Station 707

17: Alternatives to supermarkets - exploring options with the Food Connect Foundation.

Emma-Kate Rose is the program director of Food Connect Foundation, based in Queensland, Australia. 
For 18 years, Food Connect operated as a social enterprise, directly connecting farmers/growers with consumers in Brisbane. 
Essentially, farmers within 5 hours of Brisbane would grow and deliver their goods to a central warehouse/homestead in the suburbs, where it would be packed into pre-purchased boxes and delivered to 70 different pick-up locations around Brisbane, such as homes, churches, or schools. 
The effects were remarkable, two of the standout ones being that the food miles averaged 140km compared to the national average of 1,200km, and that farmers were rewarded far more cents in the dollar than they would be had they sold at the supermarkets. The health, networking and community benefits were also substantial. 
If you want to eat healthier food and be more connected with your farmers, and farmers more connected with consumers, then the way we buy and sell needs to change, and our thinking needs to shift.
This model is an excellent case study of what worked, how it worked, and where the challenges lay. 
Food Connect Foundation:
https://fcf.org.au/ 
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16: Anvil Hide Leatherworks

Ever had a great belt that lasted a really long time?
Or maybe a belt that only lasted 3 occasions before cracking/flaking? 
Aaron from Anvil Hide, home of Australia's best, handmade leather products, joins us today to talk all things leather, including the different grades, tanneries, and even a bit about 'vegan leather' belts...you'll never guess what they're made of! 
Anvil Hide belts come with a 7-year guarantee, and I believe there's even a new belt with a 100-year guarantee! 
Support Aussie made and small businesses, and if you're in the market for a new belt, check out Anvil Hide. 
https://anvilhide.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/AnvilHide/ 
https://www.instagram.com/anvil_hide/ 
 
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15: Paddock to plate vs corporate farm - with Patrick and Chloe from Tingle Ridge Farm.

Paddock to plate is a common way to describe the process of farmers selling their products direct-to-consumer. 
In the case of Tingle Ridge Farm and many other farms, this involves sending their pasture-raised lambs to the nearest abattoir for processing (custom kill in this instance, where it's only a small number for an individual business), and then they receive the carcass back and have it packed by a local butcher, ready to be delivered by the farmers themselves, straight to the consumer. 
It's a great system, and one that is growing in popularity with both growers and consumers for a number of reasons. 
Just over a week ago, the only abattoir in the South West Region that is capable of custom kills, which these farmers (some for more than 15 years) have been using so they can sell their meat directly, ended this service.
The repercussions are enormous, and very debilitating.
Patrick and Chloe join me to explain the situation, and what's happening on the ground at the moment. 
Tingle Ridge Farm:https://www.tingleridgefarm.com.au/ https://www.facebook.com/tingleridgefarm https://www.instagram.com/tingleridgefarm/ 
 
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14: Augustine Academy

Studying liberal arts, whilst also learning how to make cheese, grow vegetables and cure jerky, is not something that most training organisations offer...unless it's Augustine Academy.
Founded by Ben McCabe, who was home-schooled and farm-raised in Boddington WA, the academy is situated in Fitzroy Falls NSW and offers a 1-year course of study that challenges students in a way that simply does not exist in the mainstream education system. 
History, literature, philosophy, theology, drama and debating, and a hefty dose of agriculture and nature, combine to offer students a single year that can assist them in shaping every year that comes after.
Online courses are also available, and you can find out more about the academy here: https://www.augustineacademy.com.au/index.html 
 
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13: Climate Change: The Facts

John Abbot is a Senior Fellow in the Research Program at the IPA (Institute of Public Affairs), and also a contributing author and editor on several editions of, 'Climate Change The Facts'.
This book series, which contains contributions from many scientists and researchers across varying knowledge bases, offers an evidence-based approach to discussing the facts and myths around climate change (previously identifying as global warming), and follows the basic scientific process of challenging something until it can be proven, or disproven...as opposed to simply stated, repeated, and enacted. 
John joins us today to discuss the upcoming edition, AI rainfall forecasting, and more. 
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12: Studio Session - with Ally

Alexandra Vyner is a close family friend from Sydney, who’s particular skill in making costumes led to her studying a degree in properties and objects at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, or NIDA. 
Ally has now worked on several major movie productions that have filmed in Australia, and while she was visiting us at the farm, Ally was kind enough to join me in the studio for a catch up on how her studies have gone, what she has learned, and what she has been working on. 
 
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11: Where are the farmers?

CEO of WA Farmers, Trevor Whittington, joins us in this episode to discuss a range of topics, including: - The varying assaults on private property ownership,
 - The trend in the size of farms getting bigger and the number of farmers decreasing,
 - Where people live and why,
 - Comparisons from agricultural regions abroad,
 - Sheep vs abattoirs 
- Politics, and more.
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10: Sheep ahoy!

If you want to know what the Sheep Live Export process is really like, you need to hear it from people in the industry, not the people stopping it. 
Mandy joins us to talk about her experience working with livestock, how she came to WA and ended up sailing multiple live export voyages (and still is today), what the process is like on-board, at the destination port, and much more. 
The Livestock Collective have some amazing videos and other info showcasing the entire live export process from paddock to processing. https://www.thelivestockcollective.com.au/ 
If you want to help out in the fight to keep the industry alive and our farmers farming, there's ways you can. Find out more here: https://www.keepthesheep.com.au/ 
 
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9: Animals on Screen - Behind-the-scenes on an upcoming Aussie feature film.

Filming animals for movies and productions is no easy feat, and training them to be camera-ready, harder still. 
Farmer Nigel from York in WA has had an incredible life working with and training animals, and we'll hear more of his stories in time, but today he joins us to chat about his experience on the set of the upcoming Aussie feature film, Runt, starring quite a few of his animals, and plenty of dramas besides! 
 
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8: Policy Problems - Hon Nick Goiran MLC

Nick joins us today to discuss:
- A wide range of policy issues, including Firearms Legislation, Health and Education. 
- His reasons for entering politics.
- The political landscape and culture now, and what it could be in the near future. 
- Getting actively involved and the importance of knowing who you're voting for.
 
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7: Supermarket Price-Gouging 101

Consumers are paying more, for less.
Farmers are getting paid less, for more.
Why is that? And how? 
Jeremy Griffith, a member of the National Farmers Federal Horticulture Council, joins us to clearly explain the situation, how we got here, who's running the show, what it means for farmers and consumers, and what the future holds unless change is imminently brought about. 
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6: The Value of a Life

Currently there is no legal requirement for trains to be lit to a particular standard in Australia.
80% of the 23,000 railway crossings in Australia don’t have warning lights.
The Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator reports that 26% of railway collisions with vehicles at level crossings occur during night time hours.
The Jensen family, and many other families around Australia, have lost loved ones and family members in that 26%. These families have been advocating for improved visibility and lighting on trains, and at level crossings, for over 20 years. 
The rail industry in Australia is more-or-less self-regulated, and a recent report admitted that upgrading train lighting significantly improves the visibility of trains at night.    
It’s a suggested reform only, not a mandated one. The reason?
“There is doubt about whether the benefits and the cost would really be worth it”.
If the death of a few sheep on a live export boat can warrant the shutting down of an entire multi-million dollar industry, why is there no change to train safety after the death a single person, when the change itself is so minimal in cost, and proven to be constructive? 
Please consider signing and sharing this petition, calling for the implementation of minimum standards for train lighting. It’s open for another 10 days, and it’s Australia-wide.
https://www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/EN6369
 
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5: Choice and Change - with Louise O'Neill of Farm Life Fitness

Making difficult choices and navigating change doesn't have to be overwhelming. 
Louise O'Neill is a wife, mother, founder of Farm Life Fitness, winner of the 2022 AgriFutures Western Australian Rural Women’s Award, and a good friend. 
Farm Life Fitness has really grown and developed since I first spoke with Louise during our radio days, and she joins us now for an open and honest conversation to discuss:
 - Choices: Our responsibilities, the importance of autonomy, and how to make difficult ones. - Change: How to navigate change, what it can mean to us, and to those around us.  - Personal stories, examples, and take-away advice. 
No matter where you are located, I highly encourage you to follow the links below and find out more information about Louise, and the excellent services on offer from Farm Life Fitness.
Links: 
https://farmlifefitness.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/farmlifefitnessaus 
 
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4: Nationals Party WA interview - with Peter Rundle.

Peter Rundle is the Deputy Opposition Leader in WA, and is also a farmer from Katanning. 
We cover a broad range of local, political topics in this interview, and Peter also shares some personal insights as to the day-to-day workings of Parliament in WA. 

3: Losing farm land to renewables - impacts on a rural community.

Emily Hill is from Colbinabbin in Victoria. It's a small farming community, and a great wine growing region with a fantastic soil profile. Family farms and mixed enterprises are common. 
There's plans afoot to install a massive solar plant right in the middle of it. Around 700,000 + panels on over 600ha of land. 
Emily lays out the impacts this could potentially have on the region, and the families living and farming there. 
If you live in Victoria, please consider signing this petition calling on the State Government to reconsider the application for the solar facility. *You must be a Victorian resident to sign.
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/get-involved/petitions/cooba-solar-facility/ 
 
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