‘Not always seen’: SA dairy farmer wins national gong
An SA dairy farmer has taken out the country’s top gong for women in agriculture at an award show in Canberra last night.
South Australian dairy farmer and educator Narelle Zanker has won a prestigious national award recognising women in the regions last night in Canberra.
Zanker, who runs Dairy Adventures with her husband Joel, is passionate about sharing dairy farming with her guests to improve understanding of regional Australia and bridge the gap between the country and the cities.
After winning the South Australian AgriFutures Award in May, Zanker beat out her interstate counterparts for the top gong on Tuesday night, which she said was an “amazing group of women”.
As Zanker crossed the stage to accept the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award at a ceremony at Canberra’s Parliament House, her parents celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary.
Zanker’s parents, Jeff and Heather Simons, own the family farm near Mannum where Zanker runs her agritourism business and where her love for farming began in the milking shed.
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“If it wasn’t for my parents, none of this would be happening,” Zanker told InDaily.
Zanker started Dairy Adventures two years ago this month and said it would not have gotten off the ground without her parents’ tick of approval to run tours on the farm, which is home to about 750 cows.
“That’s one big thing that can scare farmers is having visitors walking on their farm, which can be nerve-wracking,” Zanker said.
Zanker – who spent four years in the classroom as a teacher – has run tours with families, school groups, disability groups and grandparents with their grandkids.
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“People are always super surprised about all the technology and all the data entry and how much we love our animals,” Zanker said.
“They’re always amazed, they’re like, ‘wow, there’s like a profile on every single cow on the farm’ …we know all our cows, we know exactly their history and what happens with them during their lifespan.”
Zanker said they also have pet cows, Elvis, who is three years old, and Peppa, who is 18 months old. The two are the farm favourites.
Remote station hand and pilot Kelly Shotton from the Northern Territory was named runner-up for founding Stationly, which helps remote cattle stations monitor and manage their water across vast properties.
Other finalists included a veteran using equine therapy to help those leaving the military, the founder of a migrant language school, an aerospace engineer, a regional vet educator and a farmer who makes sun-safe farm gloves.
“What they’re doing for their industry, but also what they’re doing for their communities in rural Australia is an absolute blessing,” Zanker said.
“It’s a great opportunity as well for the women to get exposure because when you’re rural, you’re not always seen or heard, but to have a night to celebrate them all is an incredible honour.”
The award includes a $20,000 bursary, on top of a $15,000 bursary from winning the state title. The total $35,000 was a coup for the entrepreneur, who said she would spend it on farm improvements and growing the business’s educational arm.
“We’d love to do a tractor-trailer ride that’s inclusive and accessible for all ages, all abilities, so they can actually immerse themselves in the farm,” Zanker said.
She said she also wanted to create videos and resources for school groups to learn more about dairy farming before and after their visits.
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