A Place to Call Home | Stories from Australian Agriculture

#80: From Music Festivals to Farming with Mark Vass

Send us Fan MailG’day and welcome to the A Place to Call Home Podcast, a podcast sharing the stories of people building a life in agriculture across rural Australia.In this episode, I sit down with Mark Vass, a fifth-generation cane farmer from the Burdekin in North Queensland.Mark’s journey into agriculture hasn’t been a straight line.Starting out as a boilermaker, Mark spent time working across the country before jumping into running a music festival with his brother in his early 20s — an experience that taught him plenty about risk, business, and resilience.Like many people who grow up in the bush though, agriculture has a way of pulling you back.What started with a simple conversation with his dad eventually turned into leasing country, stepping into the family operation, and building his own farming business — all while continuing to grow and expand through diversification and business outside of agriculture.This is a conversation about taking risks, learning through failure, building from the ground up, and the importance of integrity, community, and backing yourself.In this episode, we chat about:🏡 Growing up in the Burdekin and life on a cane farm 🔧 Starting out as a boilermaker and working away 🎶 Running a music festival in his early 20s — and what it taught him 📉 Losing money in business and the lessons that come with it 🌱 The decision to return to agriculture and lease family country 🚜 Building a farming business from the ground up 🌾 Diversifying beyond sugarcane and exploring alternative crops 📊 Why relying on one commodity can limit growth 🏗️ Building a business outside of agriculture alongside farming 💰 The realities of getting started in farming today 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Succession, family, and thinking long-term 🔥 Dealing with naysayers and focusing on your own path 🌱 Why integrity and community matter in business and lifeResources mentioned:🤝 How to Win Friends and Influence People | Dale CarnegieFollow Mark and Next Gen Building co🌏 Website: Next Gen Building CoIf you enjoyed this episodePlease share it with a friend or leave a review — it really helps these stories reach more people across rural Australia and the agriculture industry.Stay connected with A Place to Call Home:📘 Facebook: A Place to Call Home📸 Instagram: @aplacetocallhomepodcast🔗 LinkedIn: A Place to Call Home Podcast🌏 Website: www.aplacetocallhome.com.au🎙️ Podcast Partner — The Cathedral SchoolThis episode is proudly partnered with The Cathedral School of St Anne and St James in Townsville.If you’re a family in regional or remote Australia thinking about schooling options, Cathedral offers a strong boarding experience designed to support students both in and out of the classroom.They’re hosting a Boarding Experience Weekend on the 9th and 10th of May, giving families the opportunity to explore the school, meet staff and students, and experience boarding life firsthand.It’s completely free to attend, but places are limited.Boarding Experience - CathedralSupport the show

#79: Finding a Way Back to Farming with Nick Holliday from Belvedere Farm.

Send us Fan MailG’day and welcome to the A Place to Call Home Podcast, a podcast sharing the stories of people building a life in agriculture across rural Australia.In this episode, I sit down with Nick Holliday from Belvedere Farm.Nick and his wife Brydie are building a diversified farming business producing grass-fed beef, pasture-raised pork and eggs, selling their products direct to consumers.But Nick’s pathway back into agriculture hasn’t been the typical one.Coming from generations of agricultural families where each generation has had to start again, Nick spent time building a career in law, union organising and advocacy before eventually finding his way back to the land.What started with buying a small parcel of land has gradually grown into a farming business built around direct-to-consumer sales, regenerative thinking, and creating a farm that could support the next generation.This is a conversation about starting small, learning new enterprises from scratch, and building a resilient farm business over time.In this episode, we chat about:🌱 Growing up in agricultural families and the challenge of starting again ⚖️ Nick’s career in law, union organising and advocacy 🏡 Buying their first 20 acres and beginning their farming journey 🐄 Producing grass-fed beef, pasture-raised pork and eggs 📦 Building a direct-to-consumer farm business 🌾 Soil health and regenerative agriculture principles 📱 Using social media and storytelling to connect farmers and consumers 👨‍👩‍👦 Creating a farm business that could support the next generation 🧠 The importance of personal development and leadership in agricultureCourses mentioned:🌱 Holistic Management Training 🤝 Red Earth Community Foundation Leadership Program Follow Nick and Belvedere Farm📘 Facebook: Belvedere Farm📸 Instagram: Belvedere Farm🌏 Website: Shop | Eat from a Thriving Ecosystem — Belvedere FarmIf you enjoyed this episodePlease share it with a friend or leave a review — it really helps these stories reach more people across rural Australia and the agriculture industry.Stay connected with A Place to Call Home:📘 Facebook: A Place to Call Home📸 Instagram: @aplacetocallhomepodcast🔗 LinkedIn: A Place to Call Home Podcast🌏 Website: www.aplacetocallhome.com.au🎙️ Podcast Partner  Speed Tagger, Tough TagsThis episode is proudly partnered with Speed Tagger and their Tough Tags range.Tough Tags are Australian owned and operated in regional Queensland and designed for real grazing environments.They feature permanent laser printing that won’t rub off, fast turnaround ordering direct from the tag company, free shipping Australia-wide, and a four-year warranty.Plus, 10 cents from every tag sold goes towards supporting rural charities, giving back to the cSupport the show

#78: Feedlots, Fitness & Building a Life in Agriculture with Teek Carmichael

Send us Fan MailG’day and welcome to the A Place to Call Home Podcast, a podcast sharing the stories of people building a life in agriculture across rural Australia.In this episode, I sit down with Teek Carmichael, based around Condamine in Queensland, who somehow manages to wear a few different hats across agriculture, business, fitness, and community.Teek works in finance with Business and Rural Solutions, helps run the family cattle and feedlot operation with her husband Ben, and is also a personal trainer building community through fitness in the bush.From growing up outside Injune as a bush kid… To heading to Brisbane for university and elite-level netball… To finding her way back into the Australian beef industry and helping build a family feedlot enterprise from the ground up…This is a conversation about life in rural Australia, agriculture, feedlots, community, resilience, and building your own path in the ag industry.It’s about navigating life between two family farming businesses.It’s about learning new enterprises from scratch.And it’s about remembering that looking after yourself matters just as much as looking after the business.In this episode, we chat about:🌱 Growing up outside Injune and life as a bush kid🏐 Moving to Brisbane for university and playing elite-level netball🐄 Returning to agriculture and marrying into a farming family⚖️ Balancing time between two family farming businesses📈 Building and learning a feedlot enterprise from scratch👥 The importance of building the right team around an agricultural business💪 Why fitness and mental health matter in agriculture🤝 Community connection in rural towns like Condamine📱 Using social media to help tell agriculture’s story🌾 Creating your own path in agriculture without giving up your passionsResources mentioned📘 Business and Rural Solutions📘 Beef Central – Week in Beef PodcastFollow Teek📸 Instagram: @teekcarmichaelIf you enjoyed this episodePlease share it with a friend or leave a review — it really helps these stories reach more people across rural Australia and the agriculture industry.Stay connected with A Place to Call Home:📘 Facebook: A Place to Call Home📸 Instagram: @aplacetocallhomepodcast🔗 LinkedIn: A Place to Call Home Podcast🌏 Website: www.aplacetocallhome.com.au🎙️ Podcast Partner — HalterThis episode is proudly partnered with Halter.Halter® | Virtual Fencing and Pasture ManagementHalter is the app and smart collar helping producers run more productive cattle properties. It provides virtual fencing and remote shifting, allowing you to move and manage mobs straight from your phone — no shifting breaks, no extra fencing, and no chasing labour.With 24/7 location tracking and pasture insights, you can see exactly where your cattle are at any time and make better decisions around grazing management.HalSupport the show

#77: Dream Big, Plan Smart: Finance in the Bush with Brecken Curtis from Seasoned Finance

Send us Fan MailG’day and welcome to the A Place to Call Home Podcast.In this episode, I sit down with Brecken Curtis — rural finance specialist, business owner, investor, and long-time Longreach local.Brecken originally moved west for what was meant to be a two-year stint in banking… and more than 20 years later, he’s still there — having built a career in agricultural finance and stepped out to create his own brokerage, Season Finance.This is a conversation about rural lending, risk, vision, and what it actually takes to build assets in agriculture.From understanding how banks assess deals… To why rural finance is completely different to city lending… To the small financial decisions that quietly impact your long-term borrowing power…It’s honest, practical insight from someone who’s seen it from both sides of the desk.It’s about backing yourself. It’s about having a clear plan. And it’s about starting somewhere — even if it’s small.In this episode, we chat about:Growing up in the South Burnett and building a career in ag bankingWhy rural finance is assessed differently to commercial or residential lendingThe three C’s of credit — collateral, capacity and characterCommon mistakes producers make when applying for financeThe impact of equipment loans, credit cards and cashflow on borrowing powerWhy young people need to start building appreciating assets earlyPartnerships in agriculture — opportunities and risksStepping away from corporate banking to launch Season FinanceThe realities of starting a business with young kids and financial pressureWhy having a clear vision is critical to long-term success in agricultureHis investment journey across property, livestock and hospitalityResources mentioned:🎙️ Brecken’s podcast: Dollars In The Dirt - YouTube 📘The Compound Effect Resources 📘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life : Manson, Mark: Amazon.com.au: BooksFollow Brecken and Seasoned Finance📘 Facebook: Seasoned Finance📘 Linkedin: Seasoned Finance: Overview | LinkedIn🌏 Website: Home - Your Trusted Regional Finance BrokerageStay connected with A Place to Call Home:📘 Facebook: A Place to Call Home📸 Instagram: @aplacetocallhomepodcast🔗 LinkedIn: A Place to Call Home Podcast🌏 Website: www.aplacetocallhome.com.auThis episode is proudly supported by Walkabout Brangus & UltrablacksWalkabout Brangus & Ultrablacks is a northern-focused bull breeding enterprise established in 2023, shaped by real experience in Northern Australian agriculture.Their cow herd has been built from the north, for the north — with every breeding decision grounded in tough seasons, heat, and country that demands cattle earn their keep.Their program focuses on fertility, structure, temperament and adaptaSupport the show

#76: You Can’t Produce Beef, Without Leaf with Ross Newman from Pasture to Prosperity

Send us Fan MailG’day and welcome to the A Place to Call Home Podcast.In this episode, I sit down with Ross Newman — pasture agronomist, problem solver, decision-making coach, and lifelong learner based in Rockhampton.Ross works with beef producers across Queensland helping them solve the problems consuming their pasture systems — and more importantly, coaching them to make smarter decisions in their business.From growing up on a potato farm that’s been in the family since 1897… To stepping away to build skills and experience… To travelling internationally and working across pasture systems around the world… And ultimately finding his way back home.This is a conversation about grass, mindset, resilience, and clarity.It’s about understanding that you can’t produce beef without leaf.It’s about challenging “this is how we’ve always done it.”And it’s about building prosperity — not just financially, but in soil, systems, and self.In this episode, we chat about: Growing up on a mixed potato farm and the lessons from working alongside family  Realising the farm wasn’t big enough for multiple families — and stepping away to grow Choosing experience over income in the early years of his career Why pastures are the foundation of profitable beef production The most common mistakes producers make in their grazing systems Why clarity of mind leads to better on-farm decisions The importance of continuous learning and investing in yourself Mental health, vulnerability, and having the right conversations in agriculture Using his family farm as an R&D block to challenge conventional thinking What “Pasture to Prosperity” really meansResources mentioned:📘 Grazing for Profit (RCS)📘 The Advancing Beef Leaders program 📚 Zero Limits – Joe Vitale 📚 Not a Life Coach - James SmithFollow Ross and Pasture to Prosperity📘 Facebook: Pastures To Prosperity📸 Instagram: @PasturesToProsperity🌏 Website: Pastures To Prosperity | Beef Production AgronomyIf you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends and leave a review — it really helps us keep these conversations going.Stay connected with A Place to Call Home:📘 Facebook: A Place to Call Home📸 Instagram: @aplacetocallhomepodcast🔗 LinkedIn: A Place to Call Home Podcast🌏 Website: www.aplacetocallhome.com.au🎙️ This episode is proudly brought to you by JobSafe Pro.Built by farmers, for farmers — JobSafe Pro helps you simplify safety and compliance by keeping everything in one place, from inductions and chemical registers to machinery logs, incident reporting, timesheets and payroll.Job Safe Pro Pty Ltd - An app to simplify workplace safety and complianceSupport the show