Now the Show is done, what does the RAS do for the rest of the year ?
That is a very good question. So much effort goes into putting on the Show for 14 days, but what does the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW and all the Show family do for the other 50 weeks of the year?
Planning for an event as big as the Sydney Royal Easter Show works on a 24 month cycle. Planning is well advanced for the 2012 Show beginning on April 5 (stick that date on your fridge today). Livestock exhibitors are already thinking about what animals they will begin preparing to bring to the Sydney Royal in 2012, and the folks who put the district exhibits together are already scheming about how they are going to end Northern District’s seven year winning streak.
The Show’s dedication to promoting excellence in agriculture does not end with the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Before we talk about the other things the RAS does, we need to recognise the extensive range of competitions at The Sydney Royal Easter Show: alpacas, arts and crafts, caged birds, cats, cattle, district exhibits, dogs, field crops, flower and garden, frogs and reptiles, goats, horses, honey, pigs, poultry and pigeons, rabbits, rats and mice, sheep and fleeces. Then there are the human competitions; rural achiever, young farmer challenge, showgirl, young auctioneer and woodchop.
It is an immense coverage of the agricultural industries and rural endeavours. A number of these events build up through local and regional competitions (through the local show movement) and culminate at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
On top of these Show competitions, the RAS also runs the the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show, covering 11 competitions held in February and September each year. In February the competition covers summer acquaculture, beer, bread, coffee and pasta. In September the competition covers spring aquaculture, branded beef, branded lamb, deli meat, olive oil and regional food.
February is a busy month. The Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Show is held in February each year and covers butter, milk, cheese, icecream and gelato, cultured milk products, gelato, sheeps, goat and buffalo milk. And to top it all off, the Macquarie Group Sydney Royal Wine Show attracting 2283 entries in 60 different classes is also judged in February.
The President's Medal
The pinnacle of all the wine and fine food shows in the Presidents Medal, held in July each year. The Presidents Medal judging process begins with the 5,000 competitors who submit their products to the Sydney Royal Wine, Dairy and Fine Food Shows each year. From those competitors the Show Champions are chosen, and the Chairs of the Wine, Dairy and Fine Food committees select six of those Champions as finalists who are in the running for the President’s Medal.
Representatives from the Medal judging panel, which include eminently qualified experts from the food, restaurant and marketing trades visit each nominated producer. As well as the outstanding quality of their product, judges are scoring competitors for their passion, commitment, enthusiasm, environmental practices and pursuit of excellence.
The President’s Medal award ceremony takes place at a huge celebration dinner in Sydney attended by some of Australia’s best-known food and wine critics and connoisseurs, where the six finalists’ produce features on a menu designed especially for the occasion by some of Australia’s most acclaimed chefs.
In 2010, winners of the President’s Medal were Carla Meurs and Ann-Marie Monda’s Holy Goat Organic Chevre (goats cheese) from their Sutton Grange Organic farm at Castlemaine in Victoria.
So the pursuit of excellence in agriculture is a year round obsession for the RAS. If this sounds like something you’d like to be better informed about or become involved in, why not become a member of the RAS so you too can be part of the Show family, 52 weeks of the year.
Show Tails is now taking a bit of a break to recover from the 2011 Show. We will be back to talk about the Presidents Medal and other RAS events throughout the year.
