Economics
Market intelligence
In early October, when Wheat Life spoke to Arlan Suderman, it was too early for him to know exactly what he’ll be talking about at the convention later this month. In fact, depending on world headlines, he might be putting the pieces together at the very last minute so growers…
Shifting gears in farmland leasing
Growing up on the farm provided me with several opportunities to operate equipment with manual transmissions. Several sets of gears allowed the operator to find the very best speed/power for any circumstance, whether in the field or out on the road, empty or fully loaded with produce. One gear in…
The trend is your friend?
The title of this article is one of those catch phrases that you may have heard over the years. It relays the fact that to make money trading commodities, you will make money as long as your trades align with the trend: selling short in a downtrend and being long…
Marketing friend or foe?
I was asked if I would write an article explaining the basis relationship between soft white wheat (SWH) and CBOT wheat futures, so here we go! I felt that this relationship could be best explained if I compared/contrasted the hard red winter wheat (HRW) KCBOT basis relationship with the SWH…
Building a behavioral mindset for uncertain times
The inspiration for this article occurred on the convention floor of the recent Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting. This was a historical event as the CEO, Warren Buffett, announced his retirement. In his four hours of questions, answers, and profound thoughts, he mentioned managing a business in an unsettling type of…
Forward pricing: A neglected marketing tool
A question that I’ve used in the past as an ice breaker for discussion was, “Would you sell wheat if the market price was $10 a bushel?” Growers have actually had the opportunity to do this, and some of you may have accomplished this goal as prices went higher than…
Tips for surviving a difficult farm economy
The ag commodity market has never been for the faint of heart, and today’s farm economy is testing even the most seasoned farmers. Between rising input costs, low grain prices, and high interest rates, many producers are tightening belts and looking for every possible edge. Surviving — and even thriving…
Turbulent economics: It’s a time to buckle up
With over 10 million miles of air travel — equivalent to 18 trips to the moon and back — I still find turbulence unsettling. The same applies to managing an agricultural business amid today’s economic uncertainties, driven by geopolitics, conflicts, societal trends, and Mother Nature. Navigating this requires a focus…
Marketing at a glance
In mid-February, producers had the opportunity to hear marketing updates at both the macro and micro levels from two experts: Allison Thompson, owner of The Money Farm, and Randy Fortenbery, a professor and the Thomas B. Mick Endowed Chair in Grain Economics at Washington State University. The session was part…
5 ways to (finally) kick-start your financial plan
For many people, the idea of long-term financial planning may seem like that dentist visit or home repair project you keep putting off — you know you’ll have to do it eventually, but actually sitting down and organizing your budget, portfolio, estate, and retirement plans, all while juggling a career,…
