We bring business thinking to the family farm.
Based in the Wimmera, AF Consulting helps farming families understand what is driving profit and cash, decide what matters most and keep track of the impact over time.
The aim is a stronger farm business that supports the family’s ambitions, holds up when conditions change and is ready when opportunities come along.
Specialist knowledge.
Independent advice.
When you work with AF Consulting, you deal directly with Robert Barnes. Robert combines senior experience across agribusiness, banking, treasury and risk management with a practical understanding of Wimmera family farms.
AF Consulting provides independent, plain-English advice about profitability, cash flow, debt, investment and growth. The purpose is not simply to produce another report. It is to help you understand the business, make a better informed decision and manage what happens next.
Your partner beyond the paddock.
Do you have a clear picture of your farm business?
Do any of these sound familiar?
Do you know whether the farm is really making money — and what is driving the result?
Can you see where cash is heading early enough to act?
Can the business afford its next major decision — not simply borrow all the money?
It’s time to
Understand. Decide. Grow.
Local knowledge and personal service
Family farm business management
What happens in the paddock eventually shows up in profit, cash and debt.
We help you connect the two, make sense of the numbers and focus on what matters most.
We know farming is more than a job. It is a lifestyle, your livelihood, your family’s future and often its legacy.
Seasons, markets, input costs and workforce pressures constantly change the financial outlook. Being based in the Wimmera helps us understand that context — but every farm still needs advice built around its own numbers, goals and circumstances.
You will not receive a cookie-cutter answer. You will get independent advice that fits your farm and ambitions.
Understand. Decide. Grow.
What working with AF Consulting looks like
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We sit down and map your farm program and past profitability.
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We identify where profit is being made or lost and what is driving cash.
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We build a plan around your decisions and your family’s ambitions.
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We compare actual results with the plan, update the outlook and help manage what changes.
We do that by bringing together information from across the business—agronomy, livestock, production, accounting and finance.
It’s personal service with high-level capability, and we won’t waste your time.
Some clients come to us for a once-off assessment—to understand where the business stands or work through a particular question or decision. Others want us alongside them throughout the year, updating the outlook, measuring progress and helping manage what changes as the season and the business unfold.
Either way, the numbers must do more than describe what has already happened. They should help you see what is changing, understand why and know the financial impact.
We don’t just crunch numbers - we help make them mean something.
Signature Services
Every farm starts from a different position. A Farm Financial Health Check provides a clear snapshot. For deeper analysis or ongoing support, our signature services help farming families understand the business, decide what matters next and manage the road ahead.
We help family farms understand where the business stands, decide what matters next and keep their financial plan relevant as conditions change.
That means planning, forecasting, measuring and adapting.
From cash generation, cost-of-production analysis, profit leakage and rolling forecasts to strategic planning, bank reviews and succession planning, we work with you to create a family farm that’s aligned with your goals, within your risk tolerance and financially resilient.
Cash Flow Management
See where the bank position is heading, compare actual results with the plan and respond early as seasons, prices and timing change.
Annual and Strategic Planning
You plan your farm activities each year, so why not plan your finances?
Connect the farm program, family goals and financial capacity in one practical plan.
Family and Business Advisory
Bring family goals, roles and future options together giving you all the information you need before involving legal and taxation advisers.
Planning and Performance
Use rolling forecasts and variance reviews to understand what has changed and what it means for the bottom line.
Finance Reviews
Make sure your bank understands your business and is offering the right deal for you. Are you getting the best loan product or interest rate deal?
Give your lender clear, bank-ready information that helps negotiations.
Farm Expansion and Property Purchase Analysis
Find out whether the business can afford the purchase and still support your family’s ambitions—not simply whether the bank will lend the money.
Our Services
“The goal isn’t always more money. The goal is living life on your terms. ”
What our clients say
Whether it’s a once-off assessment or advice throughout the year, farming families value clearer information, stronger bank conversations, better decisions and practical follow-through.
“The most important thing we have gained working with Barnesy is ‘knowledge’. He provided us with the knowledge we needed to take our farming operation into the next stage. This knowledge allowed us to question our existing banks, put into place adequate budgets which reflect the business’ current position and furthermore the position we want the business to move into.
This has increased our capacity to operate as a farming business where we are no longer moving paycheck to paycheck but operating in a forward thinking mindset. We have now been able to purchase a second farming operation. We are very thankful for this knowledge and an increased level of understanding into how an adequate farming business operation should be run successfully.
We thank Barnesy for his expertise, consistent communication and regular check-ins that provide us with a sound level of support for our business.”
A & J - “Imina”
“We saw a need for professional people who could supplement our existing skills and add value to our business. Robert has been a trusted friend over more than ten years and we sought his expertise in banking and financial analysis for regular reporting across our financial risks. This helps us make more confident decisions, gives us a more professional relationship with our bankers, while we grow our business. Robert also has a broad knowledge of agriculture in general and is happy to discuss problems and ideas that come up in a constructive informal way.”
Stephen, Wendy & Dallas Hobbs ~ Woodlands Partners, Douglas
“We wanted to know where the farm’s financial strengths and weaknesses were and how we could get a better feel for the bank balance after harvest. Barnesy has given us the ability to produce rolling forecasts that provide an up-to-date cash position at any time in the next 12 months. Being able to see this has given us lots more information towards major decision-making.”
Greg, Tim and Kelvin Price, Price Partnership, Vectis
"The bank always seems to want information when it’s the least convenient for us. Working with Barnesy means we are now bank-ready for any eventuality. Plus, with the analysis and reporting provided, our family is better informed and more accountable to the business and to each other. The benefit for us is definitely better decision-making."
Hugh, Wayne & Pam Caldow, Langlea Pastoral, Edenhope
Helping family farmers grow stronger businesses
We’re more than just numbers people.
A strong farm business is financially sustainable, resilient when conditions change and ready when opportunities arise.
Understand. Decide. Grow. guides how we help farming families build that strength.
Clear advice, no jargon.
We make your numbers make sense. No fluff, no financial waffle - just practical advice you can act on.
Straight talk, real trust.
You’ll always get the full picture from us, the good and bad, and what you can do about it. Our clients know we’ve got their back.
Built for family farms.
We only work with families who are farming for the long haul, helping them grow profits, plan ahead, and make better decisions together.
Grounded in farming.
We connect what happens in the paddock with what happens to profit and cash.
We know business, but we talk farm.
Resilient thinking.
Weather, prices, interest rates - we help you plan for the unpredictable so your business stays strong, even when the seasons don’t.
Local and loyal.
We’re Wimmera-based and proud of it. We care about our region, our clients, and the future of Australian farming.