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…
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…
Going into a new crop year, you need some early wins, and February gives you the perfect chance to do that. How? By locking in lower fertilizer prices while also contracting some of your new-crop bushels in spring markets—typically some of the best of the year. With this combination—like playing both defense and offense—you can…
It was a challenging 2018. The year started with positive news: projections of record soy demand and weather issues in Argentina. But then we had a perfect storm: a trade war, a better-than-expected South American crop, and another huge U.S. harvest. Mid-summer saw a dramatic drop in commodity prices that’s still trying to recover. When…
Ready for some good news for a change? This was a challenging year for markets, but if seasonal trends hold true, we may have weathered the weakest months. Opportunities have come around again to jump on spring prices for some of your 2019 crop. Because stronger markets typically happen early in the crop year when…
A record harvest along with lingering trade uncertainty have weighed on markets. But as you continue to farm, there’s one thing you have to fall back on: discipline—doing the right things, step by step. It’s not too early to estimate 2019 acreage and yield, then sketch out a preliminary grain marketing plan. By planning now,…
ADM has announced it’s working with Cargill to develop information technology that will give farmers powerful insights into their production economics, and consolidate grain marketing activities into a single digital platform.
With harvest underway, hopefully your 2018 grain marketing plan is still in place, guiding you on whether to sell or store the extra bushels in this large harvest. Successful businesses continually review their wins and losses so they can move forward with a better plan. We take up the challenge of evaluating your grain marketing…
In this farm economy, you’re looking to reduce costs on anything you can. With fertilizer making up one-third of your input costs for corn and soybeans, this is a great place to start. Locking in a good price when fertilizer markets move lower– plus buying –can help you reap dramatic savings. You also gain control…
With cash rents, repair bills, and other expenses coming due, you may be anxious to sell some of your harvest grain. But a cash-only sale has a drawback: you walk away from potential upside in the market. And storing that grain has its own risks. Now there are two alternatives. Here to walk through two…
