Free Daily Podcast Summary
Profitable Farmer: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Farm Owners Academy
This show is all about increasing the profitability of your farm so you work smarter and not harder. Your host, Andrew Roberts from the Farm Owners Academy reveals the best farming business tips for more leverage in your farm business.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 1 weeks ago1h 8m
# 196 - The Power of Aligning Your Family to a Clear, Common Goal, with FOA Coaches Elle Webb & Kerrie Smith
If a plan only lives in your head, no one else can help you make it happen. That's the line that sits at the heart of this conversation. Because so often on a family farm, there isn't one plan. There are two, or three, or four, each one living quietly inside a different family member's head, each one slightly different, and none of them written down anywhere everyone can see. In this episode, I'm joined by two of our senior FOA coaches, Elle Webb and Kerrie Smith. Both started, in their own words, at a zero out of ten when it came to having a clear, documented, common plan for their farm businesses. Both now run their businesses off a simple two-page, Clarity Action Plan that keeps the whole family and team pointed at the same goal. We explore: What life actually looks like without a shared plan: reactive decisions, disorganisation, and family members quietly filling the information gap with their own version of the story Why a BHAG (a big, hairy, audacious goal) needs to stretch 30, 50, even 80 years out, and how to break that down into 10-year, 3-year, and 1-year goals without getting stuck on the how What a Brick List is (anything left undone, sitting in your head and weighing you down) and why simply writing it down and prioritising it is one of the fastest ways to free up headspace and get moving again When and how to bring your employed team into the annual, quarterly, and weekly planning rhythm, and why that alignment is what turns individual effort into real momentum What it means to have a coach as your "unreasonable friend," asking the questions you can't ask yourself or your own family, and why that discomfort is so often where the growth happens It took Elle around 35 to 40 versions of her plan over three years before it finally clicked. And what came through clearly for both of them is that the ten-year goal was never just about a bigger business. It was about a business that could fund real holidays, hand genuine ownership to their kids, and give the whole family the freedom to build the life they actually wanted, not just the one the farm demanded of them. If you'd like a copy of our Clarity Action Plan template or the five questions every strategic plan needs to answer, email us at support@farmownersacademy.com and we'll send it straight through. Elle and Kerrie, thank you both for your honesty about where you started and for the wisdom and care you bring to our members every single day. You make an extraordinary team. Till next time, Jeremy Hutchings & the Farm Owners Academy Team
- 3 weeks ago1h 1m
# 195 - Breeding Better, Building Smarter The Science of Genetic Gain with Dr Mark Ferguson, neXtgen Agri
What if the best investment you could make on your farm costs nothing extra to feed, never needs a day off, and compounds in value every single year? That's the case Dr Mark Ferguson has been making for 30 years. And the numbers back him up. Mark is a sheep geneticist turned ag tech founder who grew up on a family farm in the Victorian Mallee. After completing his PhD in Merino genetics, he founded neXtgen Agri to help sheep and beef producers across Australia and New Zealand breed better and build more profitable enterprises. He also heads up Genesmith, an AI-powered sheep facial recognition platform and hosts the Head Shepherd podcast. In this episode, we reconnect to talk genetics, entrepreneurship and what it really takes to build a business that compounds in value over time. We explore: The research behind the modern Merino, how fat and muscle selection transformed lamb survival and what that means for your flock today How to make genuinely objective breeding decisions and break free from the emotional, vision-driven choices that quietly hold most operations back The kitchen table origins of neXtgen Agri, what a trip to Stanford University sparked, and the lessons Ferg learned building a 19-person trans-Tasman business Genesmith: the AI-powered facial recognition platform trying to solve one of the sheep industry's oldest problems, dam-lamb matching at commercial scale, and what it needs to get there How to attract and retain great people in ag, give them the freedom to grow and build a team that performs beyond any individual To connect with Dr Mark Ferguson, visit www.nextgenagri.com or email mark@nextgenagri.com. The Genetic Plan and other resources are available at thehub.nextgenagri.com. If you are interested in Genesmith, whether as a supporter, partner or someone who wants to help drive the project forward, get in touch via the details above. And if you haven't already, search Head Shepherd wherever you listen to podcasts. Ferg, thanks for your time, your openness and your complete dedication to helping farming families get more from their genetics. The industry is better for it. It was great to re-connect again.
- Jun 18, 202656 min
# 194 - The Origin & Impact of the McGrath Foundation, with Co-founder Tracy Bevan
Some friendships change your life. This one changed Australia. When Tracy Bevan met Jane McGrath at an airport café in 1996, they were simply two British women far from home, trying to find their place in a new country while their husbands travelled the world playing cricket. What neither of them knew was that a friendship forged over cups of tea, loneliness, laughter and life's challenges would go on to impact hundreds of thousands of Australian families. Tracy co-founded the McGrath Foundation with Jane in 2005. Two cricket wives, a kitchen table, no roadmap. Before Jane passed away in June 2008, Tracy made her a promise: to keep going, to honour what they had started together and to ensure no family would ever face cancer alone. She has spent nearly two decades since keeping that promise. Today, 367 McGrath Cancer Care Nurses, 174,000+ families supported, and a mission that has changed what a cancer diagnosis looks like in Australia. In this episode, Tracy shares the story behind one of Australia’s most loved charities - not from a corporate lens, but from the heart of a best friend who has spent nearly two decades honouring Jane’s legacy. We explore: How a difficult childhood taught Tracy resilience and the powerful lesson that helped her break free from the past Jane McGrath’s breast cancer diagnosis that changed everything and how one moment between two best friends sparked a national movement How one extraordinary nurse helped Jane navigate her darkest days and inspired a mission to ensure no family faces cancer alone What it really takes to build a lasting organisation from scratch, growing from a kitchen-table idea to one of Australia's most trusted charities Today, one in two Australians will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. You may already know someone who has. It's a sobering reminder that the work of the McGrath Foundation is far from finished. Behind every diagnosis is a family navigating uncertainty, fear, and change and that's why the Foundation's support is needed now more than ever. To learn more, seek support, or contribute to this incredible mission, visit the McGrath Foundation website. Tracy, thank you for keeping your promise to Jane and reminding us that one act of care can become a ripple that reaches families we may never meet, in places we may never see. Sincerely, Jeremy Hutchings & the Farm Owners Academy Team
- Jun 5, 20261h 3m
# 193 - The 3 BIG Mistakes Grain Growers Are Making And What It’s Costing, with Market Check Leaders, Brett Stevenson & Nick Crundall
There’s an old saying that uncertainty creates opportunity. But if you're a grain grower right now, uncertainty can also create confusion, hesitation, and some pretty costly decisions. Over the past few years, we've seen massive swings in commodity prices, input costs, weather patterns, and global politics. For many farm businesses, it feels like the rules keep changing. One minute we're talking about record production and oversupply. The next, global conflict, fund money, and drought concerns are driving volatility back into the market. In this episode, I'm joined by Market Check’s Managing Director and Founder, Brett Stevenson and CEO, Nick Crundall to unpack what has changed in global grain markets over the past nine months and what Australian grain growers need to be thinking about right now. More importantly, we explore the mindset and disciplines that separate consistently successful grain marketers from everyone else. We cover: How global conflict, rising fertiliser costs, and speculative investment are influencing grain prices and market volatility. Why global wheat stocks are tightening after record production years and what that means for the outlook for Australian growers. Insights around hedging, forward selling and grain storage, including why many growers continue to leave money on the table despite producing excellent crops. The common mistake of allowing tax planning and cash flow pressures to drive grain marketing decisions instead of following a clear strategy Nick shares some compelling analysis comparing hedging versus traditional forward selling and the long-term performance difference between growers who actively manage risk and those who don't. You can access Market Check's analysis here. This conversation also reinforces themes I explored with Jeff McDonald around financial clarity, proactive planning, and leading your business with confidence rather than reacting to circumstances. If you haven't listened to that episode yet, I'd encourage you to do so here. Nick and Brett, thank you both for your time, your honesty, and your willingness to share what you've learned over many years working alongside growers. Here's to a great season ahead, Sincerely, Jeremy Hutchings and the Farm Owners Academy Team.
- May 21, 202640 min
# 192 - The Incredible AgriWebb Story – Part 2 with Co-Founder, John Fargher
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: How AgriWebb's two-part business model works and why the enterprise model is unlocking value for farmers in ways the industry has never seen before The Sainsbury's and ABP partnership, six years in, 500+ farms, and results th
- May 8, 202659 min
# 191 - The Incredible AgriWebb Story – Part 1 with Co-Founder, John Fargher
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. He saw first-hand how quickly farming can change. A station that once needed 40 people could later run with four or five. Horses gave way to motorbikes. Water runs that once took days could be done in hours by plane. Each shift changed what was possible, and left John asking one question: what is the next step change in livestock agriculture? That question became AgriWebb. In this episode, John Fargher, co-founder of AgriWebb, shares the story behind one of Australia’s great ag tech businesses, from a floppy disk sitting unused in a station office to a global platform now used across 28 countries, tracking more than 20 million head of livestock. He talks openly about the early days, the failed hardware ideas, the farmer who almost said no but then chose to back them, and why that moment still gets him emotional more than a decade later. We explore: What AgriWebb is seeing across global agriculture and why Australian agribusiness may be slower to invest than other markets How AI is shifting livestock management from recording what happened to forecasting what is coming Why the future of farm data is about planning ahead, not just tracking the past How AgriWebb now supports farmers across Australia, the UK, the US, Brazil and beyond 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. This is Part 1 of the AgriWebb story, with more to come in the next episode. 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. Keep winning, Jeremy Hutchings & the Farm Owners Academy Team
- Apr 24, 20261h 12m
# 190 - Are Your Business Structures Impeding Your Farm Business’s Success? with Andy Fenton
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: why outdated structures can quietly hold a farm business back the risks of having land and trading activities sitting together how tax averaging and poor structuring can limit flexibility why banks can gain too much control when security is not set up well how better structures can improve protection, succession and wealth creation 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, Jeremy Hutchings & The Farm Owners Academy Team
- Apr 10, 202652 min
# 189 - Fertiliser & Fuel Prices: How to Lead Through This New Economic Uncertainty with Tracy Secombe & Sam Johnsson
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: how to check your state first and move from angst and panic back to composure and optimism why stepping away from drama, media, and negativity helps you come back to facts and make logical, informed decisions how to use forecasting to assess worst case, average case, and best case, and adapt your approach accordingly how practices like gratitude, exercise, and self-regulation help lift your mindset so you can lead your family and team more strongly 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
About Profitable Farmer
This show is all about increasing the profitability of your farm so you work smarter and not harder. Your host, Andrew Roberts from the Farm Owners Academy reveals the best farming business tips for more leverage in your farm business.
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from Profitable Farmer in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's Profitable Farmer daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of Profitable Farmer as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the Profitable Farmer podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official Profitable Farmer product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Farm Owners Academy.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts. Upgrade to Pro for 15, or Premium for 50. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
What topics does Profitable Farmer cover?
Profitable Farmer covers topics including Education, Business, Management. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting Profitable Farmer summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.