Spring is officially upon us, though you could argue that it has been here since Christmas! I have seen equipment in the fields in Central Alberta since mid-March. Everyone wants to get the crop planted, but they realize the risks of seeding early. They may be out on the land more for their state of […] Read more
Marketing grain in a dry spring
Understanding Market Bulls and Bears: Dry early season weather can bring marketing opportunities. Be ready to take advantage
A six-month marketing check in
Looking back at recent market movements, what should you have done?
Looking back over the last six months, how did you do from a marketing perspective? The fastest way to assess this is to look at a couple of commodity price charts. You can find these charts and more online for free at tradingcharts.com. Wheat price First, let’s look at May Minneapolis wheat futures (see chart at […] Read more
Talking about the farm transition
Bring in the experts when it's time to talk about passing on the family farm
During the winter months, I spent a lot of time at conferences and meetings, often talking with farmers over lunches and breaks. One such conversation was around farm transition. I spoke with a couple in the process of taking over the family farm. The issue was two other siblings who worked off the farm. These […] Read more
Who’s selling the grain here?
This farm couple asks for another opinion about who should be marketing their grain
During the winter conference season I had several conversations with farmers over coffee and lunches. One farm couple brought me into their discussion around who should be marketing grain on their farm: the “farmer” husband or the “bookkeeping” wife? This couple has been married and farming for 15 plus years, with a couple of kids. […] Read more
Think twice before expanding your farm operation
Bigger or better? Sometimes it makes more sense to stay the size you are
Attending or speaking at conferences, meetings and seminars over the last few weeks I have had the opportunity to have numerous discussions with producers on a multitude of topics. Most of the discussions centered around what is going to happen in grain markets, what should they seed and when should they price their grain. As […] Read more
Market outlooks at Farm Tech 2016
Understanding Market Bulls and Bears: Two farm marketing experts were analyzing the markets in Edmonton in January
I attended Farm Tech 2016 in Edmonton this January to see the latest in Ag technology. This three-day ag information show was an early sellout once again, which shows just how popular it is. Those those attending the show are getting younger. On the technology side there continues to be exponential development in the areas […] Read more
Market life after the USDA report
The day that USDA crop reports are released is the most important day of the year
January 12, 2016, was the day that the United States Department of Agriculture came out with a number of reports covering intended seeded acres for U.S. winter wheat, 2015 production reports for both domestic and world grains and quarterly stocks and ending stocks reviews for U.S. and world grains. In the world of grain marketing […] Read more
Watch those pricing signs
Grade and protein spreads change during the year. Take advantage of change to increase your profits
My last column talked about futures spreads, and how you understand what’s happening in the marketplace by watching how and why spreads change over time. Now, a look at more pricing signals: grade and protein spreads. During the era of the Canadian Wheat Board, grade and protein spreads changed very little throughout the marketing year. The CWB, […] Read more
Your winter grain marketing plan
Watch the futures spread and the cost of carry to decide when to sell your grain
This winter, you should have time to take stock of your grain inventory, update your cost of production numbers and do some math to determine your true break-even costs. Do you have a marketing plan? Are you using it or reviewing it and making changes accordingly? Do you know your quantity and quality of your […] Read more
Agriculture on the Emerald Isle
Like farmers anywhere, Irish farmers are always eager to talk about agriculture
I recently had the great fortune and opportunity to spend two weeks traveling around Ireland with my wife Kim for our anniversary. Arriving in Dublin, we picked up our subcompact rental car and proceeded south along the coastline to Wexford. We stayed in a remodeled 13th century abbey on the edge of a small town. […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
