Profitable Farmer

Farm Owners Academy
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This show is all about increasing the profitability of your farm so you work smarter and not harder. Your host, Jeremy Hutchings (Managing Director at Farm Owners Academy), reveals the best farming business tips for more leverage in your farm business.

  1. # 189 - Fertiliser & Fuel Prices: How to Lead Through This New Economic Uncertainty with Tracy Secombe & Sam Johnsson

    18 HR AGO

    # 189 - Fertiliser & Fuel Prices: How to Lead Through This New Economic Uncertainty with Tracy Secombe & Sam Johnsson

    Are you concerned by the uncertainty surrounding increased fuel prices?     Is the current global turmoil challenging your view on how to best navigate this season?    The biggest risk right now is not fuel, fertiliser, interest rates, or global instability. It's panic.   Uncertainty has a way of hijacking clear thinking. It pulls people into worst-case scenarios and pushes reactive decisions before the facts are fully in.   That is where the real damage starts. Not in the disruption itself, but in the response to it.  Because when something shifts, whether it is a headline, a price rise, or a disruption, the natural human response is not calm, measured thinking. It is alarm. It is projection. It is the tendency to ask, “What if this gets worse?” rather than, “What is actually true right now?”.  In this conversation, Sam Johnsson, Tracy Secombe and I unpack what it really looks like to lead through uncertainty, not just from a business perspective, but from a mindset and leadership standpoint.  We cover:  how to check your state first and move from angst and panic back to composure and optimism   why stepping away from drama, media, and negativity helps you come back to facts and make logical, informed decisions   how to use forecasting to assess worst case, average case, and best case, and adapt your approach accordingly   how practices like gratitude, exercise, and self-regulation help lift your mindset so you can lead your family and team more strongly  You do not need to pretend uncertainty is not there. You do need to lead yourself well enough that it does not make your decisions for you.  Sam and Tracy, thank you for the practical insight and steady perspective you’ve brought to this conversation on how to lead through uncertainty.  Navigating the financial side of the business in times like this can feel overwhelming, and you’re not alone. Many farm owners have felt that same pressure and have used the Cash Flow Optimiser to turn uncertainty into clearer thinking and more confident decisions. If that’s where you’re at right now, you can find out more here.    Keep winning,    Jeremy Hutchings & the Farm Owners Academy Team

    53 min
  2. # 188 - Knowing Your Numbers How to Build A Stronger Farm Financial System with Jayne Walsh, Tim Fowler, Renee Nicholls, and Bec Balfour

    26 MAR

    # 188 - Knowing Your Numbers How to Build A Stronger Farm Financial System with Jayne Walsh, Tim Fowler, Renee Nicholls, and Bec Balfour

    This week, Sam Johnsson hijacks the podcast while I’m off on a skiing holiday in Austria and he takes on a topic that might not sound flashy, but can quietly change everything in a farm business: building a strong financial system.    Because for a lot of farm owners, the numbers are still something that sit in the background until they become a problem.    And that’s a hard way to lead.    When the books are behind, the reporting is patchy, or the numbers only come out at tax time, it leaves people making big decisions without a clear view of where the business is actually at. That creates stress, second-guessing, and a constant sense of being on the back foot.    In this conversation, Sam is joined by Jayne Walsh, Tim Fowler, Renee Nicholls, and Bec Balfour to unpack what good financial management actually looks like in a real farm business.    Between them, they bring lived experience from multi-generational farming operations, succession, enterprise management, and bookkeeping support for rural businesses. And what comes through clearly is this: strong financial systems are not just about compliance. They are about clarity, confidence, and better decisions.    We explore the gap between “doing the books” and actually using your numbers to lead the business well. From clean data and simple chart-of-accounts structures, through to forecasting, enterprise analysis, cashflow visibility, and stronger conversations with banks, this is a practical discussion about getting out of reactive mode and into a much more proactive way of operating.    Here’s what we uncover:  Why weekly reconciliations and end-of-month processes create confidence in the numbers   How forecasting helps you adjust as the season changes instead of reacting too late   The value of enterprise-level reporting to understand what is and is not making money   Why banks and lenders respond better when your numbers are current, clear, and well presented   Practical first steps for farm businesses wanting to improve their financial systems this year    If you’ve ever felt like the financial side of the business is heavier than it should be, this episode is a good reminder that you’re not bad at business, you just might not have the right system yet.    Because the goal here is not to become an accountant.    It’s to build enough visibility and rhythm around the numbers that you can lead with more confidence, make better decisions earlier, and stop carrying that constant uncertainty in your head.    Bec Balfour from Rembiz Bookkeeping and Renee Nicholls from RN Business Consulting both work with rural businesses to bring more clarity, structure, and confidence to the numbers. You can reach Bec at rembiz.com.au or rebecca@rembiz.com.au, and Renee at rnbusinessconsulting.com.au or renee@rnbusinessconsulting.com.au.    Sam, Jayne, Tim, Renee, and Bec - thank you for a conversation that gets to the heart of what strong farm finance looks like. There’s real value in this one for any farm owner who wants to feel more in control of the business, rather than be overwhelmed by it.    Keep winning,  Jeremy Hutchings & the Farm Owners Academy Team

    43 min
  3. # 187 - Legacy Isn’t Land: Rethinking What Succession Success Looks Like with Mike Stephens

    12 MAR

    # 187 - Legacy Isn’t Land: Rethinking What Succession Success Looks Like with Mike Stephens

    Selling the family farm can feel like the ultimate failure. For a lot of farming families, it can carry guilt, grief, and the sense that something precious has been lost.     But Mike Stephens challenges that story head-on.    Mike is the founder of Meridian Agriculture, one of Australia’s oldest and most  experienced agricultural consulting firms, and the author of Life After Farming. For decades, he has helped farming families navigate the people side of agriculture with practical support around succession, transition, and decision-making.     He argues the real measure of “successful succession” is not whether the land stays in the family, but whether the outcome meets the needs of the whole family, passes the fairness test, and protects relationships.    We explore why the “never sell” narrative adds pressure to families already carrying enough, how to get the right conversations on the table (early), and what it looks like when a family chooses a positive exit and thrives in the next chapter.    Here’s what we uncover:  Why selling the family farm is not a failure of succession  Why fairness is the hard but necessary test, especially between farming and non-farming siblings  The cost of staying in the game at all costs, including debt, pressure, and resentment  How to approach succession conversations properly, starting with confidential one-on-one input before bringing key issues to the family table  The power of starting early: it may be too early for a succession plan, but it’s never too early to plan for succession    If your family is carrying the weight of succession conversations, this episode offers a clearer reference point for what good decision-making can look like. Not perfect. Not painless. But fair, practical, and grounded in what matters most.  Mike, thank you for bringing such clarity and steadiness to one of the hardest conversations farming families ever face. Your perspective gives people permission to think more honestly about legacy, fairness, and what a good outcome really looks like.  In your corner,    Jeremy Hutchings & the Farm Owners Academy Team

    50 min
  4. # 186 - An Overheated Stock Market Crash in 2026? How to Get Ready with Terry Tran

    26 FEB

    # 186 - An Overheated Stock Market Crash in 2026? How to Get Ready with Terry Tran

    As we step into 2026, there’s a lot of noise out there.    Geopolitical tension. AI hype. Market highs. Media drama.    And if you’re a farm owner trying to make steady, strategic decisions in the middle of a tight season… it can feel like one more thing to carry.    In this episode, I sit down with my good mate Terry Tran, founder of Freedom Trader, to cut through the headlines and look at what the data is actually telling us.    Because while the media sells emotion, markets move on numbers.    And if you’re building off-farm wealth whether inside super, a managed fund, or direct equities, this matters.    We uncover:  What’s really driving the market surge (and why it’s not as broad as it looks)  Why AI investment is inflating valuations across tech  What Warren Buffett and other “smart money” investors are quietly doing  What questions you should be asking your advisor or super fund  And how to prepare so you’re not a spectator when opportunity returns    If you’re looking for a clear, practical framework to assess markets, filter quality investments, and build an off-farm portfolio with confidence, join Terry’s exclusive FOA webinar on March 17th at 7:20pm AEDT. Register here.  You can also learn more about Terry’s philosophy, real-money approach to risk management, and the Freedom Trader Blueprint program via his website here.  Thank you Terry for your generosity, your clarity, and for continuing to equip farming families with the tools to invest with confidence and discipline.  Yours in investing,  Jeremy Hutchings & the Farm Owners Academy Team

    43 min
  5. #185 - From Farm Operator to Farm CEO with Ben & Kate Johns

    13 FEB

    #185 - From Farm Operator to Farm CEO with Ben & Kate Johns

    What if the real constraint in your business isn’t effort, seasons, or skill, but the role you’re still stuck playing?    For Ben and Kate, this question didn’t arrive neatly. It crept in over time.    Their journey took them far from the farm first, through university, into investment banking in London, and straight into the pressure cooker of the GFC. Long hours. High stakes. A world where structure and accountability were non-negotiable.    Choosing to come home to the family farm wasn’t about escaping work. It was about building something of their own.    What they returned to was a third-generation Darling Downs farm growing irrigated silage for Wagyu feedlots. A good business, but one run largely from people’s heads, with no clear leadership role and a heavy reliance on who was on the ground each day.    Here’s what we explore:  What it really took to come home and spend years earning influence before having authority  Why their succession took close to two years, and why slowing it down led to better decisions and stronger relationships  The point where expanding pivots and working harder stopped delivering growth  What changed once Ben stepped out of daily operations and into a full-time CEO role  How simple rhythms now hold the business together, including weekly meetings, clear roles, and a 90-day operational focus    If you know your business could handle more, but not the way it’s currently being run, this conversation will give you a clearer reference point for the next shift.    Ben and Kate, thank you for sharing what leadership looks like when it’s intentional, well-timed, and anchored in long-term thinking. The clarity you’ve built into your roles, your team, and your systems is a benchmark for what’s possible when committed leaders give good decisions the space to compound.    Cass, thank you for walking alongside Ben and Kate as their coach. The decisions, structure, and confidence reflected here show what’s possible when farm businesses are supported, not left to figure it out alone.  Sincerely,     Jeremy Hutchings & the Farm Owners Academy Team

    1hr 8min
  6. # 184 - Out of the Shadows of Succession: Taking the Lead as a Family, with Simon and Naomi Goode

    30 JAN

    # 184 - Out of the Shadows of Succession: Taking the Lead as a Family, with Simon and Naomi Goode

    There comes a moment in every farm business where the question isn’t how much more can we do, it’s what do we actually want to build?    For Simon and Naomi Goode, that moment came after years of doing everything: cropping, hay, livestock, all while raising four kids and managing 3,200 hectares in Victoria’s eastern Wimmera. They weren’t in crisis. In fact, from the outside, they were flying. But inside, they were carrying too much. Too many moving parts. Too many long days. Not enough space to step back, lead strategically, or live the life they were working so hard to create.    In this episode, their FOA Accountability Coach, Rick Morris sits down with Simon and Naomi to explore what it really looks like to evolve a fifth-generation family farm into a professionally run business without losing the heart of it.    From completing full succession to stepping into defined leadership roles, they share what it took to:  exit a legacy enterprise that no longer served them;  restructure the business and move Naomi into the CEO seat;  create a trusted “Core Four” advisory team to guide decisions;  redefine success around clarity, family time, and aligned growth.    You’ll hear Simon speak candidly about letting go of old work patterns, building a team he can trust, and learning to prioritise leadership over busyness. And Naomi with her background in public health and local government unpacks how she’s brought structure, financial discipline, and long-term planning into the heart of the business.    If you’re running a solid farm but craving more alignment… if you’re stuck in the weeds but ready to step up and lead… or if you simply want to see what’s possible when a couple gets clear, strategic, and intentional, this episode is for you.    Thank you Simon and Naomi for your candour, courage, and willingness to share the journey so generously. You are a brilliant example of what’s possible when structure meets heart, and business meets life. And Rick, thank you for being a steady guide and coach on their journey, and for holding this conversation with such care.    Here’s to more farmers leading like this.    Keep winning,    Jeremy Hutchings & the Farm Owners Academy Team

    45 min
  7. # 183 - Scaling from Scratch: The Rise Behind Nala Agribusiness and Red Dirt Lamb with Lachlan & Anna Sutton

    15 JAN

    # 183 - Scaling from Scratch: The Rise Behind Nala Agribusiness and Red Dirt Lamb with Lachlan & Anna Sutton

    There comes a point when the late nights, the mental load, and the constant pressure make you wonder... how much longer can we keep doing this?    Lachlan and Anna Sutton hit that point. Burnt out. Leasing land. Bucketing grain by hand while raising three young kids.    Then something shifted.    In this episode, their FOA Accountability Coach, Hayley Grosser speaks with Lachie and Anna, a couple who, in just 18 months, scaled from those long, heavy days to owning their first property, finishing over 20,000 lambs a year, launching a vertically integrated meat brand, Red Dirt Lamb, and holding a bold vision to build a $100M agribusiness that revitalises rural communities.    But this story isn’t just about scale. It’s about identity, grit, and the price of transformation.    We dive into:   how they scaled from $200K turnover to multi-million dollar growth in less than two years;  Anna’s leap from night shifts and nappies to launching a thriving farm-to-fork brand;  the cashflow squeezes, mental burnout, and mindset shifts they had to overcome with the FOA community in their corner; and  why their next chapter is about more than lambs on grain - it’s about building a team, backing people, and reigniting regional towns.    This is for anyone who’s been told it’s too hard to start from scratch. For the couple feeling the strain of burning both ends. For the farmer who lies awake wondering, “Is this all there is?”.     Lachie and Anna show us that it’s not just about working harder. It’s about changing the game, letting go of the rules, and building a farm that works for your life, not against it.    To learn more about their story or to order their pasture-raised lamb direct from the farm, head to reddirtlamb.com.au.    Thank you Lachie and Anna for reminding us that the strongest farms aren’t built on perfect conditions, but on heart, hard conversations, and a refusal to give up. And to Hayley, for not just guiding the story, but offering the right challenge and believing in them before the results were visible.    Until next time, all the very best!    Jeremy Hutchings and the Farm Owners Academy Team

    1hr 4min
  8. # 182 - Out Of Survival Mode Burnout, Balance, and Breakthroughs with Andrew Graham

    18/12/2025

    # 182 - Out Of Survival Mode Burnout, Balance, and Breakthroughs with Andrew Graham

    What if the hardest seasons in your business turned out to be the ones that set you free?  In this deeply honest episode, Marina Gregor, one of our senior business coaches sits down with Andrew Graham, a cattle producer from southwest Victoria, to explore a powerful story of resilience, family, and business transformation.  Andrew was previously burnt out, juggling operations management for a large-scale dairy business while navigating succession plans for his own family farm. Fast forward to today, and his world looks remarkably different, with a thriving cattle operation with 2,500 head, family back on the land, systems in place, and a sense of balance he never thought possible.  This episode is a conversation about what happens when you step out of survival mode and into leadership with clarity and intention. It’s about letting go, backing yourself, and creating a business that truly works for you.  Together, they explore:  The messy reality of succession and how Andrew found clarity through it  How burnout showed up, and what it took to finally slow down  Why mindset, not just management, was the missing piece  What changed when Andrew started building the business around his life  The power of building a team and trusting them to lead  These small shifts might not look like much at first, but they’re where real change starts. On the farm, it’s the everyday choices including how you plan, how you work with others and how you set priorities that determine the outcome of the season. The same applies in leadership. Creating space to step back, adding structure to the work, trusting others to lead, and getting clear on roles and direction helped Andrew move from burnout to focus and confidence.  If you’re looking to do the same, now is the time to take stock. Block time early in the new year to step off-farm and get clear on your 12-month priorities, because without space, clarity rarely comes. Need help resetting your goals for the new year ahead? Our Ultimate 2026 Planning Guide can help. It’s a practical resource designed to support reflection, bring focus, and give you a framework to set clear, purposeful goals for the year ahead. Download the guide here.  Thank you Andrew for your openness, your wisdom, and your leadership. You’ve not only changed your business, you’re lighting the way for others too. And to Marina, thank you for stepping in to lead this conversation with insight and care. Your ability to support others to reflect, share honestly, and draw out lessons that others can learn from is what makes conversations like this truly valuable.  Sincerely,   Jeremy Hutchings and the Farm Owners Academy Team

    44 min
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About

This show is all about increasing the profitability of your farm so you work smarter and not harder. Your host, Jeremy Hutchings (Managing Director at Farm Owners Academy), reveals the best farming business tips for more leverage in your farm business.

Information

  • Creator
    Farm Owners Academy
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    189
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2022 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Profitable Farmer

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