Profitable Farmer

In Part 1, John Fargher took us back to the beginning, exploring the early days of AgriWebb and the farming families who backed a young ag tech company long before the rest of the industry could see what it would become. If you haven't listened to that one yet, we recommend starting there. 

In Part 2, the story gets bigger. 

Because beneath the global partnerships and the rapid growth, this episode is really about how farming families move from recording the past to actually getting ahead of it. 

At the centre of it all is still the farm business itself. The producer who knows their country better than anyone but is making critical decisions without the right information in front of them. The family navigating rising expectations around data, sustainability, succession, and performance, often without the tools or support to do it confidently.  

John talks openly about the gap between what is possible and what most farming families are actually doing, and how AgriWebb's direct to farm model is closing that gap every day. Their collaboration with Figured takes it even further, finally connecting the operational and financial picture of a farm business in one place, so that the decisions being made on the ground are backed by the numbers that matter. 

In this episode, we explore: 

John Fargher grew up on a remote family station in the Northern Flinders Ranges, where distance, drought, hard work and innovation were simply part of life. 

For farmers, this is more than a technology story. It is a reminder that progress rarely comes from one big leap. It comes from practical people backing better ways of working before the rest of the industry catches up. 

Thank you John, for sharing the story so openly, and for the work you and the AgriWebb team continue to do in helping move agriculture forward. 

A good season can hide a lot. So can a strong balance sheet. But performing well on the surface does not always mean the business is built on the right foundation. 

Risk builds quietly. Options narrow over time. And by the time most farm owners recognise it, they have less room to move than they thought. 

In this episode, Jeremy sits down with Andy Fenton, Managing Director of Fenton Financial, who brings more than 20 years of experience across financial planning, funds management and investment banking, to unpack a confronting but important idea: 

It can be our business structures that kill our farm businesses. 

Not all at once. Not dramatically. But over time, through outdated structures, poor protection, limited leverage, unnecessary tax inefficiency, and too much control sitting with the bank.  

Andy explains why so many farming businesses are still operating in structures that were inherited, kept because they were simple, or never reviewed as the business grew. He talks through what can go wrong when land, machinery and trading operations are tied together in the wrong way, and why that can leave farming families more exposed than they realise.  

We cover: 

We often see farming families operating in structures that no longer fit the business. That’s why conversations with specialists such as Andy matter. While Farm Owners Academy is not an accounting firm, we help members ask better questions, think more strategically, and strengthen the business behind the farm through the deeper support available in our 3-year comprehensive Platinum Mastermind program.  

If this episode has raised questions about how your business is structured, you can learn more about Andy and his work at https://fentonfinancial.com.au/ 

Andy, thank you for bringing a clear and commercially grounded perspective to how structure, tax and leverage can shape the level of risk, control and succession in a farm business. 

Till next time, 

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: 

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 

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: 

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 [email protected], and Renee at rnbusinessconsulting.com.au or [email protected]. 

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, 

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: 

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,   

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: 

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   

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: 

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,  

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: 

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 

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:  

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!