At Pecora Dairy, cheese makers and business owners Michael and Cressida Cains believe the recipe for a perfect cheese starts from the ground up.
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Having a healthy soil means there are premium plants for sheep, which leads to rich and tasty products.
The magic happens at an 180-acre farm in Knights Hill where the sheep have free rein.
The award-winning cheese producer is a finalist in the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW's (RASNSW) President's Medal.
"For us, the President's Medal [is something] as producers we have dreamed of entering," Michael said.
The prestigious award celebrates food and beverage producers who focus on sustainable, environmental, economic and social practices throughout all facets of business.
"I think things like the President's Medal are important in relation to recognising those things," Cressida said.
It is the second time Pecora Dairy has been a finalist, following a nomination in 2022.
The Southern Highland News was invited to the farm with judges Simon Marnie and Kate Lorimer-Ward, who did their official site visit prior to the award being announced.
They were shown the property and its milking premises, forests, paddocks, dams, creeks and battery systems.
Mr Marnie said the producer was "pushing the envelope of agricultural innovation".
"They [are] leaving the land better than when they arrived, they're creating a harmony within the community that benefits the community... driving around seeing the old growth forest and what they do with their soil makes them fit into that finalist mode," he said.
Kate Lorimer-Ward, who is also the NSW Department of Primary Industries deputy director general, said the business was a "leader" in the dairy industry.
"...I think the one thing that all of the farmers shared was this attribute about leadership in either their product development, their industry development, and also their business models," she said.
The winners will be announced on March 27.
Other finalists include Mountain Culture Beer Co in Katoomba, Gumshire Pork from South Australia, Meredith Dairy in western Victoria, Stockyard Beef and The Food Farm.
Briannah Devlin
I like to write about arts, entertainment, any local reality tv leads, and property for the Southern Highland News and Goulburn Post, but also report on everything in between. If you have any tips, please send them to Briannah.Devlin@austcommunitymedia.com.au, or call 0439142204.
I like to write about arts, entertainment, any local reality tv leads, and property for the Southern Highland News and Goulburn Post, but also report on everything in between. If you have any tips, please send them to Briannah.Devlin@austcommunitymedia.com.au, or call 0439142204.
