SONIA GHIGGIOLI 

My hand pollinated, hand harvested and traditionally cured organically grown vanilla bean pods are ready for sale. I posted a picture on facebook a couple of nights ago and there was overwhelming interest, so much so that they have almost all been sold. I do have 6 single pods in a glass test tube left at $12.95 each, and 2 pods in the one test tube at $23.95. Due to the long process of growing the vanilla beans and the artisan nature of curing them, the quality is high. The

I am so very excited to announce the release of my small batch aged vanilla extract. I am proud of the aroma and flavour of this unique artisan product, due to the twelve month ageing process. At the Discovery Coast in Queensland the organically grown vanilla flowers were hand pollinated in October and November of 2016, hand harvested in August 2017, the pods were traditionally cured for a couple of months then steeped for over a year to form this rich, flavoursome quality ex

I have had very little to do with orchids in my life except to admire their beauty. Since being back in Agnes Water the past two years I have been up close and personal with these beautiful displays of nature. There is everything to love about them, from their foreign looking vine with its rigid leaves, to the growth rate they have if they are in the right environment, and their amazing flowers with both male and female parts inside. The flower is most spectacular, not for it

Each year when International Women's Day comes around I am often asked to make a speech or presentation to inspire other women to fulfil their dreams, especially within male dominated fields This year it was such a gift to not only be requested for a segment on Win TV Wide Bay news, but also the public announcement that I was one of the 4 QLD finalists for the prestigious Rural Women's Award, and therefore be welcomed into the alumni of 230 other outstanding rural women acros

Using the skills I learnt in commercial winemaking and cheesemaking, I have cured my organically grown vanilla bean pods with traditional methods. They require a sweat/dry process over numerous days to turn the bright green pods slowly into a rich chocolate colour, and then to dry them in a timber box to produce the amazing aromas and flavour that only slow cured vanilla can give you. The good news is that these premium pods are now available for sale! I am selling A-Grade po

Nearly everyone you talk to knows the distinct aroma of vanilla. It is in their icecream, their perfume, their baked goods, chocolate, medicine and is sometimes said to be a strong aphrodisiac. With all these uses it is strange to think most people do not know much about how it is grown, and that extreme weather events can have a detrimental affect on supply, which sees prices jump in this global commodity. Vanilla is a natural agricultural product, but an artificial replica