Dairy Saves 80-Year Queensland Farm Hours Before Closure

The Rozynski family was one day away from shutting down three generations of dairy farming when John Cochrane picked up the phone.

Cochrane, owner of Kenilworth Dairies, watched as the September 15 deadline approached for the Rozynski farm in Queensland's Mary Valley. He expected one of the major processors to step in after Maleny Dairies declined to renew their contract. None did.

So Cochrane became the hero himself. He's now buying and bottling milk from the Rozynski's 10,500-liter daily operation under a new single-origin brand called One Farm, One Herd.

The move saves two farms at Imbil, about 170 kilometers northwest of Brisbane, where Jason Rozynski and his son Angus run brown Swiss dairy cattle. "It's three generations of blood, sweat and tears, and this has been the fight of our lives," Jason said.

The rescue comes at a critical time for Queensland's dairy industry. Since 2000, the number of dairy farms in the state has dropped from 1,500 to fewer than 220.

Half the drinking milk Queenslanders consume gets trucked up from Victoria, where climate makes production cheaper. The Rozynski family is betting local shoppers will choose fresh Queensland milk when it hits shelves in the coming weeks.

The Ripple Effect

This single farm's survival matters far beyond one family. Local businesses selling fuel, fertilizer and farm supplies to the Rozynskis would have been severely affected by a closure, Cochrane explained.

Dairy farmer and industry advocate Joe Bradley called Kenilworth Dairies "absolutely the hero" of the story. "We could not afford to lose the Rozynski family," he said.

Richmond Dairies in northern New South Wales is also helping by processing the remainder of the milk into ingredients for manufacturing and export. It brings less money than drinking milk, but helps the Rozynskis survive until next year when milk is in shorter supply.

Cochrane, a former dairy farmer himself, has invested millions growing Kenilworth Dairies since buying it in 2017. "To lose that quality of milk in this state would be a crime," he said.

Jason Rozynski calls Cochrane a valued family friend who has always supported the industry. "We're grateful to John and the team that they can have a crack at this when nobody else would."

The One Farm, One Herd brand should reach store shelves within two weeks, once barcodes are approved and labels printed, giving Queensland shoppers the chance to vote with their wallets for local dairy.