Student in the Spotlight 🔦 The world is your oyster in the dairy industry, with Rachael McGrath

Rachael McGrath is a established leader in the Australian dairy industry while playing a vital role in the operation of her family’s dairy farm in Orford, South West Victoria. Now at  29 years old, working alongside her father and uncle, both aged in their 70s, she has embraced managing their full Jersey herd and innovative farming practices, alongside leadership roles that have opened up for her within the industry. Her deep connection to the land and her passion for the dairy industry are evident in every aspect of her work.

The McGrath farm runs on a highly organised schedule to ensure efficiency and optimal care for their Jersey herd. “We move the cattle to fresh pasture every 12 hours to give them access to the best quality feed,” says Rachael. ” It’s crucial for the health of the cows and the productivity of the farm.” Milking takes place twice a day, and each cow’s needs are closely monitored using collars that track their health data. “The collars help us monitor things like rumination and heat detection, and they also alert us to early signs of illness, such as mastitis,” Rachael explains. “Being able to track this data quickly means we can act fast, ensuring the cows stay healthy and the milk quality remains high.”

The farm has also embraced advanced technologies to increase efficiency. “We’ve implemented solar-powered systems to boost energy and reduce costs—solar boosters for the dairy and to heat the water for cleaning equipment,” says Rachael. “We also use a cold bore water system to quickly cool the fresh milk quickly to vat temperature for storage.” Innovation is key to keeping the farm profitable, and Rachael is proud of their commitment to these efforts.

“Dairy has been a big part of our family, we wouldn’t really be doing anything else. It’s a love for the animals, the taking care of them, you wouldn’t change it”.

Growing up on the family farm, Rachael was always immersed in farm life. At age 14 following a tragic workplace accident, the family made a bold decision to invest in a state-of-the-art dairy facility, transitioning the land where the dairy now operates from a Merino sheep farm to a dairy. And farm has been evolving since, with their full Jersey herd—known for their adaptability, temperament, and milking quality—leading the way.

“The Dairy farm was converted from Sheep country, lots of stone down there, we’ve been doing paddock renovations every year. As you can see, we are getting nice, lush pastures in Summer”.

It wasn’t until her late teens Rachael leaned in on her interest for dairy farming. “I didn’t want to be at school anymore,” Rachael shares. “Mum said you can leave school and work on the farm as long as you do more study”.

Rachael recalls the early milking years, “When I left school, we first started milking here in the new dairy,” she recalls. “We were always joining to Jerseys purely because we didn’t have a lot of money, and they were cheap! And we kept breeding that way”.

Their commitment to establishing an operating Dairy shifted slightly when her brother formed an interest in showing cattle. “My brother, who was in his early teens, wanted to show cows, so I did too.”  And Rachael’s interest in showing blossomed from there. “I like breeding nice cows,” she says. “It’s important to enjoy what you do, and it grew from there.“

Reflecting on the change in the family Jersey herd since early days showing, it is clear Rachael is proud of the cows they breeding and milking today.

“I take my grandfather into the paddock, and we look at the cows and he’s like, If I was still milking cows, I wouldn’t be mad about milking these”

Rachael’s dedication to personal growth led her to pursue a Certificate IV in Agriculture at RIST, where she quickly realised the breadth of opportunities available within the dairy sector.

“I think I found my passion for the Dairy industry in my early 20’s when I was studying the Certificate IV and I learnt that there is so much more to the Dairy Industry”

Initially “I thought it (dairy) was just milking cows and being out on the farm,” she explains. “But there’s actually so many different ways to be in the dairy industry without physically putting cups on. There are service providers, working in factories, there’s science – that’s what I think is the best thing about dairy, there’s so much involved and it takes a lot of people to run it.”

During her time studying the Certificate IV, Rachael was introduced to the Gairdiner Foundation Study Tour, a unique opportunity that took her to New Zealand for a dairy-focused study trip. “Before I knew it, I was heading to New Zealand with a group of friends I made while studying.” This experience gave Rachael invaluable insights into global dairy practices and broadened her professional network. “Meeting industry experts and learning about different aspects of dairy was such a valuable experience.”

“I thought the Certificate IV was perfect, because we had our own dairy group, and I was studying alongside people who were like-minded,” she explains. “It opened doors for me, and I started to see all the opportunities in the dairy industry beyond just the farm work.”

After completing her Certificate IV in Agriculture aged 24, Rachael’s hunger for more knowledge led her to pursue a Diploma of Agriculture. “I was hungry to learn more about things like agronomy, OHS, and business management,” she says. “We had an accident on the farm, and I realized how important it is to have a solid understanding of safety and business operations. The Diploma gave me the skills I needed to be more confident in managing the farm and leading the team.”

For Rachael, the Diploma of Agriculture was the perfect fit at the perfect time. “When I graduated at 28, I was in a managerial position, taking on more responsibility for the day-to-day operations,” she explains.

“I was in leadership roles and starting to take over from my parents. Dad had given me the reigns a little bit, so it was a great time where the stuff that I was learning, I was able to put into practice straight away.”

Rachael’s commitment to leadership extends beyond the farm, and she is passionate about encouraging others to pursue a career in dairy. Rachael’s leadership skills have been widely recognised, to name just a few of her accomplishments in 2024 she was crowned the Great South West Young Dairy Leader Award. She has also participated in the Dairy Australia Ambassador program, been a speaker at the Australian Dairy Conference and Agrifutures Rural Womens Gala Ball and is part of the leadership team driving the South West Young Dairy Network.

Looking ahead, Rachael is excited for what the future holds. “We’ve just purchased a new block of land between home and the dairy, and it’s the perfect spot for running my show stock,” she says with enthusiasm. “I’m also really looking forward to International Dairy Week in late January, where I’ll be showing 13 animals. It’s a huge event, and it’s always a great opportunity to showcase our work and learn from others in the industry.”

Rachael encourages others to follow their passion for agriculture, saying, “For anyone thinking about studying the Diploma, Go ahead. I was able to manage the farm, be really active in other leadership roles and work and study all at the same time. I had a great support network”. , I wouldn’t have been able to do it without RIST educators, great support network. Everyone wanted to see me and everyone else in the class do well. It was important for me to finish the course because there is a lot of relevant information in the course and building that skillset was important to me”.

For those eager to make their mark, she emphasizes that the dairy world is full of potential and growth. Rachael’s advice to anyone considering a career in dairy? “Go ahead. The world is your oyster in the dairy industry.“