Farming has been disrupted by countless changes in technology and logistics. But some habits die hard—and one of them is the way fertilizer gets to farmers. ADM is changing that. Now producers can lock in favorable prices on fertilizer, up to 18 months in advance, and get it directly from an ADM rail or barge…
Please join us for live podcast recordings of “In the Driver’s Seat” episodes. Look through the following schedule for the topics you’re most interested in, then grab a seat for an entertaining and informative discussion. Tuesday, 8/27 9:00am Preserving Quality in Your Grain How to handle, store, and keep grain high quality for the…
There are forecasts for a cooler and wetter-than-normal harvest across the U.S., posing a new round of challenges for producers. You’ve brought your crop this far; don’t risk it getting discounted for quality issues. What can you do to prepare your bins for new grain, keep it dry, and preserve its quality through delivery? We…
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…
When it comes to spreading risk and planning for profit, the calendar is your friend. Timing your grain marketing — that is, selling portions of your crop at intervals throughout the year — is not only a good way to spread risk; it also helps remove some of the emotions around marketing. “A time-stamped marketing…
Most years, pre-harvest sales make good sense. But the anxiety of committing grain you don’t have in your bins yet can deter this smart business decision. This is where crop insurance comes in. Mark Lipcaman, Regional Origination Manager, suggests thinking about crop insurance not just as an expense that rarely cashes in, but as an…
Some veterans in the ag industry are calling this spring a “100-year event.” Never in history has there been a year quite like this one. To complicate matters, the U.S.-China trade talks continue to struggle and tariffs have escalated once more, taking a toll on the markets. This rare triple-whammy (trade, markets, and weather) creates…
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.…
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…
When markets are bordering your break-even, it’s encouraging to hear from producers who are making it work. One straight-shooter on the speaking circuit is Matt Bennett. He grows corn and soybeans on a 3,000-acre farm in Illinois. For Bennett, it all comes down to staying focused and preparing for unforeseen opportunities. “We’re all under stress…
