Growth Farms

What Growth Farms does

Growth Farms is a privately held Australian agricultural investment manager founded in 1999 by a group of science-driven livestock producers. Originally established as Grass Farms in Bombala, NSW, the firm rebranded as it expanded from livestock-only operations into irrigation, cropping, and broader farm portfolio management. Today the company manages over A$1 billion of Australian farmland across 15 portfolios, 45 farms, and 16 institutional and family office clients spanning seven states and territories, from sugar operations in Northern Australia to cropping and livestock enterprises in southern regions. The firm offers two core product lines: Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs) tailored for high-net-worth investors, and pooled Funds targeting institutional capital such as pension funds and family offices. Each product is delivered through two deployment models: Buy and Operate (active management with higher return potential and operational risk) and Buy and Lease (passive exposure via third-party tenant leasing). A management fee structure linked to farm profitability aligns manager incentives with investor outcomes.

The firm's competitive positioning rests on its evidence-based investment approach, which combines proprietary productivity modeling across seasonal scenarios with hands-on farm management and ESG integration (including UN PRI signatory status, soil carbon baselines, and 160km of riparian zone protection). The senior leadership team blends agricultural science credentials with institutional investment management experience: co-founder Richard Taylor holds veterinary science and livestock genetics qualifications, while Chair Maria Wilton is a former Franklin Templeton Australia head and CFA charterholder. Growth Farms is wholly founder-controlled, has never raised external equity capital, and has bootstrapped its 25-year growth organically. The firm wound up its Australian Agricultural Lease Fund (AALF) in 2024, four years ahead of schedule, to capitalize on farmland value appreciation that had compressed lease yields, demonstrating disciplined capital recycling for clients.

Name

Growth Farms

Legal name

Growth Farms Pty Ltd

Website

https://growthfarms.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Growth Farms is a privately held Australian agricultural investment manager that sources, manages, and operates premium farmland for high-net-worth investors, institutional investors, and generational families, with over A$1B under management across 45 farms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Investment Management

NAICS

Farm Management Services (115116), Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Investors, Nec (6799), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Institutional Separate Accounts & SMAs (Mandates) (FSAAAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real Assets — Farmland (Row Crops, Permanent Crops) (FSAHAIAI), Managed Accounts & Model Portfolios (SMA/UMA) (FSAAAAAG)

Keywords

• Agricultural investment management
• Farmland investment funds
• Separately managed accounts
• Farm management services
• Sustainable agriculture investing

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fund Management Fees: Management fees charged for overseeing agricultural investment funds, including Separately Managed Accounts and pooled investment vehicles. Fees are linked to farm profitability for management contracts, aligning manager incentives with investor returns.
2. Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs): Customized portfolio management for high-net-worth investors seeking income and capital growth from diversified agricultural investments.
3. Institutional Fund Management: Management of pooled funds for institutional investors focused on sustainable income and capital growth across livestock, irrigated and dryland crops.
4. Lease Income: Properties leased to third-party operators generating stable cash returns. The Australian Agricultural Lease Fund targeted a gross annual lease yield of 4.5% from diversified farm portfolios.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Growth Farms sources, manages, and operates premium Australian farmland for private and institutional investors. The firm offers Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs) tailored to high-net-worth individuals and pooled Funds for institutional clients, deploying capital via two models: Buy and Operate (active farm management with higher returns) and Buy and Lease (passive income from third-party tenant leasing). It manages over A$1B of farmland across 15 portfolios spanning sugar, cropping, and livestock farms.

Product overview

Growth Farms offers a dual-product investment platform consisting of Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs) for high-net-worth investors seeking customized solutions, and Funds designed for institutional investors accessing diversified Australian agricultural portfolios. Two deployment models support these products: Buy and Operate (active management with higher returns and operational risk) and Buy and Lease (passive exposure with stable cash returns). The company manages over $1B AUD of Australian farmland assets across 15 portfolios.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Self Managed Accounts (SMAs): Tailored separately managed account option for high-net-worth investors seeking income and capital growth from diversified agricultural investments.
• Funds
• Australian Agricultural Lease Fund (AALF)

Products and services

• Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs) Tailored investment accounts providing high-net-worth investors with customized farmland investment solutions targeting income and capital growth from diversified Australian agricultural assets, including livestock, irrigated and dryland crops.
• Institutional Funds Pooled investment funds enabling institutional investors (pension funds, family offices, global institutions) to access diversified Australian agricultural assets targeting sustainable income and capital growth across livestock, irrigated, and dryland crops.
• Buy and Operate Model Active investment approach where Growth Farms acquires farms, changes land use, develops infrastructure, and improves productivity, offering higher returns with direct exposure to operational risks across cropping, livestock, and mixed farming.
• Buy and Lease Model Passive investment approach where acquired farms are leased to third-party operators, providing stable cash returns with lower operational risk while Growth Farms manages the portfolio and tenant relationships.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10% net target returns, delivered 12-14%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• United Nations (UN) / SDG InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrowth Farms is a signatory and supporter of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) initiative. The company demonstrates commitment through ESG practices including environmental protection, social responsibility in local communities, and governance standards aligned with international sustainability frameworks.
• Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrowth Farms is a signatory and supporter of the Principles for Responsible Investment, an international investor initiative in partnership with UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative and UN Global Compact. Demonstrates commitment to incorporating ESG factors into investment practices.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hancock Natural Resource Group: Hancock Natural Resource Group, a subsidiary of Manulife, manages timberland and farmland investments globally for institutional investors. Comparable as a major institutional farmland manager with similar SMA and fund structures serving pension funds and endowments.
• Macquarie Asset Management (Agriculture): Macquarie has historically operated agricultural investment vehicles in Australia and globally. Comparable as a broad incumbent institutional asset manager with prior Australian agricultural exposure, competing for the same institutional mandate pool though at far larger scale and across multiple asset classes.
• Australian Agricultural Company: AACo (ASX: AAC) is Australia's largest cattle producer, operating a vast portfolio of cattle stations across northern Australia. Comparable to Growth Farms as a large-scale Australian agricultural operator, but it is vertically integrated into cattle production and ASX-listed rather than a third-party asset manager.
• Nuveen (TIAA) Global Agriculture: Nuveen's Global Agriculture platform manages one of the world's largest farmland portfolios across the Americas, Australia, and Europe on behalf of institutional clients. Comparable as a global farmland investment manager competing for the same institutional capital pool, with broader scale and geography.

Direct peers

• Webster Limited: Webster Limited is an ASX-listed Australian agricultural company operating irrigated cotton, walnuts, and other crops across NSW. Comparable as an Australian agricultural operator managing institutional-grade farmland assets, though Webster is vertically integrated and listed rather than managing third-party capital.
• Rural Funds Group: Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF) is an ASX-listed agricultural REIT managing a diversified portfolio of Australian farmland assets including cropping, cattle, vineyards, and water entitlements. Comparable as a competing vehicle for institutional capital seeking Australian agricultural exposure, though structured as a listed trust rather than a private asset manager.
• Laguna Bay Pastoral Company: Laguna Bay was an Australian-based agricultural fund manager that acquired and operated farmland portfolios for institutional investors, closely mirroring Growth Farms' SMA and pooled fund model across Australian and New Zealand farmland. It is the closest direct comparable in terms of geography, product structure, and target investor base.
• PrimeAg Australia: PrimeAg Australia was an ASX-listed agricultural land and water investment trust that owned and operated a diversified portfolio of Australian cropping and cattle properties. Comparable as an institutional vehicle focused on Australian farmland investment, though it has since been privatized/delisted.

Regional players

• Select Harvests: Select Harvests is an ASX-listed Australian almond producer managing large-scale horticultural assets. Comparable as an Australian agricultural asset operator at institutional scale, though focused on a single commodity (almonds) rather than a diversified farmland portfolio.

Emerging players

• KKR Agricultural Investments: KKR's agricultural platform manages farmland investments globally on behalf of institutional investors through various vehicles. Comparable as an emerging institutional farmland manager competing for capital allocations, though operating at significantly larger scale and with broader geographic reach than Growth Farms.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/growth-farms-australia

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Growth Farms