Balancing the books – in the office and the paddock

For Tim and Lucinda Flynn, there’s no clear divide between farm, family and business – and that’s by design.

Based near Mudgee, the couple run a growing legal practice, Land Law Co, alongside their livestock operation – running both cattle and sheep – all while raising three young children.  

Together, they balance the demands of farming, law and family life in a way that is becoming increasingly familiar across regional Australia. 

Tim, a third-generation farmer, is the Director of the firm and an experienced Commercial and Property Law solicitor, while Lucinda leads business development, marketing and communications.  

Their professional skillsets sit alongside a shared commitment to the farm – and a long-term vision that keeps it firmly in the picture. 

“There’s a lot on,” Tim said.  

“At the moment, the farm probably isn’t where we’d like it to be.” 

Like many mixed-enterprise producers, they’ve reached a point where time, labour and energy are limiting factors.  

In recent years, that has meant making clear-eyed decisions – including reducing sheep numbers and shifting their focus more toward cattle while they establish their off-farm business. 

“It got to the point where I was coming home after work and dealing with flyblown sheep until midnight,” Tim said.  

“It just wasn’t sustainable.”  

Rather than push through, they’ve chosen to reset. 

That reset hasn’t meant stepping away from sheep altogether.  

Instead, it has meant stepping back to a smaller, more manageable flock, while taking a more flexible approach to the broader farm business – one that reflects both their environment and their current capacity. 

They now focus on what can realistically be managed – trading where it makes sense, adjusting stock numbers, and prioritising cash flow – while keeping longer-term plans in place. It’s a shift away from trying to do everything at once, toward building something more sustainable. 

“You can’t just do what has always been done,” Tim said.  

“You’ve got to run to what your country will allow.”  

That thinking applies not only to land and season, but also to labour availability and their own time – something increasingly front of mind for many woolgrowers balancing multiple pressures. 

Labour, in particular, remains a key constraint.  

Like many producers, they sit in the middle ground – not large enough to justify a full-time farm manager, but unable to consistently secure reliable part-time help.  

That tension continues to shape how the farm operates day-to-day. 

Alongside the farm, their legal business – launched in 2024 – is growing quickly, adding another layer of responsibility.  

What began as a small operation has expanded rapidly, reflecting both demand for their services and Tim’s ability to connect with clients across regional New South Wales. 

For Lucinda, the two parts of their life aren’t competing priorities – they work together. 

“The farm is our lifestyle,” she said.  

“It’s our weekends… our mornings.”  

Instead, the off-farm business has become a critical part of the overall system – providing cash flow and stability – while the farm, including their sheep enterprise, remains central to how they live and what they are working toward. 

The juggle is constant. Weeks are mapped out carefully, often starting with a Sunday night reset – aligning farm jobs, livestock priorities, client work and family commitments.  

Mornings can begin checking stock or setting up contractors before shifting into the office, while evenings are, where possible, reserved for family. 

Non-negotiable's are simple: no legal work on weekends, and creating space at home in the evenings – even if that space is brief. 

Even then, the boundaries aren’t always clean. 

“When you live on farm, you are surrounded,” Lucinda said.  

“Everywhere you look, you are reminded of jobs that are in front of you… It literally is never ending.”  

That constant overlap – between work, home and farm – is something they’ve learned to manage, rather than eliminate. 

At the same time, they are clear this phase isn’t permanent.  

There is a longer-term intention to build back into the sheep enterprise. Tim’s passion still lies in superfine wool – but on more sustainable terms, better aligned to their country, their labour capacity and the realities of running two businesses. 

Advice along the way has often been to “pick one” – farm or career.  

Tim doesn’t see it that way. 

“You can 100% do both,” he said.  

“There are always competing priorities....but you can do both with putting the right systems in place.”  

For them, it’s not about balance in the traditional sense. It’s about sequencing – knowing when to push one part of the business, and when to ease another. 

It’s not a polished version of balance. It’s a constant recalibration. 

But it reflects a reality many woolgrowers are navigating – building resilient, flexible businesses that can respond to season, labour and market conditions, while keeping sheep firmly part of the long-term plan. 

For Tim and Lucinda, it all comes back to building a system that works — for their country, their family and, ultimately, what they want from the farm. 

“Our message for younger farmers, or anyone taking a risk in business, is that there is never a right time — especially in farming,” Lucinda said.  

“Seasons change, family demands change, but it’s about thinking big picture.”

This article appeared in the AWI Woolgrower Newsletter May 2026. Reproduction of the article is encouraged and should be attributed as follows: This article was first published in the AWI Woolgrower Newsletter.