Farming Without the Bank Podcast

In this episode, Mary Jo talks risk tolerance for farmers who want to buy land but are scared to act. She breaks down the viral auction story — a woman who inherited 3 paid-off farms but won't buy the land next door because she doesn't want debt — and asks the question no one wants to answer: what's the worst case scenario? Mary Jo covers why fear keeps farmers stuck, why a Dave Ramsey cash-only mindset keeps you from growing, why developers and investors aren't actually pushing you out, why data centers and wind towers don't raise land values the way people think, and how to make high-priced land cash-flow with hunters, LandTrust, and running custom cows. If you want to expand, stop waiting on mom and dad and start taking small, smart risks that won't leave you homeless. Chapters: 00:00 Reward Requires Risk 00:26 Auction Land Mindset 02:37 Worst Case Scenario Thinking 05:05 Debt Free Fear Trap 06:53 Developers Signal Value 08:07 Data Centers And Wind Towers 10:27 Nobody Is Pushing You Out 12:12 Hunters As Cash Flow 15:35 Smart Conservative Risk 17:20 Stop Waiting On Mom And Dad 19:49 Final Challenge And Next Steps Buy the book: https://www.FarmingWithoutTheBank.com/Book  Email Mary Jo: [email protected]  Audio Production by Podsworth Media - https://podsworth.com 

Farmers are NOT getting $129 billion. In Ep 379 of Farming Without the Bank, Mary Jo Irmen breaks down the real farm subsidy numbers. Out of the $129.6 billion Farm Bill, only $27.9 billion goes directly to farmers. $101.7 billion goes to SNAP / food stamps. So why does everyone think farmers get it all? Mary Jo puts it in perspective: - Child and dependent tax credits: $99 billion a year - Mortgage interest deductions: $52.6 billion - Student grants: $40.9 billion + $188.8 billion in loan forgiveness over 4 years - Nursing homes on Medicaid: $136 billion - 63% of residents on Medicaid Plus subsidies for airlines, rail, public transit, affordable housing landlords, childcare, wind/solar energy, rural telecom, and hospitals. Farmers aren't the only business getting help every year. If you take a mortgage deduction, child tax credit, or student grant, you can't complain about a farmer taking disaster relief. It's all or nothing. CLIENT ONLY BLACK SHEEP SUMMIT — Coming this January! If you're a client check your email and get registered. Early bird ends end of November. Didn't get an email? Let us know and make sure you haven't opted out. Buy the book: https://www.FarmingWithoutTheBank.com/Book  Email Mary Jo: [email protected]  Chapters: 00:00 Farm Bill Reality Check 00:41 Podcast Intro and Summit 01:30 Why Subsidies Spark Anger 02:46 What Counts as Subsidy 03:17 Who Else Gets Subsidized 04:46 Tax Credits vs Farm Aid 07:57 Hospitals and Nursing Homes 10:00 Stop Picking One Group 13:47 Ideal World No Subsidies 14:16 Farm Bill Breakdown Again 15:09 Final Rant and Wrap Up Audio Production by Podsworth Media - https://podsworth.com 

Your CPA isn't being difficult — they've just never been taught how this works. In Ep. 378, Mary Jo Irmen answers the question she gets more than any other: how does money actually flow through a whole life policy? She walks the full loop out loud: income comes in, you pay your premium, your cash value grows, you borrow against it for an income-producing asset like cattle, and the income from that asset pays the loan back. Same bucket of income, same premium, year after year. Then she flips it — what happens when you borrow for something that doesn't produce income, like a pickup — and why that is no different from asking a bank for money you can't repay. She also answers a client's hardest question: "What if it all falls apart?" If the cattle market collapses, your cows, trailers and squeeze chutes aren't worth what they're worth today, because who's going to buy them? Debt-free doesn't protect you from that. Money still earning uninterrupted compound interest and dividends does. What you'll learn in this episode: - How cash moves through a whole life policy — premium in, loan out, repayment back - Why borrowing for a cash-flowing asset pays itself back and borrowing for a pickup doesn't - The "defined benefit plan" angle that lets you deduct premiums and still keep access to cash - Why an unpaid loan isn't fatal — your death benefit is the collateral - Using extra premium in year one as a revolving line for seed, fertilizer, feed, chemical and vet bills - Why your checking account already does this same job, and what changes when the policy does it - The real risk of being debt-free while every asset you own sits inside one industry - What Mary Jo says to readers who call six carriers and get told "you can't do that" Buy the book: https://www.FarmingWithoutTheBank.com/Book  Email Mary Jo: [email protected]  Audio Production by Podsworth Media - https://podsworth.com 

They weren't given the farm. They just think differently. In Episode 377 of the Farming Without the Bank podcast, Mary Jo Irmen breaks down the 5 things she sees over and over in her most successful farm and ranch clients — the things that separate the top 3% from the other 97%, no matter the industry. After working with thousands of farmers, Mary Jo shares why her clients: 1. Have no arrival syndrome — they're constantly learning 2. Were NOT given anything — most had to buy it, earn it, or build it 3. Are often starting a farm from scratch — even leaving family operations to do it 4. Are problem solvers, not victims — when markets drop or the banker says no, they pivot 5. Have a problem solvers mindset — not a victim mindset 6. Plus the bonus #6: They know their numbers and run it like a business If you've ever thought "it's easy for them, they were handed it" — this episode will change how you see success in farming and ranching. Buy the book: https://www.FarmingWithoutTheBank.com/Book  Email Mary Jo: [email protected]  Audio Production by Podsworth Media - https://podsworth.com 

It's that time of year — everything's on sale for tax purposes. But is buying that $300,000 piece of equipment to save $36,000 actually keeping you broke?  Mary Jo breaks down why avoiding taxes is the #1 reason farmers struggle with cash flow, how tiered taxes really work, and what to do instead with year-end tax planning. In this episode: - Why capital gains are tiered (0% up to $98,900 married in 2026) and why most farmers fear them for no reason - How ftax  brackets really work — you're not saving 37%, you're often saving 12-24% - Cash vs. financing math: $300k at 7% for 7 years = $55,665/yr payment + $89,662 in interest to save $36,000 - The stacking payments trap: year 1, year 2, year 3 equipment loans + land payments - What successful operations do: pay the tax, keep the difference, operate on cash infinite banking  alternative to make the bank Plan B, not the only plan - Pot bellies, balers, squeeze chutes & trailers — maintenance costs nobody calculates Buy the book: https://www.FarmingWithoutTheBank.com/Book  Email Mary Jo: [email protected]  Chapters: 00:00 Year End Tax Temptations 02:00 Capital Gains Tiers Explained 05:00 How Tax Brackets Work 06:39 What Deductions Really Save 09:26 Equipment Purchase Math 11:41 Borrowing Creates Payments 14:00 Stacking Debt Over Years 17:24 Upkeep Costs Add Up 21:05 Beat Parkinson's Law 22:44 Trailer Rental Opportunity 23:51 Final Tax Decision Checklist 24:47 Next Steps And Scheduling Audio Production by Podsworth Media - https://podsworth.com