I know how much hard yakka goes into running a farm. You wake up before the crack of dawn and work your guts out until sundown, all for the love of the land and those who rely on you. But let’s not forget about the most important person in this equation – you. 

A recent report by ABC News Rural shows that farmers’ mental health is a real issue. Stress, anxiety, and depression are on the rise, which could be symptoms of burnout. But we can’t let that happen. We need to take care of ourselves first and foremost so we can keep the farm running smoothly. 

Here are some tell-tale signs that you might be experiencing burnout:  

• You’re bloody exhausted all the time, even after a decent kip. 
• The things that used to bring you joy now seem like a chore. 
• You’re snappy with everyone, including your family and workers. 
• You can’t concentrate on anything, and decisions seem impossible to make. 
• You’re turning to unhealthy habits like too much booze or eating too much. 

• Your body is giving you warning signs, like headaches, gut troubles, or getting sick more often than usual. 

If you’re seeing any of these signs, it’s time to take action. You need to prioritise your own mental health so you can keep your farm running smoothly. Here are some things you can do to help you cope:
 

• Put yourself first: Make sure you’re taking breaks throughout the day to recharge and do things that make you happy, like having a chat with your mates or getting stuck into your favourite hobby.

   

• Connect with others: Have a yarn with your friends, family, or workers about what you’re going through. You can also seek help from a professional if you need it.

   

• Manage your stress: Incorporate some stress-busting techniques into your routine, like deep breathing, stretching, or exercise.

   

• Set boundaries: Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ to things that are outside of your capacity. Remember, you’re only human.

   

• Reach out for help: There are plenty of resources out there for farmers struggling with mental health. Look up what’s available in your area and don’t be afraid to ask for a hand.

   

• Listen to this podcast episode: This is a great episode to listen to, particularly if you think that you or someone you know is experiencing burnout – https://site.farmownersacademy.com/profitablefarmer/burnout/ 

Let’s make mental health a priority in the farming community. We’re all in this together, and we need to look out for each other. Keep on keeping on, and don’t forget to take care of yourself. 

Happy Easter, 

Robbo 

Some people may dismiss the idea of doing inner work as being fluffy or unimportant, but in reality, we all carry some form of damage from our upbringing and environment.

Most people never change after the age of 18, and that’s why doing inner work to become a better person can take a lot of courage. It requires us to unlearn negative programming and rewire our mindset to live a more fulfilling life.
 

During our recent team planning meeting, one of my colleagues shared how reading Robin Sharma’s book, The 5am Club, had helped her understand that starting the day negatively can impact the entire day. This realisation empowered her to catch herself when thinking negatively and change her mindset to have a positive day. This shows how a simple idea can significantly impact our lives and how inner work can help us transform our mindset for the better.
 

If you’re wondering whether your inner work is paying off, here are some signs to look out for:
 

• You don’t get angry as often as you used to.
• You experience less stress in your daily life.
• You’re less triggered by people, and you can recognise when it’s your own stuff and not theirs.
• You take full responsibility for your actions and don’t blame others.
• You’re more understanding and compassionate towards others, and you seek to resolve conflicts peacefully.
• You’re comfortable being still and not always needing to be busy.
• You’re confident in who you are and don’t care as much about what others think of you.
• You’re less judgmental and more accepting of others.
• You’re more optimistic about life and believe that things will work out.
• You’re more loving and live from the heart rather than the head.
• You’re less reliant on praise and recognition from others.
• You’re content with where you are in life and don’t feel the need to prove yourself constantly.
• You have a greater appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things and feel a responsibility to care for the environment and those around you.
   

By noticing these positive changes in yourself, you can celebrate the progress you’ve made and continue to do the inner work to become the best version of yourself. Remember that inner work is an ongoing journey, and there’s always room for growth and improvement.
 

Have a great day,

Robbo
 

P.S. Join me and the Farm Owners Academy team for an enriching two-day event in June at the beautiful Sunshine Coast in QLD, where you can focus on your personal and business growth. If you’re ready to invest in yourself and your business, this is the perfect opportunity to do so. Don’t miss out on this chance. Grab your ticket now at https://site.farmownersacademy.com/event/

ONE. The top business owners know what they want. They have a very high level of clarity. Because they know what they want, they only focus on doing things that get them to their goal. They don’t fluff around doing things that are not aligned with this. In addition, they ALL focus on one thing. Not two things – just one. They understand if you try and chase two rabbits, you will catch neither. They Focus On One Course Until Successful (FOCUS). Because they can clearly see what they want, they can easily handle obstacles when they arise.  

TWO. They puppeteer the process. Imagine for a moment a soccer (football) team playing a game of soccer. They are about to kick off. Now imagine that you are floating above this game of soccer. You can see your team below. The centre forward, the left and right forward, the wings, the goalkeeper etc.   

They are all in position, and they know what they need to do (score goals and win the game). They are the puppets, and you are just the puppeteer. That is, you need to 1. Figure out the game plan is and what the game is about 2. Decide what positions you need to fill 3. Hire people based on the right skill. 4. Keep them focused on doing their job to a world-class level.   

Great business owners puppeteer the process and remove themselves from being the puppets. If they ever do get onto the field to play, they stay in their genius and hire around them – that is, people to take the roles they are not great at. They spend a lot of time ‘off the field’ analyzing what needs to be accomplished and who can help them achieve this. They look at their game from a 30000-foot view.  

THREE. They focus on a stop-doing list more than a to-do list. They know that doing less is the key to their success – so constantly hand over tasks to others. They work on a stop-doing list at least every week. They are masters at delegating and handing tasks over. 

FOUR. They put themselves first, the team second, then the customer third. If they are not functioning at a high level, the rest of the business suffers.  

Many high-performing business owners take 5 to 7 weeks a year out to recharge. They understand that 1 hour of inspired work beats 6 hours of uninspired work – so they are ok taking lots of breaks. If you go to a gym and do weights, you won’t actually get the growth until you rest. The same is true in business. Your growth, insights and inspiration come in your downtime. They look after themselves mentally, physically and emotionally. 

FIVE. They don’t waste time trying to figure things out. They really understand that one of their greatest sources of leverage is other people’s knowledge. They are very comfortable with asking for help. 

They find the top 5 people in their industry and take them out for a coffee or lunch to learn from them. They know this is the fastest route to their success. They all have mentors – paid and unpaid – and are always acting like the dumbest person in the room. 

SIX. They get that one of their number one tasks is hiring the right people. They are always on the lookout for the best of the best. They respect the impact a high-performance team member can have on their business – and they are not afraid to take the risk to invest in the people to help them grow. They almost always see a return on investment from these decisions. 

SEVEN.  They understand that attack is their best defence. If you were to watch a sporting team defending during the game, you can almost guarantee that they are going to lose the game. When there is difficulty, great entrepreneurs step up and attack. They get clear again on what they want and move forward to attain this. 

EIGHT. They invest enormously in self-education, from reading books and listening to podcasts to courses and engaging coaches and mentors. I have never worked with a top-performing business owner that didn’t invest a huge amount of time and money into their self-knowledge. They know it’s what they don’t know that hurts them most. 

NINE. They plan their year, quarter, week or day. If you don’t have a planning system by now in your business, I suggest getting one or getting a job. There is just too much to achieve, and you need a system to help you figure out what needs to get done and what order of priority you will do it in. Top business owners invest 2 days to plan their year out, 1 day each quarter, 60 minutes each week, and 10 minutes to plan each day. This creates a huge amount of flow for them and helps them move forward in a really controlled and powerful manner.  

Have a great week,  

Robbo 

Our Managing Director Jeremy “Hutch” Hutchings recently spoke with and gained insight on this topic with Founder and Managing Director of Riverland Lending Services and Collaborative Farming Australia, Jeff McDonald. Jeff is also the Chair of many highly successful collaborative farming ventures across Australia, including Bulla Burra, Sherwood Estate and River Wine Collaboratives.

The challenging but central message from Jeff’s experience is that farm owners must become ‘professional’ if their farm is going to survive. As Jeff explores; “good business governance is critical to collaborative and family farming equally. If you are not full throttle on this, you are already on your way out of farming”.

As land prices and interest rates continue to rise, Jeff believes that a lateral mindset shift is necessary for farmers in considering how best to expand their farm. Collaborative farming can be a really effective and sustainable means of expansion and lowering risk that, when properly planned and executed, can make a significant positive difference to profits, lifestyle and financial freedom. 

What does “Collaborative Farming” mean?

Fifteen years ago, it struck Jeff that most farming families were being held back in their business because they were held back by their own limitations of land, machinery and resources. He saw the opportunity for many farmers to make greater profits and expand their farms, if they considered working a little differently through collaborative farming.

Collaborative farming involves multiple families coming together to share land assets, resources and operations, and usually this arises out of a need or desire, such as health issues, ageing with no succession plan, or something quite simple such as a farmer preferring to work with others. There are many different variations in how collaborative farming can work, however most important is for the families involved to share the same values and goals. Best of all is when two farming families come together and realise their skills and abilities are like ‘yin and yang’, because it allows a much wider overall skill set to benefit both businesses and broadens the scope for profit for everyone involved.

How it can help your farming operation

Many farmers already partake in a form of collaborative farming, such as share farming or leasing, however these are usually seen as single entities and are often reactionary in nature, arising from a land or resourcing opportunity. Conversely, in a collaborative venture the business model and plan must come first, with the land, resources and people available being structured appropriately around the central aim of the business plan. 

As we discuss often in our podcasts, this need demonstrates again the requirement for farmers, increasingly, to educate themselves on good business practice, on top of being skilled technical operators. The greatest challenge involved in a collaborative venture is the need to change the way you think about business decisions, and change is difficult for everyone- that’s human nature!

Real world examples of applying Collaborative Farming principles to your operation

Everyone Receives a Wage

In a successful collaborative venture, every person is paid a wage from the business, from which they must pay their personal expenses, and may also receive leasing payments in which business debt must be paid from. Therefore, any new business or personal purchase has to be deemed acceptable by all directors (owners), before it can go ahead.

For example, buying a new car may suddenly become a personal, rather than business expense. This can be very challenging when you have never previously had to be accountable for your spending or had to justify what you spend money on. However, it is necessary in order for you to identify the actual profitability (or not) of your property.

Paying yourself a wage and ensuring all expenses are paid from that allows you to correctly identify exactly what the bottom line of your business is, and if it can realistically continue. These numbers can be challenging to see, but like any business, you have to know exactly how your farm is performing if you are to improve and expand.

Formal Separation of Employment for every worker

On top of everyone receiving a wage within a collaborative venture, another important feature for success is ensuring a formal separation of employment for every worker, where each person has a set job description and are accordingly paid an appropriate wage. This ensures that individuals’ skills are being used to their best advantage and every employee is able to make decisions in a structured environment.

Following from this, strong succession planning can also occur as family members can be brought in as employees with defined roles, and all possible events are planned for, including ill health, death or directors/employees choosing to leave. When planned in advance, such inevitable change does not have to cause the long term financial, physical and emotional stress that can arise on family farms operating independently with weak business, succession and operational structures.

Upskilling in relevant HR & WHS issues

Finally, in collaborative farming, as in independent farming, the need for farmers to upskill and educate themselves on relevant HR and WHS issues is absolutely crucial. No one is safe anymore from these requirements and banks won’t consider lending money without proof, as demonstrated in a written business plan, that your farm is compliant with these frameworks.

Rather than viewing this as a time-wasting ‘ticking box’ exercise, try to see it as a positive step in moving your business forward and raising the bar for farming in general. As Jeff said, farmers are now required to act and plan professionally, and this is one way of doing so.

Educating yourself is so important in achieving this, however if you are feeling overwhelmed and underskilled by this prospect, Jeff suggests hiring a ‘contract CEO’ to help make it happen. Hiring a consultant to help with bookkeeping, HR, compliance and growth can be very helpful in setting you up for success and providing some of the knowledge required for you to continue later on as a director for your business. It’s also an excellent opportunity for you to further your own professional development by treating the appointment as a training opportunity for yourself and your leadership team.

It might be challenging, but it’s worth the change

Regardless of whether you find this ‘professionalisation’ in farming challenging or not, it is important that you consider the ‘why’ in how you feel. Are you actually resistant to change? Does it feel like too great a risk, or not worth the money? Do you lack the confidence in yourself to be able to ‘think like a CEO’?

These are all understandable and surprisingly common reactions, however in business we get the results we deserve, and we have to be open to learning and changing if we want to continue farming. If we don’t become professional, our farms, both individually and collectively, will not survive.

If you would like more information on collaborative farming or to simply have a chat, please get in touch with us on 0447 184 167, or email [email protected] at any time. We’d also be more than happy to help you get in touch with Jeff McDonald directly for a detailed discussion on your own needs.

By Jeremy “Hutch” Hutchings, Managing Director of Farm Owners Academy. You can listen to Hutch discuss collaborative farming and all its advantages with Jeff from Riverland Lending Services and Collaborative Farming Australia on Episode 85 of The Profitable Farmer podcast.