Eliza Berlage
Renmark, SA
Eliza is the rural reporter for ABC Riverland. A city-slicker gone country in search of wide open spaces and great stories, her journalism experience spans across four states. She has has worked in radio in Sydney, reported and produced in the Federal parliament press gallery, and written for newspapers and online in Horsham and in Naracoorte.
Latest by Eliza Berlage
Once extinct Murray crayfish on track to 'thrive again' in SA's River Murray
The species has been mostly absent from the South Australian stretch of the river for around 40 years. Now, the population is getting another boost.
Updated
When life gave this farmer frosty oranges and grapes, he planted pecans to make gelato instead
Riverland farmer Dave Otto de Grancy wanted "something that would stand the test of the weather", so he turned to pecan trees 16 years ago. Now, the nuts yield $80 a kilogram.
A microbiologist dreamt of making the best juice. His community is stocking up as production ends
Residents in one of Australia's largest citrus growing regions are buying up bottles of a locally-produced juice as its creator shuts down after 31 years.
Updated
Tributes flow for 'fun-loving, passionate patriarch' and wine label magnate Peter Teakle, who has died aged 72
Businessman Peter Teakle transformed his family's wine label printing business into a global multi-million-dollar company before opening a winery and restaurant.
Updated
Colourful varieties of kitchen staple win praise for packing healthy punch
A nutritionist says purple sweet potatoes have higher antioxidants than the more popular gold variety and are a cost-effective food for families.
Adam's family has been growing wine grapes for 28 years. He's now facing the 'heartbreaking' decision of pulling out his vines
Since the imposition of hefty Chinese tariffs on Australian wine in 2020, wine grape growers have barely broken even and the federal government has signalled it will not fund growers to exit the industry.
Hemp producers say bureaucracy, marijuana stigma, are major hurdles to fibre crop's uptake
While pushed as a sustainable source for clothing, hemp producers say a complex web of rules and regulations — including going through the office of drug control — make it hard for them to meet demands from the fashion industry.
Updated
The farmer whose family has been counting 'every drop' of rain since 1899
Lloyd Castle's farm usually gets slightly more rain than a desert, but whatever falls he records and shares the data with the BOM.
Updated
Australia's largest wine grape growing region rejects 'mean' buy-out offer
Wine grape growers in the region supplying more than 10 per cent of Australia's crush have rejected an offer to sell their red wine contracts for $4,000 per hectare to multinational company Accolade Wines.
Charlie is selling lemonade to save up for a boat, and the skills he's learning could help set him up for life
When six-year-old Charlie watched a Bluey episode where the pup made a lemonade stand, it motivated him to start saving. An expert says the vital money skills he's learning will help him throughout life.
Wine industry warns regional communities at risk of collapse without aid for sector
Wine industry representatives say they will fight for financial assistance after the federal budget left them disappointed.
Paper bags make a comeback for fruit as retailers swap out plastic net bags to reduce waste
Small and big retailers alike are looking to adopt new recyclable packaging for mandarins, saying it would avoid the use of 11,700 kilograms of plastic in one year.
A citrus grower looking to diversify found a similar crop to grow — cannabis
Australia has about 50 cultivators of medicinal cannabis but only a handful are grown outdoors in the sun.
Mostly grown in monsoonal forests, turmeric's been found to thrive in our driest state, fetching up to $60/kg
About 80 per cent of the crop is grown in India, but Australian farmers have now invested in its growth as its popularity rises due to its health benefits and culinary uses.
Updated
Grape grower by day, DJ by night: The 'blockie' who's played the same festivals as The Prodigy
With the wine industry in crisis, Andrew Sarakinis is glad his career in music allows him to provide for his family financially and still honour his" blockie" roots.
Analysis
analysis:'Tank farms' a stark reality of Australia's wine industry crisis even if China drops tariffs
Chinese authorities have announced an interim decision that tariffs of 220 per cent on Australian wine are no longer necessary, but it could take two years to clear the wine glut.
Updated
Fruit collector's favourite time of year arrives as obscure figs come into season
A South Australian farmer wants to see more of the thousands of fig varieties become more widely available to consumers.
Newly announced wine taskforce to spotlight glut as industry reaches crisis point
Very low prices for wine grapes and low demand is putting excessive pressure on the wine industry, leading to the formation of a government taskforce to report on the challenges faced by Australian growers and winemakers.
Farmers concerned about food supply disruptions after Queensland fruit fly outbreak declared in Adelaide
Producers say the detection of the pest could lead to an increase in costs for consumers and impact supply.
Updated
Nothing to cheer, as 2-billion-litre glut of red wine sparks calls for halt on new vine plantings
With the equivalent of more than 860 Olympic swimming pools worth of wine in storage and growers being paid 1970s prices for grapes, the industry is in a crisis bordering on catastrophe.
Hundreds of grape growers being paid 1970s rates at breaking point in Australia's largest wine region
Growers in South Australia's Riverland will gather at a crisis meeting as warm inland wine regions are pushed to breaking point by 1970s prices for their grapes.
Wine grape growers drive tractors through Riverland streets in protest against below-cost prices
Growers in Australia's largest wine grape producing region are calling for more government support, along with a mandatory code of conduct, to ensure the sustainability of their industry, as many let their fruit rot due to below-cost prices.
Updated
Mysterious bee deaths prompt beekeepers to get answers about the impact of fruit fly chemical sprays
Several beekeepers in South Australia's Riverland are calling for greater transparency on the potential harm of the state's fruit fly chemical sprays.
Updated
Wet summer threatens to create a shortage of Australian-grown dried fruit
Lovers of dried fruit could face shortages of some Australian-grown products this year as unfavourable weather conditions create a global decline in production.
'Still living out the remnants of that anxiety’: Twelve months later, farmers still feel impact of floods
Farmers like Alexandra Westlake and Meiqing Lin were left devastated when the River Murray flooded. A year on, the emotional and financial toll is just being realised.
Updated