Profitable Farmer

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

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

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

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

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