This week:

1. Another way to access investors
   
   

   We have been in contact with Smith Agri International for a number of years now. David Smith and I caught up at the Field Days and spoke to some aspiring farmers about using their services to attract an investor who could back them onto a farm. This is a great concept. Smith Agri deal with high net worth individuals who want to buy farms. David suggested that anyone who has a farm in mind that they should approach them to discuss the opportunity and whether they could get an investor to back them. A normal real estate wouldn’t be able to find an investor like this, they would normally sell it to a neighbour or someone wanting to farm for themselves. But these investors need farmers. This could be an amazing opportunity - so please reach out to them. 

   
   

Would you be willing to pitch a farm in 2018?

This week:

1. Another way to access investors
   

We have been in contact with Smith Agri International for a number of years now. David Smith and I caught up at the Field Days and spoke to some aspiring farmers about using their services to attract an investor who could back them onto a farm. This is a great concept. Smith Agri deal with high net worth individuals who want to buy farms. David suggested that anyone who has a farm in mind that they should approach them to discuss the opportunity and whether they could get an investor to back them. A normal real estate wouldn’t be able to find an investor like this, they would normally sell it to a neighbour or someone wanting to farm for themselves. But these investors need farmers. This could be an amazing opportunity - so please reach out to them. 

We had discussions with investors, real estate and farmers looking to step back last week. What a great moment it was. We will find out in the next 4 weeks whether this will go ahead. But this could be our first matched farm which is amazing. Cultivate Farms have brought the opportunity to the right people and the investors are very supportive of backing aspiring and retiring farmers. I’ll keep you posted.

Would you be willing to pitch a farm in 2018?

This week:

1. Elmore Field Days report
   
   

   Met a handful of aspiring farmers and most of the discussion is about encouraging them to dream bigger. A lot of people are limiting their thinking to what they can save to buy. We say, dream about what you really want and let's work backwards from there on how we can make it happen. Everyone is loving the farm pitching marketplace. This is clearly going to solve a problem for asll you aspiring farmers out there.

   
   

How are the 1000 acres going? What are you growing?

How is Hicks Country Beef going?

This week:

1. Elmore Field Days report
   

Met a handful of aspiring farmers and most of the discussion is about encouraging them to dream bigger. A lot of people are limiting their thinking to what they can save to buy. We say, dream about what you really want and let's work backwards from there on how we can make it happen. Everyone is loving the farm pitching marketplace. This is clearly going to solve a problem for asll you aspiring farmers out there.

We are in idea testing phase at the moment. We are asking questions of a lot of people about what they expect to see on the platform. The aim is that anyone can pitch a farm investment and get it in front of an investor to see if they will back you. We've had a great chat with ANZ,  investors, aspiring farmers, agronomists and farm investment advisors. Our next phase is mapping out how this will flow online and support our handful of farms to pitch offline to prove it works. 

It is rare for the Hicks' and Sam to be in the same spot and the Elmore Field Days was a great excuse for us to spend more time together and to talk to aspiring farmers together.

How are the 1000 acres going? What are you growing?

How is Hicks Country Beef going?

This week:

1. Elmore Field Days next week

This week:

1. Elmore Field Days next week

1. Marketplace for pitching farms
   

   This concept of gap equity that I have been talking about the last few weeks has now solidified into the solution that we think could make a real difference to anyone wanting to be a farmer.

   
   

We are now developing the marketplace for pitching farms. Where you can take a farm, be guided by an advisor and have your investment opportunity presented to investors.

This means we will have templates developed that you fill in online in a ‘sand pit’ so you can get it right before submitting. You will also be able to connect with the right advisor to qualify that you and the farm pitch are great.

1. Marketplace for pitching farms
   

This concept of gap equity that I have been talking about the last few weeks has now solidified into the solution that we think could make a real difference to anyone wanting to be a farmer.

We are now developing the marketplace for pitching farms. Where you can take a farm, be guided by an advisor and have your investment opportunity presented to investors.

This means we will have templates developed that you fill in online in a ‘sand pit’ so you can get it right before submitting. You will also be able to connect with the right advisor to qualify that you and the farm pitch are great.

We think that this issue of retiring farmers considering the next generation of farmers is also a massive and if we can get more conversations going about succession options this could open the flood gates for farm opportunities for you. So we are talking to a few people about setting up a national day for farm succession. It would be a day when you can ask awkward questions to farmers about whether they have their succession plans in palace. To discuss ways that you can get kids that aren’t your own onto your farm to continue your legacy. 

Sam Marwood takes you behind the scenes of what we are doing to help make your farm dreams a reality. This week:

1. Gap equity really could be the solution
   

   What is it?

   
   

An aspiring farmer finds a farm opportunity and presents an investment opportunity which comprises debt, their own equity and the minimum equity needed from an investor.

Sam Marwood takes you behind the scenes of what we are doing to help make your farm dreams a reality. This week:

1. Gap equity really could be the solution
   

What is it?

An aspiring farmer finds a farm opportunity and presents an investment opportunity which comprises debt, their own equity and the minimum equity needed from an investor.

If you want us to find amazing farm opportunities for you and to get you on your farm - you need to share our content on social media.