NARELLE ZANKER WINS NATIONAL RURAL WOMEN’S AWARD
South Australian dairy farmer and former teacher Narelle Zanker has been named the 2026 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award National Winner for her work connecting people with dairy farming through her family’s farm at Mannum.
Ms Zanker is co-founder of Dairy Adventures, which has welcomed more than 1,200 visitors since launching in 2024, giving people hands-on experience of milking, calf-feeding and the day-to-day work behind dairy production.
The venture uses the working farm as an educational experience for everyone from preschoolers to retirees, helping visitors understand where their milk comes from and what goes into producing it.
With the award, Ms Zanker will receive an additional $20,000 grant through the award to expand Dairy Adventures, including virtual classrooms for children across Australia who are unable to visit the farm.
The award was announced at a gala dinner in Canberra on Tuesday, with Northern Territory pastoral innovator Kelly Shotton named National Runner-Up for her digital platform Stationly, which tracks water infrastructure and fuel across remote cattle stations.
Applications are now open for next year's iteration of the award, closing November 4, with the Northern Territory deadline January 20.
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