At around 8.30-9am, the Grays gather for breakfast, before Mick heads off on the tractor to attend to his daily farming duties. With the second daily milking commencing at around 3.30pm, the Grays are usually ready for dinner by 7.30pm.

The Gray’s A2-certified herd gets to graze on some mighty fine pastures, feeding on a combination of lucerne, chicory, rye grass, kikuya and clover. They’re also fed nutrition-intensive corn and a protein source such as cotton seed, and hay rings are also put out for the cows to stand around to feed at night. According to Mick, it’s so important to maintain the cows’ respective weights at all times – for good health, first and foremost, and producing the highest-quality a2 Milk®.

The Grays are proud of the fact their hard work has helped many people who are concerned with dairy digestion. As the milk from their cows contains only the A2 type of beta-casein protein, to the exclusion of A1 protein, many people who have trouble drinking most regular dairy milk can happily enjoy a2 Milk® without feeling uncomfortable. Each cow in the Gray’s herd has been DNA tested to ensure the integrity and purity of their a2 Milk® supply.

Founded in 1951 by Kolombo and Julia Perich, Leppington Pastoral is now one of Australia’s largest and most successful dairy enterprises.

Situated in Western Sydney’s Bringelly region, the farm is truly a family enterprise. Kolombo’s grandson Michael is now at the helm of the dairy operation, while Michael’s father, Ron, is on the farm daily and his son, Ethan, joins them to learn the ropes at the weekends. Ron’s brother Tony and his sons also have important input to the family business.

Starting with just 25 cows, this farming family have gone from strength to strength over the last 65 years. Currently the team milk over 2,000 Holsteins in a double herringbone dairy.

Michael has always made cow comfort his top priority. ‘Well cared for cows produce consistent quality milk’ he says. He’s eager to share his vision and exemplary farming practices with the wider community, so school and community groups are regularly welcomed to the farm to see the whole milk process, from cow to carton.

A dairy farmer for more than 20 years, you’ll find Leo Cleary’s stunning 300-acre farm perched on the Hastings River, just inland of Port Macquarie on New South Wales’ Mid North Coast.

After hearing about a2 Milk® in 2012, Leo had his cows tested through a non-invasive DNA test, developed and used exclusively by The a2 Milk Company, which analyses a sample hair from the tail of each dairy cow to identify cows that produce only the A2 type of beta-casein protein and not A1 protein.

Over the next six months, the former school teacher transitioned the rest of his herd to pure A2-certified cows, something he believes was well and truly worth it.

Today, the Cleary’s herd sits at 300 and produces around 4,400 litres of pure, natural a2 Milk®.

The Billing Farm is a genuine family affair. In fact, a2 Milk®-certified farmer Tim Billing has lived his whole life on the family farm and he and his wife, Vicky, hope their children will carry on the tradition one day.

With the road running through the property named after them, the Billing family has a longstanding history in the area.

Located just outside of Dorrigo on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, the farm itself, was originally purchased by Tim’s grandfather in 1946 – while Tim’s father was serving in Papua New Guinea during WWII – and started with just seven cows and no electricity. Now 91, Tim’s father lives on the neighbouring property.

From its humble beginnings, the Billing Farm now runs a herd of 190 cows, producing around 1.1 million litres of a2 Milk® a year.

Tim also likes to keep a few bottles of fresh a2 Milk® handy in a small refrigerator in the dairy and enjoys the occasional milk-and-cookies break during milking.

The Perry family farm, run by Mark Perry, was one of the first dairy farms to transition their herd to A2-certified cows. Since that time, Perry View farm has gone from strength to strength. Today on Perry View Farm, the cows are producing around 1.2 million litres a year of milk with only the natural A2 type of beta-casein protein and no A1 protein.

The farm is nestled on the slopes of the idyllic Bellingen River, a spot that’s a perennial favourite with adventurous canoeists.  The couple’s three children – Madeline, 16, Kaytlyn, 14, and Josh, 9, are a regular help to mum and dad.

Josh in particular loves helping out on the farm and he is a dab hand at herding the a2 Milk® girls to the dairy for their afternoon milking! The Perry family’s total a2 herd currently sits at 150, comprised mainly of Holstein cows.

Before he came into dairy farming, Mark had worked a variety of jobs but says that one of the great things about running his own dairy farm is the flexibility it gives him to attend local school events for the kids.