Fruit growers plead for help from consumers, prime minister as flooding cleanup begins
Far North Queensland growers are reporting major losses to Cyclone Jasper and torrential rain as the tropical fruit season peaks for Christmas, including sweeping damage across mango orchards. ⌘ Read more

Cherry trees go from bonfire pile to celebrated chef’s high-end restaurants
A meeting at a Melbourne restaurant 10 years ago has helped open revenue streams for a north-east Victorian cherry grower as he diversifies to lessen the blow of consecutive rough seasons. ⌘ Read more

Why this year’s bumper berry crop is benefitting buyers but not necessarily growers
Several wet years and this month’s cooler, spring-type temperatures have been ideal for raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, but as prices drop at the supermarket there’s a real fear expenses will overtake profits for growers. ⌘ Read more

Could solar panels improve Australian wine?
Australian researchers are testing solar panels in a vineyard to see if they can help protect the fruit from extreme weather, but that is not the only potential benefit. ⌘ Read more

These watermelons are taking a little longer to grow due to fires, with heat still on for harvest workers
While Central Australia’s largest melon farm’s yields have been affected by bushfire ash this year, these workers from Timor-Leste still have plenty of harvesting, and singing, ahead of them. ⌘ Read more

Farmer startups backing themselves to bring chocolate capsicum and other ‘new fruit’ to markets
From pink custard apples and sweeter capsicums that resemble the colour of chocolate, these Queensland farmers are working to bring innovative new varieties to supermarket shelves. ⌘ Read more

An ambitious quest to supply Australians with locally grown garlic year-round is paying off
Garlic lovers can now buy Australian-grown all year round, thanks to decades of work by persistent farmers who refused to give up on the difficult crop. ⌘ Read more

Access to affordable food needs government intervention, report finds
A year-long parliamentary inquiry focused on the future of Australia’s food security recommends introducing a minister for food among its 35 recommendations to the federal government. ⌘ Read more

Australia’s largest canned vegetable producer to sell Thai corn in supermarkets
Simplot Australia, which owns brands including Edgell, says natural disasters have led to a shortage of Australian-grown vegetables, forcing it to look outside the country for supply. ⌘ Read more

Food charity ‘distressed’ by dumped fruit, vegetables after Aldi launches new supermarket
The manager of a charity that organises food donations for people in need says she is “distressed” by the amount of produce a new Townsville supermarket has sent to landfill. ⌘ Read more

Should we remove best-before dates on produce?
Advocates say a simple change would stop Australian households from unwittingly throwing out perfectly edible food, and they are banding together to get the regulator on board. ⌘ Read more

Once home to a pair of the world’s largest pears, this fruit dynasty houses 160 years of orchard innovation
The longevity of Greenhill Orchards comes down to the dedication of the Yeomans family, innovation, and their love of all things fruit. ⌘ Read more

Remote community strives to improve health by growing their own fruit and veg in APY Lands
A Central Australian Aboriginal community hopes to improve the health of residents and increase food security by re-establishing a once plentiful orchard that has fallen into disrepair. ⌘ Read more

Queensland school program a ‘game changer’ for encouraging kids to eat more fruit and vegetables
Shelly struggled to get her six-year-old to eat more vegies, but a Queensland school program teaching children about growing fruit and vegetables is helping to turn that around. ⌘ Read more

Food charity ‘distressed’ by dumped fruit, vegetables after Aldi launches new supermarket
The manager of a charity that organises food donations for people in need says she is “distressed” by the amount of produce a new Townsville supermarket has sent to landfill. ⌘ Read more

Health groups angered after New Zealand scraps world-first smoking ban
The generational ban, which would have stopped anyone born after 2009 buying tobacco, has been ditched by New Zealand’s new government. ⌘ Read more

Tea harvesting on two wheels pays off for father-son farming duo
Nestled in a rainforest timber plantation is a unique tea producer. Queensland father and son Brendon and Darryl Collins are creating a unique legacy as they move away from timber farming. ⌘ Read more

‘Sweeter, nuttier, fruitier’ locally-grown bean gives coffee lovers a taste of Australia
Coffee drinkers may tell you an Australian brew tastes different. And they’d be right, with research finding local beans have a distinct taste of place, or “terroir”. ⌘ Read more

Wondering how much your Christmas cherries will cost this year? The news isn’t great
People hoping to spend less this Christmas may need to look to areas other than the dinner table, with favourites like cherries and lobster not expected drop much in price from last year. ⌘ Read more

Winery deploys ducks to help reduce vineyard snails and cut input costs
After introducing the birds last growing season as a trial, Castle Rock Estate is using them again this year with hopes to grow the flock. ⌘ Read more

At $14 each, price is ‘no barrier’ for Aussie mangoes in the US
It takes two weeks for these Aussie mangoes to go from a farm to a US supermarket shelf. But for Manbulloo Mangoes it’s been worth it. ⌘ Read more

Popular winemaker saved from closure by new investors and old hands
Cassegrain Wines on the NSW Mid North Coast is purchased by a syndicate of investors including the son of its former managing director, after going into voluntary administration earlier this year. ⌘ Read more

Queensland farmer specialises in melons that you’re unlikely to see on supermarket shelves
Shaun Jackson grows niche varieties of melons and, just as Australians are cutting back on fruit, an expanding Japanese market can’t get enough of them. ⌘ Read more

Wine lovers thirsty for ‘genuinely good’ no or low alcohol option, as search continues for perfect drop
Alcohol products for those keen to stay sober have gone from niche to mainstream in a short span of time. But connoisseurs say finding such a drop replicating the mouth feel of real wine is like searching for “the holy grail”. ⌘ Read more

Cockatoos develop taste for world’s stinkiest fruit on Top End farm
The first durians of the season are fetching more than $30 a kilogram wholesale, meaning the cockatoos are “picking the most expensive fruit in town”, grower Han Shiong Siah says. ⌘ Read more

New jumbo blueberry varieties behind farm’s big expansion plans
The biggest blueberries in the world are grown in Western Australia and export markets love them. Demand for the berries is driving one farm to quadruple in size. ⌘ Read more

Red wine glut and industry setbacks no barrier for the next generation of winemakers
When 28-year-old Mick Elliott left his office job for the wine industry he picked up a palate for the perfect drop and left behind a sense of dread. ⌘ Read more

How one woman turned farm waste into a sustainable food business
A South Australian woman is turning farm waste into a sustainable food business by making meals out of second-grade fruit and veggies. ⌘ Read more

Footscray pensioners told to shut down street stalls
Sueanne Nguyen’s mother is one of the traders, and she hopes to work with Maribyrnong City Council to find a compromise. ⌘ Read more

Capers looks effortless and appetising on a plate — but harvesting them is a brutal labour of love
Australian-grown capers are a sought-after ingredient for high-end restaurants, selling for up to $50 per 250 grams. And with each tiny bud picked by hand, it’s not hard to see why. ⌘ Read more

How a ‘wrestle’ with the rough end of a pineapple inspired a classic Aussie invention
In the 1970s, the pineapple peeler was a staple in many Australian kitchens. But the story behind this Aussie invention shows why life’s little pleasures are often the sweetest. ⌘ Read more

How is decaf coffee made? And is it really caffeine-free?
Here’s what you need to know about decaf coffee: how it’s made, the flavour, the benefits — and whether it’s actually caffeine-free. ⌘ Read more

Why funky young wines are a winner for Aussie producers looking for fresh export markets
It’s out with the heavy old-world styles and in with bright, natural drops as young consumers around the globe seek wines with more Australian sunshine and fewer additives. ⌘ Read more

This farmer never planned to grow asparagus — now he’s putting it into ice cream
While he grew up on an asparagus farm, it took a pandemic-era career shift to turn Markum Boston into his home town’s first grower of white asparagus. ⌘ Read more

Farmers on edge as orchards ‘hammered’ by rise of European earwigs
First detected in Australia in the 1930s, European earwigs can affect citrus, cherries and canola – and farmers are being warned to check carefully and early for signs of infestation. ⌘ Read more

Alcohol health warnings for bottles has some winemakers worried
A recent health survey has reignited the push for health warnings to be introduced on alcohol packaging, but boutique wine producers say their products aren’t the problem when it comes to problem drinking. ⌘ Read more

Fancy fungi business takes off for tradie still learning the secrets of edible mushrooms
A Pemberton electrician is supplying up to 20 kilograms of fungi a week to shops and restaurants in a mushroom-growing side hustle that has been a process of trial and error. ⌘ Read more

‘Absolutely disgraceful’: NT politician speaks at global tobacco and nicotine conference
The involvement of Kezia Purick at the Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum has been labelled “shameful” by the president of the Australian Medical Association. ⌘ Read more

Among the grain crops of northern NSW, there’s a boom of farming mums planting fields of flowers
Tamworth mum Shona Robilliard started with a few seeds in her veggie patch, but in search of a better work-life balance she’s ditched the vegetables and is now a fully fledged cut-flower farmer. ⌘ Read more

Under the counter deals, ‘chop-chop’ and arson attacks: Inside Victoria’s illegal tobacco market
Police are stepping up their efforts to tackle the illegal tobacco market, after a string of arson attacks against shops in Victoria. ⌘ Read more

Why Australian grape growers are ditching shiraz and cab sav for ‘trendier’ varieties
In response to the global red wine oversupply, grape growers embrace lesser-known varietals to appeal to adventurous consumers. ⌘ Read more

How a boy from the outback became an Australian olive oil baron
Chances are you don’t know Rob McGavin. But he’s made it his life’s work to win a place on your kitchen table — and he’s been very successful at it. ⌘ Read more

How the winemakers of Champagne and Barossa are joining forces to protect their place names
Drinkers expect certain things based on where their wine comes from, so France’s prestigious Champagne district is teaming up with Australia’s winegrowing regions in the fight to better protect their unique name and identity. ⌘ Read more

China wine tariff review ‘no silver bullet’, but Australian producers hold hope for the future
Wine exports to China have dropped to a low of $10 million a year, but China’s announcement it will review tariffs on imports has given a glimmer of hope to the industry. ⌘ Read more

Mango prices on rise in WA as harvest yields fall by more than half across Australia’s Top End
With supply down by more than 50 per cent, WA supermarkets are struggling to fill shelves with the popular fragrant fruit amid an unusually light national harvest. ⌘ Read more

No profit in a pear tree as shoppers opt for other fruit instead
Shoppers have stopped buying pears in favour of other ready-to-eat alternatives, and now some farmers can’t make a living growing the “forgotten fruit”. ⌘ Read more

Can coffee help you avoid putting on weight as you age?
Most people gain small amounts of weight each year as they age. But can coffee help prevent this gradual weight gain? ⌘ Read more

Together the Thomsons were a team. Now Jimmy is keeping he and his wife’s floral bouquet tradition alive
When Jimmy Thomson’s wife Roslyn died last year, he was distraught. Her love of native flowers was something he couldn’t shake, so he continued her weekly tradition of making and donating native floral bouquets. ⌘ Read more

Yess! AhHa! Now! New names, new varieties of mango in supermarkets after years of development
It has taken decades of work and a number of setbacks, but three mango varieties are being commercially rolled out — and finally have names. ⌘ Read more

Jane Ferrari named Legend of the Vine for selling South Australia’s wine story to the world
For someone who fell into the wine industry almost by accident, Jane Ferrari has been instrumental in selling the success story of South Australia’s wines overseas. ⌘ Read more