Profitable Farmer

There is no doubt a ground-swell of real confidence across our industry is increasing…about bloody time! Much of this, I believe, is the result of real optimism and a positive outlook for the red meat sectors. In this podcast I interview Tom Bull, founder of Lambpro. Based at Kinross Station in Holbrook NSW, Tom and his family are great friends to Jane & I, dating back to intense games of touch footy on the beach over summer holidays at the coast as kids. The Lambpro story is significant and compelling, beginning 35 years ago when Tom was just eight. A self-starter, big-thinker, compelling leader, and outstanding businessman…Tom and Lambpro's contribution to sheep-meat advancement and the Australian Lamb Industry is significant and inspiring. With over 2,500 premium ram sales annually (with the goal to reach 3,000 this year), and 900,000 lambs to be born this year across his national sheep-meat producing client base, the Lambpro business continues to break new ground and lead the industry with and fo

The Covid-19 pandemic is impacting our communities and our economy in ways we have never experienced before. All experts agree, we are in largely un-chartered waters… in comparison to the GFC, the recession, wars and even the depression. Only time will determine the extent of this global crisis, and how quickly Australia can bounce back and recover compared to other nations within our global economy. In this podcast, Greg Johnsson and I speak with Peter Koulizos – a renowned property market analyst, researcher, investor, developer, author, academic and educator. As a property expert and active participant, Peter explores: the impact of Covid-19 on residential, commercial and property development markets – supply and demand predictions at this time, how it is affecting the various categories of individual investors, his take on the flow-on effect this will have within the property sector and beyond, the harsh reality of what these outcomes will mean for the broader economy, the importance of a pr

I was chatting to a farmer the other day, who in conversation made 3 bold and cocky statements… saying them as if he had some badge of honour: “I don’t have time for office work”, “I have no interest in the numbers… I leave that to the missus”, and “It’s all another language to me… I leave it to the pen-pushers”. At the same time, he was commenting about how chaotic their life was… and how he… “makes decisions based on instinct & gut-feel rather than on analysis & ‘number-crunching…’”. I didn’t say it… perhaps I should have… but all I was thinking was “what a bloody peanut”. If you are serious about business and dedicated to being the absolute best farm owner you can be, then being financially illiterate is a sure way to NEVER get there.   NOW MORE THAN EVER FARMING IS A BUSINESS.   CEO’s of ALL successful companies study financial management constantly. Intense analysis, feasibility studies, financial performance monitoring, decision-modelling, forecasting and benchmarking is one of t

We find ourselves in unprecedented times, like no other in recent history. Crazy, in many ways... following prolonged drought and recent fire events. It is our view that we will navigate this well as a nation. We will handle this strongly as an industry. We are resilient and fortunate at this time to be farmers. Please be sure to look out for those around us more adversely affected. In this Podcast, I interview Managing Partner & Financing Specialist, David Charge from Sprout Agribusiness. David and his team are Commercial Financing Specialists to Australian Agribusiness, supporting farming families across Australia. David is measured and pragmatic, and his advice and assessment of this current crisis is both thoughtful and thorough. He offers us some strong support and guidance as farmers at this time. In this interview, David & I explore: The impact of Covid-19 on Agriculture, How to best navigate this crisis as a farming business, State and federal assistance / concessions now available to y

Simply this is a MUST LISTEN TO Podcast. Right now, FEAR and ANXIETY is at a peak, and very real for many / most of us. Fever pitch even... and only amplified by media at this time. How we manage our own mental state and deal with the emotions of fear and anxiety is so very important at this time - for us, for those around us and as a local and national community. I interview our Head Coach and Mindset Specialist Tracy Secombe and we explore this important issue. Importantly Tracy shares with us: - What fear is and how it turns up for us, - How we experience anxiety, and - How we can manage both of them and change our state of mind. More deeply we explore how we can find gratitude, optimism and meaning at this time, and what tools we can use to remove fear and anxiety from our current reality. The most important thing we can do right now is to be self-aware, manage our own energy, and ensure we turn up to our family and loved ones with perspective and strength. As parents, sons & daughters and f

Trust is critical to any high-performing team.  Equally, it is essential to effective family-farming businesses...   Do you have a strong basis of trust and mutual respect within your farm team?   Like a muscle, trust can be worked on and strengthened over time.   Most of us just don’t know how, or where, to start.   To expand further on the topic of farm succession, I once again speak with Tony Catt, Director of Catapult Wealth, and we explore: why trust is essential to effective succession planning, how trust is broken, the 3 communication and trust ‘killers’, how to build trust where it has previously been absent, the important roles each of us play within the family to nurture a culture of trust and respect.   Tony suggests that sometimes our focus should temporarily move away from important succession conversations until a basis of trust is re-established.   We also explore the notion that all of this is just good, professional business practice. Again, we have so much to learn from businesse

Succession is a misunderstood and very challenging issue for many Australian farming families. Many of us have tried this and had a negative experience and therefore choose to lock it down, not discuss inter-generational transfer at all and get on with running the farm... rather than constructively planning for the future together.   In this podcast, we interview Managing Director of Catapult Wealth, Tony Catt.  Tony is an expert on farm succession and is passionate about helping farming families proactively develop a plan for their futures together.   Tune in as we explore:   Why this is so challenging for so many, What farm succession really is, Through good business practice and 'governance' we can make succession more successful for families, The 4 clear, written plans we really need to make this truly effective in practice, Why the younger generation might need to be respectful and patient in the process, How to include family members and bring them along for the ride, How frequently to be di

Implementation is the key to success!   In today’s podcast, I chat with Andrew and discuss the importance of realising, accepting and overcoming your fears in order reach your potential in all areas of your life. We explore the concept of fear and how this holds us back, especially the fear of failure in business.   Join us as we dive deeper into: How perfectionism can hold you back - most people tend to procrastinate because of this, as they worry about making the wrong decision   How you can set up systems to help you make concise decisions, this requires thinking, which most people don’t like to do – most farmers prefer to DO rather than THINK!   Implementation is the key to success, not the decision making however this is still a very critical part.   Never allow a year, a quarter, a week or a day go by without planning it first - this is the KEY to succeeding - yet most people don’t do this.   Stop using excuses to set your goals later - do it NOW!   The power of 10-year, 3-year and 1

Time to diversify...   Creating balance sheet wealth long-term must be our primary focus, even when challenged in the here-and-now. Success in anything starts with KNOWLEDGE. It is with this in mind that I interview Terry Tran, CEO & Founder of The Freedom Trader.   Terry Tran is a good (and perhaps unlikely) friend to Farm Owners Academy and the Profitable Farmer podcast. We recommend his investing program - The Freedom Trader - and know many of our clients continue to get great training and real results from his mentoring and methodology.   In this podcast, Terry shares his story with us, his passion to help people create wealth through direct share investing, his investment philosophy and his view on why farming families make such good investors. We uncover some very real myths about the share market and explore how to create wealth through a strong analysis and risk-aware investment strategy.   I encourage each of you to listen to this and consider, even in times of dry seasons and tight cash

2020 has arrived to us in a way that no one wished for or expected. Adverse and extreme fires threaten farming families and rural communities across Australia. To those of you directly affected, our thoughts and prayers are with you. To our clients, please know you have our support and that of the FOA Community. In this important podcast we interview remarkable clients Troy & Nette Fischer, 'Ashmore', Wasleys, South Australia. On the 25th November 2015, Troy & Nette lost everything except their family home and 600 trade lambs in the Pinery fires of South Australia. Their entire farm, including their white suffolk stud and all farm infrastructure burned completely. Their story and recovery effort is remarkable. How they have responded and the results they have achieved in the 12 months, 2 years and now 4 years since that event is nothing short of incredible. Hindsight can be a wonderful thing. As they reflect on their personal experience, Troy and Nette share some wonderful tips and very thoughtfu

Tracy Secombe is incredible. Plain and simple.   Her support to her Farm Owners Academy clients once again this year has been astounding.   Her contribution to our community continues to inspire.   Our clients just get so much value from her outlook on life and the coaching she can provide.   As we bring a close to 2019, it is my great pleasure to connect with and interview Tracy, and to explore how to make this Christmas season an important moment in time to deeply reflect, clearly check-in, fully self-assess, and completely set down more powerful intentions and enriching habits in the new year to come.   A cracking conversation. An amazing lady.   Enough said...enjoy!   Jeremy Hutchings

How exposed am I? Assessing and managing risk within our farming systems.   I love the principle that in order to succeed, it is the business with the most robust and strategic business model that gets the results. Often it is the quality of our business model and how we execute on this model that is the difference between the average and the top 20%.   With this in mind, and based on your most recent years of performance, how robust and risk-aware is your business model? We operate in a unique climate, with unique economic factors, relative to farmers in other countries, and a high exposure to price variability and international markets. We operate businesses based on biological systems often exposed to the vagaries of our environments and the markets.   In this podcast, I am pleased to interview my father, Tim Hutchings, and discuss risk and volatility in Australian Agriculture. We explore the importance of designing risk-aware and long-term sustainable farming systems that have inherent flexibility,

From a desire to find useful farm research and analysis tools for her own family... to Australia's number 1 online resource hub for farmers and agribusiness!   Farm Table’s story is a compelling reminder how we all can find a problem and seek to solve it in order to make our industry stronger and better for everyone.   Ladies & gentlemen, meet Airlie Landale - Founder and CEO of Farm Table.   Airlie is an incredible next generation champion for Australian Agriculture, doing her bit to make a very real and tangible difference for farming families nationally. From a small idea, Airlie has dedicated herself to solving a problem for the betterment of all farmers.   In this podcast we interview Airlie, understand her background, learn about the Farm Table story, and get a real insight into what can be achieved when a strong vision, deep passion, real commitment and sheer determination all come together around one simple idea.   Farm Table is Australia's one-stop farming hub online to connect producer

In this podcast, we explore the way in which strategy, change, leadership transition, people management and business transformations are achieved at the top end of town, and within some of Australia’s largest, most iconic agribusiness brands. In a compelling interview with Jonathan Hutchings, ex-management consultant and now private equity and business transformation specialist, Jeremy explores how fundamental change is made at the ‘top-end’ of our food & fibre sector, and in businesses including Peters Ice-cream, Ingham’s Chicken, and Allied Pinnacle. Grab a coffee, tune in and learn: How major change is achieved in big business, The simplicity of strategy-setting and making the very complex simple, How to be objective in analysing the true performance of your business, The importance of getting the very best team around you, The importance of retaining your humanity whilst navigating through big change initiatives, A perspective on emerging trends in the food & fibre sector and how they may

In this podcast, Andrew interviews Farm Owners Academy incoming CEO.  Jeremy Hutchings is an amazing coach who is a lot of experience in agriculture.   Andrew and Jeremy have a discussion and cover a few really important topics that we are sure many of you can relate to   In this podcast:   Andrew shares some of the challenges he has experienced around burnout (and how normal this is when you run your own business) The importance of having an extended time out The difference between operating I your zone of incompetence v competence v excellence v genius The value in building a dream team around you to help your business grow (and how investing in the right people will drive your business forward) The importance of having a strong strategic plan The definition of a business in becoming profitable but then also having your business work without you How ego can get in the road of your growth   It’s a great relaxed discussion that we are sure you will relate to  FOA

One of our main aims here at Farm Owners Academy is to teach you how to create a profitable farming business that can work without your constant presence, allowing you more time and freedom to live the life you choose. In today’s podcast, we walk you through the steps involved to accomplish this.   This episode shares lots of ideas to help you on your journey including:   Why you need to become very profitable first (and what this looks like) The gap between being a farmer Vs running a farm business (and why this matters) The three skills you must have to create a freedom farm     We hope you enjoy this podcast – let us know what you think!   FOA FACT: Sharing’s caring!

It’s really simple.  Asking a better question will lead to a better decision. The problem is, we weren’t taught at school how to ask a great question.     We will help you learn how to do this in today’s podcast.   For example, just asking the simple question every hour or so “Is this the best use of my time?” can help you improve your productivity.   I will open you up to the power of asking better questions AND the impact this can have on your business.   I will share a strategy I learnt from a very successful mentor of mine that saved my business and helped me bring in an additional $150k in revenue (in just one month).  It’s called zero-based thinking and I personally believe this is one of the best business strategies I have ever been taught.   Enjoy this month’s podcast and please share this with another farmer.   Take it easy,   Andrew   PS: Super early bird tickets to our TOP Producers 2-Day Workshop are now on sale, offering a crazy saving of $1295! Come along and learn how to run

RUOK?    The 10th annual RUOK Day takes place on Thursday 12th September 2019.    Farm Owners Academy wholeheartedly supports the RUOK initiative because we recognise the prominence of mental health issues within farming.    In a bid to raise awareness, we are dedicating this episode of the Profitable Farmer podcast to this poignant cause.    Today, I have an in-depth discussion about mental health within the farming community with Tracy Secombe, renowned mindset coach and creator of Soul Pleaser™   For the past 3 years, Tracy has been leading our team of Platinum Mastermind coaches which has given her a unique insight into the personal lives of hundreds of farmers, their struggles, issues and fears.    There is so much wisdom in this interview.   Tracy explains why so many of us ‘people please’, and the impact this has on our mental health.    We also discuss:  Why male farmers carry so much fear of failure and how anxiety is created from losing the farm  How so many people put on a br

In this week’s podcast we interview Terry Tran.  Terry shares with us how investing is just like planting a crop and the power of timing.  There’s some great content in this podcast including:  Why now is amazing timing to pick up some stock opportunities Does Terry believe we are heading for a recession Terry’s thoughts on the value of land and if he would be trying to buy more farm land right now Some insight into how he values a business to invest in and what you need to know to invest.     Take it easy,  Andrew   PS: if you are interested in registering for a free online training coming up with Terry, please click here.    P.P.S Whenever you’re ready…here are 3 ways we can help you grow your farming business: 1. The founders of FOA run a special free online training to show you how to create a profitable business that has the ability to work without you (creating a freedom farm) – Click here to register for the next one.  2. Join the Farm Owner Academy’s closed Facebook group ‘Profita

Are you frustrated because your vision for the farm is different to other family members and you can’t agree on the way forward?  In this podcast, David Westbrook and I discuss one of the BIGGEST issues affecting family farms.  Disagreements between generations, parents and/or siblings is a real issue and an unbelievably common occurrence in the farming sector.  In this episode we explore the importance of core values and how to get everyone on the same page.  Here are some of the things we discuss: Different generations wanting different things from the farm. Why having written core values will give you more direction, clarity and motivation. Why understanding others values will improve relationships. Why judging and feeling judged is down to a lack of awareness.   We want to help you work through these issues and enable you to live the farm life that you all want… because why would you allow someone else to dictate your future?   We hope this podcast answers some questions and helps you e