As the major supermarkets fight wars over the price of milk, other players step out of the ring and compete with quality.
Small dairies still pasteurise to meet health regulations, yet many supply milk non-homogenised; the milk retains its creamy texture and an old-fashioned layer of cream rises to the top.
Most also do not add non-milk additives, permeates or stabilisers.
So they sell… just milk.
Revolutionary!
Here’s a list of organic, family-owned or independent dairies; the milk is stocked in markets and shops near you.
Contribute: If you know a farm that should be here, email me at info AT flavourcrusader DOT com
Milk terms
Full cream has at least 3.2% fat
Light or low-fat milk generally has less than 1.5% fat
Skim milk has less than 0.1% fat
Pasteurisation is a heat treatment that kills bacteria
Homogenisation is a process whereby cream becomes evenly dispersed throughout the milk
NSW
Country Valley run Freisian/Jersery cattle on their Picton farm; the organic milk is sourced from Moss Vale and Nowra. Nothing is added to their milk, no permeate or stabilisers. They won Champion Milk in the 2011 Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Show. The milk is available from shops and markets in Wollondilly, the Southern Highlands, Camden, the Illawarra and Sydney.
• Full cream milk (regular and organic)
• Low-fat milk (regular and organic)
• Skim milk
Northern Rivers-based agricultural co-operative Norco was established in Byron Bay in 1895. Tip and photo from Timothy Dawson.
• Full cream milk (regular and organic)
• Low-fat milk
• No-fat milk
Glen William’s Karl and Cathie Johnson produce award-winning Over the Moon milk. The milk comes from the 50-strong Jersey cow herd of a fifth-generation dairy farm based in Wauchope. The full cream milk is available non-homogenised. You can buy Over the Moon milk from retailers and markets in Sydney and surrounding regions.
• Full cream milk
• Low-fat milk
Peel Valley Milk runs 100 predominantly Jersey cows on the flats of the Peel River at Tamworth. The full cream milk is available to buy non-homogenised. You can find them at Frenchs Forest Markets in Sydney. Tip from th3littleredhen. Photo by @McintoshBowman
• Full cream milk
• Low-fat milk
South Coast Dairy milk is produced by a co-operative consisting of 16 dairy farms. The milk is available from supermarkets, convenience stores, food service outlets and traditional corner shops in the South Coast.
• Full cream milk
• Low-fat milk
• Skim milk
Glenn Haines, his wife Helen and two sons work together at Udder Farm in the Hunter Valley. They milk their cows twice daily; it’s bottled two to three times a week depending on demand. The non-homogenised milk is available to the local market.
• Full cream milk
• Low fat milk
• Skim milk
VIC
Demeter milk is sourced from a certified bio-dynamic family farm in the Goulburn Valley in Victoria. The farm runs 130 Alcheringa Jersey Stud and Friesian cows. Their full cream milk is available non-homogenised; it can be found at most organic and natural food stores and some IGA supermarkets in Sydney and Melbourne. Tip from Dianne.
• Full cream milk (bio-dynamic)
With a history of farming at Dunnstown since 1830, the Britt family are now stepping firmly into the future. With 250 cows, they’ve begun operations at Inglenook Dairy to process and bottle their own milk. The milk is available non-homogenised. Photo by @EnotecaSileno.
• Full cream milk
• Low-fat
Jeff and Erica Kernich produce and process Jersey Fresh milk on their 84 hectare property located at Greenock. Their cows are fed on grain grown on the farm. They produce 4,000 litres of unhomogenised milk every week. Photo by Barossa Farmers Market.
• Full cream milk
• Low-fat milk
Jonesy’s farms are family-owned and operated, located in Kerang in northern Victoria and Mt. Gambier in South Australia. The full cream milk is available non-homogenised. Their range is distributed throughout Victoria, to milk bars, independent supermarkets and farmers’ markets. Tip from @julianne_rose and @wolfinkitchen.
• Full cream milk
• Low-fat milk
La Latteria produce non-homogenised milk in returnable glass bottles. The majority of their milk is produced by the Friesian herd of Donnybrook Farm, on the northern outskirts of Melbourne. Supplies from Whittlesea, Murray-Goulbourn and Warrnambool supplement this. You can buy direct from their shop in Carlton. Tip from @bezelafoodstore.
• Full cream milk
• Skim milk
Paul Matthews, from Lakes Entrance runs the organic Miranda Dale farm with his parents. Their Jersey herd are milked only once daily, unlike most other dairy farms. The milk is high in butterfat and is pasteurised at just 62.5 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Full cream milk
• Low-fat milk
Alex and Ray Deionno, have been dairy farmers since 1972, but decided to branch out into cheese making. Murray Valley Cheese Co in Murray Bridge boasts its own on-site specialised cheese making factory. Their milk is non-homogenised.
• Full cream milk
• Skim milk
With help from around 450 Friesian and Jersey cows, Schulz Organic Farms of Timboon produces non-homogenised milk. Since 1972 they have used biodynamic and organic principles to enhance the vitality of the soil, grasses and animals. They use no chemicals, hormones, herbicides or pesticides on their farm. Tip from John.
• Full cream milk
• Skim milk
Sungold is produced by Warrnambool Cheese and Butter, the oldest surviving dairy company in Australia. The Allansford dairy farm has suppliers throughout southwest and central Victoria and the Fleurieu Peninsula, the Hills and south-eastern regions of South Australia. They have a new Jersey milk range; the milk is available throughout Victoria. Tip from Liam O’Brien.
• Full cream milk
• Low-fat milk
• No-fat milk
QLD
Family-owned Barambah dairy is based in Brisbane. Their bobby calves live in an adjoining paddock for up to four years. They source their milk from their own farms located at Glenarbon, situated on the Dumaresq River, on the New South Wales/Queensland border. Their milk range is non-homogenised; you can buy it from over 200 stores across the east coast of Australia. Extra tip from Elisha.
• Full cream milk (organic)
• Low-fat milk (organic)
• Skim milk (organic)
Got a photo? Send it to me at info AT flavourcrusader DOT com
Dick Schroder’s dairy farm, based in Gilldora, produces Cooloola Milk. The milk is from a pure herd of Jersey cows. Cooloola Milk recently acquired Eumundi-Noosa, supplied by six farmers.
• Full cream milk
Eden Hope, a 64 hectare farm near Gympie, is managed through organic and biodynamic principles. Glenn Bunter and Therese Cawte run around 60 head of cattle; the main breed is Jersey, with several cross-breeds in the herd. Their milk processed at the local Cooloola Milk factory and is available throughout Gympie and the Sunshine Coast.
• Full cream milk
Family-owned Ivyhome Organic Dairy is located near Kingaroy in Queensland. Their non-homogenised milk is available from selected health food stores, supermarkets and home delivery vendors throughout southeast Queensland and New South Wales. Photo by @manfredistefano
• Full cream milk (organic)
• Low-fat milk (organic)
Guernsey cows have been milked at family-owned Maleny Dairies since 1948. Their full cream milk is also available in a non-homogenised version. The range is available from selected outlets in the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.
• Full cream milk
• Low-fat milk
• Skim milk
Mungalli Creek Dairy is a family-owned farm located in the southern Atherton Tablelands of tropical North Queensland. They run a herd of predominantly Jersey cows, yet they also have Swiss Browns, Aussie Reds and Friesians. Their milk is neither standardised nor homogenised. You can purchase Mungalli Creek Dairy in major centres throughout Queensland, northern New South Wales, Sydney and Melbourne. Tip from Jill
• Full cream milk (biodynamic)
• Low-fat milk (biodynamic)
The same dairy has a non-organic brand, also non-homogenised, called Misty Mountain Farms. The milk is sourced from Jersey farms that are encouraged to farm sustainably. It is available in most independent stores and some major supermarkets in North Queensland from Mackay to Cooktown. Tip from Jill.
• Full cream milk
• Low-fat milk
SA
From a herd of 80-strong Jersey cows, Alexandrina Cheese produce non-homogenised Jersey milk. The milk is stocked in Adelaide and surrounding regions.
• Full cream milk
• Low-fat milk
The B.-d. Farm Paris Creek dairy is located in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia. Their non-homogenised milk is available from selected retailers in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales.
• Full cream milk (biodynamic)
• Low-fat milk (biodynamic)
Three families banded together to form the Fleurieu Milk Company in Myponga on the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia. Milk produced by their combined Jersey and Holstein Friesian herd is processed permeate-free. The full cream milk is also available non-homogenised. You can find their range in selected retailers in many states.
• Full cream milk
• Low-fat milk
The same dairy produces a range of permeate-free Jersey milk, with the full cream version available non-homogenised.
• Full cream milk
• Low-fat milk
Tweedvale Milk has been in business since 1974. They used to manage their own herd but now source milk from other local farmers with a similar ethos; small herds, clean dairies, happy cows and a high quality product. You can buy their milk from local supermarkets, deli’s, café’s, restaurants, hotels, bakeries and other businesses throughout the hills. Their milk is non-homogenised.
• Full cream milk
Tip from nwynn. Photo by tarale.
NT
I don’t know of any dairies in the Northern Territory. Do you? Leave a comment or send a photo to: info AT flavourcrusader DOT com
WA
Bannister Downs Farm, located in Northcliffe, is managed by Mathew and his wife Suzanne. It’s home to over 1500 Holstein Fresian cows; despite being a large dairy farm they claim to have traditional farming methods. They do not overstock or expect high production from their cows preferring a low stress system. Tip from Steve and Paddy.
• Full cream milk (organic)
• Light milk
Margaret River Organic Creameries is located in Treeton, South Western Australia. The milk is unhomogenised. Their milk is available in many retailers in Perth and in the South West. Photo by Joanne.
• Full cream milk (organic)
Got a photo? Send it to me at info AT flavourcrusader DOT com
The Holstein Friesians, Jersey/Friesians cross and pure-bred Jersey cows graze less than 100 metres away from the Ravenhill Dairy in Narrikup. Their full cream milk is available non-homogenised. You can find their produce at selected retailers in Western Australia.
• Full cream milk (organic)
• Low-fat milk
• Skim milk
Sunnydale Dairy is an independent dairy, owned and operated by Ron Rutherford and his family. They bottle Guernsey milk (produced by a single herd located in near Bunbury in the south west of the state) in glass bottles. You can purchase their non-homogenised milk from their premises in Nedlands and also return the bottles for re-use. Say hello to the hard working family on Facebook. Tip from Nick.
• Full cream milk
• Low-fat milk
• Skim milk
TAS
2 cow is non-homogenised milk from a dairy in Cygnet. Tip and photo from @stevencrumper.
You can taste the seasons in the milk of Ashgrove Dairy; their milk is not standardised to a minimum fat content. Nothing is added, included permeates. Their full cream milk is also available in a non-homogenised version. The range is available from supermarkets in Tasmania. Tip from @tammois.
• Full cream milk
• Light milk
Organic Elgaar Farm of Northern Tasmania run a herd of Jersey and Fresian/Holstein cows. Their non-homogenised milk, packed in returnable glass bottles and plastic pails, are available from selected stockists in Tasmania and Victoria. They won Champion Milk in the 2012 Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Show. Tip from @tammois. Photo by @mindfulfoodie.
• Full cream milk (organic)
• Light milk (organic)
John and Lyndall Healey run the Pyengana Dairy Company situated in north east Tasmania. They milk 200 cows (predominantly Friesian), make and sell award-winning cheese and run the Holy Cow Cafe. The milk they sell is non-homogenised. Tip from elclark84.
• Full cream milk
Got a photo? Send it to me at info AT flavourcrusader DOT com
The Wicked Cheese Co produce non-homogenised milk branded “Richmond Milk”, sourced from the Coal River Valley. It is available from selected retailers in Tasmania. Tip from @tammois.
• Full cream milk
Related elsewhere
The Australian: Mark Whittaker, The white stuff, December 10, 2011.
The Age: Richard Cornish, Milk of human blindness, May 3, 2011.
ABC Radio Nation: Presented by Paul Barclay Supermarket wars, March 14, 2011.
Tasmanian Life: Lucy Barbour, The Tasmanian Milky Way (PDF), Issue February-March, 2011.
The Food Sage: Rachel Lebihan, Milk: you get what you pay for, March 9, 2011.
Sydney Morning Herald: Maxine Frith, Creamed off by milk companies, April 13, 2008.
Sydney Morning Herald: Matthew Evans, Full cream ahead, April 12, 2005.
Contribute: If you know a farm that should be here, email me at info AT flavourcrusader DOT com
cc photo by chefranden.
This is great, Sharon! Do you know about the wonderful Elgaar Dairy in Tassie? Also Ashgrove and Richmond. In NSW, is Riverina a small dairy?
In Victoria, I know we get Elgaar, but we also have Gippsland Dairy. I’m drawing a blank at the moment for other Vic dairies (bad tammois), but will ask on the twitterz. :-)
Thanks for doing this!
Hi what a great blog about milk, so important to get the information out their to support small dairies who are making real milk with no additives. It is a hard slog to be in the dairy industry at the moment. Especially with the cheap $2 milk which has water in it and permeate and is doing so much damage. Their ads say Milk is Milk and we all need Milk what crap. Milk is not Milk anymore. Even good brands like Riverina have now altered their formula which is a shame. We have decided to produce some marketing material stating that we make “ethical” milk but am wondering if people will understand that. Anyway guys do your best to spread the word to support all the small dairy companies out there in Australia. We DO NOT want to end up like UK which now uses 90% long life milk and the small percentage of fresh milk comes from the Netherlands. If dairy industry is not saved now in Australia in the future we will no doubt be drinking long life milk from New Zealand!
Hi
I was recently in the UK and saw a large supply of fresh milk at Waitrose. Are you saying that the milk in the fridge is not actually fresh but UHT kept in the fridge, like soy milk is? Please give me more information, I’m a milk fanatic and need to know!
In Townsville, Qld, we have two great and real milks on sale that come from small dairies on the Atherton Tablelands. These are: Mungalli Creek Milk, and Jersey Milk. Great stuff indeed As far as I know these are avaiable through much of North Queensland. Mungali Creek milk is also sold in Mount Isa.
Wasn’t the twittersphere on fire with milky wars today?
@Tammi Thanks for dropping by and for spreading the word! I added Elgaar and Ashgrove. I’m waiting to hear from Gippsland for confirmation on their milk product and photos. Riverina *looks* like a small dairy but Fonterra are behind the brand.
@Ester I’ve sent you an email – yes it’s a shame that people have to change the formula of milk for whatever reason. Hopefully this debacle will highlight the plight of dairy farmers and the need for competition.
@Jill Thanks so much for your additions. I’ve added Mungalli Creek but I’m having trouble finding the details of Jersey Milk due to its generic name. I’ll persevere!
[...] Flavour Crusader’s developing list of dairies selling milk you might like to try instead. « Happy (Ethical/Sustainable) Bacon [...]
Hi,
Milkwars is making me angry. Last year we were so excited to be able to buy Sungold milk from the Warnambool Butter and Cheese Factory, an Australian owned, ASX listed company. We get it from To’s Bakery on Hopkins St in Footscray, Vic.
Liam
then there’s the bread…next will be eggs…gonna check with my organic shop and get back to you.
Wow, I’m glad there are a few other companies out there doing what we are doing and bottling ‘just milk’. So many people have no idea what’s really in a bottle of milk.
This is a great blog because we do tours here and people quite often say “We don’t live around here – is there other dairies that do the same as you”. And we didn’t really know that many – so I will print this page to give to the tour guides so we can tell them who to look out for.
Thanks again.
Kay
Mungalli Creek Dairy is a family owned farm and with two other family run farms produces milk, yoghurts, and cheese on the Atherton Tablelands using Bio-Dynamic (organic) techniques. The products are available in major centres throughout Queensland and in Northern NSW, Sydney and Melbourne. Some Yoghurts and cheeses are available in selected stores in other states. Misty Mountain Farms is a non-organic brand produced by Mungalli Creek Dairy. The two Jersey farms are encouraged to farm sustainably and use no GM supplements. Misty Mountain milk, cream and yoghurts are available in most independent stores and some major supermarkets in North Qld from Mackay to Cooktown. All products of both brands are non-homogenised, GM free, Gluten free, and preservative free. Some are also lactose reduced.
Hi
Message for Sharon – I have been trying to reply to your email to send some pics but it keeps bouncing back. Could you please re-contact me
Ta
Trish at Mungalli Creek Dairy
Excellent article. I love the fact that you reference milk that is available all over Australia. Great work. Keep it up.
We love the Country Life milk and yoghurt which is available at Marrickville Markets on Addison Road in Marrickville, Sunday mornings.
Hi Rachel thanks for buying our Milk at Addison Road, Marrickville.
That Organics foodie market is blossoming with great traders. We are also at Eveleigh Market at Carriage Works, Darlington/Redfern on Saturdays 8-1pm along with 70 producers. So if you can’t make it on Sundays pop by and say hi to me personally. I have switched to Lite Organic myself as I’m trying to loose a bit of weight. Just can’t resist our organic cheeses and dairy products. LOL.
But our lite still tastes like real milk coz no powders of any description.
Cheers
Ester
ohh thanks a ton for putting this together!!! I’ve been trying to get nice milk in Rockhampton for years, once there was a shop that sold the Barambah stuff but they sold out and stopped selling it in place of home brand crap.
You’ve given me some other products to chase up to see what I can source in my area, fingers crossed I can get something decent.
Cheers!
Rolley
Thanks for your comment Rolley, you made my day :)
[...] some farmers’ markets and organic food stores. To find real milk in your state, check out this comprehensive list of unhomogenised, quality milk from family owned farms prepared by Sharon Lee (aka: [...]
To whom it concerns, actually i have seen a lot og the good products of your company. Really it match with that of people’s choice. Actually at present i work with a company known as SKC Dairy fresh here in mauritius island. We are into milk production, our products is of good quality which attracts the high demand from clients. I wish to know about employment opportunity in your organisation. Thanks for your kind attention. From Denis kamara.
Thank you for your enquiry. Unfortunately we do not have any employment opportunities. All of the small dairies listed here are located in Australia – you can contact each directly. Mauritius island does look beautiful indeed. Best of luck with your search.
[...] you like real milk that pays farmers appropriately? Check out this list to find alternatives to the supermarket [...]
[...] to a product that I think is best straight from the cow! If you want that too, @flavourcrusader has an excellent alt.milk list on her wonderful blog. Tweet « I’m a Farmer (so is my husband) | [...]
Hi Sharon,
Fantastic article. Funnily enough I found out that my stomach has trouble with the lactose-free milk that my girlfriend and I have due to her lactose intolerance. This seemed crazy, but I tested it with some full cream, un-homogenised milk and no trouble.
To add to your fantastic list there is Schulz Milk from Timboon. We use it at our Farmers Market coffee carts around Melbourne.
Cheers!
John
Hi John,
Oh no, incompatible milk partners!
Thank you so much for that tip!
After reading all that its off to the fridge for me for a long late night swig of creamy Peel Valley I might just dip a spoon into the Double Jersey Cream too. For some entertainment checkout the Official Yeo ValleyAdvert 2011 “the churned forever” on Youtube
Hey Davie, yeah that’s cool but I liked their first album more :) Lovely to meet another #realmilk lover!
I am going to be a bit blokey :( Here I am addicted to a late night before you go to bed swig of milk from the carton or (glass bottle if I could get it) That isn’t my only failing and I could get ex communicated from the “real milk” campaign. This is what it is; Being brought up in a children’s home I don’t believe we had a refrigerator so all our milk was sterilised. I have always loved its flavour so here is the “crack” I actually love UHT!!! So can anybody tell me if one could get ” ethical” Sterilised for an addict like me..it makes the best “UK school style “custard Sorry to all for my “habit”
Davie, Davie, Davie…
I’m not sure if any of the smaller dairies do UHT, supply/demand, travesty etc :)
Best check the websites of the ones closest to you.
If that fails, you could try Devondale. The milk would come from a variety of farms though (not one or a few). However, it’s an Australian farmer-owned co-operative. If you’d like to chat to a Devondale dairy farmer, speak to Marian.
Hi David, I must whisper to you that after a few months living on Norfolk Island and drinking only UHT milk I liked it best with baileys :) however back in Tassie now and we har awesome fresh ethical mill options :) I am 90% sure that King Island milk makes a pretty fantastic UHT milk and sells at Woolies in Tas. Maybe you could look into that?
Ps oops Davie – sorry :)
Ps. Oh gosh, we are not renowned for our ethical “mills” haha, of course I meant milk – and have not “har”, um, going to sleep now :p
I need to make a “LIKE” button :)
This is a great resource, but I still must say that I am VERY disappointed that only 1 of these dairies mentioned actually address the issue of the bobby calves. Barambah Organics is the only dairy listed that talks about their treatment of bobby calves, which are to many an unfortunate by-product of the dairy industry and are treated as such by all of the major dairies and also many of the organic ones. I only ever buy Barambah Organics as they keep their bobby calves. I would love to buy products from other dairies, but unless they look after the bobby calves and don’t a) euthanize them when they have no-one to take them or b) sell them off for veal (and we know the atrocoius conditions these poor babies suffer before they are slaughtered) then I shan’t purchase from elsewhere. I thinkt that part of the ‘organic certification’ process that it should also ensure that this type of thing is not permitted to happen.
My friend Lesh addressed the bobby calf issue in her post with a few responses from some dairies.
John from Country Valley has also written about their practices as has Marian Macdonald (a Devondale farmer) here.
Also, please take the time to read this fine post by Tammi Jonas.
Hello
I have just bought some Miranda Dale low fat milk. Does anyone know how this milk is produced?
It looks like it’s unhomogenised. They also use the lower-temperature, longer method of pasteurisation but have a shorter shelf life of about 10 days. So good creamy, tasty stuff! More details here.
Hi Sharon
Thanks for the quick reply! Do you also know about the method of producing the low fat milk variety? Do they just take the cream off the top? Or do they use some other method and add milk solids etc?
Hi Ana,
I can’t say for sure, but I seriously doubt they’d add anything to their milk; they’d just remove the cream.
If you can find their details, they’d be happy to answer that. (I tried but an email bounced!)
What a wonderful sight for Farmers Like ourselves who have built our own processing factory to bottle our own milk. Inglenook Dairy has been operating for 10 weeks now and really need the consumer to get behind us. Link us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter Inglenook Dairy or check out our website for stockists. If you are interested in our products ask your local store as it is very hard for us to get into them without consumer request. Happy Milk drinking to all
Regards
Rachael