Kerry Crowe’s position as the Norco distributor for the Southern Downs area complements her personal passion for the dairy industry and its producers.
You see, prior to delivering the milk, Kerry worked as a dairy hand, giving her a unique appreciation for both ends of the supply chain.
And, the farmer will always, always have her support.
“Our heart and soul is in backing those Australian farmers,” Kerry said. “We don’t just own the business and go, ‘oh well, it’s just a job delivering milk’.
“We understand it from every aspect and are passionate about supporting our local producers.
“With Norco, 100 per cent of the profits stay in Australia to support farmers and their communities.”
Kerry said three milk price rises this year had been necessary to ensure the dairy industry’s survival.
“If we can’t keep the farm gate price up, we can’t support those farmers and they have no option but to sell their cattle, you know. It’s not just a job for everyone, it’s a livelihood.
“The dairy farmers I know would feed their cattle before they feed themselves if push came to shove and that’s pretty massive.”
Kerry said the Lismore floods in February 2022 had been particularly devastating for dairy farmers, with years of breeding genetics lost.
“They just don’t replace themselves overnight. Every cent counts for those farmers and those communities to rebuild after the floods.
“And, you know, we all go outside with the sun shining, but there’s still an awful lot of damage and consequences from those floods and some people will never be the same again.”
Kerry Crowe grew up on a vegetable farm at Amiens, 17 kilometres north west of Stanthorpe.
After finishing school, she worked in the transport industry but transitioned into dairy about eight years ago due to the flexibility it offered around her four children and “loved everything about it”.
Starting at the ground level with Phillip and Karen Christensen in Freestone Valley near Warwick, she also milked for Graham and Theresa Bourke at Gladfield.
“I still love milking to this day,” Kerry said. “It’s a dirty job, but the money is clean. And, the early hours back then allowed me to hold other jobs in the middle of the day. It worked well.”
Seeking to buy a business, Kerry and her husband Dave became the distributors for Norco – Australia’s oldest dairy cooperative – in Warwick in February 2019.
Initially, they continued to milk cows every second weekend but, when COVID-19 struck in March 2020, they focused on expanding their range beyond dairy products.
The Crowes now supply the hospitality and retail industries including IGA, FoodWorks, butchers, delicatessens, cafes, restaurants, service stations, McDonald’s and Zarraffas.
“If you bought a cafe or fast food outlet tomorrow we could deliver everything . . . all dairy, smallgoods, frozen goods and packaging, as well as cakes, savories and anything else you may need.“
Kerry and Dave are also distributors of BioPak and Castaway packaging.
“Our business has grown so much over the past nearly four years,” Kerry said. “We are now a one stop shop.”
Five days a week, Norco delivers bottled milk to its depot in Warwick from where the Crowes start delivering at 4.30am.
“A lot of people lack comprehension about what happens after the cow is milked to when the bottle appears in the shop,” Kerry said.
“It starts with the farmer who transports his milk to the factory. The manufacturer then does his work before it’s transported to the Norco depot where we pick and pack orders ready to dispatch the next day.
“We then deliver to shops nice and early so people can stack the shelves ready for the customer to walk in.
“When there is a shortage, we regularly joke and say, ‘Oh, we should just take the bottles out to the farm and start milking’!”
While the Crowe’s “ultimate” goal is to carry a few beef breeders and horses on 245 hectares, Kerry still reminisces about milking cows.
“I miss milking cows,“ she said. “Yeah, I do miss it. I miss the calming noise of the dairy and telling the cows all my problems . . . They always listened and never answered back!”
