The Producers, a Food Podcast.

Wiradjuri woman Tara Croker is the founder of Yaala Sparkling, a purpose-driven flavoured mineral water company that uses native ingredients to create healthy and delicious drinks. Ethics are at the heart of the business: Tara aims to change the game when it comes to the economic pathways of indigenous foods and as Yaala grows, she hopes to create employment for Indigenous people too. https://yaal...

Anyone who’s making 7 different types of chocolate gelato deserves our attention. Debb Makin is a chocolate lover, craftsperson, educator and determined small business owner at Ratio Cocoa Roasters, expanding ideas of how to appreciate and enjoy chocolate. Along the way, she’s also empowering consumers: once people understand the issues embedded in this complicated and often opaque international i...

I remember when Josh’s Rainbow Eggs first arrived at my local supermarket 14 or 15 years ago. The brightly coloured box promised free range eggs and the packaging had a photo of a young boy’s face on it - how great to be able to support a kid in his ethical business, I thought. Josh Murray was nine then and he’s 23 now. What is the backstory to this boy with a bunch of happy chickens? https://www....

When you talk about herbs and spices in Australia, it won’t be long before you talk about Ian ‘Herbie’ Hemphill. The co-owner of Herbie’s SpiceS has been immersed in food since he was a small child and he’s built a life and career in flavour that’s been fruitful not just for himself but for all those who have learnt and enjoyed alongside him. Enthusiastic and endlessly interested, Herbie is as ade...

After years plying his trade as a chef, James Zerella needed a change but wanted to continue to make a difference in the food industry. It led him to the land where he is part owner of Gardner’s Bay Farm in Southern Tasmania. https://www.gardnersbayfarm.com.au/ Follow The Producers on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/producerspodcast/ Host Dani Valent  https://www.instagram.com/danivalent Host...

The Producers Podcast visited Holy Goat's Ann-Marie Monda and Carla Meurs in 2021. We sat on the deck at Sutton Grange Farm with their kelpie and a pot of tea, talking about ethics, pathways and - of course - cheese. Like every meeting with these two, it was a conversation with impact, provoking consideration of life choices, connection and commitment. To commemorate, the announcement of Holy Goat...

It’s the Deep in the Weeds podcast network Christmas episode and we’ve rounded up all our hosts - Dani Valent, Shanteh Wale, John Susman and Anthony Huckstep for a good old chin wag on the year that was, what were hoping for in 2024 and a few Christmas yarns too. Tune in! https://linktr.ee/DeepintheWeedsNetwork Follow The Producers on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/producerspodcast/ Host Dani...

In 2006, Michelle Morgan and her husband Dean founded Zokoko with a shared vision to create artisan chocolate with natural flavours that showcased their origin, retained their natural flavours and seasonal characteristics. Since then, they’ve created one of the world’s most unique premium chocolates that is truly bean to bar. https://www.zokoko.com/ Follow The Producers on Instagram https://www.in...

In a world where we can get just about anything just about anytime, it’s wonderfully exciting to have truly seasonal crops that mark a time of year. Cherries are certainly in that category. They’re a crop that signals summer, the festive season and a continuing connection to natural cycles. We talk all things cherries with Alison Jones, lifetime cherry farmer and CEO of Wandin Valley Farms. https:...

The first of its kind in Australia, Naturally Dried Prunes are the most sustainable prune farm down under, utilising prune drying tunnels that have reduced the carbon footprint by 95% during the drying process. But, as Ann Furner explains that’s just part of their story. https://naturallydriedprunes.com.au/ Follow The Producers on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/producerspodcast/ Host Dani Val...

Katrina Myers and her husband Tim own Barham Avocados, on the Murray River in New South Wales. It’s Katrina’s family farm but she wasn’t always sure she’d return to it. As it turns out, she loves the beautiful green haven they’ve created in a mostly arid area, and she’s also a huge fan of the avocados they grow for themselves and lucky consumers. https://www.barhamavocados.com.au/ Follow The Produ...

You might know Giaan Rooney as an Olympic swimmer - she won a gold medal for Australia in the 2004 Athens Olympics as part of the 4 x 100m medley relay team. And you might have seen her on TV, presenting everything from the weather to Postcards. But did you know this one time athlete is now also a macadamia farmer? Along with her fifth-generation farmer husband Sam and their kids, Giaan now lives...

Maurie Cafra owns Cafresco Organics in Koo Wee Rup in Victoria, a South Gippsland region remarkable for its black soil and suitability for growing food. Maurie grew up on the farm and still lives here so in some ways, things have stayed remarkably consistent. In other ways, a lot has changed. Maurie went against the grain and transitioned to organic farming, becoming certified in 1997. As he tells...

Combining her background in applied chemistry with gelato and ice cream training in Australia, Italy and Canada, Roz Kaldor-Aroni from Elato finessed her own formula and developed a patented technique to reduce sugars, remove chemicals and achieve important health star ratings in her ice cream – and it's a flavour bomb too. https://elato.com.au Follow The Producers on Instagram https://www.instagr...

Peter and Alison Salleras both grew up on north Queensland cane farms but they took a different path for their own careers - a somewhat radical path, according to many of their contemporaries. Fruit Forest Farm grows dozens of types of tropical fruit - it’s not only the product range that’s different though, it’s also the unique trellised style of caring for trees which is more resistant to cyclon...

After a career in the Navy, Ace Hodgkinson-Jones returned home to take over the family farm. Firebreak Farm is situated in the foothills of the Bunya Mountains, where Ace and his family are raising quality pasture-fed lamb and beef, as well as free-range pork and poultry, using regenerative agricultural practices. https://firebreakfarm.com.au Follow The Producers on Instagram https://www.instagram...

“We produce flavour.” That’s a very nice mission statement from Killer Condiments’ Nathan Creary, a southern Sydney shopfitter turned farmer turned butcher turned condiment king. We dig in with Nathan and learn the story of the homestyle chimichurri that customers loved so much that he turned it into a jarred product, first as a side hustle and now as a growing business. https://www.killercondimen...

This is the fifth and final episode in a special series of The Producers. AgriCultured 2023 celebrates the farmers and produce of northern Tasmania. In five conversations, we get to know farmers caring for both land and community. Along the way we hear how strong local food systems and ethical farming not only foster delicious food. They also benefit farmers, eaters and the earth we all share. Mat...

This is the fourth episode in a special series of The Producers. Agricultured 2023 celebrates the farmers and produce of northern Tasmania. In five conversations, we celebrate farmers caring for both land and community. Along the way you’ll hear how strong local food systems and ethical farming not only foster delicious food. They also benefit farmers, eaters and the world we all share. Geoff and...

This is the third episode in a special series of The Producers. Agricultured 2023 celebrates the farmers and produce of northern Tasmania. In five conversations, we celebrate farmers caring for both land and community. Along the way you’ll hear how strong local food systems and ethical farming do much more than create delicious food. They also benefit farmers, eaters and the earth we all share. Ma...

This is the second episode in a special series of The Producers. Agricultured 2023 celebrates the farmers and produce of northern Tasmania. In five conversations, we celebrate farmers caring for both land and community: a cattle farmer, cheesemaker, vegie growers and a winemaker. Along the way you’ll hear how strong local food systems and ethical farming do much more than create delicious food. Th...

This is the first episode in a special series of The Producers. Agricultured 2023 celebrates the farmers and produce of northern Tasmania. These stories come from Kanamaluka - the Tamar River - in Lutruwita. In five conversations, we celebrate farmers caring for both land and community: a cattle farmer, cheesemaker, vegie growers and a winemaker. Along the way you’ll hear how strong local food sys...

After looking to find a genuine purpose and help deal with post-natal depression, Jaimi Pennell (Forgotten Sound Farm) began growing food at home. With her hands in the soil, it wasn’t long before she yearned to have her own farm to feed the wider community, and one day supply restaurants. She’s now four months into her dream and making a huge impact in the scenic rim. Follow Fishtales, a Seafood...

Deep in the southern forests of Western Australia Judith Bennett and her husband Richard (Belvedere Valley) are raising Wagyu on a rotational grazing system. Grass pastures are paired with their own meadow hay to give their cows a happy healthy life completely raised on grass, and delivering a truly unique eating experience. https://belvederevalley.com.au Follow The Producers on Instagram https://...

Emelia Prendergast is known as the Queen of Conserves. Under her The Saucy Australian brand she produces and sells a vast range of 54 condiments from the familiar - tomato sauce, apple sauce - to the quirky - one is called Sweet Serendipity, another is a Crustacean dressing. No matter what, they all have Emelia’s mysterious secret ingredient. I wonder if she’ll tell us what it is... https://emelia...