Celebrating 20 years, the awards honour excellence across every aspect of dairy production and innovation, recognising the outstanding contributions and the passionate people behind the high-quality products that fill our supermarket delis, cafés, restaurants and homes.
SADA will again partner with Foodland to present the Foodland Dairy Sustainability Award, celebrating industry leaders committed to delivering on the promise of nutritious food for a healthier world, in line with the Australian Dairy Sustainability Framework.
The 2026 program will continue to build on the three annual signature awards:
Best Relationship with a Processor
This award recognises the contribution and effort of farmers over the past 12 months. The recipient is determined by the processors, and each processor has the opportunity to nominate a dairy farm business which best addresses the awards criteria.
Young Farmer of the Year
The nominee must be over the age of 16 years and under the age of 35 years on the day entries close. The young farmer is judged on their management philosophy as well as technical abilities. The nominee may farm on their own or in a partnership with others, and will need to possess the skills to run a profitable and sustainable dairy business currently or in the near future.
Best Innovative Farmer of the Year
This farmer is currently using innovative technology or industry partnerships to improve the efficiency, sustainability and growth opportunities for the farm including dairy herd management, marketing strategies, land and water use, production technologies. They must demonstrate an ability to meet future business challenges which sets them apart from other dairy farms, shows innovative practices and is actively contributing to the Australian Dairy Sustainability Framework.
Foodland Sustainability Award
This farmer’s practices must align with the Australian Dairy Sustainability Framework including enhancing economic viability and livelihoods, improving wellbeing, providing the best care for animals and reducing environmental impact.
Last year’s Young Farmer of the Year award winner was Narelle Zanker from Mannum.
She told Dairy News at the time she was surprised to receive the award, and didn’t realise what a big of a deal it was, especially considering she had only been back home on the farm for three years.
Narelle wears many hats in her dairy business, from herd health management to staff leadership, but her dedication extends beyond the farm gate with her creation of Dairy Adventures, an agritourism initiative connecting school groups, aged care residents, and corporate visitors to the realities of dairy farming.
A SADA 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.
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