Cadbury Dairy Awards celebrating the cream of the crop

Catherine Furzer is the daughter of European immigrants and grew up in the suburbs of Sydney.

She studied arts/law at university, married an orthopaedic surgeon and ran his practice and they had three children after her husband, Russell, took a position at Burnie Hospital, in 2003.

She never imagined she would one day be a dairy farmer.

“My youngest son, now 15, has been steadfast in his desire to be a career farmer, but we only had 80 hectares of land,” Catherine said.

“When a dairy farm over the road came up for sale we borrowed money to buy it with our son’s future in mind.”

In the meantime, Catherine has reinvented herself – having nothing more than some horse experience to apply to caring for 60 angus breeders and a “nothing fancy” 25-year-old herringbone dairy.

She personally milks two mornings and every evening and has a small team of helpers, including her sons, to spread the load.

“There was a contract in place with Cadbury and we decided to maintain that because they’re not easy to get,” she said.

“Luckily interest rates have softened and milk prices improved – but it’s going to be a long time and we’ll have to milk well to clear our debts.

“Luckily I’m fit and strong and I can handle the dirt and muck.

“But that first calving season, the 16 hours days and the pressure of trying to make sure they all survive, was pretty stressful.

The whole family now has a newfound respect for the people who produce the nation’s milk supplies.

“You don’t realise when you think of traditional dairy farmers that they’re actually operating a  big business,” Catherine said.

“We produced a million dollars’ worth of milk in our first year and we’re a small player. There’s a lot of responsibility in managing a team and the animals – I can’t leave – and it’s quite lonely.

Catherine said she’ll need to grow the dairy to at least 400 cows to keep the bank happy and her future farmer son has even grander plans.

“It’s so important and nobody sees you – so it was nice to have this recognition from Cadbury and the opportunity to meet other farmers.”

Catherine was one of five outstanding dairy farmers recognised for their quality milk production and supply to iconic Tasmanian chocolate maker Cadbury at a special ceremony in Devonport last Friday.

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Mondelez International president for Australia, New Zealand and Japan, Toby Smith, presented the awards at the 2025 Cadbury Farmer of the Year Awards.

In a commitment to the local dairy industry, Cadbury also announced a $200,000 two-year sustainability program to help farmers measure and reduce emissions while improving profitability.

The 2025 Cadbury Farmer of the Year Innovation Award went to Arjan van Adrichem from Togari who was recognised for his pioneering use of technology to improve silage and reduce waste, delivering better quality feed for his herd and helping to set new standards for sustainability on-farm.

Arjan has eight robots on his farm, increasing efficiency and reducing labour.

Young Farmer of the Year was Josh Smith of Cuprona, who was recognised for his passion and dedication to farming and herd management, reflected over five years’ supplying Cadbury, starting as a farm worker then share farmer and now farm owner.

Sustainability Award winner was Rob Frampton of Gawler who has demonstrated world-class sustainable farming practices, recently reflected when he completed carbon baselining.

Rob is a sixth generation farmer who has been supplying Cadbury for more than 20 years.

The Milk Quality Award went to Anthony Grey of Redpa who was honoured for his outstanding commitment to producing high quality milk having completed four season supplying Cadbury.

Reflecting on Cadbury’s century-long relationship with Tasmania’s dairy farmers, Toby Smith paid tribute to milk as an essential ingredient in Cadbury chocolate.

“I can’t overstate the significance of Tasmania for Cadbury,” Mr Smith said.

“The abundant supply of high-quality fresh milk was a key reason Cadbury chose Tasmania to build its first chocolate factory outside of England in 1920.”

He also highlighted the importance of fresh milk in Cadbury’s reputation for quality, with the brand recently named Most Trusted Brand in the food and beverage category by Roy Morgan for the fifth consecutive year.

“It’s our dedication to taste and quality ingredients, including Tasmanian milk, that continues to make Cadbury so popular.”