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,...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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,...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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....
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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_outlineThere are sheep farmers, and then, there’s Lady Ba Ba. My guest today is an incredible advocate for agriculture and the industry is lucky to have her. Through her social media platforms, she educates people about the wonders of wool and takes on some tough topics, often successfully turning critics into fans. With such a bubbly personality, it’d be a waste if we didn’t see more of her. So, thankfully you can also catch her on television. Lady Ba Ba, otherwise known as Mel McGorman joins me now to discuss:
- Mel has a sheep and grain farm in South Australia and shares her favourite place there.
- Her first viral post, which was footage of a bushfire and it’s impact which, made international news.
- Wool is an amazing fibre and most are unaware it is fire resistant.
- The argument and reasoning around the practice of live sheep export and, the facts around this method.
- As a farmer and a mum, Mel uses social media to share stories about the reality of raising a family on the land.
- Mel shares the opportunities which have arisen with social media and, the importance of ‘putting yourself out there’.
- With the cost of living, Mel explains the different sorts of meat we can be eating to reduce costs.
- Supporting local farmers and butchers.
- Her experience on Channel 7’s “South Aussie with Cosi” https://southaussiewithcosi.com.au/
- What Mel loves most about working on the land.
- The most unexpected thing to happen on this journey.
- Dissolving misconceptions around farming and looking after animals.
- Mel’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.
Links:
Connect with @angieasimus on Instagram
Partnered with Australian Farmers
Follow @australianfarmers on Instagram
Follow Lady Ba Ba on Instagram