Anthony Scott, Yarram - FEBRUARY 2022 Calendar

‘I was too busy chasing more, that I ended up with less. Don’t take the people in your life for granted in the pursuit of a bigger dream.’

In 2016 Anthony and his partner at the time, Mads, bought 277 acres in Yarram while they were still in their early to mid 20’s. Anthony loved being able to see his two young children during the day. However, he was striving and working so hard to build the farm’s profits that the things he loved most began to slowly slip away. The farm came with great reward, but also a huge private cost. 

Anthony believes the reason he and Mads were able to invest in a farm at a young age was by developing a network of farming mentors. They surrounded themselves with financial advisors, doctors, counsellors and others able to assist them in their business plan. Anthony began working so hard that he ended up with a back injury which meant Mads, who wasn’t from a farming background, had to step up and take on most of the farm work. 

Anthony and Mads separated in mid 2021 due to the pressures of running the business. Anthony describes this time in his life as a really difficult period. He feels that he could have come close to suffering with ill mental health, however, feels proud of how well he manged to pull himself out of his shell. He found that keeping busy with calving, which yielded great satisfaction, and by re-adjusting his priorities to spend more time with friends at the pub and as the Yarram cricket captain, he was able to recapture the positive person he had lost sight of. He had been too caught up in the big picture of producing a thriving and financially stable business. 

The Spring of 2021 is providing such optimal farming conditions that he wants to remind other farmers to maximise on this. Loosen up, be silly, make time for mates and laugh with your partner. He wishes he had remembered to focus not just on the big picture stuff, but the smaller day to day stuff too, and had loved just a little more. 

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