While locals have long enjoyed the artisanal produce crafted from Michael Wohlstadt's, The Dairyman Barossa brand, Michael's food was celebrated on the national stage last month, after being named the overall Producer of the Year at the prestigious 2025 Delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Award Winners event.
Michael, whose mouth-watering fare includes butter and cream, heritage pork, along with oyster mushrooms, was one of eight winners at the Sydney soiree, which was held at a black-tie event at Bennelong.
A national judging panel included some of the country's renowned chefs, including; Alla Wolf-Tasker; Karena Armstrong, Matt Moran, Matt Stone and Peter Gilmore.
Winners were recognised across four major categories – Dairy, Earth, Paddock and Sea, with special awards to producers who excelled in sustainability, innovation and artisanal craftmanship.
Michael was honoured to take out the top award.
"Well, it was very gratifying I suppose, it's not what I expected," Michael told The Leader, in regard to how he felt about the award.
"I mean I've won state before and I've had a gold medal at the national awards but to win the major award it was a big surprise."
While Michael acknowledges the trend of producers having a single specialty, he is pleased with his mixed farming approach, one which is authentically Barossan.
"The point I like to make often is that basically farmers don't produce food but commodities," Michael says.
"And in this case everything from the property leaves the property as a commodity and that's the point of difference.
"I mean it's described as 'paddock to plate', I sometimes call it 'farm to fork' and so there's a combination of the farming being mixed and diverse which has drifted away over time. I mean the Barossa started as subsistence …and growing up in the Barossa I could still observe mixed farming but it has disappeared somewhat and given the Barossa's very important food culture, I'm very pleased to be part of raising awareness around that and being recognised for it as well," he says.
Michael's face, and his delicious produce, are a regular fixture at Saturday's Barossa Farmers' Market, and he is keen to acknowledge the important role such markets play for food producers.
"The farmers markets are essential," Michael said. "They're essential for first of all, people putting their toe in the water, so fostering new products and ideas it's a very low risk, low cost entry point for people," he explained.
"…You're in this business face to face with people who are using a knife and fork or a chef cooking in a restaurant and that's, in these days of concern about mental health for farmers and family producers, I think it's a very important point of difference."