Two friends with a love of coffee cross paths with Colombian farmer, changing lives across continents
Mathew Hatcher and Lewis McKenzie started a coffee-roasting business in a small Australian town, motivated less by money and more by the excuse to taste rare and expensive beans. When they met a coffee-growing family from Colombia, the business would transform lives and form a “connection with the heart”. ⌘ Read more

Cherry Queen crowned in Pooraka as first box raises $85k
Bidding started at $50k, but Donna Mecurio was crowned Cherry Queen with a bid of $85k at the SA Produce Market in Pooraka this morning. Money raised goes to the South Australia Brain Research Foundation. ⌘ Read more

Company owned by billionaires Andrew and Nicola Forrest hopes to expand sweet potato production
Sweet potato producer Harvest Road want to change WA’s reliance on the east coast with an expansion of its Brickhouse Station production in the Gascoyne. ⌘ Read more

Thousands of avocado trees ripped out as growers look for more profitable crops
Push it over. Pile it up. Strike a match. That’s been the fate of thousands of avocado trees as growers destroy entire paddocks in search of more profitable crops. ⌘ Read more

What If Wednesday: What if we cut the tax on tobacco in half?
Every Wednesday, Ali Moore takes a hypothetical question and asks “what if”, taking your calls and talking to experts in the field. ⌘ Read more

Minister in charge of tobacco licensing unable to explain costs of scheme
The Minister in charge of the tobacco licensing scheme has been unable to explain the costings involved in the scheme ⌘ Read more

South Australian fruit growers fight to save their pest-free advantage
Growers in South Australia’s pest-free area are under enormous financial and mental stress as they battle Queensland fruit-fly outbreaks. ⌘ Read more

International retailers fly into WA to learn more about avocados as export demand grows
Last financial year Western Australia produced a record volume of more than 65,000 tonnes of avocados, representing 44 per cent of the total volume grown in Australia. ⌘ Read more

Fast food chains help savvy farmers give supermarket price uncertainty the slip
The Story family know where every lettuce plant they grow is going and what they’ll be paid for it, but it hasn’t always been this way. ⌘ Read more

Robotic dogs helping hazelnut growers battle costly bird attacks
Most hazelnuts consumed in Australia are imported, but in a bid to boost local production growers are testing some creative solutions to stop birds attacking crops. ⌘ Read more

Orange juice price-hike hard on shoppers’ pockets but good news for Aussie farmers
There’s a good reason the price of orange juice has risen and supermarkets are not to blame. ⌘ Read more

Unique church service brings Pacific Island pickers together on outback NT farm
Mitchael Curtis, a former pastor turned mango farmer, believes holding a church service every Sunday night creates a community “connection” for workers. ⌘ Read more

Zest in life: a history of citrus
David Mabberley renowned botanist, educator and author of Citrus a world history reveals insights about our cultural evolution through the orange or lemon and other members of the citrus family. ⌘ Read more

Fruit retailing at $100 per kilo has huge demand but farmers are struggling to grow them
Quandongs fetch high prices but overcoming inconsistent supply remains a challenge to growing a market. ⌘ Read more

Growers defy avocado glut to plant more trees for lucrative foreign markets
While cheap avocado prices might be good news for consumers at the check-out, farmers are battling oversupply but have their sights set on new markets. ⌘ Read more

Mango price slide a “tragedy” for growers
Mango prices are on the slide, which is great for consumers but what about farmers? ⌘ Read more

They’re warty, lumpy and bumpy but these ugly pumpkins are prized for their looks
Ornamental pumpkins, sought after in the US for their weird shapes and unique colours, have exploded in popularity as Halloween decorations. ⌘ Read more

Love early summer grapes? Flush with water, this outback town could be where they were grown
Water, rich soil and early market access are the key ingredients to the success of Menindee’s horticultural industry in Far West New South Wales. ⌘ Read more

Food waste warriors stop tonnes of produce ending up in bins
Fresh produce goes to waste because it’s too small, slightly yellow from sunburn or has tiny spots of leaf rub. ⌘ Read more

For 26 years, Lorna and Brad’s open garden has drawn admirers. Their love story blossomed even earlier
With more than 450 varieties of roses, this couple has created a thriving oasis, which is considered one of the best open gardens in the Riverland Rose and Garden Festival. ⌘ Read more

Taiwan is famous for bubble tea but is now brewing its way to coffee fame
From premium pour-overs crafted with sought-after Taiwanese beans to affordable lattes brewed late into the night, Taiwan has become a true powerhouse for specialty coffee enthusiasts. ⌘ Read more

Farmers race to get chickpeas from Australian paddocks to India as tariff deadline looms
Pressure is mounting to get Australia’s chickpea harvest into India before taxes that could cost exporters more than half their profit kick back in. ⌘ Read more

From $20 to $2.50 a punnet. Why blueberry prices have dropped across Australia
If you’re a blueberry fan, now is the time to stock up. Prices have dropped in supermarkets across Australia as seasonal supply levels peak to astronomical heights. ⌘ Read more

Rent hike at Melbourne wholesale fruit and veg market expected to increase food prices
A rent hike at Melbourne’s biggest wholesale market could leave farmers who do not want to deal with Australia’s big two supermarkets with nowhere to sell their produce. ⌘ Read more

Brand new vineyard for a Tasmanian sparkling wine company
Tasmania’s newest vineyard up and running ⌘ Read more

‘Let it rip’? The multimillion-dollar tomato fight between farmers and government
Tomato growers placed into quarantine after the discovery of the tomato brown rugose virus say authorities should have been better prepared for the arrival of the virus. ⌘ Read more

South Australian wine growers plead for help as frost ‘disaster’ hits 80 per cent of grapes
Farmers in Australia’s largest wine grape growing region are still counting losses from severe frost last month and there is no help on the horizon. ⌘ Read more

‘People shop differently now’: Stall operators fear the future of markets
Business owners say changing consumer habits, rising costs, and an increase in theft are driving many family-run stalls to the brink. ⌘ Read more

Australians are not eating enough vegetables and it’s not just our health that is suffering
ABS figures show only 6.5 per cent of the population meets the daily requirement of five servings of vegetables and the effects are being felt across the economy. ⌘ Read more

Wineries poised to cash in as Chinese buyers return to premium wine regions
In the first visit by Chinese delegates since trade tariffs were lifted in April, West Australian wineries are showcasing their premium wines to big buyers in the hopes of landing lucrative contracts. ⌘ Read more

Tasmania firms as the capital of Pinot Wine in Australia
Tasmania wins the National Pinot Challenge again ⌘ Read more

It’s time to fertilise your spring veggies. Here’s what works best
Spring has sprung and now is the best time to fertilise many food plants. So, what do you need to know and what should you feed your veggie patch or pots? ⌘ Read more

Canned fruit giant SPC agree to merger to solidify Australian manufacturing
Iconic Australian fruit canning company SPC has agreed to merge with the Original Juice Company in a move to shore up their future in a difficult time for manufacturers. ⌘ Read more

Cherry lovers could have access to more festive fruits with new varieties’ better climate tolerance
Growing cherries is “high risk, high reward” but farmers now have access to new varieties better suited to difficult climate conditions. ⌘ Read more

As the fallout from the tomato virus outbreak continues, how could it affect prices at the checkout?
The outbreak has already led some states to impose bans on SA tomatoes and fanned growers’ fears the restrictions could cause more harm than the virus itself. ⌘ Read more

Eyewatering supermarket grape prices expected to drop dramatically as local season approaches
If you have baulked at the price of table grapes at the supermarket lately the good news is they could drop by up to $10/kg when the Australian season brings locally-grown produce to the shelves. ⌘ Read more

Wine grape growers looking to diversify plant agave tequila crops in SA
Some would say South Australia is too cold for the tropical agave plant, but one couple hopes to disprove that theory with the country’s second-ever commercial agave planting. ⌘ Read more

How garden waste from your green bin could help farmers produce better wine
Waste from suburban green bins is being reused as mulch on vineyards in central Victoria. Results have shown more vibrant grape growth and reduced chemical use. ⌘ Read more

Managing Botrytis in the vineyard
Successful first stage of a trial to manage botrytis in the vineyard ⌘ Read more

Paddocks too wet so use a drone to spray
Using drones when the paddocks are too wet ⌘ Read more

Grape growers are reeling from crop losses from frost — but how will the wine be impacted?
Wine grape growers in some of Australia’s largest and most renowned regions say freezing overnight lows have wiped out whole crops — but the lower yields could lead to “more balanced and elegant flavour”. ⌘ Read more

95-year-old keeps garden dream alive as flower festival gets underway after beloved wife’s passing
Les Stephson is not letting his age get in the way of maintaining his “pride and joy” — his garden, where he goes to remember his wife who died a year ago. ⌘ Read more

Grape growers in iconic wine region hit hard by unseasonal frost
Producers in some of Australia’s largest and most iconic wine regions say they have suffered crop losses due to frost, which is expected to continue in the coming week. ⌘ Read more

The bargain-bin item this retired history teacher can’t get enough of
Kevin Farrell needed to find the right tool to open his wine without damaging the cork. It led him to owning a collection of 1,500 corkscrews. ⌘ Read more

Sri Lanka supplies most of Australia’s tea, but its tea industry is now at a crossroad
Sri Lanka’s tea industry grapples with a steep wage hike, but some estate owners embrace new approaches to balance worker welfare and productivity in a bid to save the sector. ⌘ Read more

Better coffee on the cards as researchers crack arabica’s genetic code
Your morning cup of coffee could soon get even better, thanks to scientists who have mapped the genome of the arabica plant. ⌘ Read more

Why flowers blooming all year round may be cause for concern
A native flower farmer has not had her usual winter break from picking this year as unseasonably warm weather brings blooms through the usually quiet months. ⌘ Read more

Mango lovers get ready, Darwin is forecast to produce 2.4 million trays this season
Mango season in the Northern Territory is starting to heat up, with 24,000 trays sent to markets last week and future yields looking good. ⌘ Read more

Record warm temperatures mean cheaper winter veggies but less feed for livestock
Prices for some vegetables are falling because of oversupply, but there are concerns for the livestock industry as Queensland’s soaring temperatures dry pasture and feed. ⌘ Read more

New plant produces giant avocados four times the size of store-bought fruit
A plant bearing a supersized new Australian avocado variety is tipped to be a sell-out, ahead of its first release to retail nurseries and home gardeners. ⌘ Read more