Profitable Farmer

You will have heard me say this before: Time is our greatest asset.   So many of us feel SO BUSY. We operate in CHAOS. We are REACTIVE rather than proactive.   There is just not enough time in the day!   Putting it simply, I believe that farmers (as a rule) DO NOT VALUE THEIR TIME.   So many of us are STUCK in our business - ‘saving a wage’ by doing the LOW-VALUE tasks on our farm. And this is ‘costing us a fortune.’   In this podcast, I speak with two of the most professional and highly effective individuals I know – FOA’s General Manager, Sam Johnsson and FOA’s Business & Administration Manager, Michaela Malicki.   In this podcast, we explore how they manage their time and the tips & tactics they recommend to help you become more effective. We discuss email management, diary management, scheduling, planning, to-do lists, meeting management and quarterly planning.   In life, no one (necessarily) has any more time than anyone else. We all experience time the same way.   The key to TAKING CONTROL and b

Once again, we are reminded that no two seasons are the same.   Distinct from prior seasons, we find ourselves in a new business environment where, like diesel prices, the cost of many farm inputs has increased by 30% plus.   The result of COVID and fuel prices on freight, combined with the Russia - Ukraine conflict, we may be looking at a situation where some inputs are in short supply at the farm gate.   In this podcast, and on the back of a local meeting with a buying group I am part of, I invite local Cootamundra Nutrien Branch Manager, Timothy Callan, to join Greg Johnsson and me to discuss this issue.   In this, we explore: what Nutrien are seeing in terms of input pricing and availability; what is causing these issues; where the problems are (Urea in particular); what is the outlook for this, and how long might it last; and what to do about it.   In addition, I ask FOA Co-Founder Greg Johnsson to discuss: the mindset we need to have around this; the need to keep perspective and see the whole picture w

Let’s be real for a moment; business ownership is one of the world's toughest assignments. Even more so is farm business ownership, with its numerous complexities and subtleties. At the same time, business ownership AND farming can be very lonely places.   In our roles on-farm, and as we all know, we have “ups and downs”.   And so, my question is:   who do you have in your corner?   … who do you have around you helping you be at your best? … who do you call on to ensure you are resilient, confident and competent?   Engaging a psychologist was a turning point for me - one of the greatest choices and changes I have made. Truly a life-or-death decision. A very real ‘sliding doors moment’ for me.   As a result of my decision to seek professional help and get my head right, my life now is beyond my wildest dreams.   Given this, it gives me great pleasure to welcome Dr Dave Anthony to our podcast.   Dave is a registered psychologist with an impressive list of qualifications, affiliations and experience under his

Once again, our world has taken a surprising and unprecedented turn - on the back of fires, COVID, floods… and now war.    After a period of economic expansion and optimism, we now find ourselves experiencing a global shift to the market we operate in.    To explain and explore this highly significant shift, I am delighted to welcome back our resident investment specialist Terry Tran, founder of The Freedom Trader.    In this episode, we explore the likely combined impacts of: inflation, interest rates, recent government stimulus, gross indebtedness, corporate earnings activities, and the liquidity cycle.   Importantly, and as Terry does so well, we unpack what this means for you as an investor in the stock market. How to be proactive in reviewing and re-shaping your off-farm investment portfolio, and how to position yourself to take advantage of the very real opportunities that now present.    For those wanting more in-depth insight and training on this topic, as well as strategies for crea

In this Podcast, I am delighted to interview my good friend and FOA Business Coach Sam Pincott, sharing with you the story of Holbrook Paddock Eggs.   With so many emerging businesses, especially those that dare to be different, we face a multitude of headwinds, challenges and even criticism. In their careers, Sam and his wife Prue have faced their fair share of all of these. I have genuinely admired the true commitment, determination and persistence they have shown over their 13-year journey.   It is an absolute credit to them to now see their business is really hitting its straps. With a dedicated and loyal team, a strong brand and client base, a scalable business model supported by strong systems, Holbrook Paddock Eggs is now firmly placed as a great example of the ‘paddock to plate’ concept we so often hear about.   With over 15,000 free-range chooks and leading a team of 10, Sam and Prue are a great example of a farming family who have dared to be different while remaining true to their values and

Some important constructs that have changed my life:  “A business will never out-grow its owner”; “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you’ve always got”; “For things to change, FIRST I must change”; “The hardest part to learning is letting go of what you think you know”; “Thoughts are things, and it is in taking control of our mind, that personal transformation can occur”; and “Work harder on yourself, than you do on your ‘JOB’”  This morning I arrive back to my farm and office, having had a week away, at a resort on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, hosting both our 2 Day TOP Producers Workshop, and then one of FOA’s Deep Dive Conferences with over 300 of our Platinum Mastermind Members.    What an event! What an incredible community. What a life-changing experience for so many farming families.    To see so many farm owners so completely engaged, so committed to their own growth, and so open to personal development and a focus on mindset mastery, was incredible.    To all o

Every business needs a CEO - including our farm businesses! As Part II of our Take Control Client spotlight, in this episode, I am delighted to share an interview with Farm Owners Academy (FOA) Member Ben Taylor.   Ben is a valued Take Control Program Graduate and now, a genuine high performer within the FOA Platinum Mastermind Program. Along with his wife Kate, his parents and brother Sam, Ben runs an extensive fourth-generation cropping operation at Condamine in southern Queensland, focusing on wheat & chickpeas in winter and sorghum & cotton in summer. When Ben & his family started the Take Control Program, they had no shared focus and no real plan. Family members were not always ‘on the same page’, and succession was a real challenge.   Today is a very different story.   Three years on from committing to their Take Control journey, Ben (along with Kate) has lead the charge of applying professional business management practice to their farm. They now operate a very strong plan and are

Happy New Year, and may 2022 be your best year yet!   Up to 85% of our success is determined by the QUALITY of our plan and our ability to implement it consistently – It has been proven!   In this episode, I am delighted to share an interview with Farm Owners Academy (FOA) Member Jack Owen. Jack is a valued Take Control Program Graduate and a current FOA Platinum Mastermind Program member. He runs a high-rainfall, meat sheep operation at Smythes Creek (west of Ballarat) in Victoria with his partner Bonnie.   Jack’s story is a compelling one. From a standing start and with a trade background, Jack has embraced the principles and methods taught by the Take Control Program and is now an incredible example of what can be achieved – currently enjoying a highly profitable, well systemised, organised and focused farm with a very bright future.   Thank you, Jack, for sharing your story so openly. You have added immense value to those moving through their Take Control Program and business development journey.

So much of our focus AND the advice we receive is centred around optimising our Farm Businesses.    When we think about off-farm investing, we look to shares and real estate as our primary options.    Remember the small business. Often, the small business we run as a ‘side-hustle’ beside our farms get little attention and are often left to play ‘second fiddle’.    In this podcast, I propose that perhaps our greatest opportunity is in the small business that sits beside our farm business – perhaps there is MORE value to create there? Perhaps your small business may hold the key to helping you achieve expansion, bolster cash flow and move you to the next level!    Do not underestimate the importance and power of a cash-rich business that complements the farm business you have. AND, as farmers, don’t underestimate your business acumen and your entrepreneurial ability.    The business principles and entrepreneurial skills we teach at Farm Owners Academy – when applied to your farm AND non-farm businesse

In this episode, I welcome Andrew Roberts back for an interview he coordinated with Bianca & David McGiveron, Founders of ‘Our Cow’. This is a genuinely inspiring Australian success story. Just three years ago, David and Bianca were engulfed by prolonged droughts AND wiped out by fires. They were broke, tired, and forced to do something else… to think ‘outside the box’. They asked themselves: how can we re-invent to make our small farm viable long-term? And from a standing start… ‘Our Cow’ was born. Just three years on, Dave & Bianca now employ over 25 people in Casino, in a business currently grossing $8m plus per year. Last month, they delivered over 2,800 boxes to almost every part of Australia. Their monthly recurring revenue for their meat subscription alone is now over $650k per month. Their passion now is to scale, and for ‘Our Cow’ to see hard-working Aussie Farmers get a fair and stable price for their livestock. Remember: doing the same thing over and again and expecting a different r

Land Prices are through the roof, bank lending policies continue to tighten, and the red tape is getting thicker for all across our industry.   If we are serious about farm expansion, inter-generational transition and driving new & improved operating performance, we need to be looking and thinking ‘outside the box’ now more than ever.   With these realities in mind, I call on Collaborative Farming Expert, Jeff McDonald, to explore the benefits of this Farming option.   Jeff is the Founder & Managing Director of Riverland Lending Services and Collaborative Farming Australia. He is also the Chair of many highly successful collaborative farming ventures across Australia – including Bulla Burra, Sherwood Estate and River Wine Collaboratives.   In this discussion, I expected to explore what underpins successful collaborative farming; to learn about some compelling case studies of farming families doing it well and the benefits of this approach to farming... what I didn’t expect, and thoroughly appr

And so, I continue my series of interviews with remarkable rural Australian women.   Ladies & gentlemen, meet Lyn Sykes.   Spending some time in nursing and counselling in her early career, Lyn found herself invited to help a group of farmers better manage family communication… and the rest, as they say, is history!   Thirty years plus and a highly successful career later, Lyn has become an icon in our industry on all things family alignment, communication and succession.   Having studied with Lyn over 20 years ago as a ‘whipper-snapper’ farm consultant, it is with great pleasure that I re-connect with her to discuss a host of critical family farming topics, including:   where and why farm succession goes wrong; how communication can fall apart; what helps make it right; Lyn’s process for fostering good outcomes; and the role you best play as the mother, father, son, daughter, in-law or out-law to each succession conversation!   As you will glean, I have a lot of respect for Lyn. I see he

Strong Commodity Prices, a favourable season (for many!), low interest rates and strong capital gains… have you EVER seen such optimism?   In Greg Johnsson’s opinion – this is (for most!) about as good as it gets.   And he is right – if you are not making solid profits now, there could be something wrong in your farm business.   In this Podcast, I call on FOA Founder and fellow Director Greg Johnsson to answer three key questions:   What do we do to make the most of the optimism we are experiencing? How can we justify an expansion step given the current land values? What are the key financial metrics I need to be monitoring to make the best on-farm decisions at this time?   Greg is second to none in the on-farm analysis space and shares the importance of knowing your numbers, benchmarking, and making robust, confident decisions based on the numbers in front of us.   Importantly, for those wanting to develop your financial skill-set, I give a real insight into FOA’s Farm Financial Framework pro

Do you have an overly active mind and struggle at times with overthinking ??   Trust me on this. YOU ARE NOT ALONE.   As farmers, we often work alone and have a heap of time to think… deeply… about things that serve us AND things that may not.   This interview with FOA Head Coach Tracy Secombe reminds us that we are trained to be ‘in our heads’ and logically problem-solve to ‘manufacturer’ our goals, plans, and futures. This can become exhausting, and perhaps there is an alternative way of creating your future you might like to explore…   I used to overthink intensely, and it has taken me to a chapter in my life where I suffered from low self-esteem, depression and burnout. Learning to take control of this has been a major turning point in my life.   As farm-focused entrepreneurs, being aware of, being able to slow down and then master our thoughts is fundamental to our success.   Not doing this can be a significant contributor to mental fatigue, burnout, low self-esteem and depression. In this

If you love food & cooking, Maggie Beer is Australia’s much-loved national icon and go-to authority. If you love your kids, it’s Maggie Dent! Well-known to many of you and revered as the ‘The Queen of Common Sense’, Maggie is an absolute champion on all things parenting. Maggie’s roots are very strongly tied to Agriculture. She is passionate about this community – our strength, endurance, resilience, and success for our families. She gets it. She gets us. Maggie has so SO much to offer. During this episode, we scratch the surface on how to be: Better husbands and wives; mainstays for our boys; carers to our daughters; rocks in our families; and great citizens within our communities. Maggie has changed Jane & my life, and helped us immensely as we navigate what it takes to raise four little people in our world. We love her books, we value her courses, and I highly recommend her Podcast – Parental As Anything! As we navigate COVID restrictions, lockdown challenges and all things involved w

My podcast has been hijacked!!! In this Episode, Farm Owners Academy’s Farm Business Coach, David Westbrook, takes the reins and interviews an extraordinary woman making a big, big difference in the lives of thousands of families.   Back in 2016, David experienced a life-changing lesson.   That lesson?   ‘Humans sacrifice their health in order to make money. Then they sacrifice money to recuperate their health.’ - Dalai Lama   Through the curiosity of this lesson, David & his wife Becky went searching for mentors to improve their health. That’s when they came across Jo Whitton.   Jo is best known for helping people journey to good health through healing foods and ‘food as medicine’. She has over 270,000 Facebook followers and uses her social media platforms along with her cookbooks and retreats to educate people to a better way of living using a healing, whole food diet without the overwhelm.   In this episode, you will learn how you can change your life through some simple lessons. This is

Over 15,000 kilometres of new fencing completed More than 16,000 kilometres of old fencing cleaned up or restored In excess of 11,000 farming families lifted from adversity Many thousands of communities deeply impacted The lives of so many completely transformed   It gives me great pleasure to introduce Kevin Butler to share his BlazeAid Story.   In the aftermath of the 2009 Black Saturday fires, after a simple request for help to an iconic national community including over 30,000 volunteers… this is truly one of Australia’s greatest regional & rural stories.   The reach and impact BlazeAid has, and will continue to have, on the lives of those adversely affected by fire, flood and the vagaries of our incredible landscape - in terms of both physical farm and individual farmer recovery - is immeasurable.   It is now not surprising to me that when I first called BlazeAid to ask for help on behalf of two of our members, Kevin - its Founder and Chairman - answered my call. On top of that, he was g

Managing people, both family and in farming business, can undoubtedly be one of our greatest challenges. Not only do we have to navigate delicate working relationships with our brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, mothers and fathers – grandmothers and grandfathers for some too! But, equally, we have casual, full-time, part-time, contractor, client and supplier relationships to ‘wrangle’, navigate, manage, influence and inspire. With this in mind in this podcast, I ask Sam Johnsson, the new General Manager here at Farm Owners Academy (FOA), to share his experience and insight into all things leadership. Sam is a cracking bloke – calm, composed, thoughtful, measured, pragmatic, collaborative yet decisive. He joins FOA after ten highly successful years in management with the leading Australasian advisory & building engineering firm, Aurecon. Over the past three years, Sam progressed to becoming one of the youngest Directors at Aurecon, responsible for the results and performance of over 65 professionals

For me, Farm Owners Academy is a strong example of good business practice, well-applied. We are seven years old and have enjoyed significant growth year on year. We are an expanding team, all well-aligned to a common goal and cause. We deliver results, adding real and lasting value to the lives of those we serve. I am immensely proud to be part of this team and community. I am also very pleased that we are congruent; we practice what we preach. Farm Owners Academy and the Profitable Farmer Podcast succeed because we apply the very business principles we teach - impeccably and with real intent. For this, I thank the WHOLE FOA team. In this podcast, I ask that you humour me as I: reflect on our growth and our results, particularly over the last 18-months; share key elements of our strategic plan - our new vision and roadmap and explain how it sets the foundations now for further growth and expansion; explore an important construct about ‘How to Avoid The Business Price Trap’, and outline the steps yo

It is rare to meet true game changers and genuine leaders of Commerce & Industry, let alone get to interview two! In this episode, we meet Gaethan Cutri and Salah Sukkarieh - both pioneers in their own right. Salah Sukkarieh is the Professor of Robotics and Intelligent Systems at the University of Sydney and CEO of Agerris, a new Agtech startup company from the Australian Centre for Field Robotics, developing autonomous robotic solutions to improve agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability. Salah is an international expert in the research, development and commercialisation of field robotic systems and has led a number of robotics and intelligent systems R&D projects in logistics, commercial aviation, aerospace, education, environment monitoring, agriculture and mining.  More detail here:  The University of Sydney - Salah Sukkarieh Gaethan Cutri is Owner and Managing Director at Cutri Fruits. Under his leadership, and over the past 15 years, Cutri Farms has increased its fruit pro