Two years ago, Kerry Hume was employed as a milker. Now, thanks to a return to education, she is assistant farm manager. Photo: Supplied
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From occasional milker to dairy farm assistant manager, retraining has transformed Kerry Hume’s career and put taking over the farm in her sights.
Kerry Hume was always a hard worker, dishing up fish and chips, cleaning and waitressing after leaving school at 16. She even tried her hand at milking cows.
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But she had no idea her limited experience on a dairy farm would lead to a career transformation after she had her three children.
Kerry was cleaning a farmhouse on a property in Colac, Victoria, two years ago when she was recognised from her time working at another dairy.
She was offered a job — which came with the house she was cleaning — on the spot.
“I was like, you know what? I'm going to say yes ... and we’ll just see what happens,” she said.
“And I’ll tell you what, holy cow, this year has been massive for me. Just the opportunities that have arisen ... basically from me saying yes.”
Mum-of-three Kerry Hume was working as a cleaner when her manager encouraged her to upskill. Photo: Tracey Nearmy/AAP
From day one, her manager told her she would become his assistant manager.
“I said, ‘nah, look, I’m not cut out to be a leader, I’m not that confident’,” she said.
Her boss encouraged her to undertake a level four certificate in agriculture, and Kerry’s confidence blossomed.
“I never had the best school experience and I thought this is going to be hard — there’ll be all these kids and I’ll be really old,” she said.
“From the first day, it was great. The things that I was learning, I never, ever thought in a million years that I’d be learning, like agronomy and everything to learn about pastures, nutrition, livestock, wellbeing and farm finance.”
This year, Kerry won the the Great Southwest Dairy Awards employee of the year award and became an ambassador for Adult Learning Australia.
She has also become assistant manager at the farm.
“(My manager) keeps saying to me ‘right, next step, you’re going to take over the farm,” Kerry said, laughing.
“How far I’ve come the last two-and-a-half years — I’ve never been so proud of myself in my life.”
Kerry said saying yes to opportunities such as education could take people places.
“Just say yes, just do it,” she said.
“At the end of the day, who knows where it’s going to take you and how far you can take it.”
