Food

While Christmas is a time for excitement, celebration, food and family for many Clarence Valley locals, with the financial crisis continuing to hit the region ... it can be a time of loneliness and despair. Charities from both the Lower Clarence and Grafton reported increased demand over past years, especially for food...

On Sunday the inaugural Lebner family bake-off was held in memory of family matriarch and renowned cook, Enid Lebner. This year’s challenge was one of Enid’s favourite recipes and a diverse field of entrants lined up for the hotly contested Yo-Yo Classic trophy.

It was a memorable occasion last Friday when local food pantry provider, Corryong FoodShare Services, offically opened its new premises in Harris Street. The honours were carried out by Member for Indi, Helen Haines, and the French Ambassador to Australia, Jean-Pierre Thebault.

From Maureen Donnellon, Birchip Probus Member. Friday, October 13, was a day 22 Birchip Probus members will remember forever as one of the best outings they have ever had, when they visited our own Sharp’s Bakery for a crash course in what a day in the life of the bakers could involve and to learn about some of the methods and machines involved and the sheer huge scale of the local business.

The best of Queensland beef has been showcased in Shanghai at the China International Import Expo (CIIE), the world’s largest import trade fair. Choice cuts were prepared for canapes, sirloin beef rolls and mini wagyu burgers by world class chefs for close to 80 guests...

A local food pantry provider for needy and disadvantaged people is now able to offer more support services now that it has found a permanent home.

A delectable lentil lasagne, cooked by Nhill local, Wendy Bywaters was declared the winning dish by celebrity chef, Tim Bone, at West Wimmera Health Service’s Cooking Competition recently ... the region’s quality produce and ingredients were put right in the spotlight.

The population of planet Earth is increasing. But the area of the planet is not growing. Sooner or later, this will make famine a mortal threat to the population of many countries. Scientific and technological progress will not save everyone. After all, increasing the efficiency of agricultural labour can solve the problem only when the area of agricultural land is sufficient for this. Therefore, food wars will become part of the future of humanity. The first such war is already underway. This is the war in Ukraine!

Meeting the export premium market certification requirements for non-genetically modified organism (non-GMO) produce has just been made cheaper, easier, and more efficient for Australian farmers. Continuing its ongoing focus on export reform … DAFF has phased-out the use of manual processing for non-GMO certification to 37 countries...

Lestatt Hammond-Hurst from Glenreagh will represent NSW in the baking category at the WorldSkills Australia 2023 National Championships in Melbourne ... “In preparation for the competition, I’ve been working hard on my consistency, and making sure everything I take out of the oven looks perfect and has the same texture and colour."

Leader of the Nationals and Member for Maranoa David Littleproud is urging farmers and families in Maranoa to help stop Labor’s fresh food tax, by registering interest to have their say online. Consultation has now opened into Labor’s Sustainable Funding to Strengthen Biosecurity – Have Your Say - Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, released on 26 July 2023, shows food inflation slowing in the June quarter. Rabobank senior food retail analyst Michael Harvey said “Food inflation is at 1.6 per cent for March to June (unchanged from the last quarter), and 7.5 per cent year-on-year – slowing down from last quarter at 8 per cent”.

The George the Farmer story began in 2012 when founder Simone Kain was trawling the internet looking for farming books and apps for her farm-obsessed son George ... "I quickly discovered there wasn't a human farming character globally who was telling sequential stories about life on the land for children, let alone a modern Aussie farmer telling real, relatable yarns," she said.

Fin Hansen. All local hotels could soon be forced to serve meals, pending a review into the Liquor Licensing Act. Moonta Hotel has been the only licensed venue serving regular meals since the Black Rhino Group purchased all three hotels in Moonta last year ... Copper Coast Council elected member Brent Walker says he is incredibly disappointed in the lack of communication from Black Rhino Group.

Food and Fibre Great South Coast released a comprehensive suite of interactive classroom resources designed to build school students’ exposure to Victoria’s diverse food and fibre sector. Drawing on a wide-range of resources from leading industry and education bodies, these free classroom resources have been selected and aligned with key areas of the Australian curriculum for teacher ease and direct student relevance.

A local home business that was born out of the pandemic has been nominated for an Australian Rural Business Award. The extended lockdowns were the catalyst for Shelley Neale to create her business, The Khancoban Kitchen, which specialises in gourmet pantry products.

In the face of already numerous adversities, the Northern Rivers of NSW is grappling with yet another concern: food security. Floods, bushfires, and the ongoing impact of the Covid pandemic have exposed vulnerabilities in the region’s food system but also presented an opportunity to re-think how food is grown, distributed and consumed.

When John McFadden gave up a promising career as an NRL player aged 14, his parents Bob and Bernice never imagined he would be crowned World Food Champion, but they were determined to support him to pursue his dreams ... John said. John decided to become a chef and started as a kitchen hand at a restaurant at Long Jetty on the Central Coast called Dominic’s Manor...

Australia’s food systems must change now to remain sustainable in the future according to a new roadmap released by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency ... The roadmap, Reshaping Australian Food Systems, sets a path for how Australia can secure a more sustainable, productive, and resilient future for its food, environment, and people.

Humble vegetables  ignited hot debate this week when icecream featuring pumpkin and cauliflower was served to more than 3000 people at the nation’s annual Hort Connections event in Adelaide. The two bespoke gelato flavours - cauliflower-vanilla bean and pumpkin-ginger bread - are harmonious savoury-meets-sweet flavour combinations.