Featured
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Parma charmer
When Castlemaine youngsters Kate Hemphill and Ainsley Nash heard about the impacts of the drought in NSW they decided they’d do something to help. The two junior students at Castlemaine Primary School went direct to their principal Peter McConnell with a letter they’d penned outlining their proposal to help the drought-ravaged farmers. “We wrote a…
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Pick up a Perry’s pupcake
The team at Perry’s Stockfeed and Saddlery in Kyneton are unsurprising all avid animal lovers. That’s why it’s no surprise they are excited to be taking part in the RSPCA’s Cupcake Day. The day is a fundraiser to help the RSPCA end animal cruelty in the sweetest way possible. Perry’s team and their supporters are…
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Pigs do fly!
A well-known stallholder at Macedon Ranges Farmers Markets, including Woodend and Lancefield, has taken out one of the Australian food industry’s most prestigious awards – a gold medal in the From the Paddock category of the delicious. Produce Awards. McIvor Farm Foods’ Belinda and Jason Hagan are based at Tooborac and specialise in a pasture-raised,…
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Goats have the goods
Holy Goat Cheese in Sutton Grange is living proof that small farms can be successful farms. The organic farm has taken out the Producer of the Year title in the 2018 delicious. Produce Awards and earned a gold trophy for its Cheese Nectar, as judged by a national judging panel. Owners Carla Meurs and Ann-Marie…
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Ranges win in wine show
Macedon Ranges wineries are toasting to success at Heathcote Wine Show. Hanging Rock Winery, Coliban Valley Wines and Mount Towrong Vineyard all received gold and one has come close to the coveted Heathcote Grand Terrior Trophy. Hanging Rock Winery is the only local producer to have been a finalist for the highly prized award every…
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Fight to keep farm
Ongoing hardship could spell the end of 12 years supplying top notch organic produce for Angelica Organic Farm. Glenlyon farmers Tim and Deri-Anne Wyatt said the past 18 months or so had hit them with setback after setback and the prospect of recovery looked grim without outside support. “We’ve lost crops valued in the tens…
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Finishing the homeless problem
With one Castlemaine agency advocating tiny houses as a means to help solve homelessness, local government leaders on Friday lunched with an international social housing expert to hear about how Finland has all but eradicated rough sleeping. Finnish-based Juhah Kaakinen is chief executive of the Y-Foundation, which provides 16,300 permanent low-cost flats to homeless people…
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Parma night for the farmers’ fight
Local pubs, clubs and restaurants are serving up parmas with added incentive. They have backed the widespread ‘Parma for a Farmer’ campaign that sees participating venues donate $1 towards drought recovery in NSW for every parma sold during the month of August. Kyneton RSL general manager Rebecca Hemphill said people in Kyneton had thrown their…
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Close calls on the Calder
Truck drivers, tow-truck drivers and auto electricians are calling for measures to keep them safe when they are pulled over on the side of the freeway attending to breakdowns. Kyneton auto electrician Jim Matheson and towies Doug Holden and Daniel Vereker have all found themselves perilously close to fast-moving traffic in the limited shoulder space…
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Comedy for the club
*Change of venue* Kyneton Football Netball Club’s comedy night fundraiser on Saturday will now be held at the KFNC Social Clubrooms! No joke! Stay after the Kyneton V Maryborough game for some laughs. Comedy for a Cause will feature comedians from the Sydney and Melbourne International Comedy Festivals, including Xavier Michelides, James Masters, Beau Stegmann…
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An ale tale fit for fans
What better way to spend International Beer Day than brewing up 600 litres – or thereabouts – of chocolaty ale made with Fantales. That’s exactly what the local brewers at Castlemaine’s Shedshaker Brewing were doing when the Midland Express dropped in to investigate on Friday. They were busy unwrapping 10 kilograms of the chocolaty lolly…
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Gisborne SES wants you
Gisborne SES is calling for daytime responders to keep up with demand across the region. Gisborne SES deputy controller of operations Di Dale said the unit was seeking to grow its member base to improve responses and would host a recruitment evening next week. “We are targeting people from all walks of life in around…