S4 Ep 9 - Boon Luck Farm
Australian Farmers: Telling Our Story
It’s one thing to love feeding people – it’s another entirely to care so much about what they eat, that you grow the produce yourself. Such was her passion for food, that’s exactly what the owner of beloved Thai restaurant Chat Thai has done. It’s changed the ethos of the business, which first opened in Sydney in 1989. Today, there are 5 eateries, and if you dine at one of those venues, you might be lucky enough to taste the gorgeous organic produce farmed in the Byron Bay hinterland. To learn more about her desire to feed her own family and her customers with food grown with care,...
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S4 Ep 8 - Second Squeeze
Australian Farmers: Telling Our Story
There are few things more disappointing for a farmer than growing produce that can’t be sold because of aesthetic imperfections. Food waste is an issue that affects many primary producers, but with better technology and some entrepreneurial minds, that may all soon become very avoidable. Second Squeeze, as the name suggests is a business offering a second life to perfectly good food, that would otherwise be destined for landfill. To learn more co-founder, Brent Beauchamp joins me to discuss: Brent’s favourite Second Squeeze product that they have created so far. They turn perfectly good...
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S4 Ep 7 - In a Pickle
Australian Farmers: Telling Our Story
Pickles and McDonalds are a long-standing partnership. But many of us may not have thought about how those perfect circles are grown, fermented, sliced and finally, served up on your burger. Incredibly, there is just one family responsible for all those Maccas pickles Australia-wide. The Parle Family has been producing pickles for the fast-food chain, on their farm in Griffith, NSW for more than 3 decades. Operations Manager, Ben Parle joins me now to tell the story of the famous Parle Pickle. Ben’s favourite place on the farm. Although the farm has been around for a long time now,...
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S4 Ep 6 - Banking on Farming
Australian Farmers: Telling Our Story
As a fifth-generation grain grower from north-east Victoria, James Russell has a lot of hands-on experience. Despite that, furthering his formal education has helped him take his farm and career to the next level. He’s recently finished a dual degree in agribusiness and farm management and also ventured into the corporate banking sector. As the worlds of farming and banking collide, James has plenty of insights. He uses his skills to advocate for other growers and to expand his own operation to include fascinating elements of seed production like seed cleaning . To learn more about his...
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S4 Ep 5 - Dancing into Dairy
Australian Farmers: Telling Our Story
Pivoting from a career as a dancer to a dairy farmer, isn’t the most linear path. But for my guest today, it’s landed her in place where she feels right at home. Celina Pellett suffered a debilitating injury – a broken back and it caused a rethink. She’s now happy working among her cows in the NSW Gloucester region. To learn more about the unlikely road Celina Pellett has travelled, she joins me now to discuss: Celina shares her favourite spot on the dairy farm in the New South Wales Mid-Coast region. Originally from New Zealand, Celina reveals her family’s history in the dairy...
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S4 Ep 4 - Caviar & Kings
Australian Farmers: Telling Our Story
The saying, ‘fit for a king’ denotes a product of impeccable quality. It’s not often it literally means a king will try it. But in this case, caviar and kings go hand in hand. For anyone not previously familiar with the sustainable Murray River Cod produced by Aquna, in the NSW Riverina region, it certainly came under a spotlight during King Charles and Queen Camilla’s recent visit to Australia. To learn more about this pioneering business, Aquna’s CEO Ross Anderson joins me now to discuss: Ross gives us an overview of Aquna and their unique approach to producing Murray Cod....
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S4 Ep 3 - First time Farmer
Australian Farmers: Telling Our Story
It’s a big call to leave the familiar comforts of life in the city for the wide-open spaces of farm life. Even tougher to make the move in the middle of crippling drought. It was harder than Kaitie Nash thought. Much harder. And that took a toll on her mental health. Social media became a way to connect and build an online community. She’s also since improved her farm skills too! First Time Farmer, Kaitie Nash joins me to discuss: Kaitie’s favourite place on the farm. As a city girl, she shares how she ended up in country NSW. The expectations versus the harsh realities of life on the...
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S4 Ep 2 - Need for Seed
Australian Farmers: Telling Our Story
Vegetables are an essential for all of us. But it’s easy to forget that the big, bright and beautiful produce that fills our shopping bags, all starts with a tiny seed. The key to growing veggies all year round in different climates comes back to genetics. It’s the kind of science that gives cauliflowers UV protection or even turns them orange or purple. To learn more, I’m interviewing someone who doesn’t just develop seeds to suit every climate in Australia, she’s even transplanted herself from Darwin to Melbourne to pursue her career in agronomy. Plant scientist Eliza Seymour joins...
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S4 Ep 1 - The Food Scientist
Australian Farmers: Telling Our Story
We learn pretty early on in life that good food promotes health. But what’s not so simple is how many of those nutrients we actually absorb, or what impact does the way something is farmed have on the quality of the produce. Nicknamed, The Simple Scientist, my guest today has a bit of a superpower and that is being able to breakdown complex research to help consumers make better choices. And farmers are among her favourite people! Dr Anneline Padayachee joins me now to discuss: Anneline shares her favorite food fact. Dr. Anneline explains that nutrition starts on the farm and elaborates on...
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S3 Ep 26 - Country Careers
Australian Farmers: Telling Our Story
How does someone who spent their childhood in the middle of Geelong City in Victoria end up, not just working in agriculture, but literally getting her hands dirty at some of the country’s most remote cattle stations. My guest today is using her incredible story to encourage others to do the same. She is a valuable advocate for life on the land, highlighting both the romantic moments of county life but also the truth. To help others make the leap into agriculture a little easier, she’s the driving force behind online platforms Young Aussie Farmers, and more recently, Agriculture Jobs...
info_outlineBuying a dead cherry patch in South Australia’s Riverland and converting it into a vineyard, may not sound like the best career move. However, for my guest today bold decisions like that have dominated his winemaking journey. The first-generation farmer has been making wine for two decades now. Ricca Terra Wines (meaning ‘rich earth’ in Italian) has found the key to success with carefully selected grape varieties, innovative low alcohol options and in a surprise, even to himself, cask wine. To learn more Ashley Ratcliff of Ricca Terra joins me now to discuss:
- Ashely’s favourite place in the Riverland of South Australia.
- The great story of how Ashley came to live there and the condition of his land when he purchased it.
- The beginnings of the property and the decision Ashley is most proud of.
- Demonstrating innovation in his ability to adapt depending on the global climate.
- Ashley has more than 50 grape varieties, including Portuguese grapes and shares why he has taken this approach in the vineyard.
- Riverland in South Australia is hot and dry, and by taking the weather into consideration, Ashley has proven that this region can be used for vineyards.
- Consumer tastes are so important and, the huge market for lower alcohol options.
- Ashley shares his surprising business choice to launch cask wines and, some of the challenges.
- Ashley has the accolades to back up his success - in 2019 he was awarded a five-star rating in the 2020 James Halliday Wine Companion and again in 2021. He was also listed in the Top 10 upcoming wineries in Australia.
- Ashley is an advocate for the industry and is co-chair of the Riverland Wine Association.
- With China imposing tariffs during COVID and more recently an oversupply, Ashley shares the ‘yellow balloon’ he is focusing on right now.
- What Ashely loves most about life on the land.
- The most common misconception about the wine industry.
- The unexpected aspects of working in this area.
- Ashely’s ultimate dream for the future.
We hope to see you back on the road soon, to learn more about how Australia grows on the next episode of Australian Farmers with Angie Asimus.
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