Five years ago, the idea of working in the Australian dairy industry was the last thing on the mind of Ireland’s Rosemary Corcoran.
Today, she couldn’t think of anything better.
Ms Corcoran came to Australia in mid-2013 on a backpacking holiday, and found work on a dairy farm at Finley, NSW.
The new lifestyle was a game changer for the former corner store assistant from County Cork.
“I just loved milking cows, it’s so diverse and everyone is willing to give you different roles so you’re not just a milker, even though I love that,” Ms Corcoran said.
Although not from a farming background in Ireland, her contribution to Australian agriculture is progressing in leaps and bounds with a Certificate III and IV in Agriculture completed, and a diploma on the way.
Most recently, Australia’s Legendairy Women’s Network (ALWN) supported Rosemary to attend the Australian Women in Agriculture Conference 2018 in Shepparton, which gave her a new perspective about the important role of women on farms.
And it’s attending conferences like those that provide positive development and networking opportunities to women in the industry, according to ALWN coordinator Natasha Busbridge.
“Anyone who attended the conference would have taken something away with them to help their professional development as farmers, while enjoying the opportunity to connect with other women in the industry,” Ms Busbridge said.
Ms Corcoran was encouraged by stories of how the Australian Women in Agriculture (AWiA) network started.
“I met so many inspiring women. My favourite quote on the day was from a woman who said she went to an AWiA meeting as a farmer’s wife and came out as a farmer,” she said.
“I felt a bit that way myself. The dairy industry in Australia is very forward-looking in all aspects, like succession planning, technology and diversity.
“Everything is done for a reason and it’s very scientific and that’s why I wanted to study and move up the ranks, plus I met my partner Tim Snowden and decided to stay.”
Until last year, Ms Corcoran was milking full-time, but has now moved into hay production on her husband’s family’s Lucerne hay farm near Tocumwal, NSW.
She maintains her connection to dairy farming by milking on weekends and helping with other jobs on a neighbouring dairy farm.
“I get my cow-fix on the weekends,” she said.
Ms Corcoran is also part of Dairy Australia’s Young Dairy Network steering committee, and a leader of the Riverina Young Discussion Group.
At the moment she is enjoying a different aspect of Australian agriculture but hopes to return full-time to dairy.
“My heart is in the dairy industry,” she said.
“Before I came to Australia I could never imagine myself working in agriculture, let alone milking cows. Now I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.”
