Narelle Zanker’s passion for education and the dairy industry has seen the young farmer crowned the South Australia AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award for 2026.
Narelle established Dairy Adventures on her family farm at Mannum in South Australia, after leaving her career as a teacher.
The move home enabled Narelle to continue her love of education, while combining it with her love of dairying.
She has been blown away by the win and is still digesting the news, which comes with $15,000 and a chance to go on and compete nationally.
Narelle said the money would go toward establishing a dedicated picnic area on the farm and would also help her continue to host a virtual classroom with the help of Dairy Australia — ‘Farmer Narelle’, which will be available to schools across the country.
In its first year, Dairy Adventures has welcomed over 1200 visitors from young kids through to retirees and includes family and school groups.
“I wanted to merge my love for teaching and education with the farm, 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 popular Elvis Encounter — a chance to pat and feed some treats to the family’s pet Speckle Park steer Elvis.
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 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,” she said.
The immersive and hands-on experiences has enabled Narelle to teach some pretty powerful lessons to her visitors around food safety, animal care and where food actually comes from.
“When people see the science, the systems and the care that goes into every bottle of milk, something clicks.
“We’re not just a farm, we’re a food production facility, and we want people to understand and value that.”
South Australian Dairyfarmers’ Association CEO Andrew Curtis said Narelle’s nomination reflected her strength, innovation and leadership within South Australia’s dairy sector.
“Narelle is an exceptional advocate for dairy farming and regional communities,” he said.
“Through Dairy Adventures, she is helping build trust and understanding between farmers and consumers — something that is critical to the future of our industry.”
“Her passion for education and her ability to tell the story of dairy in a meaningful way is something we are incredibly proud of.”
The AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award is supported by Westpac and is Australia’s leading award, recognising the innovation, leadership and impact of women in rural and regional industries and communities.
AgriFutures Australia managing director Brianna Casey AM said the award celebrated women creating lasting impacts where it mattered most.
“The AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award recognises women who are shaping the future of rural and regional Australia through innovation, enterprise and leadership.
“Narelle’s work is a compelling example of how agritourism and education, when done well, can transform public understanding of farming and strengthen the connection between producers and consumers.”
Westpac regional general manager Brad Higgins said Narelle’s work was creating lasting change in Mannum and beyond.
“Through Dairy Adventures, Narelle is opening doors for people of all ages to connect with farming, understand where their food comes from, and develop a genuine appreciation for the people behind it.
“We’re proud to support Narelle as she continues to grow Dairy Adventures and showcase the innovation and education at the heart of Australian farming,” Brad said.
Later this year, Narelle will proudly represent South Australia at the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award gala dinner at Canberra in September 2026.
The national winner will receive an additional $20,000 Westpac grant, while the runner-up will receive $15,000.