Propagate

Hayley Pattison and her husband Matt weren't planning on taking over their families' farms. They wanted to make it on their own, and build the farm of their dreams under their own steam. What they weren't expecting was that things would take off so quickly.

Mel Kiel trained and worked as a nurse, but discovered a love for cattle trading that turned into a lifelong passion. Her business only requires a small amount of land and the high turnover is great for cashflow. Here's how she and her husband turned their home into a successful livestock trading enterprise.

Christine Miles had always dreamed of becoming a farmer, but chose a mining career instead. It wasn't until she moved to a regional town where people practiced both that she began her gradual transition into the farmer she'd always hoped to become.

Sam Maiden's organic Dorper farm in Broken Hill looks like something out of an old Western movie. Maybe that's why tourists and film producers love it so much. To land this property (and eventually the neighbouring one too), Sam and her husband Richard started out by purchasing in town at the lower end of the market. Over the years, they turned a 25,000 starter house into a sizeable farm deposit, and bought their dream farm.

When Matt Flick started contracting, he was only hoping to make a bit of spending money on top of his farm work. He never imagined it would turn into a full time business with huge demand across Central Western NSW. Over the years, the growth has enabled Matt to purchase tractors and spray rigs, and hire two staff members to help meet the workload. He says it's good practice for the farm he hopes to own one day.

Carissa Wolfe and her partner Karyn knew they had a lot to learn before they could run their own dairy. So they gave themselves ten years to travel around America and work on farms of all sizes and practises. They dubbed their journey the “Education Years”, and when it was complete, they brought their loaded toolkit of skills back to NSW and launched Benmar Farm.

Fresh out of high school, Tim and Hannah were on the brink of securing a huge agri-tourism deal on a Central Coast property. It was meant to be their big farming break. When the rug was pulled out from under them, it took all their strength to get back on the horse. They worked hard, planned, and strengthened their relationships in the community. From the ashes of their first loss, 'The Food Farm' was born.

Mitch Highett has farmed around the world, worked on the land in NSW, and experienced the business side of ag in Sydney. Today, he runs his own farm management business, and he's got a plan to use it as a stepping stone to farm ownership.

In this new season of Propagate, we're speaking to farmers from all over NSW who haven't inherited a farm. Instead, they're forging their own path to farm ownership and showing you how you can too.

Peter Leitch and his wife Margot started succession planning when their three daughters were teenagers. Their story shows it's never too soon to start these conversations, and that building structures around the farming business can help the next generation navigate working together. Propagate is brought to you by the Young Farmer Business Program, an initiative of the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

The Longworth's run South Bunarba - a large property near Mungindi in northern NSW, just south of the QLD border. It's been in the family for 4 generations, and succession planning has been something the family have talked about for years. The kids always thought they'd come home one day, but when they were thrown the curve ball of a divorce and a sudden illness, their best laid plans were put to the test. In this episode – the family share how they pushed through some hard times and took the family business to the next stage. Propagate is brought to you by the Young Farmer Business Program, an initiative of the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

Country lawyer Claire Booth has worked with farming families on succession and estate planning for over a decade. She's seen the best and the worst of it. Claire is also a first generation farmer, and she and her husband are determined to not make the same mistakes. In this episode Claire lifts the lid on how a first generation farmer can develop an airtight business plan and build a farming asset that can set you up for retirement and give you something to pass on to the next generation. This final episode of Season 2 of Propagate will give the fire in the belly and inspiration to future proof your farming business. Propagate is brought to you by the Young Farmer Business Program, an initiative of the NSW Department of Primary Industries

When Scott and Renae got married and started a family, they dreamed of having their own dairy. It made perfect sense to team up with Scott's parents in the family dairy business and begin what they thought was a clear succession plan road map. But balancing the family relationships alongside the business put the pressure on, and soon the cracks began to emerge. In this episode we hear from Scott's parents and learn how the family got their succession plan back on track. Propagate is brought to you by the Young Farmer Business Program, an initiative of the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

Country lawyer Claire Booth has worked with farming families on succession and estate planning for over a decade. She's seen the best and the worst of it. Inspired by the mistakes she's seen farming families make, and the financial fall out of these decisions, she applied for and was awarded a Nuffield Research Scholarship. Claire's research went deep on the relationship between succession planning and a business's bottom line. Talking with families all around the world who are running farming businesses, she discovered how a clear succession plan fostered happier family relationships, a positive work culture, and a thriving and profitable business. In this episode she shares these secret ingredients. Propagate is brought to you by the Young Farmer Business Program, an initiative of the NSW Department of Primary Industries

The Longworth's run South Bunarba - a large property near Mungindi in northern NSW, just south of the QLD border. It's been in the family for 4 generations, and succession planning has been something the family have talked about for years. The kids always thought they'd come home one day, but when they were thrown the curve ball of a divorce and a sudden illness, their best laid plans were put to the test. In this episode – sisters Rebecca and Annette, and Annette's husband Sam – recount the first year of upheaval that brought them all home. Propagate is brought to you by the Young Farmer Business Program, an initiative of the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

For farming families, conversations about succession planning can be tough. The stakes are high, and it can be hard to get everyone on the same page. Succession planning experts Isobel Knight, Lyn Sykes and accountant Tom Larkin understand why it's important for farming families to tackle these tricky conversations head on. If you're asking - what the hell is a succession plan and why do I need one? This episode is for you. We'll break down what a positive succession plan looks like, and the risks of not having one. Propagate is brought to you by the Young Farmer Business Program, an initiative of the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

When Scott and Renae got married and started a family, they dreamed of having their own dairy. It made perfect sense to team up with Scott's parents in the family dairy business and begin what they thought was a clear succession plan road map. But balancing the family relationships alongside the business put the pressure on, and soon the cracks began to emerge. In this episode Scott and Renae share the ups and down of the first years of succession planning. Propagate is brought to you by the Young Farmer Business Program, an initiative of the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

In Season 2 of Propagate we're chatting about one of the biggest challenges for farming families - succession planning. We'll unpack the essential ingredients for a positive succession plan and hear about how good communication, a clear road map, and the right support, can keep both the family relationships, and the farming business, on track.

In this episode of Propagate, we visit Brad Cavanagh from Hardhat Angus, situated in Harden, NSW. Originally from a non-farming family in Dubbo, Brad became interested in cattle as a high school student thanks to the Angus Youth program. His interest continued to grow into a full blown passion for Angus cattle, even taking him to the USA to learn more about cattle farming techniques and the all important genetics from large corporations like the Sinclair Cattle Company. These days he divides his hours between working full time at the extended family farm Oxton Park, and growing the Hardhat Angus business through challenging conditions. It's a role that has seen Brad grow as a ‘salesman', but rather than focus on the wheeling and dealing, he's more interested in being honest and upfront with customers and solving the little problems before they become big problems. He's come a long way from the kid from town who showed some cattle at high school, but that's what happens when you're obsessed. Propagate is proudly brought to you by the good folks at the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Young Farmer Business Program. The Young Farmer Business Program is creating opportunities for young farmers and fishers to enter into or expand their existing businesses by helping them improve their business skills. The Young Farmer Business Program has been funded by the NSW Government through the Department of Primary Industries to deliver a multifaceted approach to help young farmers and fishers. Our program is providing access to new business ideas, tools, products and services relevant to young farmers and fishers. For more information on the Young Farmer Business Program please visit https://www.youngfarmer.nsw.gov.au/ For more information on the Angus Youth program please visit https://www.angusaustralia.com.au/angusyouth/

In this episode, Bodie and Rachel Hill discuss the ups and downs of living and working in one of the most remote parts of the state. Their property, Waka Station is near Cameron Corner at the border between New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland. More than three hours hours away from the nearest town, the pair consider their patch of land an oasis. But making a living from the land isn't always easy, and the pair speak candidly about their struggles with mental health and the challenges that experiencing depression can have on not just the family relationship, but the farm and the business. Rather than being overwhelmed by the black dog, Bodie and Rachel embraced the opportunity to re-evaluate their life and their business, and shift their focus to positive elements in their life. They say the shift in perspective towards their lifestyle ultimately had a beneficial impact on their business. The pair also discuss their complicated relationship with social media - how their approach to platforms such as Facebook has evolved over the years to become more about presenting life on the land honestly, rather than picture perfect selfies. Propagate is proudly brought to you by the good folks at the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Young Farmer Business Program. The Young Farmer Business Program is creating opportunities for young farmers and fishers to enter into or expand their existing businesses by helping them improve their business skills. The Young Farmer Business Program has been funded by the NSW Government through the Department of Primary Industries to deliver a multifaceted approach to help young farmers and fishers. Our program is providing access to new business ideas, tools, products and services relevant to young farmers and fishers. For more information on the Young Farmer Business Program please visit https://www.youngfarmer.nsw.gov.au/ If you or someone you know is suffering from anxiety or depression, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit http://beyondblue.org.au/

This episode we set the alarm clock for an early start with Heath Cook, a dairy farmer from Dorrigo in the Northern Tablelands of NSW. It's a long way from the mines where he spent the first two decades of his working life. But when the fly-in-fly-out mining lifestyle began to keep him away from home for long stretches, it was time to ignore the advice of a financial planner and invest their life savings in a dairy farm. Despite having no experience working on or running a dairy farm. Fortunately for the Cook family, Heath didn't believe that failure was an option. So after years of hard work and learning from the helpful locals, Heath is now no longer a miner who became a dairy farmer; he's a dairy farmer who once worked in the mining industry. Propagate is proudly brought to you by the good folks at the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Young Farmer Business Program. The Young Farmer Business Program is creating opportunities for young farmers and fishers to enter into or expand their existing businesses by helping them improve their business skills. The Young Farmer Business Program has been funded by the NSW Government through the Department of Primary Industries to deliver a multifaceted approach to help young farmers and fishers. Our program is providing access to new business ideas, tools, products and services relevant to young farmers and fishers. For more information on the Young Farmer Business Program please visit https://www.youngfarmer.nsw.gov.au/

When you think of farming, it's very unlikely that you think about farming flies. In fact, if you have any experience on a farm, you probably know how destructive flies can be to livestock. Yet in a small industrial building in the Canberra suburb of Fyshwick, Olympia Yarger is farming flies. And a lot of people are very excited by her unique work. It turns out that there's more to flies than the average person realises, and Olympia is at the forefront of using the little buzzers to change the waste management industry. So much so that her company Goterra has even received funding from the notoriously agriculture shy Venture Capitalist sector. Olympia candidly discusses how despite all her success as a CEO of a cutting edge company, she still sometimes struggles with the idea that she's ‘...just a maggot lady' who is more interested in growing the business than enjoying the perks of investment capital. Propagate is proudly brought to you by the good folks at the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Young Farmer Business Program. The Young Farmer Business Program is creating opportunities for young farmers and fishers to enter into or expand their existing businesses by helping them improve their business skills. The Young Farmer Business Program has been funded by the NSW Government through the Department of Primary Industries to deliver a multifaceted approach to help young farmers and fishers. Our program is providing access to new business ideas, tools, products and services relevant to young farmers and fishers. For more information on the Young Farmer Business Program please visit https://www.youngfarmer.nsw.gov.au/ To view the failed Rabobank ‘pitch' that Olympia mentions in the podcast, visit https://youtu.be/EGeH_jPrzHg

In this episode we speak with Sheia Kironn, who owns and operates Lifeforce Farm; a one-acre certified organic farm in Mullumbimby, a small town near Byron Bay, NSW. Sheia grew up in the Midlands of England, where she spent hours gardening with her grandma in a small allotment garden in a council estate. The small patch of land provided a large amount of food to the family and left a lasting impression on Sheia. After moving to Australia as a teenager, Sheia followed her passion for science to university, before switching to natural therapies. These days she blends the two worlds to grow vegetables that she sells and distributes locally. As a self-professed ‘farm-her', Sheia is committed to creating a business that represents her and doesn't expand simply for expansions sake. Propagate is proudly brought to you by the good folks at the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Young Farmer Business Program. The Young Farmer Business Program is creating opportunities for young farmers and fishers to enter into or expand their existing businesses by helping them improve their business skills. The Young Farmer Business Program has been funded by the NSW Government through the Department of Primary Industries to deliver a multifaceted approach to help young farmers and fishers. Our program is providing access to new business ideas, tools, products and services relevant to young farmers and fishers. For more information on the Young Farmer Business Program please visit https://www.youngfarmer.nsw.gov.au/

In this episode, husband and wife team Jarrod and Emma Amery welcome us onto their farm outside of Forbes, NSW. While both Jarrod and Emma grew up amongst farming, it took them a long time for them to find the perfect farm to call their own. Location was obviously one crucial consideration to finding the right property, but equally important was finding one with a house large enough for them and their six young children. Now that they have their ‘dream' farm, there's just the simple little things to worry about - making a profit, keeping the bank manager happy and dealing with a period of drought. They also discuss how faith plays an important role in their lives, what it's like working as a team and how time away from the farm can be the best way to be productive on the farm and in the community. Propagate is proudly brought to you by the good folks at the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Young Farmer Business Program. The Young Farmer Business Program is creating opportunities for young farmers and fishers to enter into or expand their existing businesses by helping them improve their business skills. The Young Farmer Business Program has been funded by the NSW Government through the Department of Primary Industries to deliver a multifaceted approach to help young farmers and fishers. Our program is providing access to new business ideas, tools, products and services relevant to young farmers and fishers. For more information on the Young Farmer Business Program please visit https://www.youngfarmer.nsw.gov.au/

Today it's time to put on a lifejacket and cast off with Paul Aquilina, a young fisherman living on the Hawkesbury River, 90 minutes from Sydney. Paul has never been in any doubt that he wanted to be a fisherman and no amount of early morning starts, broken down boats, stolen eel traps, or empty nets could stop him from achieving his dream. To say he's focused on what he wants is an understatement. From his early days of volunteering on trawlers through to him leasing boats and licenses, Paul is now a ‘multi-fisher' who owns several different fishing licences and boats, providing a range of products to the market. Despite his young age, it's been a long journey that has required him to make plenty of sacrifices in his life. Paul also discusses how putting in extra effort can result in premium prices for his produce. Propagate is proudly brought to you by the good folks at the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Young Farmer Business Program. The Young Farmer Business Program is creating opportunities for young farmers and fishers to enter into or expand their existing businesses by helping them improve their business skills. The Young Farmer Business Program has been funded by the NSW Government through the Department of Primary Industries to deliver a multifaceted approach to help young farmers and fishers. Our program is providing access to new business ideas, tools, products and services relevant to young farmers and fishers. For more information on the Young Farmer Business Program please visit https://www.youngfarmer.nsw.gov.au/

In this episode, Angus Maurice from Farmer Brown's Pastured Eggs talks us through how a few changes in the way they viewed and presented their business has had an incredible impact on their bottom line. Based in Central West New South Wales, Farmer Brown's is a family affair, with Angus' brother, sister and parents all involved in the daily operations. They also have a dedicated team of maremma working dogs who act as loyal guards to the free roaming chickens. These days the operation is slick and successful, but there were some shaky years in the first few years. As Angus explains, the breakthrough came when they stopped trying to sell their eggs and instead started to sell their brand. The change has meant more time curating their social media accounts and more people who are prepared to pay a premium for their eggs. Luckily the exceptionally cute guard dogs are naturals in front of a camera. Propagate is proudly brought to you by the good eggs at the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Young Farmer Business Program. The Young Farmer Business Program is creating opportunities for young farmers and fishers to enter into or expand their existing businesses by helping them improve their business skills. The Young Farmer Business Program has been funded by the NSW Government through the Department of Primary Industries to deliver a multifaceted approach to help young farmers and fishers. Our program is providing access to new business ideas, tools, products and services relevant to young farmers and fishers. For more information on the Young Farmer Business Program please visit https://www.youngfarmer.nsw.gov.au/