WAFarmers’ executive manager policy, advocacy and engagement, Jessica Wallace was chosen by the organisation as the new ‘face’ for a rebranded label on two-litre full-cream and hi-lo cartons of WAFarmersFirst milk.
The new cartons, featuring Ms Wallace standing in front of grazing dairy cows, will be on sale from Tuesday in Coles and selected IGA supermarkets across WA.
“WAFarmersFirst milk was taken off the shelves during the initial COVID-19 concerns due to a disruption to the local dairy supply chain,” Ms Wallace said.
“Since that time a decision was made to rebrand the milk and put a new label on it.
“WAFarmers approached me, they said they would like me as an ambassador for the products,” she said.
“It’s very humbling, being approached by such a well-recognised brand that many in the industry have worked hard to bring to supermarket shelves.
“Every consumer needs to know the story of the WAFarmersFirst brand – what it stands for and how it gives back to our local industry.
“There are many consumers out there, that want to help our farmers and local industry but don’t know where to start.
“As brand ambassador, being offered the opportunity to speak on behalf of our producers – and promote the industry I am so passionate about – is simply amazing.
“I love what I do and the people I represent – it really is what makes me tick, so finding myself on the WAFarmersFirst milk label is both humbling and exciting at the same time.”
Ms Wallace has an animal sciences degree from Murdoch University and prior to joining WAFarmers, in 2017 was the winner of a New Colombo study tour scholarship to investigate global meat and animal supply chains.
She also has an arts degree from Victoria’s LaTrobe University, majoring in media and legal studies, so she knows agriculture and how best to promote it.
“I have an interest in animal production, I’ve studied some of the dairy industry and through my role have gained a fair bit of knowledge on the industry,” Ms Wallace said.
“It’s technical with extremely tight margins – dairy farmers really are amazing at what they do.”
WAFarmers buys local milk and has it processed and packaged by Brownes Dairy.
WAFarmersFirst is one of a very small number of wholly WA-owned milk brands.
It was created in 2014 to help provide funding for the then newly created WAFarmers Dairy Industry Fund – 40c from the retail price of every two litre carton of WAFarmersFirst milk sold goes to the fund.
“It doesn’t go back to the farmgate, but rather goes into the industry to fund innovative projects and people to help improve the productivity, profitability, performance, business growth and diversity of the WA dairy industry and any part of our dairy supply chain – this is as equally important for viability of the industry,” Ms Wallace said.
WAFarmers also similarly markets locally produced free-range eggs as WAFarmersFirst eggs, available at Woolworths and selected IGA supermarkets, to raise funds to assist the local egg industry.
