A Place to Call Home | Stories from Australian Agriculture

Send us Fan Mail G'day and welcome to episode 65 of the A Place To Call Home Podcast. In this conversation, Nathan MacPhee shares his journey from a successful career in finance to founding Invest inya Farmer, a platform that allows urban investors to support agricultural production without owning land.  He discusses the importance of understanding the agricultural landscape, the unique inves...

Send us Fan Mail *It's school holidays so we have a special intro and outro for the podcast. G'day and welcome to episode 64 of the A Place To Call Home Podcast. In this episode, Stuart Austin shares his journey in agriculture, discussing his experiences from managing large farms to his aspirations of owning land and cattle. He emphasizes the importance of financial literacy, mental heal...

Send us Fan Mail G'day and welcome to episode 63 of the A Place To Call Home Podcast. In this episode, Randal shares his unique journey from a city life to becoming a farmer, detailing the challenges and triumphs he faced along the way. He discusses the importance of community support, creativity, and resilience in agriculture, especially during tough times like drought and COVID-19.  Randal...

Send us Fan Mail G'day and welcome to episode 62 of the A Place To Call Home Podcast. In this conversation, Paul Martin, CEO and founder of Summer land Camels, shares his journey from traditional cattle farming to establishing a successful camel dairy business. He discusses the challenges posed by drought, the importance of innovative grazing management, and the role of tourism in educating c...

Send us Fan Mail G'day and welcome to episode 61 of the A Place To Call Home Podcast. In this episode, host Sam Fryer speaks with Sophia, a commercial beekeeper with a rich family legacy in the industry.  Sophia shares her journey from a childhood fear of bees to a deep passion for beekeeping, highlighting the importance of pollination in food production and the challenges faced by the indust...

Send us Fan Mail Recorded live at the Next‑Gen Ag Forum 2025, held at the Quayside Terminal in Townsville. In this episode, we bring you the closing keynote from the A Place to Call Home: Next-Gen Ag Forum — a powerful and deeply personal session from Kat Reed on Overcoming Obstacles . Kat’s story is one of resilience, transformation, and sheer determination. From navigating life’s toughest season...

Send us Fan Mail Recorded live at the Next‑Gen Ag Forum 2025, held at the Quayside Terminal in Townsville. From succession and diversification to mental resilience and innovative farming practices, the conversation dives deep into the realities of building a business, caring for the land, and leading the next generation. Featuring: Mark Vass – Fifth-generation cane farmer from Home Hill, passionat...

Send us Fan Mail Recorded live at the Next‑Gen Ag Forum 2025, held at the Quayside Terminal in Townsville. Callan Solari brought a fresh and practical perspective to the Next-Gen Ag Forum, sharing insights from his work as a veterinarian on how the next generation of producers can lift animal health, welfare, and productivity standards. Callan shared stories from his veterinary practice that highl...

Send us Fan Mail Recorded live at the Next‑Gen Ag Forum 2025, held at the Quayside Terminal in Townsville. Mark Westcott delivered a powerful and thought-provoking session on succession planning — not just as a business handover, but as a deeply personal and strategic process that shapes the future of families, farms, and communities. Drawing on years of experience in agribusiness, leadership, and...

Send us Fan Mail Recorded live at the Next‑Gen Ag Forum 2025, held at the Quayside Terminal in Townsville. The Thinking Outside the Box panel showcased four inspiring producers who have stepped away from traditional approaches to agriculture, building unique, profitable, and sustainable enterprises tailored to their passions and environments. Panel Members Jacob Wolki – Wolki Farms Kale & Kare...

Send us Fan Mail Recorded live at the Next‑Gen Ag Forum 2025, held at the Quayside Terminal in Townsville. Jacob Wolki is a farmer, business owner, and innovator who’s built a reputation for challenging the status quo. In this engaging and thought-provoking session, Jacob shared how he has created diverse, vertically integrated enterprises — from livestock and market gardening to direct-to-consume...

Send us Fan Mail Recorded live at the Next‑Gen Ag Forum 2025, held at the Quayside Terminal in Townsville.  This panel brought together: Andrew Cox – Generational Wealth Partners (Investing 101) Sam Spina – QRIDA (Loans & grants for producers) Alison Larard – Rural Financial Counselling Service (Tips & tricks for the next generation) Together they shared practical, no-nonsense advice on bu...

Send us Fan Mail Recorded live at the Next‑Gen Ag Forum 2025, held at the Quayside Terminal in Townsville.  In this practical session, Andrew Cox from Generational Wealth Partners breaks down the fundamentals of investing for the next generation of agricultural producers. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to sharpen your financial strategy, Andrew’s talk provides a clear roadmap for buil...

Send us Fan Mail Recorded live at the Next‑Gen Ag Forum 2025, held at the Quayside Terminal in Townsville.  In this practical and motivating session, Alison Larard from Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS) shares her top tips and tricks for the next generation of primary producers looking to build a successful and sustainable future. Recording Credit: This episode was captured by Robbie Bolt...

Send us Fan Mail Recorded live at the Next‑Gen Ag Forum 2025, held at the Quayside Terminal in Townsville.  In this practical and informative session, Sam Spina , Regional Area Manager for North Queensland at the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA).  Sam shared his insights on how producers can access finance, grants, and support programs to grow their operations. With year...

Send us Fan Mail Recorded live at the Next‑Gen Ag Forum 2025, held at the Quayside Terminal in Townsville.  This lively and insightful panel discussion, titled "Grains Opportunities in the North," brought together: Scott Loughnan : Dryland broadacre cropping & AgForce Grains Board member Scott Muller : 4th-generation grain grower from Biloela; AgForce Grains Board VP David Jochinke –...

Send us Fan Mail Recorded live at the Next‑Gen Ag Forum 2025, held at the Quayside Terminal in Townsville.  In this insightful session, Brennan Leggett delivers a comprehensive Northern Property Market Update , diving deep into current trends, challenges, and opportunities in northern Queensland’s property landscape.  Packed with local wisdom, practical insights, and foresight into what the future...

Send us Fan Mail Recorded live at the Next‑Gen Ag Forum 2025, held at the Quayside Terminal in Townsville.  Tom’s keynote took us back to where it all began — reflecting on his journey from city life to working his way to becoming a full-time producer. His story resonated deeply with many attendees who were moved by Tom’s candid honesty and determination. We’ve stayed in touch since Episode 1 , an...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode 60 of A Place to Call Home! This week, we’re joined by Jared Luhman , a regenerative cattle and crop producer from Minnesota, USA , and the host of the Ranching Returns Podcast . Jared manages 900 acres and 230 Red Angus cows, markets bulls through Pharo Cattle Company , and is passionate about building a profitable, low-input system that supports both land heal...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode 59 of A Place to Call Home! This week, we’re joined by Sam Skeat , founder of Regen Ag Asset Management (RAAM) —a business that helps rural producers turn knowledge into action and build more resilient, efficient operations. Sam’s journey has taken him from running tree-lopping crews and working with NRM groups, to coaching producers through rehydrating landscap...

Send us Fan Mail This week, we chat with Johno Mackay —a cattleman, contractor, and founder of JobSafe Pro , an app designed to make workplace safety easier and more practical for rural businesses. From starting his first contract mustering job with a broken leg, to building a successful contracting and fencing business across northern Australia, Johno shares the real-life lessons learned from gro...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode 56 of A Place to Call Home! This week, we chat with Andrew Cox and Reegen Wass from Generational Wealth Partners , who break down what financial advisors actually do and how they can help farming families and next-generation producers plan, grow, and protect their financial future. If you’ve ever wondered when to speak to a financial advisor, how to start invest...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode 56 of A Place to Call Home .  This week, we chat with Travis Parry , who shares his journey in agriculture—from agisting country to building a successful Speckle Park stud. He also opens up about selling the family farm, navigating succession, and how he’s using social media to grow his business and connect with consumers.  In this episode, we discuss: Selling t...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode 59 of A Place to Call Home!  This week, we chat with Stuart McWilliam from Black Bird and Beast —a self-taught regenerative farmer and Natural Sequence Farming contractor whose story is all about backing yourself and building from the ground up. With no ag background, Stuart went from running a firewood business and arborist crew to buying his first cattle witho...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode 58 of A Place to Call Home ! This week, we chat with David and Sarah Birchmore, who share their journey in agriculture, the role agistment has played in growing their business, and how they’ve built an off-farm income stream to create more opportunities. In this episode, we discuss: How agistment has helped expand their operation Challenges and benefits of leasi...