We Tried Virtual Fence on Goats & Sheep (Real Farm Results) (Ep. 360)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
Release Date: 06/26/2026
Your $6,000 Annual Premium Grows to $843,000? Here's How (Ep. 366)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
Mary Jo Irmen walks through a real whole life insurance policy illustration for a 27-year-old client paying just $6,000 a year — and the numbers might surprise you. In this episode, Mary Jo breaks down what the cash value growth actually looks like year by year, what happens when you add extra premium in year one, and why so many people have been waiting too long to get started when they didn't need to. What you'll learn in this episode: - Why $500/month ($6,000/year) is enough to build serious cash value over time - How compound interest and dividends work once your policy "crosses over"...
info_outline
You Don’t Need $100,000 to Start Infinite Banking - Here's Why (Ep. 365)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
Are you waiting until you have more money before starting infinite banking? Mary Jo Irmen explains why you may not need $100,000—or even a large amount of money—to begin. In this episode of Farming Without the Bank, Mary Jo discusses why people often delay after reading the book, how to identify a comfortable starter premium, and why starting with a smaller policy can be better than waiting indefinitely. She also explains how a system of multiple policies works, how to use future cash flow from paid-off loans or side work, and why planning ahead for family land and estate needs matters....
info_outline
Who's Really Calling About Infinite Banking? Real Meetings, Real People (Ep. 364)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
What does infinite banking look like in the real world? From bankers and veterans to city kids buying their first ranch — here's a glimpse into the conversations happening behind closed doors. In Episode 364 of the Farming Without the Bank podcast, Mary Jo Irmen shares a candid recap of recent client meetings that span the full spectrum of agriculture and financial planning — and proves that it doesn't matter where you start, it matters how you think. In this episode, you'll hear about: Two bankers whose own clients brought them the infinite banking book — and what they learned A real...
info_outline
Farmland Was Paid Off Until This ‘Strategy’ Created $38 Million in Debt (Ep. 363)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
An Iowa widow is suing her financial advisor and two life insurance companies after a premium-financed IUL strategy left her family farm buried in $38 million of debt. Mary Jo has been warning about this exact scheme for years — now there's a real lawsuit to prove it. In Episode 363 of Farming Without the Bank, Mary Jo Irmen breaks down the November 2024 lawsuit involving a debt-free Iowa farm family who was sold $23 million in IUL coverage — with $2.5 million in annual premiums financed through bank loans secured by their paid-off farmland. The strategy was sold as a way to protect the...
info_outline
Fake Bids, Hidden Fees & Shady Auctioneers: Land Auctions Exposed (Ep. 362)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
One wrong auction company can cost you the true value of your land — and you'd never know it. 👉 Find more Farming Without the Bank here: 👉 Get the book: Amber Haugland of Haugland's Action Auction joins the show to pull back the curtain on a side of the land auction world most farmers never see coming. Whether you're selling the family farm, bidding on land next door, or starting to think about your estate, this episode could save you tens of thousands of dollars. IN THIS EPISODE: ✅ How to vet an auction company before you sign a single thing ✅ The...
info_outline
We Paid Into This Policy for Decades and Got Nothing | Real Numbers Every Farmer Needs to See (Ep. 361)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
Are you wondering if your life insurance policy will actually be there when your family needs it? Mary Jo Irmen walks through multiple real-life life insurance policy review illustrations showing exactly how flexible premium universal life, variable universal life (VUL), and adjustable universal life policies perform over time — and why so many of them collapse before you're likely to die, leaving your family with no death benefit and no cash value. What you'll learn in this episode: What an in-force illustration is and how to request one from your carrier Why universal life policies often...
info_outline
We Tried Virtual Fence on Goats & Sheep (Real Farm Results) (Ep. 360)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
What if you could finally have goats and sheep — without building miles of netting or chasing escapes? That's exactly what virtual collars made possible for Meg Greske, and she breaks down EVERYTHING in this episode. 👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: 👉 Get the book: Mary Jo sits down with client and regional conservation consultant Meg Greske (Oklahoma Conservation District) to dig into real-world results of using NoFence virtual collars on sheep and goats — from cost and training to wool vs. hair breed differences, company comparisons, and whether the data privacy concerns are...
info_outline
Will No-Fence Collars Save You Money? (Ep. 359)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
What does it actually cost to run No Fence virtual fencing on a real cattle farming operation — and can you finance it without losing compound interest? Idaho rancher Tyson Coles has run the system for 4 full seasons and shares the real numbers. 👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: 👉 Get the book: In this episode, Mary Jo sits down with rancher Tyson Coles to break down exactly how No Fence GPS cattle collars work, what they cost, and how they've transformed his operation. Tyson shares the actual dollars saved on labor, fuel, and equipment — plus a jaw-dropping story of moving an...
info_outline
I Was Wrong About Diversification | Mistake Many Farmers & Ranchers Make (Ep. 358)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
Is diversifying your farm or ranch actually costing you money? In this episode of Farming Without the Bank, Mary Jo digs into a question that came up four times in one week: should you take your farm profits and diversify into real estate, rentals, or another business — or double down on what you already know? Mary Jo shares her own hard-learned lessons from managing Airbnbs, long-term rentals, and side businesses — and why she's now pulling back to focus on what she actually loves: agriculture and infinite banking. Plus, a real client story of a veterinarian who grew from $1.5M to $10M...
info_outline
Doug Ferguson: Don't Ignore This Hidden Cattle Market Signal! (Ep. 357)
Farming Without the Bank Podcast
Doug Ferguson reveals his Sell/Buy Marketing cattle system — profit in any market without the bank. 👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: Doug Ferguson, owner of Mr CattleMaster, joins Mary Jo to break down his Sell/Buy Marketing system — the real-time cashflow method that tells you exactly what to pay for cattle before you ever raise your hand at auction. If you've been told you can't make money raising cattle, this episode will change how you see every trade. 🔑 In This Episode: ➤ What Sell By Marketing actually means (hint: it's NOT "buy low, sell high") ➤ The barn card system —...
info_outlineWhat if you could finally have goats and sheep — without building miles of netting or chasing escapes? That's exactly what virtual collars made possible for Meg Greske, and she breaks down EVERYTHING in this episode.
👉 Follow Mary Jo Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXYvzroUouEMsTGKFw5nJHQ
👉 Get the book: hhttps://www.farmingwithoutthebank.com/book
Mary Jo sits down with client and regional conservation consultant Meg Greske (Oklahoma Conservation District) to dig into real-world results of using NoFence virtual collars on sheep and goats — from cost and training to wool vs. hair breed differences, company comparisons, and whether the data privacy concerns are worth worrying about.
In this episode:
💲 Real cost breakdown: NoFence collars ($240–$270/collar + ~$3–4/month after year 1)
🐐 Why goats train fast — and why wool sheep take weeks longer
🆚 NoFence vs. Halter vs. Gallagher vs. Moneal vs. Vence — what's actually different
📡 Base station drama: why Halter just went base-station-free and what it means
🔒 The "tinfoil hat" question: data privacy, tracking, and who owns your herd data
🐑 OSU research on animal stress — is virtual fence cruel? (No. Here's the proof.)
📈 How virtual collars are making intensive rotational grazing feasible for small producers
💰 Grants & cost share: SHIP program, EQIP applications, and what's coming
⏳ Should you buy NOW or wait for better tech?
Chapters
0:00 - "Buy Now or Wait?" (Cold Open)
0:50 - Intro: Meet Meg Greske
2:19 - NoFence Collar Costs & Pricing Breakdown
3:19 - Comparing the Companies: NoFence, Halter, Gallagher, Vence & Moneal
5:08 - Halter Just Went Base-Station-Free
6:40 - Base Stations: History & Why They're Becoming Obsolete
8:41 - Collar Lifespan & Battery Life
11:32 - Training Sheep & Goats: Wool vs. Hair Breed Differences
13:22 - Minimum Size Requirements & Flocking Behavior
14:05 - Running Sheep, Goats & Cattle Together
16:33 - App Ease of Use & Customer Support
18:24 - Grants & Cost-Share Programs (SHIP, EQIP)
20:43 - Data Privacy: Who Owns Your Herd Data?
22:12 - Terrain, Cell Service & Connectivity
24:42 - Intensifying Rotational Grazing With Virtual Fencing
27:18 - Goats for Hire: Brush Clearing as a Business
28:44 - Training Process Step-by-Step
29:44 - Animal Welfare & OSU Stress Research
30:46 - Health Monitoring & Future Tech Integration
32:07 - Buy Now or Wait? Meg's Final Answer
34:35 - Could Virtual Collars Work for Horses?
38:04 - Meg's Diversified Ranch Operation
39:35 - How to Reach Meg & Outro
🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXYvzroUouEMsTGKFw5nJHQ
📅 Client Summit — January 2027, Chandler, AZ. Watch your email for the save-the-date!
📖 Learn more: https://farmingwithoutthebank.com
💌 Email: maryjo@withoutthebank.com
📧 Meg's contact: mgcows@gmail.com