Young Farmers Take Industry Learning Global
Narrikup dairy farmer Ella Smith has never been on a plane before. But that’s about to change, as she gets set to travel to Ireland as part of a national youth delegation exploring the dairy industry on the other side of the world.
About 30 members of the Young Dairy Network (YDN) from across Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania will take part in the 14-day study tour, facilitated by Dairy Australia. At 19 years old, Ella is one of the youngest delegates selected for the tour.
“I only found out about the trip two days before applications were due, but I thought it would be such a good opportunity,” she says.
“I was pretty shocked when I found out I was going – I had only been in the dairy industry for a year at that point.”
Having grown up on a beef cattle farm in Narrikup and with a wealth of experience showing cattle during her childhood, Ella was always keen to remain on the ag path.
Her introduction to dairy came about during her time at Denmark Agricultural College in her final two years of high school. While in year 12 in 2023, Ella started working at Ravenhill Pastoral, also located in Narrikup.
Owned and operated by Ken and Bonnie Ravenhill, Ravenhill Pastoral is home to Western Australia’s only 100-cow rotary dairy platform and is one of the largest dairies in the state. With 2,000 cows (predominantly Holstein-Friesian), the operation plans to increase to 3,000 within the next 12 months.
“When I first started working here, it was such an eye opener to see how big the operation is,” Ella says.
“Ken, Bonnie and some of the other workers have so much experience, and they’ve been great at teaching me the ropes.”
Ella enjoys stockwork and is heavily involved in calf rearing at Ravenhill Pastoral, which she says is the most challenging, but most rewarding, part of her job.
“The great thing about the dairy industry is that there are so many different options and avenues, so you can find something that suits you. If you don’t like milking, there’s calves, feeding, silage making, stockwork – it really is so broad,” she says.
Though relatively new to dairy, Ella has immersed herself in many programs and courses offered by Dairy Australia, including Rumen 101, Milking and Mastitis, and Rearing Healthy Calves. She also completed an artificial insemination course last year. She also completed her Certificate III in Agriculture in high school and finished her Certificate IV in Agriculture earlier this year. It was while completing her Certificate IV that Ella first got involved in the YDN.
“Ken and Bonnie encouraged me to get involved, and many others had told me it would be a great way to meet new and like-minded people,” Ella says.
Ella expects the YDN study tour to be a highlight of her involvement and is looking forward to gaining a broader perspective on the industry.
“I’m excited to see how Ireland does dairy farming, compared to Australia – hopefully I will be able to learn a few new things to bring back to Ravenhill Pastoral,” she says.
The 2025 YDN International Tour is supported by DairySA, Western Dairy, DairyTas, SADA Fresh and major sponsor Lely Australia. Twenty-four participants will depart for Ireland on Sunday 22 June where they will engage with the local dairying community.
Discover more about Dairy Australia's Young Dairy Network and the experience it offers passionate young people in the industry: Western Australia Young Dairy Network