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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.

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 provi

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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:

🤝 Red Earth Community Foundation Leadership Program

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.

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 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.

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 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 c

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