Narelle Zanker, a dairy farmer from South Australia, has been honored as Australia’s AgriFutures Rural Woman of the Year during a ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra.
A former educator with a deep-seated enthusiasm for agriculture, Ms. Zanker has made significant contributions to bridging the gap between consumers and food sources.
The title of National Runner-Up for the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award went to Kelly Shotton, a pilot and innovator from the Northern Territory, who is the founder of Stationly—an innovative digital platform designed to assist remote stations in managing water resources.
Ms. Zanker finds joy in witnessing children’s reactions when they discover that milk originates from cows rather than just being a product on supermarket shelves. This realization reinforces her commitment to educating the public about food production.
Raised on a family-run dairy farm along the Murray River, near Mannum—approximately an hour’s drive from Adelaide—Ms. Zanker initially pursued a teaching career. However, after four years, she experienced a transformative moment that led her to combine her educational background with her agricultural passion. This vision culminated in the establishment of Dairy Adventures in 2024, supported by her family.
Dairy Adventures offers an engaging and educational experience for families and school groups, allowing participants to interact with farm activities such as bottle-feeding calves, milking cows, and touring the farm to understand the journey from paddock to plate.
As the sole agritourism initiative of its kind in South Australia, Dairy Adventures aims to educate consumers on the origins of their food, countering misconceptions that milk simply appears in stores or refrigerators. “People are often unaware of where their food comes from,” Ms. Zanker noted.
Recognized as the AgriFutures Rural Woman of the Year, Ms. Zanker will receive a $20,000 grant to further develop Dairy Adventures and expand its reach through virtual classrooms across the nation. “My love for education and farming is what drives this endeavor,” she stated.
The Rural Women’s Award, which has been celebrating women who are influencing the future of rural and regional Australia through their innovative ideas and leadership since its inception by ABC Rural in 1994, is now in its 26th year as part of the AgriFutures initiative.
