Life before joining Farm Owners Academy

Before joining Farm Owners Academy, life for the Ross family was incredibly busy and overwhelming. Joe was running a livestock trucking business that dominated his time, often keeping him away from home all week, with weekends then dedicated to farm work. The pressure of managing both the trucking business and the farm, particularly after taking over the family’s 400-hectare property, was immense. 

After facing two severe droughts within three years, Joe was driven to work even harder, leading to burnout. Despite having completed the Top Producers program four times, Joe & Lauren  knew it was time for a change.

Life after joining Farm Owners Academy

Once Joe & Lauren joined the Platinum Mastermind program, they began to transform their lives and their business. The first year was still hectic as they worked to make changes while maintaining their businesses. Joe realised that while he liked trucks, his true passion was farming, and with support and coaching, they gradually reduced their involvement in the trucking business and sold their sheep, which allowed them to focus entirely on cropping. 

They expanded their cropping area from 500 hectares to 1,200 hectares, an achievement made possible by land leases and share farming in an area Joe & Lauren initially thought was tightly held. 

With the support of their coach and mastermind group, they made substantial changes that improved their financial position and lifestyle. They switched banks and started using a broker, saving a significant amount of money, and were able to build a new home on the farm, replacing a 100-year-old house they thought they could never afford to replace.

They also updated their farm machinery, adopted better cropping methods, and brought on a new agronomist, cropping mentor, and business mentor. Despite ongoing seasonal challenges, they now have a much clearer vision and stronger control over their operations.