eden said.

"We did have a new young family move to the community and the wife in that family has got involved and she's learnt to make coffee and really connect in the community."