Homegrown milk brand Gippsland Jersey calls on locals to dig deep to keep its product on shelves

A HOMEGROWN Gippsland milk company has launched a crowd funding campaign to keep its product on shelves and local farmers in business.

A HOMEGROWN Gippsland milk company has launched a crowdfunding campaign to keep its product on shelves and local farmers in business.

The owners of Gippsland Jersey hope to raise enough cash to shift operations from Jindivick to Lakes Entrance after its processor pulled the pin.

“We’ve had to solve this problem really fast,” co-founder Sallie Jones said.

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Sallie Jones wants people to pre-purchase Gippsland Jersey milk. Picture: Zoe Phillips

She said the plan was to ­install processing equipment into her late father’s dairy farm.

“Having our own processing facility has always been part of the dream,” she said.

“If we can do this, we can ensure that our farmers are getting a fair price for their milk.”

Ms Jones’ father Mike was the first person in Australia to build a milk factory next to his dairy and to process milk and make ice cream.

Tragically, he took his own life two years ago.

Supporters are being encouraged to pre-purchase milk in a bid to help raise more than $100,000 for the initiative.

Gippsland dairy farmers Steve Ronalds, Brenton Ziero and Sallie Jones brought their fight for fair milk prices to the city earlier this year.

The new facility could create local processing jobs.

“Achieving this will help Gippsland Jersey in its dream to grow by bringing more farmers into our brand … and most importantly to pay them a fair price,” Ms Jones said.

Gippsland Jersey has been widely credited with helping give desperate farmers a better return for their product following the 2016 milk crisis.

The start-up company started contract-processing and bottling the milk produced by co-founder Steve Ronalds’ 420 Jersey cows, selling it directly to consumers at farmers’ markets, independent supermarkets, milk bars, cafes and restaurants.

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