How Narelle Zanker’s Dairy Adventures Is Reconnecting Australians With Farm Life
Turns out a surprising number of Australians have no idea how much milk a cow produces in a day.
For the record, it’s around 25 litres a day at Dairy Adventures.
That’s one of the things Mannum dairy farmer and former teacher Narelle Zanker has discovered since opening the gates to Dairy Adventures, the family-run tourism business she runs alongside husband Joel.
The more visitors who arrived at the farm, the more the couple realised just how disconnected many people had become from farming and food production.
It’s that passion for education and rebuilding the connection between consumers and agriculture which has just seen Narelle named the 2026 South Australian winner of the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award.
The award recognises women making significant contributions across regional industries and communities, with Narelle earning praise for creating hands-on farm experiences that give people a closer look at modern dairy farming.
This latest recognition follows another big year for Narelle, who was also named South Australia’s Young Dairy Farmer of the Year in 2025.
Trading The Classroom for Gumboots
Narelle grew up in agriculture before taking up teaching, while Joel came from a sheep and cropping background in the Mid North. The pair later shifted into dairy farming together on the family farm near Mannum.
A couple of years ago, they decided to combine education, farming and tourism, opening the gates so visitors could meet calves, learn about milk production and get a firsthand look at life on a working dairy farm.
Since then, it’s snowballed.
“Growing up in agriculture, there was always that saying from the older generation, ‘Kids these days don’t know where their food comes from’,” Narelle said.
“But it probably wasn’t until we started Dairy Adventures and welcoming visitors onto the farm that I truly understood what they meant.”
More Than Just Milking Cows
Narelle said many visitors were surprised by how much work went into dairy farming behind the scenes, from nutrition and animal health to technology, machinery and pasture management.
“One of the biggest surprises has been just how little many people know about where their milk comes from and what dairy farming actually involves,” she said.
For Narelle, helping bridge that knowledge gap has become one of the most rewarding parts of the business.
The Team Behind Dairy Adventures
While she often leads the tours, she said Joel has played a huge role in helping shape Dairy Adventures into what it is today, using his practical and engineering skills to create activity areas and improve the visitor experience around the farm.
Narelle said she also feels incredibly fortunate to run Dairy Adventures on her parents’ working dairy farm near Mannum, with Geoff and Heather Simons playing a major role in making the business possible.
These days, Dairy Adventures offers more than calf cuddles and dairy tours. Visitors can bottle-feed calves, try milking cows during the popular ‘Milking Memories’ sessions, enjoy sunset picnics overlooking the herd and spend time with Elvis, the farm’s much-loved Speckle Park steer.
Together, the pair are quietly tackling something many industries struggle with – helping Australians better understand the people and work behind the food on supermarket shelves.
And if there’s one thing Narelle wishes more Australians understood about dairy farming, it’s the level of care farmers have for their animals.
“Dairy farming isn’t just a job for most farmers, it’s a lifestyle and a passion,” she said.
“There’s a deep level of care and commitment that goes into looking after both the animals and the land every day.”
While plenty of visitors leave Dairy Adventures surprised by what they’ve learned, Narelle hopes they also leave with a greater appreciation for the people behind the food on their tables.
To find out more about Dairy Adventures near Mannum, visit their website or follow them on social media.
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