In this special World Milk Day edition of DairyPod, Dairy Australia’s Karl Ellis is joined by sports commentator and milk enthusiast, Dwayne Russell and proud dairy farmer and AFL fan, Evan Nicholas.

Together, they dive into the heart of what makes milk great – from footy fields to farm gates.

Hear stories of childhood milk moments, the role of dairy in Aussie sports culture, and the deep pride behind producing one of the world’s most nutritious foods. Pour yourself a glass and join the celebration of the ‘simple greatness’ of milk.

Learn more about the ‘simple greatness’ marketing campaign promoting the value of Australian dairy at https://bit.ly/3YUB3dQ.

This episode features a conversation with:

Karl Ellis, Economic Sustainability and Competitiveness Manager, Dairy Australia
Dwayne Russell, sports commentator on Fox Footy and Sports Entertainment Network (SEN)
Evan Nicholas, Victorian dairy farmer, Murray region

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In this episode, dairy farmers Tania Luckin and Sarah Kelly join Dairy Australia’s Head of Marketing Glenys Zucco to discuss how the industry is being promoted and protected in the public eye.

The trio speak about how important it is to have farmers involved in dairy industry promotion for authenticity and transparency, reflecting on the successful Dairy Matters campaign – which ran from 2019 to 2024 – as well as looking ahead to Dairy Australia’s next five-year marketing strategy.

To find out more about how Dairy Australia is promoting the industry and how you can get involved, visit dairyaustralia.com.au/promotingdairy or speak to your regional team.

This episode features a conversation with:

Tania Luckin, South-west Victorian dairy farmer and former Dairy Australia Board member 
Sarah Kelly, Gippsland dairy farmer and Farmer Ambassador 
Glenys Zucco, Head of Marketing, Dairy Australia

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For over a decade, the Australian dairy industry has been internationally recognised for commitments to tangible goals and targets established through the Australian Dairy Industry Sustainability Framework.

Dairy farmer Simone Jolliffe joins Dairy Australia’s Rebecca Joyce to discuss these industry-wide commitments on the Framework’s four key sustainability priorities: Enhancing economic viability and livelihoods, improving the wellbeing of people, providing best care for animals, and reducing environmental impact.

Simone and Rebecca also delve into the results from the latest dairy industry Sustainability Scorecard, which revealed some great progress being made towards our industry’s goals.

Find out more at Industry Sustainability or access the recent scorecard.

This episode features a conversation with: 

Simone Jolliffe, dairy farmer, Dairy Australia Board member and Australian Dairy Industry Council Sustainability Steering Committee member
Rebecca Joyce, Dairy Australia’s Sustainability Implementation Lead

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This episode is part of a series that focuses on Fall Armyworm (FAW), a destructive horticultural and field pest that was detected in Australia in 2020.

Queensland dairy farmer, Melvyn Zischke, shares his FAW experience with Dairy Australia’s Dr Brenda McLachlan, Dr Melina Miles (Department of Primary Industries, Queensland) and New South Wales agronomist Peter Beale. 

The panel also discuss a range of potential options to minimise the impact of FAW in autumn planted pastures and forage crops, as well as the risks involved.

To find out more about FAW and access resources for dairy farmers, visit Fall Armyworm | Dairy Australia.  

This episode features a conversation with:

Dr Brenda McLachlan, Development & Regional Adaptation Lead, Dairy Australia 
Dr Melina Miles, Principal Entomologist, Department of Primary Industries, Queensland 
Peter Beale, Senior Agronomist, New South Wales Local Land Services 
Melvyn Zischke, dairy farmer, Darling Downs, Queensland 

Related links 
Fall armyworm | The Beatsheet

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In this episode, South Gippsland dairy farmer Graeme Nicoll joins Mikaela Baker (Dairy Australia) and Kevin Smith (Agriculture Victoria) to share practical insights into how he selects the most productive and profitable ryegrass for his farm using Dairy Australia’s Forage Value Index (FVI). 

They discuss how the FVI ratings for Annual, Perennial and Italian ryegrasses are determined using independent data from Pasture Trial Network sites around Australia, and how the FVI continues to evolve.

To find out more about the FVI and access the 2025 data, visit Forage Value Index | Dairy Australia.

This episode features a conversation with: 

Mikaela Baker, Dairy Australia Extension Advisor & Farm Engagement Lead
Professor Kevin Smith, Professorial Fellow, Agriculture Victoria Research and Professor of Pasture Science, The University of Melbourne 
Graeme Nicoll, dairy farmer, Fish Creek 

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Hear from New South Wales dairy farmer, Simon Scowen, as he joins Dairy Australia’s National People Lead Mick Fuller to discuss the importance of a safety-first culture in the workplace – particularly when it comes to onboarding and training for new employees. 

For more information about employee inductions, visit Getting started | The People in Dairy

Related links: 
Farm safety starter kit | The People in Dairy
Farm Safety Manual | The People in Dairy

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In this episode, hear from Irish dairy farmers Gillian and Neil O’Sullivan as they discuss their farming system and successfully changing from a conventional, monoculture pasture system to a multispecies pasture system. 

The couple joins Dairy Australia’s Cath Lescun and Donna Gibson from Gardiner Foundation for this conversation, where they also share the reasons behind making the change.

For more information and to access resources across all areas of soil, effluent, water and irrigation management, visit Soils & Water | Dairy Australia.  

This episode features a conversation with: 
Cath Lescun, National Soils & Water Lead, Dairy Australia
Donna Gibson, Program Manager, Research and Innovation, Gardiner Foundation
Gillian and Neil O’Sullivan, Irish dairy farmers 

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In this episode, Dairy Australia’s Carly Potts is joined by Jade Pepper to discuss career opportunities and staff retention within the dairy industry. 

Jade is a farmhand and trainee at Wallis Dairy in Bega, New South Wales. She speaks about her pathway into the dairy industry – which came through a school-based apprenticeship with Australian Training Company – as well as the transition from school to the workforce, and ways the industry can support staff retention.

To find out about how Dairy Australia provides support with employing and managing people, and building skills for successful careers in dairy farming, contact your regional team or visit People | Dairy Australia.

Related links 
Home - Australian Training Company  

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In this DairyPod episode, Dairy Australia’s Cath Lescun sits down with Professor Helen Suter and dairy farmer Simon Scott to discuss how dairy farmers can potentially improve soil health through the use of multispecies pastures. 

Hear more about a new University of Melbourne study that examined the forage production of multispecies pastures and the impact on soil properties. The panel discuss the results of this project, and some of the applications it can have for dairy farmers interested in implementing biodiversity in their farming. 

For more information and to access resources across all areas of soil, effluent, water and irrigation management, visit Soils & Water | Dairy Australia.  

This episode features a conversation with: 
Cath Lescun, National Soils & Water Lead, Dairy Australia
Helen Suter, Professor of Soil Science, The University of Melbourne
Simon Scott, dairy farmer from Barongarook, Victoria

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Since 2013, the Regional Wellbeing team at the University of Canberra has surveyed Australians in remote, rural and urban areas to better understand community liveability, wellbeing and resilience – crucial research supporting the future of Australian agriculture.

In this episode, hear key insights with Gardiner Foundation’s Meghan Lodwick and Professor Jacki Schirmer from the University of Canberra, who is leading this research.

The 2024 Regional Wellbeing Survey is open until 31 January. Find out more and take the survey: Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management.

Further information can be found at Home - Regional Wellbeing Survey.

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