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AG INNOVATION SERIES | Practical Innovation, Mobble & The Next Generation of Agriculture
with Will Bucknell

In this episode of the Ag Innovation Series, Sam Fryer sits down with young producer Will Bucknell from Quambone in north-west New South Wales to explore what innovation actually looks like on the ground for the next generation of Australian agriculture.

After growing up on his family’s steer trading operation, Will went on to work on large scale cattle stations across Queensland before studying farm management at Marcus Oldham College, where he was exposed to a range of emerging technologies and management systems being adopted across the industry.

Since returning home, Will and his family have been gradually implementing new technologies into their own operation, including Mobble, smart tagging, spray drones and improved data management systems — all with a strong focus on practicality, efficiency and return on investment.

This episode is part of the Ag Innovation Series, a collaboration between Pandaemonium and A Place to Call Home exploring the people, ideas and technologies helping move Australian agriculture forward.

This episode is proudly supported by Mobble — a livestock and farm management platform helping producers streamline record keeping, improve communication across teams and simplify day-to-day farm management.

To learn more about Mobble, head to:
https://www.mobble.io/

Pandaemonium
Website: https://www.pandaemonium.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p.andaemonium/

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Ag Innovation Series | Adapting, Innovating & Evolving in Viticulture 

with Liz Riley

In this episode of the Ag Innovation Series, Sam Fryer sits down with Liz Riley — an independent viticultural consultant and trainer based in the Hunter Valley, as well as sitting on the Plant Health Australia board and a Nuffield Scholar with more than 25 years of experience working across viticulture, sustainability, biosecurity and agricultural leadership.

Liz completed her Nuffield Scholarship in 1996 focusing on integrated pest management in vineyards, an experience that helped shape her approach to innovation, adaptability and continuous improvement across agriculture.

Throughout this conversation we explore what innovation actually looks like on the ground, how industries evolve under pressure and why practical solutions often matter more than flashy technology.

This episode is proudly part of the Ag Innovation Series, a collaboration between Pandaemonium and A Place to Call Home exploring the people, ideas and technologies helping move Australian agriculture forward.

Pandaemonium
Website: https://www.pandaemonium.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p.andaemonium/

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AG INNOVATION SERIES | INTRODUCTION
with Sam Fryer & Alice Armitage

Welcome to the first episode of the Ag Innovation Series — a new collaboration between Pandaemonium and A Place to Call Home.

In this introductory conversation, Sam Fryer and Alice Armitage unpack what innovation in agriculture actually means beyond the buzzwords. From drones and AI to genetics, data collection, storytelling and succession, this episode explores the real-world challenges and opportunities shaping the future of Australian agriculture.

Across the series, we’ll sit down with producers, founders, researchers and innovators who are pushing the industry forward not for the sake of flashy technology, but to create more productive, sustainable and resilient farming businesses and rural communities.

This series is about highlighting the people and ideas shaping the future of agriculture and showcasing how regional Australia continues to innovate, adapt and evolve.

Thanks for listening and we’re excited to bring you the conversations ahead.

Pandaemonium
The independent media outlet sharing stories of positivity and prosperity from country Australia.

Website: https://www.pandaemonium.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p.andaemonium/

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G’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 Tamara Finger, owner and manager of TF2 Grazing Company, a beef breeding operation recently relocated to Theodore in Central Queensland.

Tamara shares a powerful and practical story of succession done differently — starting with being gifted cattle as a child, building her own herd from a young age, and stepping into property ownership in her early 20s.

From growing up in Dysart to working across local government, retail, and federal politics, Tamara’s journey highlights the importance of gaining experience off-farm, understanding business fundamentals, and staying open to opportunity.

This is a conversation about taking ownership early, building assets over time, and backing yourself when the right opportunity comes along.

In this episode, we chat about:

🏡 Growing up in Dysart and balancing agriculture and mining communities
 🐄 Being gifted cattle as a child and building a herd from a young age
 📊 Learning business fundamentals early — books, tax, and decision-making
 🚜 Gaining experience off-farm through council, retail, and politics
 🤝 A unique family succession model focused on early ownership
 🏦 Stepping into property at 22 with her sister
 📈 Building a breeding operation and growing herd numbers
 🔄 Buying out her sister and navigating business and family decisions
 📍 Selling and relocating to Theodore to align with long-term goals
 🧠 The importance of setting goals and staying adaptable to opportunities
 🏛️ Advocacy, AgForce involvement, and shaping the future of agriculture
 🌱 Opportunities through innovation, technology, and genetics

Resources mentioned

📊 Beef Central Podcast (The Weekly Grill)
🌎 Cattle Chats (US-based podcast)

If you enjoyed this episode

Please share it with a friend or leave a review — it really helps these stories reach more people across rural Australia and the agriculture industry.

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🌏 Website: www.aplacetocallhome.com.au

🎙️ This episode is brought to you by Rural Succession Solutions.

If you’ve ever found succession conversations difficult — or avoided them altogether — you’re not alone.

Rural Succession Solutions work with rural families to guide those conversations, helping bring clarity, alignment, and a clear plan for the future of the farm. Their structured process focuses on communication first — because without it, even the best plans can fall apart. 

If you’re looking to protect your family, your business, and your legacy, it’s well worth reaching out.

👉 Learn more: https://ruralsuccessionsolutions.com.au/

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G’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 Amanda Buchmann from JAB Agri Solutions, based in Southeast Queensland.

Amanda is a passionate advocate for the red meat and broader agricultural industry, focused on bridging the gap between industry knowledge and new entrants coming into agriculture. From growing up around livestock with her grandparents to building a career outside the industry in pharmacy and law, Amanda has taken a unique path back into ag — now combining her life experience with a mission to educate and support producers.

This conversation dives deep into the realities of entering agriculture today, the importance of education and compliance, and the role every producer plays in strengthening the future of the industry.

In this episode, we chat about:

🏡 Growing up in Warwick and early exposure to livestock through family
 🚛 Lessons learned from time spent in livestock transport with her dad
 📚 Building skills outside agriculture in pharmacy, law, and conveyancing
 🐄 Returning to ag and starting a small cattle operation with her family
 ⚠️ The challenges new entrants face when buying land and livestock
 📉 Common mistakes producers make when starting out
 📊 Why record keeping, traceability, and compliance are critical
 🛑 The risks of poor biosecurity and lack of education in the industry
 🧠 Breaking down barriers between industry knowledge and new producers
 🤝 Building JAB Agri Solutions to educate and support small-scale producers
 🌱 Understanding ESG, natural capital, and telling your story as a producer
 📈 How good management and record keeping can improve profitability
 🌏 The importance of advocacy and strengthening the agricultural supply chain

Resources mentioned

📊 Integrity Systems (NLIS & LPA)
🌱 Australian Rural Leadership Program
📖 Stolen Focus by Johann Hari

If you enjoyed this episode

Please share it with a friend or leave a review — it really helps these stories reach more people across rural Australia and the agriculture industry.

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🌏 Website: www.aplacetocallhome.com.au

🎙️ This episode is brought to you by SkyKelpie.

You can learn more at: SkyKelpie - Drone Mustering & Aerial Stockmanship

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G’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 Lindsay Barlow from Triple B Brangus, based in Dingo, Central Queensland.

Lindsay and his family have built a highly regarded Brangus stud from the ground up, producing bulls for both southern and northern markets, while navigating one of the most important and often challenging parts of agriculture — succession.

Lindsay’s story starts far from where he is today, growing up on a pineapple farm on the Capricorn Coast before eventually finding his way back to cattle after a period of uncertainty post-school. What followed was decades of building, learning, and working through a long and complex succession journey within a family business. 

This conversation dives deep into what it really takes to build a seedstock operation, the realities of succession, and the mindset required to create a sustainable future in agriculture.

In this episode, we chat about:

🏡 Growing up on a pineapple farm and early exposure to agriculture
 🐄 How a Brahman bull over Angus cows sparked a lifelong Brangus journey
 📈 Building the Triple B Brangus stud from a foundation herd
 🤝 The realities of succession in a family business over decades
 🧠 Why communication, trust, and patience are critical in succession
 📉 The risks of wills being contested and planning ahead
 🌱 Gradually taking on responsibility vs being thrown in the deep end
 🐂 Expanding into northern Australia with a Charters Towers bull sale
 📊 Using data, Breedplan, and DNA to create a point of difference
 🚜 The workload and pressure behind running a seedstock operation
 👨‍👩‍👦 The importance of having the right partner and support system
 🌏 Why knowledge, education, and networks are key for the next generation

Resources mentioned

📊 Breedplan (performance recording and genetic evaluation) BREEDPLAN
🌱 Young Beef Producers Forum (Roma) Young Beef Producer's Forum - Australia

If you enjoyed this episode

Please share it with a friend or leave a review — it really helps these stories reach more people across rural Australia and the agriculture industry.

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🌏 Website: www.aplacetocallhome.com.au

🎙️ Podcast Partner — JobSafe Pro

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 compliance

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G’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 Seamus O’Connor from O’Connor Agriculture, based across the Calliope and Boyne Valley regions west of Gladstone in Queensland.

Seamus and his wife Hannah are building a diversified farming business running breeders, backgrounding cattle, producing hay, and more recently selling beef direct to their local community.

But their journey into farming hasn’t been straightforward.

Seamus grew up in agriculture southwest of Goondiwindi before heading away to boarding school, studying engineering at the University of Queensland, and building a career in the resource sector during the LNG boom.

Like many people who grow up in the bush though, agriculture has a way of pulling you back.

What started with buying a small block of land and agisting cattle eventually turned into building a farming business from the ground up — navigating drought, market crashes, financial challenges and plenty of lessons along the way.

This is a conversation about first-generation farming, enterprise stacking, resilience, and the mindset required to build a life on the land from scratch.

In this episode, we chat about:

 🏡 Using property investing as a stepping stone into farming
 🐄 Buying their first block of land and starting with agistment cattle
 📉 The lessons from drought, market downturns and early mistakes
 🌾 Shifting towards regenerative grazing principles
 📊 Enterprise stacking and building multiple income streams
 🚜 Starting a hay production enterprise
 🥩 Selling beef direct to consumers through boxed beef
 📱 The power of social media in connecting farmers and customers
 👨‍👩‍👦 Building a farm business while raising a young family
 🌱 Why mindset and curiosity are key to building a future in agriculture

Resources mentioned

📘 Dirt to Soil — Gabe Brown
📘 A Bold Return to Giving a Damn — Will Harris
📘 Nourishment — Fred Provenza

Courses mentioned:

🌱 Grazing for Profit

Follow Seamus

📸 Instagram: O’Connor Agriculture

📘Facebook: O’Connor Agriculture

If you enjoyed this episode

Please share it with a friend or leave a review — it really helps these stories reach more people across rural Australia and the agriculture industry.

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📸 Instagram: @aplacetocallhomepodcast
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🌏 Website: www.aplacetocallhome.com.au

🎙️ Podcast Partner — Halter

This episode is proudly partnered with Halter.

Halter® | Virtual Fencing and Pasture Management

Halter 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.

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G’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 life

Resources mentioned:

🤝 How to Win Friends and Influence People | Dale Carnegie

Follow Mark and Next Gen Building co

🌏 Website: Next Gen Building Co

If you enjoyed this episode

Please share it with a friend or leave a review — it really helps these stories reach more people across rural Australia and the agriculture industry.

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🌏 Website: www.aplacetocallhome.com.au

🎙️ Podcast Partner — The Cathedral School

This 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 - Cathedral

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G’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 agriculture

Courses 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 Farm

If you enjoyed this episode

Please share it with a friend or leave a review — it really helps these stories reach more people across rural Australia and the agriculture industry.

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🌏 Website: www.aplacetocallhome.com.au

🎙️ Podcast Partner  

Speed Tagger, Tough Tags

This 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 communities that keep the agriculture industry running.

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G’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 passions

Resources mentioned

📘 Business and Rural Solutions

📘 Beef Central – Week in Beef Podcast

Follow Teek

📸 Instagram: @teekcarmichael

If you enjoyed this episode

Please 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 — Halter

This episode is proudly partnered with Halter.

Halter® | Virtual Fencing and Pasture Management

Halter 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.

Hal

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G’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 banking
• Why rural finance is assessed differently to commercial or residential lending
• The three C’s of credit — collateral, capacity and character
• Common mistakes producers make when applying for finance
• The impact of equipment loans, credit cards and cashflow on borrowing power
• Why young people need to start building appreciating assets early
• Partnerships in agriculture — opportunities and risks
• Stepping away from corporate banking to launch Season Finance
• The realities of starting a business with young kids and financial pressure
• Why having a clear vision is critical to long-term success in agriculture
• His investment journey across property, livestock and hospitality

Resources 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: Books

Follow Brecken and Seasoned Finance

📘 Facebook: Seasoned Finance
📘 Linkedin: Seasoned Finance: Overview | LinkedIn
🌏 Website: Home - Your Trusted Regional Finance Brokerage

Stay connected with A Place to Call Home:

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📸 Instagram: @aplacetocallhomepodcast
🔗 LinkedIn: A Place to Call Home Podcast
🌏 Website: www.aplacetocallhome.com.au

This episode is proudly supported by Walkabout Brangus & Ultrablacks

Walkabout 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 adaptability — because in the north, performance isn’t optional. Cattle have to last, rebreed and perform year after year.

Practical breeding. Performance-recorde

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