Blog
Meet Michelle Chicken – Boyne River Pecans
The Country Kitchens team recently met with Michelle Chicken from Boyne River Pecans as part of the Meet a Farmer initiative. Michelle is a pecan and cattle farmer from Mundubbera, QLD. Michelle is also the Managing Director of Pecan Farmers’ Co-operative Australia....
Meet Nigel and Zeke Burt – Holistic Harvest
Meet Nigel and Zeke Burt - Holistic Harvest As part of the QCWA Country Kitchens Meet a Farmer initiative, the Country Kitchens team recently met Nigel and Zeke Burt. Based in Gundiah in the Fraser Coast hinterland, the father and son duo run Holistic Harvest market...
Meet Rob Bauer – Bauer’s Organic Farm
Meet Rob Bauer - Bauer's Organic Farm As part of the QCWA Country Kitchens Meet a Farmer initiative, the Country Kitchens team recently visited Rob Bauer at Bauer’s Organic Farm, located in the Mount Sylvia & Upper Tenthill areas of the Lockyer Valley. About half...
Meet Sue and Gary Lee – Lee’s Dragonfruit Plantation
Meet Sue and Gary Lee - Lee's Dragonfruit Plantation As part of the QCWA Country Kitchens Meet a Farmer initiative, the Country Kitchens team recently spent some time at Lee’s Dragonfruit Plantation. Sue and Gary Lee are based just outside Rockhampton, Queensland. Sue...
Healthy Lunchboxes
How to make a healthy lunchbox What children eat during their day at school plays a crucial role in their learning and development. Children consume around 30% of their daily food intake at school and most of this comes from the contents of their lunchbox. Read on to...
Fresh from the Farm: Bananas
Bananas are a staple in most Queensland households and lunchboxes, and rightfully so with our state producing 95% of the country’s bananas! Bananas are believed to have originated up to 10,000 years ago and some scientists believe they may have been the world’s first...
Meet Joe Mirarchi, Lychee Farmer
Joe Mirarchi is a lychee farmer from Mareeba Queensland, located an hour inland from Cairns in the Atherton Tablelands. Lychees originated in the Fujian and Guangdong provinces of South China, but are also cultivated in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of...
Meet Margaret Thompson, Maleny Buffalo
Did you know Buffalo milk is the second most consumed milk worldwide, behind cows’ milk? Buffalo milk is most commonly consumed in India and Southeast Asian countries but is becoming more common in Australia as our population diversifies. Milk and cheese are included...
Meet Jane Mulligan and Bill Watts, Beef Producers from the Quilpie Shire
Queensland is Australia’s largest producer of beef, and it is the state’s largest agricultural industry. Stretching from the southwest to the north, Western Queensland is the heart of cattle country. The industry has had a difficult five years, with most cattle...
Meet Andrew and David Moon, Moonrocks Farm
Moonrocks is a family-owned Australian business, operated by 5th generation farmers Andrew and David Moon, currently growing garlic, onions and various other horticultural crops. Garlic and onions are both great foods for...
Meet Sara and Markus Bucher, Maleny Cheese
Cheesemaking stretches as far back as ancient Egypt and the bronze age in Europe. Cheesemaking is the craft of making cheese, allowing the nutritional and economic value of milk to be preserved in a concentrated form. There are estimated to be over 1800 kinds of...
Meet Paul Marsh, Marsh Butcheries
Butchery is one of the oldest professions in the food industry, dating all the way back to when butchers began forming guilds in 1272. Butchers generally prepare and sell meat and meat products into forms ready for cooking. Lean meat is included as part of the lean...
Meet the Boothman’s, Avocado Farmers
Avocados are a staple in many Australian's diets and a heart health booster. Avocados contain mostly healthy mono-unsaturated fats, which can help promote healthy cholesterol levels in the body. While biologically a fruit, avocados fall under the vegetable food group,...
Meet Kevin and Cara Jackson, KC Ridge Farm
As part of QCWA Country Kitchen’s Meet a Farmer initiative, today we learn about free-range pork and egg farmers, Kevin and Cara Jackson. Kevin and Cara are the owners of KC Ridge Farm, located just south of Chinchilla, overlooking the fertile flood plains of the...
Meet Laurie Brosnan, Director of Betta Pork
While not as widely consumed in Australia, pork is the most consumed meat in the world, making up 36% of global meat consumption! Lean pork is a part of the lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds and legumes/beans food group of the Australian Guide to...
Meet Trevor Goos, Herb and Dryland Farmer
Herbs are a great healthy way to pack a flavour punch in your cooking, without the need for added salt. You may have seen Gourmet Garden’s brand of dried herbs and pastes at your local shops and supermarkets. Today, as part of the QCWA Country Kitchens program...
Eating a Rainbow – Why fruit and vegetables are important for our health, at every stage of life!
Getting more fruit and vegetables into your day is one of the most important dietary changes you can make to be healthier. But why exactly are they so good for us? Fruit and vegetables are packed with lots of nutrients that are crucial for the health and maintenance...
Fact or Fiction? How to make sense of nutrition information online
It is not uncommon to wake to your alarm and then sit on your phone, glancing at new notifications and browsing through your various social media apps. This mindless scrolling links us to hundreds of news stories and information from around the globe. Unfortunately,...