No matter the year, crop-input cost decisions will play a huge role in determining your profit outcomes. To help you succeed in your plans for next year’s crop, consider our top 5 input-purchase strategies: #1 Pair Grain Sales with Fertilizer Purchases Plan to formulate a crop marketing strategy that pairs grain sales with your costliest…
As planters take to the fields across the northern hemisphere, soybean prices remain elevated on a historical basis (Chart 1) despite projections for an increase in planted acres. This creates opportunities for producers to forward price this year’s crop at profitable levels. Chart 1 – 10-year nearby soybean price Source: https://www.macrotrends.net/2531/soybean-prices-historical-chart-data But when to sell?…
Your operation has many financial moving parts, from input and land costs to projected yields and crop insurance—and they’re all connected. A change in one factor changes your whole outlook, yet recalculating with manual methods can take hours. (Learn more about farm financial planning in Episode 2 of our podcast, In the Driver’s Seat.) To…
Successful companies start with a basic business plan. Farming is no different. In fact, with the future of your farm on the line, developing a grain marketing plan is one of the most important factors in determining your success. Yet it’s the piece farmers often find most difficult or intimidating. That’s the reason we’ve launched…
One big question in 2019 is trade: Will the U.S. and China reach an agreement? Will Congress approve the pact with Canada and Mexico? While export markets are important, there are other market drivers to consider: South American weather, African swine fever, and U.S. corn-soybean acreage swings, to name just a few. Because so much…
Results from the 2017 U.S. Census of Agriculture have been published, and the picture of farming is changing. There are over 321,000 producers under the age of 35, and that ratio is growing as older generations pass on management of their farms. The USDA report says, “Farms with young producers making decisions tend to be…
Women farm managers are growing in number and rank. According to the most recent U.S. Census of Agriculture, female operators now make up 36% of farmers and work on 56% of all farms. Their role is growing, too. Most make some farm business decisions or manage the finances, and about 38% are the primary decision-maker.…
Keeping track of your business with different grain buyers can be overwhelming today. You have to maintain separate logins, match spreadsheets with sales tickets, and manually total transactions to see if you’re profitable. All tough to do on the fly when you need to make sound decisions fast. This is why ADM is fully embracing…
What Does Fertilizer Really Cost? Due to poor fertilizer application seasons in 2019, inventories are over-supplied, and prices are near historic lows. Lock in your spring and fall 2020 needs before there’s a price rebound. This has been the message of ADM Farm Direct Fertilizer over the winter. Their monthly conference calls and a mobile…
