Written by:

Cameron Weeks | Farm Business Consultant | 0427 006 944

In the November 2022 Landline celebrating Planfarm turning 60 I was corrected on some of the facts by none other than our founder Peter Falconer. I apologise for the inaccuracy corrected by Peter himself below.

“I was interested to read the reference to the start of Planfarm in the recent Landline but unfortunately that story was not totally accurate. Planfarm was never known as the Wongan-Ballidu Farm Advisory Service (WBFAS).

As salaried consultants to the WBFAS I joined forces in 1964 with Ken Boughton (Eastern Districts FAS) and David Nutall (Quairading FAS) to form the partnership Nuttall, Falconer and Boughton to give clients the option of continuing the existing salary contract to its conclusion or  to change to servicing clients on a private practice basis. To our  delight  all  but  two of the approximately 100 clients accepted and one of those rejoined two years later to continue as one of our greatest supporters. The firm soon changed to company status with the name Agribusiness Counselors Ltd and immediately expanded with groups at Lake Grace and Dowerin and grew over the next few years to involve eleven consultants based as far north as Geraldton.

Over the last few years tension had risen between David Nutall and myself over the direction of the firm and about 1972 I was asked to resign. Ken Boughton, John Abbie and I held the majority of the shares in Agribusness Counselors and had similar views about  the  future  of  the  company. So, after considering the option of forcing the others to leave we decided to withdraw ourselves and form a new firm. Thanks to John Abbie we settled on the name “Planfarm”

…. And THAT was when it all began!”