From A Dairy Farm Near Mannum To National Honours For Narelle Zanker
From milking cows near Mannum to Parliament House in Canberra, Narelle Zanker has taken out one of the country’s biggest awards for rural women.
The Mannum dairy farmer, former teacher and co-founder of Dairy Adventures has been named the 2026 national AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award winner, just months after taking out the South Australian title.
Narelle accepted the award at Parliament House in Canberra last night, earning national recognition for her work reconnecting Australians with agriculture and teaching people where their food comes from.
And if you’ve followed Narelle’s story, you’ll know there’s a fair bit more to Dairy Adventures than letting people have a crack at milking a cow.
A National Win For A Simple Idea
Narelle and husband Joel run Dairy Adventures on her family’s working dairy farm near Mannum, where visitors get a hands-on look at modern dairy farming.
For Narelle, the trip to Canberra also marked a pretty remarkable personal journey.
Ahead of the awards, she reflected on being a shy and reserved kid growing up on a dairy farm, terrified of public speaking, who never would have pictured herself one day sharing her story and representing her family, community and the dairy industry on a national stage.
Dairy Adventures grew from Narelle and Joel’s idea to bring her two loves, farming and education, together by opening the farm gates and giving people the chance to experience dairy farming firsthand.
Since opening in 2024, the business has grown to welcome more than 1,200 visitors each year, including school groups, families, community groups, aged care residents and people living with disability.
AgriFutures Australia Managing Director Brianna Casey AM said Narelle embodied what the national award was all about.
“Narelle Zanker embodies exactly what this award is about. She’s young, smart and passionate, and she’s built a genuinely commercial business off the back of her experience as a teacher and her life on the farm, all while reconnecting everyday Australians with where their food actually comes from.”
$35,000 To Take Dairy Education Further
The national win comes with a $20,000 grant from Westpac, on top of the $15,000 Narelle received after winning the South Australian award.
Narelle plans to put the combined $35,000 towards upgrading facilities at Dairy Adventures, improving accessibility and creating new ways for people to learn about dairy farming.
She also plans to develop more educational resources and a children’s book about life on a dairy farm.
“Whether a child is milking a cow on our farm or sitting in a classroom thousands of kilometres away, I want them to have the opportunity to connect with agriculture and understand where their food comes from,” Narelle said.
“This award gives me an incredible platform to take this vision even further.”
From SA Winner To National Winner
The national title adds to a growing list of recognition for Narelle, who was also named South Australia’s Young Dairy Farmer of the Year in 2025.
But for Narelle, the focus is still on taking agriculture beyond the farm gate and giving more people a chance to understand the industry firsthand.
“I am so proud to represent South Australia and the Australian dairy industry, and so excited for what comes next.”
Earlier this year, Greater SA spoke with Narelle about Dairy Adventures, the surprising things visitors don’t know about dairy farming and why she and Joel decided to open the farm gates.
Read our full story: Award-Winning Dairy Adventures Is Changing How People See Farming
