22/05/2026
I was standing on the deck at Jindivick the other morning, watching that thick West Gippsland mist crawl across the green hills. It was properly freezing, the kind of cold that gets right into your knuckles before the cafe doors even open for the morning. I was wrapping both hands around a hot coffee just to keep my fingers moving, watching the steam vanish into the crisp air.
Sallie Jones from Gippsland Jersey popped in to see us at the Willing Enable Cafe. Sitting down with her over a brew, you get a raw reminder of just how much soul can be poured into a local business. Sallie and her co-founder, Steve, started Gippsland Jersey back in 2016, right in the thick of the dairy crisis. It was born out of an incredibly heavy piece of personal grief after Sallie tragically lost her dad, Michael, to su***de. Instead of letting that darkness take over, she channeled her energy into paying local dairy farmers a fair price, smashing the stigma around rural mental health, and practicing plain, old-fashioned kindness.
But Sallie didn’t just want to talk shop in the warmth of the cafe. She bundling us into the car for a two-minute drive down the road to visit Steve and Bec Ronalds' dairy farm. If I'm honest, it was just the tonic needed. There’s something universally good for the soul about seeing a paddock full of new-generation Jersey calves. They were incredibly healthy, inquisitive, and, yes, ridiculously cute. Seeing that life coming full circle on a working farm really brings home the reality of what supporting local actually means.
Lately, I’ve been noticing more and more of our neighbours making a deliberate choice to support independent local outfits like Sallie’s, Steve’s, and Bec's. It’s becoming the default standard around here, and it’s a beautiful thing to witness.
Seeing those robust calves got me thinking about health on our end of the stethoscope, too. As a GP, I spend a lot of time reviewing the dietary habits of my patients, particularly the older ones. There’s a piece of quiet, science-backed guidance I find myself offering friend-to-friend in the consulting room: don’t skip the real dairy. For elderly people, high-quality milk is massively important. It’s an easy, accessible source of calcium and protein that is absolutely crucial for keeping bones strong and preventing the frailty that can so quickly rob a person of their independence. Good dairy helps keep you moving.
That’s why we are absolutely rapt to share that Gippsland Jersey is now the official milk supplier for the Willing Enable Cafe in Jindivick. On top of that, we’ve stocked our fridges with their 1 and 2-litre cartons, so you can buy your weekly milk right here from us and bypass the big supermarkets entirely.
Next time you’re passing through Jindivick, pop in, grab a cuppa made with the good stuff, take a look at the view, and have a yarn with the team. It’s a simple way to look after your own strength, stay connected, and keep the heart of our community beating strong.
1070 Jacksons Track, Jindivick VIC 3818
https://share.google/Vr0MDrqwkmIPO8fY0
See you at the cafe,
The Atticus Health & Willing Enable Team
