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Young Farmer Challenge
  1. Royal Agricultural Society of NSW
  2. Sydney Royal Competitions
  3. Competitions
  4. Young Farmer Challenge

Young Farmer Challenge

The RAS Young Farmer Challenge is the ultimate test of skill and ability, with young farmers showcasing their expertise in a series of on-farm challenges.

The RAS Young Farmer Challenge is the ultimate test of skill and ability, with young farmers showcasing their expertise in a series of on-farm challenges. This can be anything from animal handling to fencing, driving tractors, putting out fires, first aid, heavy lifting and transport challenges.

Results

Results

2019 RAS Young Farmer Challenge NSW Final Moree Maples -        Toni Dakis -        Tom Dakis -        Aly Engelberts -        Kyle Hoyda   2018 RAS Young Farmer Challenge NSW Final Wagga Wagga Team -        Georgina Milne -        Paige Mazoudier -        Emma Gorman -        John Dawson   2017 RAS Young Farmer Challenge NSW Final Goulburn Team -        Sam Brown -        Aidan Barton -        Ewan Brown -        Amanda Herringe   2016 RAS Young Farmer Challenge NSW Final Canberra Team -        Matt Sheehy -        Sam Brown -        Tana Smith -        Kimberly Sykes   2014 RAS Young Farmer Challenge NSW Final Crookwell Team -        Bec Hewitt -        Gearin Price -        Scott Kensit -        Jamie Boothman  

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From the Bush Telegraph

From the Bush Telegraph

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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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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We fed the girl meat

We fed the girl meat

Two minutes and 40 seconds is all it takes to cook the perfect Wagyu steak. Carefully sliced to 10mm thickness and passing through the cooking chamber before resting for exactly two minutes, the steak was at its optimum flavour point. The fatty, marbled flesh tasted rich and gently sweet, with a lingering savoury taste. The judges only got a slither of wagyu, enough to give it a score but not enough to feel satisfied and full. That was lucky because they had to leave room in their bellies for the Grass Fed Beef and the Grain Fed Beef. Pleased by the very high standard of entries in the Sydney Royal Branded Beef , Branded Lamb and Branded Pork competitions, Chair of Judges George Ujvary was happy to welcome university student Sophie Ward for her first experience as a Sydney Royal judge. Sophie is currently finalising her Honours in Animal Science at Roseworthy College in South Australia and hopes to go on to complete her PHD in Sow Welfare. Sophie’s area of interest is the influence of the living conditions of pigs on the quality of the meat. “It was pretty incredible to taste such sweet flavoursome and tender pieces of pork,” said Sophie, “I would have loved to know about the living conditions from the entries afterwards, as well as the feed they were given as some of the flavours were just incredible.” Christmas dinner is looking good this year with such positive feedback from the Sydney Royal Branded Beef , Branded Lamb and Branded Pork competitions. 

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A few top drops

A few top drops

Wondering what to look for in wine for the rest of 2017? The KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show judges have done the work for you so no matter which wine region or territory you would like to support, here are some of the top selections by State. For a full list of the 2017 KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show medal winners visit Australia's Best Producers . NSW STEVENS SEMILLON 2011, Tyrell’s Vineyards Pty Ltd NOBLE ONE 2015, De Bortoli Wines PEPPER SHIRAZ 2013, Montoro Wines VAT 1 SEMILLON 2017, Tyrell’s Vineyards Pty Ltd VAT 47 CHARDONNAY 2013, Tyrell’s Vineyards Pty Ltd BRUT TRADITIONELLE NV, Centennial Vineyards CATO TEMPRANILLO 2015, Moppity Vineyards VIC OLD PREMIUM LIQUEUR TOPAQUE NV, Morris Wines CELLAR ONE LIQUEUR TOPAQUE NV, Morris Wines OLD PREMIUM MUSCAT NV, Morris Wines VP 2013, Morris Wines AMEN BREAK CHARDONNAY 2015, Clonal Brothers PENNON HILL CHARDONNAY 2016, Montalto Vineyard & Olive Grove GREAT WESTERN CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2015, Best’s Wines Pty Ltd SA RIESLINGFREAK No. 3 CLARE VALLEY RIESLING 2017, John Hughes Wines MATTSCHOSS SINGLE  VINEYARD EDEN VALLEY SHIRAZ 2015, St Hallett PEPPERJACK SPARKLING SHIRAZ NV, W Salter And Son THE MARL SHIRAZ 2016, Hentley Farm AGED RELEASE RIESLING 2013, Penfolds Wines Pty Ltd CHRONICLES 7 th GREEN CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2016, Hardys S.C. PANNELL BARBERA 2016, Stephen Pannell Wines Pty Ltd WA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2017, Miles From Nowhere Winemakers SAUVIGNON BLANC RESERVE 2016, Redgate Wines SRS WALLCLIFFE CHARDONNAY 2016, Flametree Wines DJL SAUVIGNON BLANC SEMILLON 2016, Xanadu Wines MERLOT 2016, Amberley Wines REDBROOK  CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2014, Evans & Tate VERSE 1 CABERNET MERLOT 2015, Brookland Valley TAS/ACT GRAND VINTAGE 2008, House of Arras (TAS) PINOT NOIR 2016, Meadowbank Wines (TAS) ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2015, Gala Estate Vineyard (TAS) BRUT ROSÉ 2013, Clover Hill (TAS) 660 CANBERRA SHIRAZ 2016, McWilliam’s Wines Group Pty Ltd (ACT) 1877 SHIRAZ 2015, McWilliam’s Wines Group Pty Ltd (ACT) DEVIL’S CORNER MT AMOS PINOT NOIR 2015, Brown Brothers Tasmania (TAS)

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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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11 treats for Father’s Day

11 treats for Father’s Day

Spoil dad with these scrumdiddlyumptious selections from the 2016 Sydney Royal Wine, Dairy and Fine Food Shows.   BEER Gold American Pale Ale www.napoleonebrewers.com.au Napoleone Brewers, Coldstream NSW 3770   Gold Silent Knight Porter www.mobrewing.com.au Modus Operandi Brewing, Mona Vale 2567   Champion Lovedale Lager www.sydneybrewery.com Sydney Brewery, Lovedale NSW 2325   WINE Trophy 2014 Second Innings Malbec www.bleasdale.com.au Blesadale Vineyards, Langhorne Creek SA 5255   Trophy 2014 CCS Shiraz www.chalkerscrossing.com.au Chalkers Crossing, Young NSW 2594   CHEESE Gold Heritage Vintage www.begacheese.com.au Bega Cheese, Bega NSW 2550   BACON Gold Canadian Style Maple Bacon www.germanbutchery.com.au German Butchery, Mona Vale NSW 2103   LAMB Champion Grass Fed Lamb www.millyhill.com.au Milly Hill Lamb Pty Ltd, Armidale NSW 2350   BEEF Champion Grass Fed Beef www.bindareebeef.com.au Bindaree Beef Pty Ltd, Sydney NSW 2000   OLIVE OIL Champion Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil www.cobramestate.com.au Cobram Estate, Lara VIC 3212   COFFEE Best in Show Kenya www.mycuppa.com.au Carlini Coffee Company, Ashburton VIC 3147

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