There’s something special happening in the heart of Stratford, a small town right in the heart of Gippsland. Usually found in the eclectic laneways of Melbourne, coffee culture is making a name for itself at the delightful Badger & Hare Café.

Due to successive, disruptive weather events experienced by Gippsland businesses in recent times and their considerable impacts on many within the food and fibre sector, including our valued members and stakeholders, Food & Fibre Gippsland has decided to extend the date for applications for the Gippsland Food and Fibre Awards to Sunday 14th April.

The celebratory evening, at which the awards will be presented, will now take place on Friday the 31st of May.

Recent heavy rainfall in Gippsland has impacted farms, with many producers witnessing riverine flooding on their properties or saturated crops during prolonged and subsequent weather events. Yield losses experienced by baby leaf vegetable growers due to a significant rain event can be severe. A recently-published case study has described how the challenges for growers extend beyond the on-farm outcomes of such destructive weather phenomena, to meeting consumer expectations for ‘perfect’ produce.

Vertical farming is just one of many innovation opportunities being explored as part of the Gippsland Smart Specialisation Strategy (GS3). Our team has been working closely with the Latrobe Valley Authority to investigate the potential for vertical farming to be established in Gippsland.