Vocal About Local

This is a non-hostile takeover - while you're regular podcast hosts are away, Nikki is coming out to play... well, maybe not play, but to host a random little mini-series called the QUICK FIVE - as part of this series Nikki will ask her guests 5 fast questions about business and life. 😎

In this episode Nikki chats with Nadine Brown, founder of the The Ivy Institute.

Nadine started her floral journey over 3...

Having grown up on a farm Leila McDougall finished school, and headed straight to the big city lights of Sydney to study fashion design. Home on the farm was never far from her thoughts though with fashion being a pathway brought about from years on the sheep farm and a want to use the Australian Wool she was so familiar with. The Big Smoke charm wore off though and it wasn't long before the country came calling, with Leila se...

Having recently collaborated with Grown Not Flown and collected a Bronze Medal at the 2024 Melbourne Flower and Garden Show with a sustainable exhibit that ended with only 1 small piece of plastic from some chicken wire being the only thing to go into waste; we sit down to chat with Ellen Douglas, the tour de force behind Botany Melbourne.

Ellen is an apprentice trained florist who in 2020 went solo and created Botany  as...

In this weeks episode we chat with Lucy Vincent who along with partner Bruce, runs Australian High Country Honey.

Lucy's family farm was purchased in 1976 & has been subject to sustainable farming practices in order to improve the landscape health & biodiversity, farm profitability & the ability to cope with natural adversity of drought, fire & flood. With recent succession to the next generation, Luc...

Jacob Wolki and his namesake Wolki Farm describes itself as the connector between the conscientious consumer and quality produce. 

Its safe to say that Jacob and his family have been on quite the journey over the last decades, brought about initially by Jacob's health and  taking over the counter medications focussed on treating symptoms as opposed to curing whatever it was that wrong with him. Becoming obsessed only ...

Hannah Maloney has perhaps the most enviable job in the world - and she knows it - as a presenter on Gardening Australia which she calls a "dream gig". 

Hannah's journey to the small screen however started in, inner city Brisbane where her parents had a small herb nursery. Leaving this behind at 18, Hannah travelled the country (and world) ending up right back where she started - working on small scale farms...

There are lots of pretty instagram accounts - but one that stands out more than most is Little Lyndoch Flower Farm. 

But it didn't start instantly with pretty flowers and a landscaped flower farm.

In this week's episode we are lucky to speak with Katie Arena who runs Little Lyndoch Flower Farm and The Queens Quarters with her partner Rob. Katie takes us from her lack of enjoyment in the Corporate world i...

It's not often we get to chat with someone whose website banner includes the words "where to find G.O.D" but here we are. 

Jodi Clarke and husband Greg run Great Ocean Ducks (G.O.D) from their property situated  near one of the most famous driving roads in the world - Victoria's great Ocean Road.
 
They began in 2009 with 30 ducklings and no idea about what they were doing , with the couple choo...

AgriFutures Australia is essentially a Research and Development organisation whose intent is assisting and serving the needs of Australia's rural communities. Their aim is to do this by delivering research and innovation that aims to give Australian farmers and producers real returns, as well as preparing them to thrive into the future.

But what industries have AgriFutures Australia been working with to help develop?...

If you think of a successful multi faceted flower farm business; it's hard to look past the passionate and vivacious Georgie Newbery.

Having what she describes as a "portfolio life" Georgie has lived in Paris, previously working for American Vogue under the tutelage of the late Susan Train and Andre Talley before working for John Galliano.

Departing the fashion world having set up "Common Farm ...

If you think of a successful multi faceted flower farm business; it's hard to look past the passionate and vivacious Georgie Newbery.

Having what she describes as a "portfolio life" Georgie has lived in Paris, previously working for American Vogue under the tutelage of the late Susan Train and Andre Talley before working for John Galliano.

Departing the fashion world having set up "Common Farm...

In 2010 there were 10 domestic gins on the market in Australia. Fast forward to today and there are now over 500 independent gin distilleries with Australia having seen an exponential rise in local gin makers.

Gin is known as a refreshing spirit which lends itself well to warm climates, so it's somewhat natural that it would appeal to Australian consumers. It's also friendly to those making it as it doesn't ...

Sonia and Stu are the husband and wife behind Chin Chin Farm in Chintin, VIC.

The award winning farm is a regeneration success story with Sonia and Stu originally realising that they had bought a "capeweed farm".

Over the last few years Sonia and Stu have begun a program of improving soil health, making decisions that are best for the land and what's growing on it and trying to transform it into a ...

Developed by a group of local, visionary growers, Nice Rice has evolved to become a leading grower, miller and seller of rice in Australia. 

With a rich family history in the heartland of Australian rice growing, the New South Wales Riverina region,  Nice Rice are led by some of the best growers and operators in the country.

Their overarching mission is simple -  to grow and produce the best quality rice in the world and to...

Andre and Tom escaped corporate life in Hong Kong and took ownership of Florage Launceston in early 2022. Which just so happened to come along with a thriving hamper company - The Tasmanian Hamper Co.  Covid, lockdowns, separation from family and friends, disruptions to work and life pushed them to fast track their  ‘it will happen one-day’ plan, and now they are loving Launceston and Tassie life. 

Their vision is to deli...

It’s no secret that in some parts of the world, fisheries vacuum the seabed to harvest shellfish. Whilst it might be economically efficient, it lacks a sense of connection and thats before we even look into the ethics of it.  The folks at Goolwa Pipi Co don't have that issue though as they are harvesting a resource that has been sustainably picked at their location for tens of thousands of years by Australia's first peopl...

Lard Ass was founded by Monica Cavarsan, a dairy farmer’s daughter who grew up in Western Victoria, Aus surrounded by the creamy goodness of fresh milk and churned butter.

Proud of her Italian heritage where food was grown and sourced locally, and growing up with her 6 brothers and sisters helping Mum, Bertilla and Dad, Tony manage the family farm, Lard Ass grew out of a yearning for simple, goodness bringing back great t...

Julie Cameron and husband Sandy are the producers behind the famous Meredith Dairy.

A household name in Australia, Meredith Dairy has roots in Sheep Farming, but in 1991 the economic climate meant they had to pivot into producing cheeses and other dairy items. The rest as they say... is history.

Now, over 30 years later Meredith Dairy is a vertically integrated organisation with both sheep and goats contributing...

Deva Cacao makes one of the only tempered raw chocolates in Australia, and the first that is naturally sweetened with the medicinal powers of 100% raw Australian honey! That's right....no sugar is added other than that from bush honey.

Maggie and Ming are the husband and wife team behind Deva Cacao and are based in Tamworth, NSW. They are passionate about creating the best healthy chocolate experience possible and th...