Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (09:50): Zucchini waffles and mushroom ragu from the Albion Hotel, pumpkin and plant-based ricotta ravioli from Shedshaker Brewing and Middle Eastern tofu fritters from Paysanne Cafe – these are just some of the dishes entered in this year’s annual Edgy Veg Awards. Across the entire month of April cafes, pubs and restaurants across the Macedon Ranges and Mount Alexander shire will feature plant-based meals, with one of them crowned the winner. These yearly awards across my community not only champion seasonal produce and support local venues at a time that they need it the most but also promote the benefits of eating more plants for animal welfare, for the environment and of course for our own health. The concept is simple: diners try the dishes, score their favourites and help to crown the winner. Anyone who would like to take part can find a list of participating venues at edgyvegawards.com.au. A big thankyou to Veg Action and the Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group for putting the awards on, once again, this year, helping to showcase our beautiful part of the world and promote plant-based eating at the same time.