For new Dairysafe Board Member Sharon Starick, agriculture has been a constant thread throughout her life, from childhood connections to farming in the Barossa Valley to more than three decades running a grain and pork enterprise in South Australia’s Murray Mallee.
Along the way, Sharon has built an extensive career spanning farming, natural resource management, research and development, biosecurity, industry policy and quality assurance. It’s this breadth of experience, coupled with a strong belief in collaboration between regulators and industry, that she now brings to the Dairysafe Board.
Sharon grew up in the Barossa Valley in a family involved in winegrape growing. Her sister and brother-in-law have continued that connection as grape growers, while her sister is also a Barossa winemaker.
But Sharon’s own interest in agriculture was shaped just as strongly by time spent on her grandparents’ sheep and cropping farm north of the Barossa. “There was always a pull towards agriculture growing up,” Sharon said.
Despite that interest, agriculture was not initially the career path she was encouraged to follow. At the time, Sharon recalls being told the sector offered limited prospects, so she began studying science instead. But two years into her degree, she realised she needed to follow her passion and switched degrees across to ag science.
Sharon went on to complete an Honours degree in Agricultural Science, with an interest that had initially centred on animals shifting towards crops during her university studies.
Her early career provided an opportunity to combine agriculture with another area that would become a longstanding passion – natural resource management.
After university, Sharon joined the then SA Department of Agriculture as a Landcare officer, working with farmers across the Riverland, Mallee and Murraylands. The role allowed her to support producers in managing natural resources while also giving her exposure to a diverse range of agricultural industries, including dairy.
At the same time, Sharon was becoming increasingly involved in her husband’s family farming business. The enterprise initially included sheep, cropping and poultry for egg production, before Sharon and her husband purchased a piggery around a year after she finished university.
Today, Kongolia Farms, near Punthari and Mannum in the Murray Mallee, specialises in grain and pork production. Sharon and her husband have owned the business since 1993, building extensive practical experience in sustainable primary production along the way.
It is an enthusiasm she shares with the next generation of her own family. Sharon and her husband have three daughters, all of whom have pursued careers in agriculture, spanning grains research and development, pork industry policy and animal nutrition. The three are also involved in helping determine the strategic direction of the family farm.
Leadership across Australian agriculture
Beyond the farm gate, Sharon has developed an extensive record of leadership across Australian agriculture.
Her roles have spanned animal health, grains, pork, agricultural finance, research, natural resource management and conservation. These have included senior positions with Animal Health Australia, the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), the Regional Investment Corporation and the Australian Pork Industry Quality Assurance Program.
Her contribution to agriculture was also recognised at the 2026 SA Grain Industry Awards, where she received the Women in Grain Award for her industry experience, leadership and commitment to giving back to the sector.
In 2024, Sharon was appointed Chair of GRDC, becoming the first woman to lead Australia’s largest rural research and development corporation and one of the first South Australian growers to hold the role. Her appointment built on her service on the GRDC Board since 2018.
Natural resource management has been another major focus throughout her career. Sharon is a former Chair of the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board and has contributed to the state’s Natural Resources Management Council, Australian Landcare Council and other national and regional bodies.
These experiences have helped shape her view that the strongest outcomes are achieved when industry and government work together.
“Where I’ve seen things really succeed around agriculture and around regulation is where industry and government are both at the table and really focused on achieving together,” Sharon said.
Bringing a different perspective to Dairysafe
While Sharon isn’t a dairy farmer, her career has given her considerable exposure to the industry, beginning with her Landcare work and growing through her later involvement in natural resource management, particularly during periods of significant change in water policy across the Murray-Darling Basin.
It was Dairysafe’s combination of agriculture, food safety, quality assurance and industry sustainability that particularly appealed to her when the opportunity arose to join the Board.
“I applied for the Dairysafe Board because I’m passionate about agriculture, and part of that is around food safety and how we make sure that our food industries thrive,” Sharon said.
Her experience as Chair of the Australian Pork Industry Quality Assurance Program Panel gives her another perspective she believes will be valuable. Having worked closely with a quality assurance program in another livestock industry, Sharon has seen both the opportunities these systems create, and the practical challenges involved in making them work effectively for producers.
Central to Sharon’s approach is the belief that regulation works best when it does more than identify where standards have not been met. It should also give businesses the information, tools and support they need to meet their responsibilities.
“The vast majority of people, whether it be agriculture or in broader society, actually want to do the right thing,” she said. “So, for Dairysafe, we should be constantly looking at how we can best support farmers and processors to do that.”
Sharon is also keen to bring her passion for innovation to Dairysafe, particularly as new technologies create opportunities across farms, supply chains and food safety systems.
