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…
