Every day, it seems there’s a new gadget that promises to help you farm—and they keep on coming. Last year alone, there were a record 580 investment deals betting money on the next tech device or computer program.1 As a producer, how do you weed through all the options for those worth your time and…
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…
Watching spring soybean markets, hoping positive price trends will last? Then you’ll be interested in an Average Seasonal Price contract that ADM is offering now through May 19. ASP™ helps you capture what is typically a June and July seasonally beneficial time frame to market new crop soybeans, based on the past 10 years of…
You’ve purchased inputs, your fuel tanks are full, and you’re ready to roll. In just days, you’ll be planting. But have you really prepared for a new crop year? Not without a marketing plan. A few hours of planning now will pay off later—maybe a lot. To help in the next crucial days, here are…
With a warmer-than-average winter across much of the U.S., you’re probably itching to get to the field. But don’t blow past an important date for the grain markets on March 31. That’s the day the USDA will release its Prospective Plantings report for 2017. Every year the report tends to provide direction to the market—up…
It’s a key time of year for your grain marketing. Your bins may be full and you’d prefer to sell before spring fieldwork has you completely occupied. It may also be a good time to contract some 2017 bushels. You’re in full gear-up mode transitioning your farm from one crop year to the next. Wouldn’t…
Welcome to 2017! We hope you’ve had a restful holiday season, and that you’re sticking to your New Year’s resolutions. Did you resolve to be more strategic in your grain marketing? It might be a good one to add to your list. Let’s admit it. Record harvests and supplies have created markets that are less…
In 2003, Michael Lewis authored Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. If you’ve seen the movie version, you know it’s based on the career of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane, who bucked conventional scouting by drafting players with a quiet, statistical edge. Rather than competing for stars, Beane—in a disadvantaged revenue situation…
You’ve just harvested your 2016 crops, and 2017 looms, with decisions on what to plant and production planning. You’re still working on selling this year’s crop, and on top of that, it’s tough to think about selling next year’s crop before it’s even in the ground. But as the CEO of your operation, you’re probably…
Grain markets have become terrifically complex over the past 20 years. It’s not just U.S. weather driving prices anymore; it’s a web of fluctuating data points like export demand, ethanol consumption, global crop outlooks, even politics. Add the movement of huge investment funds in and out of most markets, and you get rapid price swings…
