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1 week ago | 
abc.net.au | Tim Lee
In a packed Paris stadium filled with patriotic fervour and flags from 16 nations, a baying crowd joins the countdown to begin the competition. At the bell, each man in a team of six unsheathes his knife and seizes a carcass of beef, pork, chicken or lamb. It is "the Olympics of butchery", also known as the World Butchers' Challenge. "The atmosphere was electric this year, especially with the addition of the Belgian team," Australian competitor Tom Bouchier said.
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1 week ago | 
abc.net.au | Tim Lee
A roll call of Tuscan grape varieties are finding new expression half a world away from their Italian birthplace. As are many of the pioneers who brought varieties including prosecco, pinot grigio, nebbiolo, sangiovese, fiano and dolcetto to Victoria's King Valley, one of Australia's most exciting, emerging wine regions.
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2 months ago | 
abc.net.au | Tim Lee
Tender. Succulent. Mouth-watering. It's hard to find words to describe a superb-tasting steak. And even harder to find one that's consistently good. However, a leading Australian animal scientist believes he may have solved part of the mystery. For decades, intramuscular fat — or marbling — has been considered crucial to a juicy, tender steak. It's a key reason Wagyu comes with a hefty price tag. But speckle park beef is challenging that idea.
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2 months ago | 
thepoint.gm | Tim Lee
The small village of Sare Soffi lies 5 Kms or so north of the South road, east of Bansang and west of Basse, hopefully that's nailed down the location. I'm told that not many Toubabs get there, a few Peace Corps volunteers, the occasional charity worker perhaps. Quite remote. A close friend, Siyaka Trawally 'popularly known as ST', a fountain of unreliable information, had been stationed there for one year. Either unwilling or unable to travel to Kombo, he decided that I would travel there.
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2 months ago | 
abc.net.au | Tim Lee |Courtney Wilson |Pip Courtney |Halina Baczkowski |Kath Sullivan |Kerry Staight | +1 more
The livelihood of the world's 150 million rice farmers comes with a cruel paradox. Many are among the poorest in the world, living in regions hardest hit by climate change, yet they depend on a crop which is worsening its effects. Rice, a staple crop feeding 4 billion people daily, contributes to 10 per cent of global human-made methane emissions.
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2 months ago | 
abc.net.au | Tim Lee |Courtney Wilson |Pip Courtney |Halina Baczkowski |Kath Sullivan |Kerry Staight | +1 more
As dusk breaks on Kangaroo Island, Paul Jennings unleashes the latest weapon in the war against feral cats. It is a battle as old as time, but this time, the dogs have technology on their side. Bluetick coonhounds, which are bred in the United States for their tracking skills, are being trained to help eliminate the invasive predators. "The bloodlines have been developed there for trailing game," Mr Jennings said. "So, things like raccoons, bobcats, mountain lions and bears.
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Feb 28, 2025 | 
abc.net.au | Tim Lee
Farmers are facing a crisis behind the scenes of egg shortages and price hikes that are frustrating grocery shoppers. A fast-spreading disease has forced egg producers to destroy millions of chickens nationwide, leaving the industry reeling. Avian influenza — also known as bird flu — has ripped through chicken farms in southern Australia since May last year. The outbreak has led to the culling of more than 10 per cent of the national flock, putting pressure on egg supplies.
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Oct 25, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Tim Lee
Australia's biggest pork producer has introduced a "maternity ring" for pigs giving birth to replace controversial farrowing crates. Farrowing crates have been in widespread use in the pork industry since the 1960s to restrict a nursing sow from accidentally killing their young. Piglet mortality in farrowing crates could still be as high as 20 per cent, despite the restrictive confinement.
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Oct 11, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Tim Lee
In a lab at Melbourne University, a robotic arm grips a stubby and precisely pours a beer into a glass repeatedly with unerring accuracy. It is not a gimmick, but a robot designed to function in outer space where there is no gravity. The arm is also an example of artificial intelligence (AI) at work. Loading... The scientists behind this innovation are part of NASA's global team, whose work includes cultivating plants for future, long-term space missions.
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Sep 13, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Tim Lee
Lance Wiffen is at the wheel of his luxury motor cruiser in the middle of Port Philip Bay while an enthusiastic foreign tour group swills champagne and gulps down raw mussels on the deck. But this is more than a pleasure cruise. The veteran fisherman is out to educate the wider public about the virtues of mussels and the sustainability of Victoria's farmed mussel industry.
