After many years of working in commercial law, Anna Radel, a lawyer from Queensland, left the profession at 50. She realized that her work had become incongruent with her own values. Therefore, she turned toward a life shaped by family, animals, and the land, helping build a large cattle operation managed with organic and regenerative principles.
Her story, as told in The Wellness Couch’s Self Love Podcast, demonstrates how shifting focus can transform careers, and how the act of nurturing land could be considered the foundation of a new concept of success.
The operation reflects a long-term dedication to working with the landscape rather than treating it simply as a place to raise livestock. The planting involved the use of eucalyptus trees which were good for koalas, as well as fencing off the planted area in order to shield the saplings from any damage from cattle. The idea was to provide better ground cover and restore the koala habitat, which had been reduced in numbers. Dry weather and frost had proven to be difficult for young trees. The initiative represents how regenerative farming can involve more than changing how cattle graze. In addition, this may include the regeneration of native plants as well as increased support for livestock grazing on the land.
By 2025, their original dream had expanded into a cattle enterprise spanning approximately 10,000 acres, managed organically and with a regenerative focus, according to the podcast’s published biography. In a 2024 case study published by the Fitzroy Basin Association , Radel highlighted the actions being done in order to aid the growth of indigenous trees on the couple’s property near Biloela.
Despite Radel’s move to the countryside, she still faced uncertainty; it changed the kinds of challenges she faced. In the podcast, she discusses the pressures of managing a cattle station through drought, maintaining soil health and coping with the emotional and financial demands of farming. She also explains how the horse is a significant element in her life, and she perceives her association with the land to go beyond its business aspect. The experience is indicative of a larger dilemma faced by Australian graziers: that of combining livestock rearing with the health of the land. Research published in The Rangeland Journal examined grazing properties in Queensland’s Burdekin catchment and found that regenerative grazing practices may improve vegetation, soil and land condition. Improvements may take many years, especially when the land had been degraded before.
