Profitable Farmer

As we near the end of another whirlwind year, it’s a chance to reflect, reset, and recharge. The festive season brings its own flurry of busyness, but before we all step into some well-deserved downtime, I wanted to bring you a conversation packed with insight and inspiration to help you wrap up 2024 with purpose and head into 2025 with clarity.  In this episode, I’m joined by Farm Owners Academy’s CEO, Sam Johnson. Together, we dive deep into the year that was — exploring the highlights, hurdles, and lessons learned across our farming community.   We unpack practical ways to stress-test your business model, navigate challenges like rising interest rates and tough seasons, and build resilience into your farm and family operations. We also delve into the important interplay between scale, gearing, and business model and how to assess your farm’s performance against several critical measures.  Sam shares a special reflection on his personal journey this year, showing how resilience isn’t just a business strategy but a life skill, too.  We also celebrate the incredible work of the FOA team — our analytics professionals, coaching leaders, and operational champions — who have supported farming families across the country to benchmark, plan, and grow stronger farming businesses. Thank you, team, we are so grateful for the dedication and ‘above and beyond’ support you consistently provide to our members and community.  Whether you’re looking to refine your vision, strengthen your business, or just find fresh motivation for the year ahead, I hope this episode will help in some way or another.   So grab a cuppa, or keep the tractor running, and join us for a conversation that could set the tone for your best year yet.  Thank you for tracking with us this year. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and festive season.   Hutch and the Farm Owners Academy team.   P.S. If you know someone who would make an excellent guest for the Profitable Farmer Podcast, you can nominate them by providing their name, contact details and an outline as to why you feel they’d be a cracking guest by emailing us at [email protected] mentioned in the episode:   Complimentary Coaching Call: If you would like to find out more about our Platinum Mastermind – business coaching and mastermind program – and whether this is a good fit for you and your business, you can book your one-on-one coaching call with a member of our business coaching team here. Book your call today.   Cash Flow Optimiser: This short course is designed to help make your financial planning more straightforward and effective. Discover how to turn your farm into a highly profitable business by choosing the right model, leveraging the Profit First Farm Business Model Analyser Tool, and mastering accurate forecasting. Uncover the seven steps to effective business model forecasting (BMF), the difference between budgeting and forecasting, and equip yourself with strategies to benchmark, stress test, and project cash flow with precision. Plus, gain invaluable insights from bonus training and real-world case studies that show what it takes to thrive, even in tough seasons. Check it out here.  TOP Producers Program: If you are ready to elevate your farming operation to unprecedented levels of productivity and profitability, the TOP Producers 2-day workshop is designed specifically for forward-thinking Australian farmers like you, who are motivated to scale up, earn more money, and run a better farm business. Discover innovative ideas, practical strategies, and the latest insights, all tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities of Australian agriculture. We have two events in 2025, attend virtually or in person – dates and locations here.  Ultimate 2025 Planning Guide: this FREE planning guide is here to help you refocus, set meaningful goals, and build a clear plan for a more profitable, sustainable farm business. Reflect on 2024, follow along with templates and to

Today’s conversation is one of those deep dives into leadership, resilience, and navigating the complexities of life—whether that’s on the farm, in the boardroom, or out on the footy field.    Joining me is Cameron Schwab, a man who, at just 24, stepped into the CEO role of an elite AFL club, and over the years has learned not only what leadership demands of us but how it shapes us.    Cameron is the real deal—a thinker, a mentor, and someone who’s walked the path of success, failure, and reinvention. Now founder and CEO of designCEO, Cameron leverages his extensive leadership experience in professional sport and business to mentor and support CEOs, senior and emerging leaders, and their organisations across various industry sectors. You can find more information about Cameron and his offerings on his website here.    In this episode, we unpack what it takes to show up as a leader when the pressure’s on, how to navigate those “what am I doing here?” moments, and why the quiet, reflective times when no one’s watching might just be the most important moments of all.    Cameron’s insights, from his experiences in elite sports to his work now coaching leaders across business and community, are so relatable and deeply impactful.   We explore what it means to create the right conditions for people to thrive, how to reframe your story when it’s holding you back, and why leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about showing up with courage, humility, and a deep sense of purpose.    I hope you enjoy as we dive into this thoughtful and inspiring conversation.    Cameron, thank you for sharing your wisdom, heart, and valuable practical tools that we can all takeaway.     Sincerely,   Hutch     P.S    

Often, the journey of personal development can be misunderstood or even dismissed- many might view it as unnecessary or even indulgent. As we explore in this episode, it is not about ‘fixing’ yourself or chasing perfection… it’s about choosing who you want to become, letting go of old stories, and moving towards a more authentic, abundant version of yourself.     In this episode, I am delighted to once again speak with Tracy Secombe, our Director of Wellbeing at Farm Owners Academy, and someone who helps our community open-up to and embrace conversations about personal development and mindset.     In challenging times and an ever-changing world, for mine, this shift is more important than ever.    Tracy and I explore how to reframe challenges, embrace emotions without judgment, and navigate the highs and lows of personal growth.    Tracy shared a perspective that I’d describe as seeing life through a glass-half-full lens: “There’s plenty more where that came from.” It’s a simple yet powerful phrase, and when you really reflect on it, it represents a mindset shift—from focusing on scarcity and limitations to embracing abundance and possibility.    We unpack how to manage emotional triggers, find clarity during tough times, and step into a mindset of growth and abundance—even when the world feels heavy. Tracy’s take on shifting from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance is not just inspiring; it’s transformative.    I hope this conversation will leave you with fresh perspectives and valuable tools to take into your own life and business.     So grab a cuppa, take a moment for yourself, and settle in for a heartfelt conversation that’s sure to challenge and inspire.     Let’s dive in.    Hutch and the FOA Team 

I have heard it said that “doing a traditional thing in a traditional industry may no longer be relevant.”   I have also heard it said that the point of entrepreneurship is to “create a legacy”…. that is to create something that makes an impact of significance in the market, that will last beyond your life-time.   Certainly there are great examples of individuals and teams out there daring enough to be highly entrepreneurial, deeply strategic and very innovative in finding ways to ‘get it done’.   For mine, Liam Leneghan and his GO.Farm Story presents an outstanding example of this, in modern day Australian Agriculture.   Just over 10 years ago, GO.Farm Australia was simply an idea in the mind of a very credible and progressive Australian Agriculturalist.   Today, GO.FARM’s vision for transforming Australian agriculture has driven the development and management of $1.2B worth of agricultural assets, including 96,000ha of farmland producing high-value crops such as almonds, mandarins, tomatoes, winegrapes, grains, pulses and oilseeds.   With a strong focus on innovation through a Responsible Agriculture lens, GO.FARM’s investment strategies deliver a positive impact for its environments and local communities, while generating significant wealth for its investors.   From an idea, combined with a deep determination to transform Australian farmland… GO.Farm is now a growing team of over 250 people, committed to this vision.   It is a truly compelling story, that I feel we can all learn from. Through this I am reminded of the benefits of being unconventional; that leadership starts with making informed and risk-aware predictions about the future; that business ownership is about being courageous and dertermined; of the power of having conviction; of learning from mistakes and ‘going again’; of the value in making unreasonable request of people with influence; of the importance of a commitment to our own learning and growth; and the importance of surrounding yourself in high-calibre people on this journey we all play in business.   Some individuals are simply truly pioneering and daring to make an impact.   Liam, I commend you on your courage, deep conviction and your modern-day pioneering. I hope our conversation pays some tribute to your impressive career, and the successes of GO.Farm and your team.   Congratulations mate.   Hutch & the FOA Team

In this episode, I speak with Tim McGavin, Founder and Managing Director of Laguna Bay, one of the largest privately owned agricultural investment funds globally.    Reflecting on his farming background and extensive career, we explore life growing up on a station west of Barcaldine, QLD alongside his ‘bushy’ father and family. We explore Tim’s early years through school, his journey into agriculture and the intriguing and unique pathway he has taken to achieve significant success within our industry.    Our conversation touches on the pivotal role of Marcus Oldham in shaping the next generation of Australian agricultural leaders. We explore its innovative approach to education, its extensive Alumni network and its influential impact on the industry.    Importantly, we speak of Marcus Minds, a new initiative developed to help farm owners learn the key principles of high performance. This collaboration between Laguna Bay and Marcus Oldham draws upon the expertise of leading specialists and focuses on helping people overcome personal challenges, pursuing mindset mastery, pathways for self-development, a higher quality of life and building resilience.    Much like the personal development and entrepreneurial principles taught at Farm Owners Academy, Marcus Minds is bringing an important new way of thinking and leading into our industry.     Tim and I both acknowledge that farming can be a lonely and challenging environment in which to live and operate. Yet, we agree that to achieve the highest level, we must first master the mind.    To quote Tim, “I’ve learnt that if you get the inside right, the outside falls into place.”    Marcus Minds is a free resource available to all, and I recommend checking it out.    Congratulations Tim, on your pioneering of this project and congratulations on a fascinating career. Thank you for sharing your story and insights for success in this conversation so openly.     And thank you for helping us highlight the great work of both Marcus Minds and Marcus Oldham Agricultural College in supporting excellence in Australian agriculture.    And what a story it is.    Jeremy Hutchings & the Farm Owners Academy Team