Jamberoo residents can now taste the milk produced in their backyard, as local farmers band together to get milk from the town's cows onto local tables.
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Despite being the birthplace of Australia's dairy industry - the Jamberoo dairy factory was the second in Australia, after the Kiama factory opened in 1884 - sixth generation farmer John Fairley said there was no local option.
"There doesn't seem to be a good, strong local brand down here anymore," he said.
Mr Fairley runs a milk processing business in Picton and said the response to a local product, called Jamberoo Valley Milk, has been overwhelming.
"I got some labels made up, put them on a couple of bottles and overnight, it's gone viral. Everybody's wondering where they can buy it from."
The milk is sourced from three farms in Jamberoo and about 150 cows. The milk is then processed in Picton and now on sale at IGA in Jamberoo, with more retailers on the way.
"Whatever those cows give me, I put it in a bottle of full cream milk," Mr Fairley said.
Mr Fairley said the product is a true, full cream option, with no butterfat removed from the milk. The milk is also pasteurised at a lower, but still safe, temperature to retain the flavour.
"It's got that nice milk taste that everyone remembers from when they were kids," he said.
While it's still early days, the milk is being sold in one and two litre bottles with fill cream or light options, Mr Fairley said if the response is good, he is interested in producing an unhomogenised version, "with the cream on the top".
Not only will the milk have the distinct flavour of Jamberoo, the money spent on a litre or two of milk will be going back into the community.
"This is locally owned and we want to support the local market," Mr Fairley said.
After more than a century of consolidation in the dairy industry and the dominance of large cooperatives, the indication from community response so far indicates to Mr Fairley that there is the space for a local option.
"It's really good to know that local people are still looking at local markets and wanting to buy local and support local farms and shops," he said.
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