Holly the Holstein socks helping flooded dairy farmers get back on their feet

Russell used the proceeds of the sale of the book to donate to flood-stricken farmers in the Manning Valley, NSW in 2021 - a total of $18,000 in all.

Seeing the devastation of the same area caused by the May 2025 floods Russell was moved to act again.

"I'd like to obviously go a lot more than ($18,000)," Russell said.

"Farmers need a lot more than that to feed their cows and so on.

"When the flood happened this year, and I'm seeing the very same farmers getting smashed again, Holly had to do something.

"So she's made a comeback on socks!"

Russell has created www.socksforfarmers.com, selling socks with the illustration of Holly the Holstein on the legs and feet and "helping our dairy farmers" stitched onto the soles.

Again, all the money raised from the sale of socks and Holly the Holstein books will go to the Mid Coast Dairy Advancement Group (DAGs) to assist local dairy farmers in the Taree and Wingham areas.

The socks, along with the book, are also being stocked in around 12 retail shops around the state, including Hunter Belle Cheese in the Hunter Valley, Bodalla Dairy on the South Coast.

"As it turns out, they're the same sort of retail shops that stock the book. They're taking the book again with the socks, and I think they're looking to package that as their own sort of gift "herd pack", putting the book back with the socks."

There are socks for both adults and children in various colours available on the website, including a "herd pack" for two adults and two children.

Already, sales are doing very well.

"I've already handed over $2000 to the Dairy Advancement Group and I've only been going a week!" Russell said.

Russell was thrilled to announce that Kezie Apps, an international and state representative rugby league player who plays for Wests Tigers in the NRLW and the NSWRL Women's Premiership, has come on board as the ambassador for Socks for Farmers.

"She's a rugby league personality and a dairy farm girl and she still works on the farm," Russell explained.

There is a message Russell is urgently trying to get across - if we lose our dairy farmers, we're in real trouble.

"The thing that I'm trying to impress upon everybody is, this is about helping our local dairy farmers, because without them, it's going to impact people at the checkout in the fullness of time," Russell said.

"And we need our farmers to stay on the land because we're already importing too many dairy products from places like New Zealand, and that's because we're not producing enough milk in this country anymore.

"So we've got to hold on to our dairy farms.

"I'm just desperate to do whatever I can to try and keep them in the business."