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  1. Royal Agricultural Society of NSW
  2. Sydney Royal Competitions
  3. Competitions
  4. KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show
  5. Results

Results

Sydney Royal Competitions encourage and reward excellence, with the aim to support a viable and prosperous future for our agricultural communities.

2018 KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show Trophy winners

Trophy award winners

Bush Telegraph

Bush Telegraph

Going for the trifecta

Going for the trifecta

Some may consider three a crowd but not in this instance. In this case, three is the winning trifecta, with three Sydney Royal Regional Food Competition Champions collecting the coveted title in their first year of entering. Hum Honey, Bunny Chow Down and Hazelbrae Hazelnuts perhaps had a dash of beginners luck along with exceptional products, earning each the title of Champion. Hum Honey took the Champion Regional Food Other Product title home to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for their Cold Fusion Organic Lemon Myrtle Honey. With a passion of bringing consumers the purest raw honey from their free-range farm, Hum Honey embraces the philosophy of “savour the flavour”, and the Sydney Royal judges certainly did. Cold fusion is a process that allows the introduction of sensational flavours into the raw honey, a specialty that Hum have embraced and won them a hive of Sydney Royal medals. Along with their Champion Cold Fusion Organic Lemon Myrtle, Hum also received Silver for their Cold Fusion Organic Australian Lavender and their Cold Fusion Organic Cinnamon Quill and a Bronze medal for their Cold Fusion Australian Organic Ginger A bunny chow is a traditional curry served by street vendors in Durban, whilst a Bunny Chow Down Rosella Apple Chilli Jam is a Sydney Royal Champion Sweet Preserve. Combining a love of curry with a desire for unusual gastronomic flavour combinations, Bunny Chow Down took off in Queensland in 2013 and now includes an incredible range of chutney, marmalade, pickles and glazes.  Combining apple, sugar, rosella, lemon juice and chilli the Champion Sweet Preserve is bursting with sweet flavours with a bit of a zing and pairs beautifully with chicken. Hazelbrae Hazelnuts produce Tasmania’s very first hazelnut oil, which is also Sydney Royal’s first Champion hazelnut oil, the 2018 Champion Regional Food Specialty Product. This multi-purpose oil can be used for gentle frying, in salad dressing, drizzled over fruit or rice dishes, added to desserts or milk-based drinks and even applied as a moisturiser. With one of the largest hazelnut groves in Australia, the 5,000 hazelnut trees at the family-run farm in Hagley, northern Tasmania, certainly delivered the good oil for the judges.    Discover all the Sydney Royal Regional Food winners here.

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Get your kicks from this pack of six!

Get your kicks from this pack of six!

Much be known to many, it doesn’t cost the world for a good bottle of wine. To think that you have to compromise on quality and taste when buying a bottle that fits into your budget just isn’t the case these days. This is definitely evident with one of these best value wines, being awarded a Sydney Royal Gold Medal and retails for only $10.  Get your hands on this pack of six!   Top Best Value Wines: Houghton: 2016, Shiraz REYNELLA SA 95.0 = $9 Brown Brothers Milawa Vineyard Pty Ltd: 2017, 18 Eighty Nine Tempranillo MILAWA VIC 95.0 =  $15.99 Chapel Hill: 2017, The Parson Cabernet Sauvignon MCLAREN VALE SA 95.0 = $15.99 De Bortoli Wines: 2017, La Bohème Act 4 Syrah Gamay BILBUL NSW 95.0 = $16.70 6/18 De Iuliis Wines: 2018, Semillon CESSNOCK NSW 88.0 = $17 Ingoldby: 2016, Cabernet Shiraz Merlot NURIOOPTA SA 95.0 = $20 Discover more winners of the KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show  here.  

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Meet Branded Meat Judge, Karen Doyle

Meet Branded Meat Judge, Karen Doyle

Head Chef, Award Winner, Head Teacher, Le Cordon Bleu Australia Program Manager… and Sydney Royal Branded Meat Judge, Karen Doyle From a summer job as a commis chef in a boutique 5-star hotel in Ireland to Le Cordon Bleu Australia, Karen Doyle has followed her passion for quality ingredients and culinary experiences. She has worn many hats in a career that has included Head Chef and restaurant owner to Head Teacher and Program Manager. Karen’s award-winning culinary calling sees her perfectly positioned to judge Branded Meats in the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show. In her seventh year as a judge, Karen will taste an incredible array of 100% Australian farmed lamb, beef and pork including lamb rib racks and boneless pork loin. With a heavy weighting of 30% of each score allocated for tenderness, Karen will be enjoying young cuts of meat that have been quickly seared or grilled. Image from Le Cordon Bleu Australia Facebook Page 

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The science of tempering chocolate

The science of tempering chocolate

When we hear the word ‘chocolatier’,  it brings to mind a man in a brown suede top hat  and a long purple blazer,  the gorgeous Willy Wonka. He depicts a wonderful world of sweets and decadent goodness all within his very own chocolate factory. The classic character from our childhood presents a mouth-watering world where we see the likes of Scrumdiddlyumptious bars, Ever-lasting Gobstoppers and, of course, Wonka Bars. The famous Wonka Bar  was created with pure imagination and some assistance from always smiling oompa loompas. This may  seem surprising but you truly can create your very own Wonka Bar in your own  kitchen, thanks to the science of tempering chocolate.  I’m not sugar coating it, tempering chocolate actually is a lot easier than it seems. It is crucial when creating smooth, shiny chocolate with that oh so satisfying snap. Tempering your chocolate also eliminates the risk of eating chocolate that is greyish in colour with a slightly gritty texture (something worthy of a Slugworth product for sure!) Now, like the great Willy Wonka said, “Hold your breath. Make a wish. Count to three.” Three methods that is, to creating a beautiful piece of chocolate. Think of your kitchen as Wonka’s factory and yourself as the ever-productive, visually mesmerising chocolate fountain. You’ll be mixing and churning your chocolate by hand because “it’s the only way if you want it just right.” Tabling is the first method of tempering chocolate. Like creating that chocolate fountain in your own kitchen, you  must melt your chocolate to 45 degrees and pour two-thirds onto your kitchen bench top. This is where you churn, scrape and move your chocolate around until it reaches the perfect temperature of 27 degrees. Take your cooled down chocolate and transfer it to a heated pot where the thermostat is lowered to the working temperature of your chocolate. Thoroughly mix in your final third of chocolate until very well combined and smooth. Your chocolate should have reached around 32 degrees. If your chocolate sets at room temperature after a few minutes on the back of a plastic scraper then you’ve done it – you’ve tempered chocolate! The second method is seeding. Not to be confused  with gardening, seeding is heating your chocolate, again to 45 degrees. Instead of churning it on a bench top to cool down, you simply add in a quarter volume of chocolate callets. Callets are the type of  magic Wonka would have loved, they are chocoloate chips designed for melting – not baking! Stir the callets into your chocolate with the thermostat lowered to the chocolates working temperature until they have immersed and melted in. If you’re working in a room that is below 22 degrees, different chocolate will have different setting times. Dark chocolate should set in five minutes, seven for milk and between nine to 10 minutes for white chocolate. Method three is just knowing your numbers. Don’t let the figures scare you, as the title suggests, there is a science behind this and definitely a method to the madness. No two chocolates are created the same. Milk, dark and white chocolate all have different types of cacao concentrations in addition to cocoa butter. Milk chocolate tempers perfectly between 30-31 degrees, dark chocolate at 31-32 degrees and white at 29-30 degrees. Tempering chocolate is the process of heating and cooling chocolate to a certain temperature to control all of its crystals. Like building a house, your chocolate will not temper unless it has a solid structure, and that structure is beta crystals. These crystals must be present for you to achieve the desired consistency of your chocolate. Just like each kid that went into Wonka’s Factory,  five different crystals can develop within chocolate. The beta crystal is like Charlie, he is kind, loving and wants nothing but success for Wonka’s factory – he’s the only one you want! Forget Violet, Veruca, Augustus, and Mike TV. You don’t need them when you have Charlie! See, tempering chocolate can be ‘choc’ full of fun when you know what you’re doing! Now with “so much time, so little to do. Strike that. Reverse it;” there's only 78 days untill the smooth Festival of Chocolate where we will be holding the Ca llebaut Sydney Royal Chocolate Show. It will be here that festival patrons will be able to observe the Sydney Royal judging process. Tickets to the festival are on sale now. Get yours here.

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Is there milk in that hump?

Is there milk in that hump?

Camels have been milked for over 5000 years but the first pasteurised camel milk in Australia was not produced until 2014. This year the Sydney Royal Cheese & Dairy Competition welcomed camel milk for judging, and the first ever Gold Medal for Camel Milk was awarded, with a score of 18.5 out of 20, to Summer Land Camel Dairy. Camel Milk is higher in iron than cow’s milk, lower in cholesterol than goat’s milk, lower in lactose than cow’s milk and higher in vitamin C than cow’s milk. Camel milk is smooth, creamy, and pure white in colour. It can be used as a base for ice cream, cheese, gelato, hand cream, soap, shampoo and even body lotions. Camel milk makes delicious smoothies and panna cotta and can be added to your coffee and breakfast cereal. You can drink it by the glass or use it in place of cow’s milk in recipes. And the hump? It stores fat, a source of nourishment for the camel as it crosses the desert…

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No Way Brew!

No Way Brew!

Do you like an espresso or a latte? Neither! How about a piccolo? Like that little girl in the Old El Paso commercials asking ‘why don’t you have both’; a Piccolo combines your espresso and your latte. A piccolo latte is a café latte made in an espresso cup. It has a very strong but mellowed espresso taste thanks to the steamed milk and micro foam within it. One theory suggest the piccolo latte originated in Sydney baristas and coffee roasters started drinking piccolo-style coffee in order to check how their brews were tasting with milk throughout the day. Not wanting a dairy bloat nor to be bouncing off the walls so full of caffeine, this perfectly shrunk café latte deliciously does the job.   At this year’s Sydney Royal Coffee Competition, Piccolo was added as a class. As a result, exhibitor The House of Robert Timms has taken out two Champion Coffee Titles – Champion Piccolo Blend and Champion Sustainable Coffee. For a newly introduced class and to already have a Champion, The House of Robert Timms has set the bar (or even, beans) high. 

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Aw shucks...

Aw shucks...

For more than 25 years, the Rodely family have been farming award-winning oysters in the pristine waters of Nelson Lake located in NSW’s Mimosa Rocks National Park. Environmental sustainability is at the heart of the family business, with all oysters bred and grown on site and only eco-friendly materials used. Even wastewater is recycled to maintain local parks and gardens. Recycling titles is becoming a theme for the Rodely family and their Tathra Oysters too… once again they have been named Champion Sydney Rock Oyster at the Sydney Royal Fine Food – Aquaculture Competition. This is the 14 th year Tathra Oysters have taken home the title of Champion – 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. The Rodely family was presented with the Award of Outstanding Excellence in 2004 & 2007 for Tathra Oysters and won the Inaugural President’s Medal in 2006. Sydney Royal Medals benchmark products that have been deemed outstanding, the President’s Medal Judges examine the commercial success, environmental integrity and social involvement of the business behind the product. The President’s Medal is awarded to the best of the best, the supreme food champion. Perhaps Sydney Royal awards are the pearls in every Tathra Oyster shell.

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Valentines treats by a talented baker

Valentines treats by a talented baker

Today marks the day that many of us will be showcasing public displays of affection to our loved ones. Money will be spent on flowers, cards and teddy bears galore. Might we suggest adding a certain sweet treat to the shopping list for your other half? How does a chocolate praline croissant, a caramelised vanilla slice with raspberries and a fresh fruit Danish sound? Pretty good if you ask us and we think our Sydney Royal Professional Bakery Judges agreed awarding Champion Pastry to young apprentice, Joshua Nickl for these mouth-watering goodies. “It’s a big honour winning both Champion Pastry and Champion Apprentice. It’s a pretty special feeling.” Said Mr. Nickl As both the apprentice and son of famous, The Gumnut Patisserie, it’s safe to say that Mr Nickl was born and ‘bread’ in the baking industry. Founded by his parents Tracy and Vicki Nickl in 1995, the smells of dough, sugar and butter became all too a familiar scent, leaving the craving for a career in the family business. “I’ve spent a lot of time in the family kitchen. I knew from a young age that this was something that I wanted to do. I saw nothing else in my eyes” Mr. Nickl said. “As soon as I finished High School I started my apprenticeship and I haven’t looked back since” For this young apprentice, it can be said that his age doesn’t bring experience. What it does bring though, is a natural talent for creating amazing baked goods that are both easy on the eye and satisfying for the stomach. Everyone knows that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach, so what better excuse than Valentine’s Day to treat yourself someone special with the fabulous Champion treats from The Gumnut Patisserie. As their motto states, “Life’s short, eat dessert first”. To find out all the best sweet treats, baked goods and Australia’s best Coffee and Aquaculture from the 2018 Summer Fine Food Competitions, click here . 

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Wine makes all things possible

Wine makes all things possible

A young man with an impressive resume is the winner of the 2018 Sydney Royal Wine Study Scholarship. 29-year-old Tim Dexter is studying a Graduate Diploma in Viticulture and Oenology at the University of Adelaide. Originally from the Mornington Peninsula, Tim has a well-rounded knowledge of the Australian Wine Industry and has worked at both premium boutique establishments and larger, higher volume producers. Tim hopes to further develop his skills and knowledge of winemaking with the eventual goal of becoming a head winemaker. As part of the scholarship, Tim will gain experience as a steward at the KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show in July and is keen to absorb as much industry knowledge as he can. “The chance to contribute to, and learn from, the Sydney Royal Wine Show is incredibly exciting, and will no doubt be a rewarding exercise,” Tim said. With a long-term goal of becoming a leading winemaker here in Australia, the win is particularly helpful and includes $6000 to put towards university expenses.  “I look forward to applying the scholarship towards furthering my involvement in the Australian wine industry and, by association, furthering my education. This scholarship is made possible through the sale of excess wine from the 2017 KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show. Conducted annually, funds raised by the wine sale support the Australian wine industry through grants and scholarships. Chair of the Sydney Royal Wine Committee, Sally Evans, congratulated Tim, “Having grown up around the wine industry all my life I can totally understand a young person’s passion for everything wine,”  “We all hope to see Tim with his very own successful Australian winery one day in the future,” she said.

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RAS President’s Medal Finalists named

RAS President’s Medal Finalists named

The growing national interest in the annual Royal Agricultural Society of NSW’s (RAS) President’s Medal has been emphasised in the list of finalists for the 12 th annual staging of the prestigious award. The six finalists to emerge from the Sydney Royal Wine, Dairy and Fine Food competitions across the calendar year are; Barossa Fine Foods – Fior Di Cotto – Edinburgh North, South Australia. Black Label Berkshire – Black Label Silver Berkshire Pork – Beverley, Western Australia. Brasserie Bread – Flinders Ranges Sprouted Wheat Loaf – Sydney, NSW. Gage Road Brewing – Red Rye IPA, Fremantle, Western Australia. Gundowring Fine Foods – Gundowring Finest Ice Cream Licorice, Gundowring, Victoria. Poachers Pantry – Smoked Duck Breast, Springrange, NSW. The finalists represent the competitions - Deli Meat, Branded Pork, Beer and Cider, Dairy and Professional Bakery. During 2017 there were 5308 products entered and judged across 488 classes, resulting in 95 Champions. It was an exciting year for Pork, it being the inaugural judging competition. President of the RAS Robert Ryan says to be declared a finalist in the President’s Medal is a massive compliment to any Australian producer and an acknowledgement of  their quality and practices. “To be in this sort of company is a matter of great pride and recognition of a lot of research and development and tireless work by the finalists across every aspect of their production,” Mr Ryan said. “Australia truly is at the top of its game when it comes to food production and ingenuity and the Sydney Royal competitions are evidence of this with each passing year,” he said. President’s Medal finalists are rigorously evaluated based on the quality, marketability, financial integrity and environmental sensitivity of their operations. Following intensive judging including on-site audits and inspections across the coming months, the President’s Medal winner will be announced at a gala evening as part of the Sydney Royal Easter Show at Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park on March 28, 2018. Celebrity Sydney chef Colin Fassnidge is a President’s Medal judge and will be guest chef on the night. “I’m excited to be able to work with one of the finalist’s products in what I will present on awards night,” Colin Fassnidge said. “Aussie product is as good as it comes and being able to work with the best of the best is what chefs love,” he said. Another high profile chef Ed Halmagyi is one of the President’s Medal judges travelling the country visiting farms and factories as they study the operations of the six finalists. Ends For interviews and image requests, please contact: Roger White Manager, Public Relations Royal Agricultural Society of NSW T: 02 9704 1453 M: 0478 092 425 E: rwhite@rasnsw.com.au

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Sweet Study for Scholar

Sweet Study for Scholar

A 2016 Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) Foundation Rural Scholar is causing a buzz in apiculture with her research on a disease of economic importance to Australian agriculture. Tara Needham, a final year veterinary science student at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga, has undertaken an independent research project on American foulbrood (AFB), the most serious brood disease affecting honey bees in NSW. The bacterial disease kills larvae in their cells within the hive and current treatments exterminate the entire colony; devastating to an industry contributing approximately $36 million annually to the State’s economy. AFB is an infectious disease and can be spread by interchanging apiary equipment or if bees consume contaminated honey. Beekeepers are required to notify an apiary inspector under the Apiaries Act if their colonies are infected, if left unchecked AFB will eventually kill all the hives in an apiary and will spread to other hives within flying distance. “I expect to find AFB exists at subclinical levels in many hives and that while bees are able to manage those levels, environmental factors like stress and human influence such as pesticides can cause the disease to become pathogenic,” Needham said. The research involved collecting more than 1,000 samples over 5 months along with laboratory work to monitor seasonal patterns and AFB prevalence in the Riverina. Needham is now finalising results and aims to finish the report by her July graduation. “The prospect of publishing a scientific article on a subject I’m passionate about makes all the work completely worth it, it’s amazing seeing it come to fruition,” the 23-year-old said. Needham “fell into apiculture” after joining the Wagga Wagga Bee Keeping Club to learn about the only insect that produces food for human consumption. “I thought it would be a great hobby but it turned into a passion,” she said. “Bees are incredibly fascinating creatures with complex lives. Their world is dictated by smells and seeing ultraviolet; it’s so different from ours.” The NSW Department of Primary Industry supported Needham’s project alongside CSU staff including Veterinary Pathology Lecturer, Andrew Peters, who ensured experiments were correctly designed and the scientific process understood.  “Tara’s research is very significant to the future of this area in agriculture and vet science. Bees are economically and agriculturally valuable, the importance of their health should not be underestimated,” Peters said. Roughly 65 per cent of Australian agricultural production depends on pollination by honey bees, seeing their services valued between $4-6 billion. With more than 3,000 registered beekeepers and over 200,000 hives, NSW is Australia’s largest beekeeping state contributing approximately 40-45 per cent of the national honey crop. “It’s great that young vets are supported by programs like the RAS Foundation Rural Scholarship because it gives them the ability to explore emerging and niche needs within agricultural industries, Australian biosecurity and vet health,” Peters said. RAS Foundation Rural Scholarships assist individuals whose career aspirations benefit rural and regional NSW communities. More than 350 scholarships have been awarded since its inception in 2011 totalling over $1.7 million. Needham was one of 58 scholarship recipients in 2016, which covered her textbooks, apiary equipment and study placement travel costs. “The support of the RAS Foundation has been invaluable,” she said. “I’ve networked with other recipients and was able to dedicate myself to finishing my degree to my full potential without financial stress.” Executive Officer of the RAS Foundation, Kate Ross, said the scholarship re an initiative designed to ensure an increased flow of skilled people to rural and regional NSW communities. “Scholarships support our mission to build strong, sustainable communities by providing vital funding to rural-minded students working towards their educational goals,” Ross said. “We choose students who are passionate about their local communities and have the energy, skills and enthusiasm NSW country areas need to remain sustainable,” Ross said. Applications for the 2018 Rural Scholarships open on 1 August and close 30 September 2017 http://www.rasnsw.com.au/foundation/scholarships-and-grants/ras-rural-scholarships/

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The evolution of Australian chocolate

The evolution of Australian chocolate

Words: Jodie Van Der Velden With the Easter holiday celebration just weeks away, there’s no doubt chocolate consumption in Australia will spike. Chocolate eggs, said to be an ancient symbol of new life and resurrection and celebration of spring returning, have been associated with this religious holiday since the early 19 th century in Europe. With chocolate on everyone’s minds and palates at this time of year, it’s timely to reflect on all things chocolate and where Australia sits in the chocolate world. The Australian chocolate industry has experienced a rapid evolution over the last decade, with Australian artisan chocolatiers producing as beautiful chocolate products as those found in the luxurious chocolateries of Europe. At the 2013 World Chocolate Masters competition, Australia won third place ahead of Italy (first place) and Netherlands (second place) as well as winning Best Architect of the world - globe. These results clearly highlight the quality of training and innovation found here in Australia. Contemporary Australian trends in chocolate are very much in line with current global trends. Consumers are continually becoming more discerning through increased health awareness and education. Whilst there are certainly still consumers that are satisfied with mass manufactured low grade chocolate products, there is a rapidly growing consumer group that is concerned with the ethics and sustainability behind growing and harvesting cacao, and the manufacturing of chocolate.   Consumers are now interested in single origin and single plantation chocolates. These products are made from cacao beans grown in a single location or plantation and contain individual flavour profiles drawn from the cacao bean, rather than the addition of flavours.  As the health benefits of chocolate are continually revealed, astute consumers are very conscious of artificial ingredients. There is a growing trend to choose quality over quantity, with consumers turning towards high-quality dark chocolate rather than milk and white chocolates which contain a high sugar, low cacao content. Favourable consumer attitudes towards higher quality chocolate products have caused a decline in demand for some mass manufactured lower grade chocolate products.  This trend has resulted in more opportunities for boutique artisan chocolatiers to contribute to the market.  Consumers have become more daring than ever before and are trying, and loving, unique flavour combinations, such   as chilli and mango, lime and basil, saffron, and balsamic vinegar. The Sydney Royal Chocolate Competition is an ideal showcase for Australia’s chocolatiers. In my role as Chief Chocolate Judge, I’ve witnessed greater emphasis being placed upon innovation and the use of high quality natural ingredients from producers.  To see beautifully crafted, innovative chocolate products that have been executed with outstanding technical expertise and skill, being rewarded with Sydney Royal Gold Medals is a very rewarding experience in itself.  These awards are invaluable to the winner in acknowledging their outstanding product and encouraging further innovation to lead the Australian chocolate industry into the future.  About Jodie Van Der Velden Jodie Van Der Velden is the Chair of Judges for the 2016 Callebaut Sydney Royal Show and has been Chief Judge of Sydney Royal Chocolate competitions since 2012. Ms Van Der Velden has 10 years’ experience as a professional chocolatier. Her passion for the craft has been rewarded through myriad accolades. Considerable time spent in cacao plantations all over the world, working to understand the raw product in its natural state, has contributed in no small part to Ms Van Der Velden’s superior palate and the success of Josophan’s Fine Chocolates, which she founded in 2005.

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Seafood industry catches technology

Seafood industry catches technology

PHOTO: Fishtales WORDS: Sue White  Article first appeared RAS Times November 2016 Technological advances have caused an trend in the seafood industry resulting in animal husbandry improvements with oysters being a key example. “Oyster growing was historically fairly rudimentary: tar covered sticks in the mud. There are now methods and equipment that maximise the opportunity for the oyster to be at minimal stress during its growing, and have maximum access to food,” says John Susman, Managing Director of seafood marketing company Fishtales. The shift, says Susman, is very much a function of research and development. He thinks the results pay off in terms of taste. “I think the standard of oysters now is much higher than it was fifteen years ago.” He believes there’s another link between taste and traceability. Susman says that consumers’ desire to know a product’s provenance has changed the game for farmers in unexpected ways. “One of the real transformations has been that growers and catchers of seafood have taken a much greater interest in how their seafood tastes. It sounds like a simple principle, but for a long time a lot of catchers and growers were disconnected from where their product ended up,” he says. Susman also thinks that the closing of the gap between ‘catcher and cook’ and ‘water and plate’ has had a significant impact on the way seafood producers are looking at their businesses. “In aquaculture in particular there’s a much greater potential to have an impact or input into the outcome of the product than there is in wild harvest,” he says. It’s a principle with which Dr Belinda Yaxley, Sustainability and Accreditation Officer at Tasmania’s Petuna Group, would likely agree. “In salmon, we’re really getting towards world-class practice. You have automated feed systems, which allow you to feed the fish more efficiently, with little or no feed waste. You have a person sitting in a barge with computer screens; they just press a few buttons and the feed is delivered to the pen,” she says. Those pens now feature ‘in pen’ monitoring, not only to help producers better understand fish behaviour, but to keep a handle on the many environmental variables at play, such as temperature, dissolved oxygen levels or salinity. “That helps us improve our animal husbandry,” says Yaxley. While Petuna’s approach has been proactive, Yaxley says that in salmon, positive attitudes towards innovation are industry-wide. One change, now taken up by all three salmon growers in Australia, has had a multitude of payoffs. “We were the first company to adapt a trivalent vaccine. We’re now vaccinating fish so they don’t get sick, so we don’t actually need to treat them,” she says. Read more about the Australian aquaculture industry and its sustainability .

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Cheeseboard paired with Beer & Cider

Cheeseboard paired with Beer & Cider

You've heard of pairing wine and cheese but have you tried pairing beer and cider with cheese? It's time to venture outside your comfort zone with these delicious, medal-winning products. Cheese Berrys Creek Gourmet Riverine Blue www.berryscreekcheese.com Cheese Fish Creek VIC 3959   Coles Extra Reserve Cheddar www.coles.com.au Hawthorn East VIC 3123   Meredith Dairy Chevre Goats Cheese with Fresh Dill www.meredithdairy.com Meredith VIC 3333   The Heritage Burnie South Cape Brie  www.lionco.com Burnie TAS 7320   The Heritage Burnie Tasmanian Heritage Red Square www.lionco.com Burnie TAS 7320   Beer & Cider Franklin Cider Company Frank's Summer Pear Cider www.frankscider.com.au Franklin TAS 7113   Lion Australia Southwark Old Stout www.lionco.com Adelaide SA 5001   Malt Shovel Brewery James Squire Four Wives Pilsener www.james-squire.com.au Camperdown NSW 2050   Matilda Bay Dirty Granny www.matildabay.com.au Port Melbourne VIC 3207   Dad & Dave #1 Pale Ale www.dadndavesbrewing.com North Manly NSW 2100

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Where are they now - Claire Fenwicke

Where are they now - Claire Fenwicke

For Claire Fenwicke, winner of the 2015 JB Fairfax Award for Rural Journalism , being at the coalface of rural journalism with the Southern Highlands News is a dream come true. Claire attributes her high marks in her Bachelor of Journalism to the financial support she received from the RAS Foundation when she was awarded a $10,000 grant. The valuable experience she gained through interning at the Sydney Royal Easter Show and Fairfax Agricultural Media also helped her in landing her new role. Claire loves the breadth of coverage working at a regional paper offers. She has now written stories on business and tourism, education, community organisations, environment, animals and any other feature that might come her way. With Tulip Time blossoming across the Highlands, Claire will be out and about every day sending out live tweets, Facebook updates and online stories from the event. Each day brings with it a whole new set of experiences for Claire. The RAS Foundation is thrilled to have been able to support her in achieving her dreams. WORDS: Kate Ross

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