Profitable Farmer

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 

As we reach the business end of the season for many, this episode offers a quiet reflection on some of the deeper and important challenges showing up for farming families and their business teams right across the country.    There’s no guest this time. Instead, I wanted to take a moment to share some of my learnings and observations over the year through coaching calls, leadership workshops, and time spent walking alongside farm owners who are doing their best to juggle family, team, operations, and future planning.    What continues to surface are three common forces quietly undermining even the most committed families. They don’t always get named, but they’re felt - in the tension, in the exhaustion, and in the weight that so many carry day to day.    Those three forces are confusion, conflict, and control.    In this episode, I explore what tends to happen when there’s no clear structure, when roles aren’t defined, and when everything rests on one or two people to hold it all together.     I also touch on something many find uncomfortable - the idea that succession might not in fact be the issue at all! Sometimes all that is missing can be a professional and practical business management framework. Without structure, succession becomes messy. With structure, it becomes manageable, and the potential for success through generations enhanced.    We will explore:  Why resourcing decisions have such a direct impact on freedom, stress, and family dynamics  The cost of carrying too much, and the long-term risk of building a business that depends on one person  What it means to lead professionally and put the right frameworks in place, from organisational charts and role clarity to strategic planning and operating rhythms  The career ladder model that helped one farming family move from tension to shared understanding  What high-performing teams have in common, and how they’re built with intention, not guesswork    This is an honest look at what it takes to lead well inside a complex family business. It’s not about having all the answers, but about making time to pause, reflect, and begin putting the right pieces in place.    As you think about what you want 2026 to look and feel like, this could be the right time to reset. Our TOP Producers Workshop offers space to slow down, take stock, and plan from a stronger base. If you’re looking to lead with more clarity and confidence next year, this 2-Day Workshop in February is a great place to start. We highly recommend it. More details here.   You can also book a free coaching call to assess what’s working, pinpoint bottlenecks, and walk away with a clear 3-step action plan for your business. Click here to lock in a time and date that suits you.    Thank you for your continued involvement with us and well done on everything each of you achieve for yourselves, your families, teams and communities. We're honoured to share this journey with you.    Wishing you a safe, restful break and the clarity to make 2026 your most aligned year yet.    Merry Christmas!    From Hutch & the entire FOA Team 

Sam Whitelock knows pressure. He’s captained the All Blacks through some of rugby’s most intense moments. He’s made high-stakes decisions with the weight of a nation on his shoulders. And now, he’s turned that same grit and composure to life on the farm.  But here’s what Sam’s learned. Real leadership isn’t about powering through at all costs. It’s knowing when to push and when to pause. When to speak and when to listen. And how to look after yourself, so you can lead others well.  In this episode, Sam opens up about his transition from rugby to farming, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and how the principles of leadership he honed on the field apply to farming life. From managing stress and communicating effectively to balancing the demands of family and business, Sam offers practical insights that can help anyone facing the pressures of modern-day farming.  We cover:  The parallels between leadership on the rugby field and managing a farming business, and how both environments require clear communication, calm decision-making, and showing up for your team.  The importance of staying grounded and managing stress in high-pressure situations.  The impact of Farmstrong, a wellness initiative supporting farmers' mental and physical health.  The challenges of farming and why building a support network and taking time off are key to long-term success.    Whether you’re managing a farm or a team, Sam’s reflections remind us that leadership is not just about being in control. It’s about being self-aware enough to step back and ensure your own well-being is a priority.    Sam, thank you for sharing your journey with us and for reminding us that good leadership starts with taking care of ourselves.    For all our listeners, if you’re looking for resources to support your mental and physical health, be sure to check out Farmstrong. And if you're in Australia, I encourage you to get involved with Active Farmers, a great initiative supporting rural communities.    Keep leading, keep caring, and keep supporting your mental well-being.    Sincerely,    Jeremy Hutchings & the Farm Owners Academy Team 

“You’re doing better than you think.” It’s the simple, powerful reminder that Tim and Cheryl Freak leave behind after every farm visit.   In this episode, I sit down with two of our long-time FOA members and coaches, Tim and Cheryl, who have spent the past three years deeply embedded in our community, supporting hundreds of farm businesses across Australia. This year alone, they’ve completed more than 50+ full day, in-person visits and share rare insight into what’s really going on in farming right now.   From drought-hit sheep properties in Victoria, to feedlot expansions in NSW, to cropping and irrigation operations in Queensland, they’ve sat at kitchen tables and walked paddocks, helping farming families align around a shared vision, map out their next steps, and reconnect with why they’re doing what they’re doing.   They bring a fresh perspective, often seeing things that others can’t because they’re too close to it. Whether it’s spotting simple changes, helping families refocus on what really matters, or gently challenging assumptions, their approach is grounded in experience and care.   In this episode, we unpack: The key themes from their farm visits, from confinement feeding and breed decisions, to water shortages, machinery investments and more How the most effective operators are thinking strategically, knowing their numbers, and making informed decisions even in tight seasons Succession planning, and the honest conversations that many families avoid but desperately need to have The power of having a clear Clarity Action Plan that brings the whole team into alignment, and maps a path forward Why investing in your people and seeing your team as an asset, not a cost, is key to building a business that lasts The importance of finding joy, creating harmony, and celebrating wins along the way   What Tim & Cheryl bring to these visits with fresh eyes, deep understanding, and a tonne of lived experience is gold.   They often walk into some homes where stress is written all over people’s faces and by the time they leave, there’s a visible shift. Shoulders ease. Confidence returns. People stand a little taller, not because everything’s perfect, but because they’re clearer, calmer, and more focused on what matters most.   Whether you’re a grazier in Victoria, a cropper in NSW, a dairy operator navigating burnout, or running a mixed-enterprise with a family team, there’s something in this one for you.   Tim and Cheryl, you have given yourselves fully and wholeheartedly to this community. You have helped families feel seen, supported, and stronger through some of their most challenging moments. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for the care, wisdom, and compassion you continue to share so generously.   Let’s get into it. Jeremy Hutchings & the Farm Owners Academy Team