Great South West Dairy Awards 2024: Kerry-Leigh Hume

Kerry-Leigh Hume has worked in many fields over the years. But it’s in the dairy paddock where she’s become an award winner.

Aurora Dairies assistant manager Kerry Leigh Hume. Picture: NIcole Cleary

No farmer would say that working in dairy is a piece of cake. But ask Kerry-Leigh Hume whether a career with cows is worth it and she’ll tell you that life on the land can provide some sweet success.

The former cake decorator has tried her hand at many professions in both Australia and her native New Zealand, with creating colourful confections a longstanding passion.

“I’ve always said yes to new opportunities and dairy farming has more opportunities than I expected,” she said.

The assistant manager at Aurora Dairies’ 240ha Glenfyne site took out the top employee category at the Great South West Dairy Awards last week.

A fast learner by anyone’s measure, Ms Hume has been an employee at the dairy farm near Cobden for only two years and is completing a Certificate IV in Agriculture.

“I’m not new to dairy. Back in New Zealand, we lived near a dairy farm and I was fascinated for a long time with how it all worked,” Ms Hume said.

“I started off working in an 18-a-side herringbone with a herd of about 230 cows and loved it. “There was always something new to learn.”

Ms Hume stepped up her dairy work more than a decade ago when tragedy struck.

“My husband was diagnosed with cancer in 2013 and had to go through some pretty extensive treatment,” she said.

“I was a cake decorator at the time with a cake decorating business. He was quite sick and unable to work for a time, so I really stepped up into dairy work.

“He’s in remission now and life’s back on track but I’ve stayed with dairy, obviously going from New Zealand to Australia and there’s been so many great opportunities here.”