Growing a great future in dairy: Sarah’s farmer-first approach
Sarah Cornell isn’t someone who sits still. In fact, her career in dairy has been defined by momentum. From coordinating extension programs in Gippsland to now shaping national workforce capability initiatives, Sarah’s journey reflects what Dairy Australia is all about - smart people doing practical work that delivers real outcomes.
Building the foundations
Sarah Cornell never expected to find herself working in the agriculture industry, let alone leading national programs that shape how farms grow and manage their people. Raised in the city, she studied environmental science at university and landed her first job in the environmental team at a milk processing plant.
At the time, it felt like a solid first step. But little did she know how influential the dairy industry would be in shaping her whole career.
Slowly but surely, the industry wove its way into Sarah’s life. She met her partner, who came from a farming background, and the pair eventually ran a stock feed business before buying their own dairy farm.
“I’m city born and bred, nothing to do with agriculture,” says Sarah. “But when I got that first job and met my now husband, it all just started to make sense.”
Later, Sarah’s move to GippsDairy opened a new chapter. There, she threw herself into roles focused on career development, workforce planning and supporting young farmers - roles that played to her strengths and tapped into something deeper: a genuine care for people.
“I’ve been in totally different roles over the years: human resources, project work and workforce attraction, but the common thread has always been people. That’s what I always come back to.”
For Sarah, the dairy industry has never just been about production or process; it’s been about connection. Over time, her hands-on experience, combined with a passion for building capability, led her to Dairy Australia.
A grounded changemaker
Today, as our National Capability Lead, Sarah focuses on hands-on learning for farmers and their teams, workforce development and supporting the delivery of programs that make a genuine impact.
Right now, she’s leading the pilot of the Dairy Capability Guide - a national framework designed to help farmers build skilled teams and define clear career pathways.
“What I love most is the variety in my work at Dairy Australia. There’s always something new and different happening here.”
Whether she’s rolling out a national framework or solving a scheduling puzzle, Sarah keeps one principle front and centre: putting farmers first.
“It means looking at everything we do and asking: ‘If I were a farmer, would this work for me? Would I be able to attend this? Would it help in my day-to-day work?’ That’s the filter.”
This connection to purpose is what energises her the most - knowing her work supports real people, in real places, facing real challenges.
“I always want to stay working on the people side of things and in a farmer-related role. For example, I know not to engage directly with farmers during calving season. And around Christmas time, farmers are juggling harvest and school holidays. These things really matter - they shape what works and what doesn’t.”
Meaningful moments
Sarah’s farmer-first approach extends to everything she builds. She’s especially proud of the moments when her work has made a visible impact, like a mental health talk that changed a young farmer’s life.
“At a Young Dairy Network event, I’d organised a mental health speaker. During the break, one of the participants disappeared for a while, and so did the speaker,” says Sarah. “Turns out they were outside, having this really deep conversation. The speaker had really resonated with them. Through that, we were able to help that young farmer work through some issues on-farm and get to a better place.”
Sarah also hears from farmers who say how much Dairy Australia programs have changed how they manage people.
“We’ll get feedback from farmers saying they didn’t realise there might be different ways that people learn. Now they ask their staff, ‘Do you want me to tell you, show you, watch a video or do it with you?’ And because of that, they have a much better relationship with their team.”
Ask Sarah what motivates her to keep showing up, even on the difficult days, and her answer is honest and human.
“I love what I do. If I hit a block on a project, I just turn to something else to refresh, then come back with new ideas. There’s always someone I can bounce things off. My manager’s fantastic. If I say, ‘I’m not sure what to do here,’ she always offers guidance. That makes a big difference.”