Dairy Australia SA region expands resources with growing team

Mikaela Baker, Extension Advisor & Farm Engagement Lead

We are excited to announce that Mikaela Baker joins the Dairy Australia SA Team this month in the combined role of Extension Adviser and Farm Engagement Lead. Mikaela will be working alongside Extension Advisor Shannon Logan to deliver services to our dairy farming community. She will be covering farm engagement primarily for the South East region and will work across the state to deliver our extension program.

Mikaela has both a Bachelor of Agricultural Science and Master of Animal Science and joins our team after many years work with Total Result Ag Consulting and as technical support for Forage Lab Australia. She has enjoyed working in all production systems, from low input grazing through to robotic grazing and high production intensive TMR systems.

We are thrilled to have Mikaela on board and know that she will bring great warmth, expertise and knowledge to the role.

Contact: mikaela.baker@dairyaustralia.com.au


Melva Tyson, People Experience Lead

We welcome Melva Tyson to the South Australia team; one of three People Experience (PX) Leads in Dairy Australia as part of the Workforce Attraction initiative which was completed in September 2024. While Melva is based in the Murray Dairy region, her focus areas include South Australia, Murray and Subtropical. Melva joins us in leading the development and delivery of innovative projects focused on attracting and retaining talent within the dairy industry. Working across the dairy sector, she is available to help our community build strong, people-centric farm businesses, with the support of Dairy Australia resources. Melva is highly skilled in understanding workforce needs, attracting talent, improving employer/employee experiences, creating valuable networks and career development. We are grateful to apply Melva’s skillset to our region and excited to work together to attract great people to the dairy industry and help foster their growth.

You may cross paths with Melva at upcoming career and job expo events or during on-farm visits, she can also be contacted at any stage for one-on-one support.

Contact: melvat@murraydairy.com.au


Liz Mann, Extension Team Lead

Long-term Dairy Australia employee Liz Mann has been working in the Tasmanian dairy industry for over 20 years delivering face-to-face farmer training. As an Extension Lead for multiple regions, and based in Tasmania, Liz stepped into the South Australia team late last year, sharing her extensive knowledge in the field. She has been working closely with Shannon Logan to oversee extension activity across the state and will continue to lead Shannon alongside our new Extension Advisor Mikaela Baker.  Dairy Australia’s Irrigation Management Pilot in November 2024 was a particularly successful event with South East farmers as Liz joined us on the ground to deliver an interactive workshop which explored the fundamentals of effective irrigation and highlighted her specialist skills in the extension space.

As we welcome cross-regional members to the SA team, we are excited to tap into a wider, valued resource base and open the doors for new opportunities.