64. Global Ag Perspectives with Pete Debus

64. Global Ag Perspectives with Pete Debus

From Your Ag Empire by Jonathon Haralson & Holly Haralson

March 4, 2026 · 46 min · Season 2 · Episode 64

About this episode

Jonathon Haralson interviews Pete Debus about the challenges and strategies in modern agriculture, focusing on financial management and risk-taking.

In this episode of “Your Ag Empire” podcast, host Jonathon Haralson sits down in Auckland, New Zealand, with Pete Debus, Director of PrincipleFocus based in New South Wales, Australia. Despite being an ocean away, Debus reveals Australian producers are facing the same volatility, succession struggles, and margin compression as their American counterparts. He shares his philosophy on moving from "rearview mirror" accounting to forward-looking navigation, the necessity of treating the farm like a high-value corporate entity, and why "having a crack" (taking risks) is essential for survival. In this episode, we cover: Most accountants just tell you what happened in the past (the rearview mirror). To thrive in modern agriculture, you need financial partners who act as navigators, helping you forecast, budget, and look through the windshield to change the numbers going forward. With land values skyrocketing in both Australia and the U.S., the "holy grail" for a professional farm business should be a 5% return on assets (EBIT). Achieving this requires moving beyond basic production and implementing rigorous business management standards. A farmer has two primary jobs: to build a…

People in this episode

Host: Jonathon Haralson

Guest: Pete Debus

Topics covered

  • global agriculture
  • financial management
  • risk taking
  • business strategy

Keywords

  • agriculture
  • accounting
  • business management
  • succession planning

Mentioned in this episode

Products: the Elite Mastermind, PrincipleFocus

Books & works: Your Ag Empire

Places: Auckland, New Zealand, New South Wales, Australia, U.S.

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