Jerseymeieriet wins agricultural award!

‘Winning Rogaland’s Business Development Award for Agriculture means so much to us at Jerseymeieriet. It feels like a tremendous vote of confidence in all the work we have put in. We are proud that our commitment to quality, sustainability and local value creation is being recognised and appreciated,’ says award winner, founder and general manager Sonja Herikstad Skårland.

In just a few years, Jerseymeieriet in Bryne has grown to become Norway's fourth-largest dairy. Today, it is the only dairy producing products made from pure Jersey milk for sale in grocery stores. Its 85 Jersey cows are small, curious and good-natured. They use feed efficiently and produce milk with around 50 per cent more fat and 30 per cent more protein.

Our Regional Director for Rogaland, Kari Holmefjord Vervik, is deeply impressed by what the hard-working dairy farmers in Bryne have achieved:

‘It is wonderful to see what the drive and determination of the people of Jæren can achieve in just four years. Jerseymeieriet has succeeded through hard work, a focus on quality and sustainability, and strong business acumen. Through the dairy, Sonja has refined the unique Jersey milk and increased the value it creates for both the farm and the local community,’ she says.

The 85 cows graze outdoors for almost half the year, rest on water mattresses and receive excellent care from the farmer. This produces high-quality ingredients. Through skilled craftsmanship and product development, the milk is transformed into butter, sour cream, yoghurt, Camembert and ice cream. The products are available from more than 100 retailers across Norway, from Agder to Finnmark. Sonja and Per Ådne Skårland are committed to making the most of their ingredients and using all the milk, both the cream and the skimmed milk. This has resulted in a wide range of products, from rich, full-fat options to leaner products packed with protein. What makes Jerseymeieriet unique is this combination of quality and quantity. Their whole milk was named 'Dairy Product of the Year' at Årets Måltid in 2022, and their butter received the same award in 2024. 

In other words, Jerseymeieriet has achieved something that is often difficult in agricultural business development: building a large, profitable processing company based on the farm's own resources. They have full control of the entire value chain, raise livestock on a grass-based diet and place great emphasis on being as self-sufficient in feed as possible. They do not use soya or other feed transported over long distances. And there is still plenty of scope for further growth: today, the dairy processes 350,000 litres out of a total milk production of 650,000 litres.

Many of the dairy's 13 employees are young people and women from the local community. The farm's four daughters have helped build the business, and the eldest is now its sales and marketing manager. They use modern equipment to ensure efficient dairy production, but every product is still genuinely handcrafted, making full use of the farm's resources. 

Each year, on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, we award the Business Development Award in Agriculture. The award recognises those who have built a successful business or industry based on the resources of rural communities and agriculture. Each county selects a winner, who receives NOK 50,000. The county winners then compete for the national award of NOK 250,000.