Ok so I am hear with Brendan and Claire and young Lachlan just visiting their property
today to learn a little more about their situation so um Brendan if I could start with you could
you tell su a little bit about yourself and what you guys do?
Yeah well Claire and I bought the cedars hear about four years ago ah we're a mixed operation
we do a fair bit of irrigation summer corn irrigation and cattle livestock operation
predominantly.
Claire if I could ask you the young farmer business project is a lot about getting starting
in agriculture how did you guys get started?
Um we got started largely through some savings that Brendan acquired through his previous
business he was a diesel fitter and operated a successful business in WA he had a goal
that by the time he was 30 he did not want to be tradesman he wanted to be a farmer and
um he already had a small block near Goolma um near Gulgong in the central West but it
wasn't a significant size to justify moving too so we needed to save some cash so Brendan
did that and um I helped him along the way with his business structures and um ensuring
that he met with the accountant and the bank I effectively put it all together behind the
scenes and together we made a really good team-yeah.
It is a beautiful spot hear so you have done very well to get yourself established in a
an area that is not easy, that is quite tightly held.
Yeah.
So Brendan what kind of assistance did you utilize when you were setting up your business
as far as say people outside of you and Claire?
When we went to buy this place and retire from our mechanical work we really struggled
to find the assistance around us and to present to the bank what we needed to present ah and
since then we have searched and we have found a lot of great assistance with ah financial
understanding of what drives profit really.
It was only when we got hear and got settled that we started to get yo know the support
networks were and I can really say for the first 18months it was extremely difficult
because we were pretty much alone and even though we had some wonderful support from
our parents and um our friends there was not really anyone that we knew had done what we
did and it was really difficult so we are really keen to help other people to make sure
they don't go through those struggles that we went through.
What drives you both why do you do what you do?
This is my dream.
To be able to have our family grow up together on a farm, I was very fortunate when I was
a child and really wanted to be able to do that for our children so yeah it was a real
passion and focus from when I left school I had a goal and without that goal and that
direction you don't know where your going.
We have a very high standard as to how we want to live our life um we wanted to have
a very profitable business that was fun to be involved with but also produce really high
quality products and we wanted to be based in regional NSW where that was possible because
the scale you can um achieve some things out here that you can't closer to the coast, I
think really we just wanted to have a really happy marriage that was lovely house in a
really nice part of the world with lovely neighbors growing really good things that
really sums up ha what drives us.
yeah well I think you're doing a great job of it and ah where are you going with your
business what are you goals for the next 12 months and the direction of the business I
suppose is it more of the same or have you got other ideas apart from the status quo?
Well the next 12 months I would like to think we are going to consolidate a bit and prepare
ourselves to put ourselves in a position where when opportunities arise we're capable of
taking advantage of those ah without being in a prepared state you will sit there and
you won't be able to do it so I think it is a lot about fine tuning our business and developing
it so that we are in a great position to take advantage of opportunities.
And ah what have been you biggest business challenges getting set up and getting to the
point you are at now?
I think our biggest challenge that hurt the most was when we had a crop failure in the
first 12 months.
Ah and it really knocked our cash flow and it s about having.
and confidence a major confidence hit yeah.
Its about having the capability when you are doing high risk high return options that you've
got enough cash flow and income capacity that you can cover that and weather the damage.
What business tips did you want to share if any can um on people coming through you know
and trying to do what you have done I suppose?
I think the most valuable thing for us was understanding your business numbers and your
margin and your overhead and where they all fit because if you don't understand your business
you've got no chance of succeeding.
and figuring out that if you want to live on a farm and cruise around with a couple
of sheep or cattle and drive a nice Ute and that what really important to you call it
a hobby and enjoy that and really be that but if you want to run a business I think
you've got to be pretty savvy to utilize the resources around you there are lots of wonderful
opportunities out there but really kind of not accepting substandard advice and you know
treating it like a business and enjoying the rain when it rains!
and getting some rain that's always a popular one.
getting some rain yah for rain!
Righto no worries well listen thank you very much, both very much for you time.
Pleasure.
Aand I hope the rain continues.