In the small town of Rushworth in northern Victoria, a group of locals are determined to make a difference for those doing it tough.

At only 18 years old, Jim Burrows thought he would try his luck at sneaking his muddied truck into the Stanhope Dairy Co-operative factory to give it a wash down. Halfway through the job, Jim got sprung by the milk collection manager...

For Healthy Minds Month, we’re focussed on five ways to wellbeing – Give, Connect, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Be Active.

The past 12 months have been exceptionally challenging for people in need. Demand for food relief has gone up as people face financial pressures from COVID-19, recent floods as well as bushfires last year.

The 2018 St. Patrick’s Day fires were devastating to the farmers and communities in western Victoria, including 60 of Fonterra’s farmers.

In an effort to help address the long-term challenge of attracting, retaining and developing people in the dairy industry, twelve young dairy farmers from across Victoria and Tasmania took part in the very first Proud to be a Dairy Farmer program last week

On farmland located on the northern edges of Warrnambool sits the new Merri River School. The special developmental school is not the only new thing the students get to enjoy – they’ve just received 10 new mountain bikes with funding from Fonterra.

When the primary cheese plant at our Stanhope factory in northern Victoria was destroyed by a fire in 2014, a major reconstruction project was required to fix it – meaning a considerable number of materials were needed, from fresh timber to new machinery and stainless-steel vats.

Last year was a difficult time. Australians were still recovering from the devastating bushfires when COVID-19 took hold.

On 16 December 2014, the Stanhope Fire Brigade were first on the scene when a fire destroyed the primary cheese plant at our Stanhope factory in northern Victoria, spending hours battling the blaze.

Right now, our people and our farmers are working hard to keep milk flowing and factories running to make sure dairy foods are making it to supermarket shelves – they’re doing their bit for Australia during COVID-19.

Recent torrential rains may have dampened many of Australia’s bushfires, but not before the efforts of some of our Aussie people and farmers volunteered with their local emergency services organisations to help. Meet a few of them below.

Out there in the universe, stars are born every day. But, closer to home in Cobden, Western Victoria, a star is born every second – Australia’s favourite butter, Western Star™.

All of us at Fonterra are saddened by the suffering being experienced by so many in our community. We’re thankful that our people and farmers are safe so far, and our thoughts are with those who have not been so lucky.

Families across Victoria’s south west in need of emergency food relief will now see fresh milk in their Warrnambool and District Food Share hampers, with the first donations made from Fonterra’s Cobden plant.

When we heard we could help families across Tasmania’s north-east be better connected to their community and to mental health support services – our people rallied together.

The children at Wydinia Kindergarten and Early Learning Centre in Colac in western Victoria are solving the age-old question of what comes first – the chicken or the egg – with a new egg incubator and chicken coop bought with the help of the Fonterra Grass Roots Fund.

Plastic Free July may have been and gone, but this isn’t stopping a group of Gippsland residents from sewing up a storm to reduce single-use plastic bags in their local community.

As one of Foodbank’s National Milk Program partners, Fonterra Australia was humbled to receive the 2019 Foodbank Award for our contribution to help fight hunger in Australia.

As one of Foodbank’s National Milk Program partners, Fonterra Australia was humbled to receive the 2019 Foodbank Award for our contribution to help fight hunger in Australia.

From unearthing the next Shane Warne, Dean Jones or Cameron White at the Dennington Cricket Club to supporting budding architects and engineers at Ulverstone Primary School on Tasmania’s north coast, over 40 deserving community groups across Victoria and Tasmania will receive a leg-up from the latest round of funding from the Fonterra Grass Roots Fund.

Mother and daughter Julie and Sarah Fusinato share a passion for dairy, working together on the family farm before Sarah left Gippsland for Richmond, joining our business as a Farm Source Service Centre Specialist.

As one of Australia’s biggest dairy food companies, we recognise the important role we play in reducing the amount of waste our country sends to landfill.

Darren Wilkinson, or ‘Dazza’ as our people of Fonterra’s Cobden site know him, has been a butter maker for 20 years. He’s no ordinary butter maker though, he’s a champion butter maker – and it’s not just us saying that, it’s been confirmed – nine times over in fact!

For the 20th-year, 32 apprentice chefs from all over Australia have participated in a truly life-changing experience – Fonterra’s Proud to be a Chef mentoring program.

A new ultra-light tanker will soon join the Bostock Creek CFA’s fire-fighting fleet, thanks to a contribution from Fonterra and a grant from the Victorian Government.

Workplaces can be bustling places at the best of times, but Fonterra Australia’s Corporate Centre took it to a new level recently with 75 kids descending on the office for the first official Bring Your Kids to Work Day.

When we combine 11 years, 2.5 million kilos of dairy food and our Co-operative spirit – we can help combat hunger in Australia and reduce food waste.

Young minds in West Gippsland will be nurtured for generations to come, thanks to the donation of more than 100 children’s books from the Fonterra Grass Roots Fund.

In remnants of ancient rainforest near Darnum, where magnificent Mountain Ash trees tower above fern gullies and streams and lyrebirds roam, what lies beneath the earth is quite incredible.

Our Proud to Be a Chef program is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and culinary apprentices from all over Australia will once again have the chance to participate in a life-changing experience.

Fonterra staff traded spreadsheets for spatulas, heading into the kitchen to bake treats for 60 family members staying at Ronald McDonald House in Parkville, Victoria, while their children undergo life-saving treatment.

The youth of the 1st Drouin Scouts will be sleeping under the stars as they learn essential life skills with the support of the Fonterra Grass Roots Fund.

From surf life saving clubs to primary schools, from scout groups to sporting clubs, and even the local fire brigade, the Fonterra Grass Roots Fund has given a raft of Tasmanian community initiatives a helping hand this year.

The true devastation caused by the fires in southwest Victoria is only just becoming apparent now all bushfires are under control, although peat fires continue to affect the wider community closing the local retirement home and schools.

Fonterra has opened the doors of its newly rebuilt cheese plant to bring the community inside, as part of a legendairy Community Open Day held yesterday.

The community of Stanhope can see their legacy in town after an enormous photo mural has been unveiled on the northern wall of Fonterra’s new cheese plant as final touches are made to prepare for the site’s official opening and community celebrations.

The Cobden Primary School now have the blocks to build bright futures, after receiving a grant from the Fonterra Grass Roots Fund.

Teaching kids about healthy lifestyles and sustainable practices just got a whole lot easier for Kyabram and Girgarre Preschool, who have just received a grant from the Fonterra Grass Roots Fund.

Fonterra Australia is on a mission to collect thousands of photographs in the next three months to create a massive photo mosaic wall mural at the entrance to its new Stanhope cheese plant designed to “wear our pride on our side”.

Santa Claus got a head start on his deliveries this year, stopping by South West Healthcare’s Warrnambool Base Hospital to deliver gifts and Christmas cheer.

The Devonport Little Athletics Club is reminding other community groups in the area to take the opportunity to apply for Fonterra’s Grass Roots Fund by 16th December.

The Warrnambool Surf Life Saving Club is reminding other community groups in the area to take the opportunity to apply for Fonterra’s Grass Roots Fund by 16th December.