Sallie Jones has the creative eye of a storyteller, the caring ear of a counsellor,
and the sheer guts of a woman raised on the land. Death, grief and resilience
all play their parts. But community is at the heart of everything Sallie does.
She’s the co-founder of Gippsland Jersey, an innovative milk brand known as
much for its rich, creamy taste as its fair treatment and advocacy for dairy
farmers.
Sallie Jones has the creative eye of a storyteller, the caring ear of a counsellor, and the sheer guts of a woman raised on the land. Death, grief and resilience all play their parts. But community is at the heart of everything Sallie does. She’s the co-founder of Gippsland Jersey, an innovative milk brand known as much for its rich, creamy taste as its fair treatment and advocacy for dairy farmers.
The dairy farmer’s daughter, business owner and mental health advocate grew up in Victoria’s Lakes Entrance, and is now based 200 kilometres further west at Warragul in West Gippsland. Her “cool childhood” was unschooled — instead, life lessons were learned by living and working on the dairy farm with her mum, dad and three younger siblings. This upbringing primed Sallie for success, so when she finally attended high school, she excelled. “I became school captain, which was a life-defining moment for me,” Sally says. “I learned I have leadership abilities and I can make things happen.”
The dairy farmer’s daughter, business owner and mental health advocate grew up in Victoria’s Lakes Entrance, and is now based 200 kilometres further west at Warragul in West Gippsland. Her “cool childhood” was unschooled — instead, life lessons were learned by living and working on the dairy farm with her mum, dad and three younger siblings. This upbringing primed Sallie for success, so when she finally attended high school, she excelled. “I became school captain, which was a life-defining moment for me,” Sally says. “I learned I have leadership abilities and I can make things happen.”
The dairy farmer’s daughter, business owner and mental health advocate grew up in Victoria’s Lakes Entrance, and is now based 200 kilometres further west at Warragul in West Gippsland. Her “cool childhood” was unschooled — instead, life lessons were learned by living and working on the dairy farm with her mum, dad and three younger siblings. This upbringing primed Sallie for success, so when she finally attended high school, she excelled. “I became school captain, which was a life-defining moment for me,” Sally says. “I learned I have leadership abilities and I can
make things happen.”
The entrepreneur went on to sell the family’s milk at markets in Melbourne,
started a bath milk business, and eventually co-founded Warragul’s own
farmer’s market in 2013. But as all this was going on, she was witnessing a
steady decline in her father’s mental health. And despite the family’s efforts
to help him, in March 2016 he took his own life. Sallie was devastated and
searched for a tangible way to channel her grief. “It ripped my heart out,”
Sallie says. “But I just knew that something good would come out of it.”
Mere weeks later, Australia’s largest milk processing company drastically cut
payments to their supplying farmers, sparking what became known as the
dairy crisis. Feeling compelled to take action, Sallie says she rang her close
friend and Gippsland dairy farmer Steve Ronalds and announced her bold
idea to start a new milk brand together that embodied fairness, kindness
and social change.
The entrepreneur went on to sell the family’s milk at markets in Melbourne, started a bath milk business, and eventually co-founded Warragul’s own farmer’s market in 2013. But as all this was going on, she was witnessing
a steady decline in her father’s mental health. And despite the family’s efforts to help him, in March 2016 he took his own life. Sallie was devastated and searched for a tangible way to channel her grief. “It ripped my heart out,”Sallie says. “But I just knew that something good would come out of it.”
Mere weeks later, Australia’s largest milk processing company drastically cut payments to their supplying farmers, sparking what became known as the dairy crisis. Feeling compelled to take action, Sallie says she rang her close friend and Gippsland dairy farmer Steve Ronalds and announced her bold idea to start a new milk brand together that embodied fairness, kindness and social change.
“I said to him: ‘We are doing this, we are creating a milk brand,’” Sally says.
“I remember feeling like we’d stepped off a cliff.”
The pair found nothing but love and support waiting to catch them. In
September 2016, just six months after Sallie’s father died, Gippsland Jersey’s
first 5000-litre truck-full of milk rapidly sold out at the market. “People
wanted to support local dairy farmers, and they wanted to make sure they
could survive,” Sallie says.
From here another big idea came to Sallie — a way to use the milk brand’s
platform to create conversations about rural mental health and suicide
prevention. With help from community partners and other major milk
companies, Sallie started producing a free calendar featuring a collection of
personal stories from brave local farmers who open up about their mental
health struggles. Distributed to dairy farms around the area, the aim is to
encourage others to speak up and seek help when needed. “This is about
them sharing their stories in their community, which has so much power,”
Sallie says. “And then they all start talking amongst themselves, so it has a
ripple effect.”
The pair found nothing but love and support waiting to catch them. In September 2016, just six months after Sallie’s father died, Gippsland Jersey’s first 5000-litre truck-full of milk rapidly sold out at the market. “People wanted to support local dairy farmers, and they wanted to make sure they could survive,” Sallie says.
From here another big idea came to Sallie — a way to use the milk brand’s platform to create conversations about rural mental health and suicide prevention. With help from community partners and other major milk companies, Sallie started producing a free calendar featuring a collection of personal stories from brave local farmers who open up about their mental health struggles. Distributed to dairy farms around the area, the aim is to encourage others to speak up and seek help when needed. “This is about them sharing their stories in their community, which has so much power,” Sallie says. “And then they all start talking amongst themselves, so it has
a ripple effect.”
When RB Sellars catches up with Sallie she’s at ‘Wallacedale Jerseys’ in Poowong, South Gippsland with one of her milk suppliers, Luke Wallace. “He’s an exceptional dairy farmer,” she says, “one of the best in Australia, and he’s got a real heart for helping other farmers.” As the pair shares cups of milky tea, some of Luke’s 200 jerseys mill around – cows that are milked by robots now, transforming his work life balance. “That tie of having to be here morning and night can burn you out,” he says, noting the huge impact that poor mental health has on dairy farmers.
When RB Sellars catches up with Sallie she’s at ‘Wallacedale Jerseys’ in Poowong, South Gippsland with one of her milk suppliers, Luke Wallace. “He’s an exceptional dairy farmer,” she says, “one of the best in Australia, and he’s got a real heart for helping other farmers.” As the pair shares cups of milky tea, some of Luke’s 200 jerseys mill around – cows that are milked by robots now, transforming his work life balance. “That tie of having to be here morning and night can burn you out,” he says, noting the huge impact that poor mental health has on dairy farmers.
When RB Sellars catches up with Sallie she’s at ‘Wallacedale Jerseys’ in Poowong, South Gippsland with one of her milk suppliers, Luke Wallace. “He’s an exceptional dairy farmer,” she says, “one of the best in Australia, and he’s got a real heart for helping other farmers.” As the pair shares cups of milky tea, some of Luke’s 200 jerseys mill around – cows that are milked by robots now, transforming his work life balance. “That tie of having to be here morning and night can burn you out,” he says, noting the huge impact that poor mental health has on dairy farmers.
“When I look back, I know it impacted my father but the stigma is starting to
be broken and Gippsland Jersey and Sallie have been a big part of that. Among
my farming friends, we chat about our issues and how we’re coping a hell of a
lot more now than we used to.”
“When I look back, I know it impacted my father but the stigma is starting to be broken and Gippsland Jersey and Sallie have been a big part of that. Among my farming friends, we chat about our issues and how we’re coping a hell of a lot more now than we used to.”
Sallie’s next ambitious project is to create a custom-built wellness and mental health facility, housed in the original milk factory her dad built, featuring professional consulting suites and other integrated resources — the sort of place she says he needed, but couldn’t find. It’s another way for Sallie to honour her dad’s enduring legacy. “I just wish so much that he was here to see it,” Sallie says. “There’d be no one prouder.”
You can pick up a copy of the 2025 Farming Conversations Calendar at our RB Sellars Gippsland Store, 22 Bailey St, Bairnsdale.
Sallie’s next ambitious project is to create a custom-built wellness and mental health facility, housed in the original milk factory her dad built, featuring professional consulting suites and other integrated resources — the sort of place she says he needed, but couldn’t find. It’s another way for Sallie to honour her dad’s enduring legacy. “I just wish so much that he was here to see it,” Sallie says. “There’d be no one prouder.”
You can pick up a copy of the 2025 Farming Conversations Calendar at our RB Sellars Gippsland Store, 22 Bailey St, Bairnsdale.
Sallie’s next ambitious project is to create a custom-built wellness and mental health facility, housed in the original milk factory her dad built, featuring professional consulting suites and other integrated resources — the sort of place she says he needed, but couldn’t find. It’s another way for Sallie to honour her dad’s enduring legacy. “I just wish so much that he was here to see it,” Sallie says. “There’d be no one prouder.”
You can pick up a copy of the 2025 Farming Conversations Calendar at our RB Sellars Gippsland Store, 22 Bailey St, Bairnsdale.
