News
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Queen bee takes title
Claire Moore has won the prestigious Victorian AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award, with a plan to boost bee population and genetic diversity through artificial insemination. Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes last week announced Ms Moore as the Victorian winner at a ceremony held at the Hotel Windsor in Melbourne. “It was a huge honour and one…
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Our own voices
Hundreds of Castlemaine school students joined Friday’s global School Strike for Climate Action calling on the nation’s leaders to take more decisive action to address the pressing global issue. Students travelled from Castlemaine to Melbourne – on public transport – joining thousands of more from across the state – and many more across the world…
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Market turns 16
Lancefield Farmers Market this Saturday will mark its 16th anniversary. While the Macedon Ranges has a farmers market somewhere on most Saturdays each month, Lancefield is the shire’s longest-running farmers market. This weekend there will be 65 stalls to choose produce from. A list of the current market traders can be found on the market’s…
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Fun for a cause
For the second year running the family fun day event Race Ya will be held in Maldon supporting the Asthma Foundation in memory of Ned Cameron. Ned Cameron died suddenly just over two years ago, at the age of 14, from an acute asthma attack. His mum Kristy Lang initiated Race Ya last year in…
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Support for micro-abattoir
Woodend farmer Ben Falloon is fast gaining support for an on-farm poultry micro-abattoir model that could revolutionise the way small producers operate. The pastured chicken producer launched a Pozible campaign earlier this month to develop the model and is already more than a third of the way towards his $80,650 target. Mr Falloon said the…
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Cartoon lab
Castlemaine State Festival goers will have the opportunity to take a sneak peek at Trace Balla’s next graphic novella set in Jaara country, as part of a unique ‘Cartoon Lab’ on March 29. Trace’s previous book Rockhoppin won the Children’s Book Council ‘Children’s Book of the Year’ in 2017. Workshop participants will be able to…
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Tales from Turkey
Food and storytelling has always been a way for communities to come together and feel connected. The Social Foundry in Kyneton is about to launch a Feast of Stories series to share stories of migrant communities living within our region. The first of the feasts will kick off on March 29 and will feature home-style…
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It’s bean a big learning curve
A teenage entrepreneur from Newstead has used the skills he learned as a barista and trainee coffee roaster to start up his own coffee roasting business. Seventeen-year-old Josh Rodgers trained under the guidance of Lachy and Laura Evans at Moto Bean Coffee Roasters in Malmsbury and currently works as a barista at the Social Foundry…
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One in a million
Rather than wait to leave a will bequest after they’re gone, a Castlemaine couple have donated $1 million to help make the world a better place while they’re still very much about to enjoy it. When Caroline and Terry Bellair recently decided to donate the generous sum to Bush Heritage to buy up private land…
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Men unite!
A fun and social evening for men covering topics including men’s health, nutrition, fitness and mental health will be held next week in Kyneton. Hosted by Tasting Fitness, the Men United event is being held for the second time after an incredibly successful night two years ago. Kate Coleman created these events to empower men…
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Reckless ignorance
Local fire brigades were left in disbelief when they discovered a group of campers in the Wombat State Forest had lit a potentially disastrous campfire last Friday afternoon. Woodend, Macedon and Mount Macedon Fire Brigades were called out to a smoke sighting about 4.13pm, spotted by the Mount Macedon fire tower. Woodend captain Mike Dornau…
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Anti-logging protesters hold up effort
Anti-logging protesters tied to a Romsey contractor’s machinery have hindered bushfire response in Gippsland. VicForest called on Brad Meyer to aid firefighting efforts last week but six of his machines, including two bulldozers and a harvester, were blocked by protesters at his Toolangi logging coupe. “We wanted to help with fire efforts but our machines…