Clair's story is more than a narrative of gardening; it's a testament to the transformative power of horticulture. From a child marvelling at a neighbour’s pumpkin to a visionary reshaping perceptions of garden design, her journey illustrates the limitless potential from learning to grow.
Read MoreTraditionally, we'd always thought of them more to cook curries, or Indian, Moroccan cuisine. They’d use spices in things we were already cooking, like spaghetti bolognese, and it was to enhance everyday cooking rather than change it.
Read More“For me, it's about constant curiosity. constantly asking questions, why, and how does that happen? And if I keep curiosity in myself alive, then I keep learning.”
Read More“I like the freedom. You weren’t stuck to certain hours and you could work as long or as little as you like. There’s always something to do but I think there’s a free spirit about all things farming.”
Read More“Every day is different. Every season is different,” quips Lauren, in between her busy schedule.
Read More“I got sick of hospitality for personal reasons,” says Daniele. “My wife started doing some organic auditing and certification. She was looking into organic gardening. We found this place and we wanted to turn it into a small farm.”
Read MoreAs customers flow in for there famous Blonde loaves, Thais explains,“My husband John Reid has always been passionate about real food; wild-ferment authentic sourdough, baking the traditional way using the old scotch oven from organic stone-ground milled flour.” But last year tragedy struck, “My husband died of cancer last year and this was always his passion.”
Read MoreBut for Matt, the thrill remains in the chase. “It’s something that has excited my primal hunter-gatherer brain,” explains Matt. “You're walking around in the forest, doing the job on autopilot, and I find you can really just plan and think. All the wargames in my head just play out. It’s a real luxury to have the time to just think things right through without distractions. It keeps me happy. I’m very happy in my life.”
Springmount Fine Foods was launched in 2015 with Black Garlic being their first product.
Read MoreCarmel recalls the burst of flavour from her first batch. “It's not what you would expect. It's like a good red wine. When you first open your mouth you're shocked at how sweet it is. Then you start getting this balsamic, tangy flavour that’s almost like licorice. And then at the end, you finish on an earthy garlic flavour. It's such a complex flavour that it triggers your brain onto lots of different tangents as you eat it.”
Springmount Fine Foods was launched in 2015 with Black Garlic being their first product.
Read More"Ferments need to be eaten as part of our regular diet. On the table, in our lunches - small amounts of different ferments regularly " says Sharon.
Read MoreIn 2014, while piecing together a new life on their farm in Kyneton, their lives took an unexpected turn…
Read MoreToday, situated on the northern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, just outside the picturesque township of Hepburn, Lithia Springs offers a family run grove producing exquisite olive oil.
Read MoreAlthough Christine grew up in the city of Salzburg, her heart had always pined for her uncle's farm in rural Austria. “I think he was my big hero. He was my big inspiration. He grew his own corn. He had his own cows. His own horses, chickens, his own pigs. My aunt had a massive veggie garden. So, they were very much self-sufficient. Ever since I was a little kid, I said ‘one day I want to be living the same way!”
Read MoreSpud farming can be traced as far back as the Inca in Peru, who were the first to cultivate potatoes more than 8,000 years ago. In Trentham, since the early 1900s, a fertile strip of red volcanic soil has made potato farming a mainstay of the town's economy. But potatoes are more than just a product, after rice and wheat, they're the third most important food crop in the world and one of the finest sources of starch, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.
Read MoreJoseph Maiden was a botanist, curator and collector, most famous for his work with the eucalyptus and the acacia. Visitors to his museum were presented with 'narratives of progress' that traversed Australian botany, geology and zoology. Maiden would present a raw product and demonstrate how it could be made useful, the exhibits focused on ideas of progressive transformation.
Read MoreFor Sam White, it was a series of ‘a-ha’ moments that revolutionised not only the way he farms but how he lives his life. The first came in 2005, shortly after he’d acknowledged his passion for farming.
Sam had decided to return full time to the 850-hectare property his family has been farming in the granite hills around Sidonia for more than 150 years to work with his dad raising cattle and sheep. Sitting on the veranda of the modern rammed earth home that he built on the beautiful property with his wife Miranda and where they live with their two children Angus and Matilda, Sam explains the initial a-ha moment.
“I’d been learning about organic farming and alternative agriculture in Melbourne and I began to see that there was something that wasn’t working on the farm,” he says. “We kept having the same problems, the same diseases, the same lack of feed – some of the paddocks would be black from the sheep staying on them too long. There was just no grass left.
Read MoreMeg Ulman zips past my car on a bicycle with her Jack Russell, Zero, in the front basket and her son, Woody (Blackwood), on the back seat. “We've been car-free for 10 years. And the first day we got Zero, he was 11 weeks old and jumped straight into the basket.”
Read More“Nature is the manifestation of divinity, for heaven’s sake,” smiles Roger McLean. He sits calm and collected. His white hair quiffed. His water-coloured gaze pulling the room apart - recalibrating something spiritual. Roger McLean is not interested in alcohol for alcohol’s sake. In the Middle Ages, medicinal practices were referred to as natural magic - Herbal Lore distillery evokes that diminished practice.
Read MoreTerrines, rillettes and pates are the holy trinity to any occasion that celebrates conversation and clinking coupes. For Cameron and Murvet McKenzie, the duo behind local small-goods favourite Max and Delilah, the essence of these rustic dishes is simple—for people to enjoy each other's company. For centuries, food has catered to that bond.
Murvet waltzes in, glowing with enthusiasm. We meet at Wine By The Country, the testing grounds for Max and Delilah. “Cameron was dead set against food names for the company,” smiles Murvet, “Max and Delilah are our two cats. Delilah passed away two years ago but Max is still kicking around.”
Read MoreAbbie the truffle dog runs excitedly beneath the oak trees. She stops at a small mound of earth under a tree and gives a delicate scratch at the surface of the soil. Her handler Sue Daly looks pleased. “Another truffle,” she says. She takes out a small trowel and carefully digs around the mound with archaeological like delicacy to reveal the subterranean source of the bulge. It’s a truffle. A great big black truffle. A delicacy originally from Europe they are so valuable they are sold by the gram. Two dollars and fifty cents per gram. A decent sized piece to shave over your pasta will cost $25.
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