Not many people have the love for their job that Narelle Zanker has for hers, after the 30-year-old found a way to combine her love for dairying and her passion for teaching.
Last year, Narelle, along with her husband Joel, launched an agritourism venture Dairy Adventures on the family farm at Mannum, and she couldn’t be happier.
Growing up on the farm with her parents Geoff and Heather Simons, which includes a broad acre cropping operation, Narelle would help milk the cows and feed the calves before and after school.
She continued to help out on the farm while completing a teaching degree at university, but after four years in the classroom, she worked out dairying was her true love, so she resigned and came back home to work on the family farm.
“I still wanted to merge my love for teaching and education with the farm, and in September last year, we started Dairy Adventures, and it has been flat out ever since,” Narelle said.
Dairy Adventures offers a wide variety of on farm interactive experiences including Feeding Frenzy, Milking Memories, Dairy Discovery, Graze and Gaze and the very popular Elvis Encounter – a chance to pat and feed some treats to the family pet Speckle Park steer Elvis.
The adventures are open to large or small groups, and Narelle even caters for birthday parties.
“I love it and we are starting to get quite a few return customers so they must love it too.”
Narelle said one of the most popular things for young kids was the sensory trough – an old feed trough filled with grain and plastic farm animals.
“The kids can spend ages in there playing with the animals and the grain.”
And after sorting out their insurance, they can now offer a milking experience as well.
“We try and make most things work and we always send everyone home with a photo they can stick on their fridge to remind them of their time here on the farm.”
The farm is open for tours on Monday through to Saturday with school holidays proving to be a busy time.
Narelle said the farm was only an hour's drive from Adelaide and five minutes from the tourist town of Mannum.
“We are next door to a big marina and our farm runs alongside the river, so we are on the tourist trail.
“We have already had 10 schools come through, and that’s only been from word of mouth, as we haven’t gone too hard on the advertising, although we do post a lot on social media.”
Dairy Adventures has also been officially named as a finalist in the 2025 South Australian Tourism Awards.
“Our journey so far has been incredibly rewarding and we are so grateful for all the support,” Narelle said.
“Dairy Adventures gives me a great balance of both things I love, I still get to educate people and I get the outdoor lifestyle and the variety that comes with dairying.
“There is always so much to learn and every season is different.”
She said she has also received a lot of support from other farmers who are excited for what she is doing for the industry.
Narelle and Joel run the business as a separate entity, paying her parents a monthly lease payment.
She said she hoped to one day raise her own family on the farm and she wanted her kids to grow up experiencing the same things she did.
The family milks 300 cows and crops barley, wheat, canola, lupins and lentils across 1600ha share-farmed and owned.
The cows calve all-year-round, which helps with the Dairy Adventure experience, as there is always a young calf needing feeding somewhere.
Narelle’s dedication to the industry and her passion for education saw her recently named South Australian Young Dairy Farmer of the Year for 2025.
Narelle was recognised for her dedication to the industry along with her ability to balance operational excellence, community engagement and sustainable farm management.
A spokesperson said Narelle was helping to bridge the gap between paddock and plate, inspiring future generations and building public appreciation for dairy, making her a shining example of the next generation of South Australian dairy leaders.
“I was surprised to receive the award and I didn’t realise how a big of a deal it was, especially considering I have only been back home on the farm for three years,” she said.
Narelle said as part of the family succession plan she and Joel will move into the main farmhouse and over the next decade or so they will continue to build their own side hustle.
“I need to shout out to my parents and thank them,” she said.