LOCAL producers Ricardoes Tomatoes and Strawberries and Hastings Valley Dairy have taken out top awards in this year's Sydney Royal Easter Show District Exhibits competition.
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Ricardoes' Conchita cherry tomatoes were judged champion tomatoes among all five growing districts, from across NSW and including south-east Queensland. It is the fifth year Ricardoes has taken out the top award for its produce.
Hastings Valley Dairy's pecorino variety was named overall champion cheese.
A third entry, sweet corn grown by Matt and Tammy Davis of Telegraph Point, was awarded 100 out of 100 in the miscellaneous vegetables category as the best corn of the five districts.
The three growers were among a large group of Hastings region producers who provided fruits, vegetables and other fresh goods and home-made preserves for judging and to help create this year's Central District exhibit in the iconic traditional show attraction.
Central District steward Diana Lisle, whose family runs cattle, fat lambs and merino sheep at Walcha and an avocado farm at Telegraph Point, spent the week leading up to the show's opening last Thursday gathering goods to help build the overall exhibit. Her preserves were among a group of exhibits that won the preserved fruits and vegetables, jams, jellies, conserves, marmalades, pickles, sauces and chutney section by a wide margin.
Steward Chris Goodwin, a builder, of Wauchope, also helped construct the display.
Other local producers who provided prime specimens for the exhibit included Max Freeman of Port Macquarie and Todd Barnes of Pappinbarra (pumpkins), Maurice Schubert and Maureen Hollis of Comboyne (potatoes), Jan and Lachlan Hollis of Koree Herbs, Wauchope (garlic), Otto and Margaret Jurs of Telegraph Point (macadamia nuts), Andrew Lisle of Telegraph Point (rosellas) and Stuart and Caitlin Williams of South West Rocks (blueberries).