The Ag View Pitch: Recent Episodes
Ag View Pitch
Providing value to our clients and producers with a variety of interviews and farm related discussion from a grower and marketer perspective.
Ben Gorden with Fractal Ag visits with Chris on current land value trends and opportunities for accessing additional capital.
Topics of discussion include:
- Current Farmland values.
- Pent up supply.
- Impact of interest rates to investors and farmers.
- Who might be a “fit” to access through Fractal?
There is an upcoming webinar on June 26 at 8 AM with Fractal Ag. “How much land are you prepared to buy this year?”
Jarod Creed and Andy Hruby have conversation about any rally opportunities in the coming weeks, and how crop insurance can help protect some of those decisions.
Joe Vaclavik visits with Chris in this week's market outlook.
Joe and Chris discuss current crop conditions and the potential for a large crop assuming good summer weather.
They go on to discuss the upcoming USDA report on Wednesday along with the upcoming June 28th planted acres report.
Joe and Chris continue the discussion around a number of barish factors for the market as we head into the next couple of months. However, it will be a long growing season and they’re still could be something ahead that could give us some short-term price strength.
Stay tuned!
Jim McCormick with AgMarket.Net visits with Chris in this week's market outlook.
In this week’s discussion Jim and Chris talk about the slow planting pace and the possibility that there could be as many as 9 million acres yet to be planted.
However, we’ve seen a significant price decline from the May highs, so there are other factors the market may be considering as we move forward from the planting issues.
Jim goes on to hit on a number of Market fundamentals, including Fund positioning, geopolitical issues, zero Chinese demand - to date, and the soon to come crop ratings that could give us some market strength; depending on what crop condition ratings show in the weeks ahead.
Jim also points out some observation from the commercials which indicate that farmers are still likely holding as much as 25% -30% of their old crop corn, and as much as 10 to 15% of soybeans.
New crop sales also lag with commercial perspective that farmers are only 9% sold on corn and 7% sold on soybeans. Finally, Jim points out the importance of getting your offers in place as many times the market will give you an opportunity, but it’s often short-lived and in the night trade.
Jarod Creed visits with Chris in this week’s market outlook. Planting conditions are still a struggle in many areas. However, there are other drivers in the market currently that could be giving us current price strength. The wheat market is one of the key factors that Jerod points out. Plus, there may be some technical that could provide some pricing opportunities.
Jerod goes on to explain a number of scenarios that we may see as we head through the growing season.
Jared also talks through some strategies to consider as you work toward pricing the 2024 crop and possibly even 2025 crop.
Paul Neiffer visits with Chris in this episode of The Ag View Pitch.
Paul provides an update on specifics in the new farm bill from the House side of the legislature. Now the debate begins the Senate.
Andy “Caygeon” Junkin visits with Chris in this episode around the topic of family succession.
Andy explains some of the key challenges with family Farm succession.
In this conversation, Caygeon and Chris delve into key challenges that derail many Family Farm operations due to poor communication, lack of empathy, trust issues, narcissism, and most importantly, just being plain stubborn!
Caygeon says, “that when you point the finger at someone, remember that there are always three fingers pointing back at you!”
Even if you currently have a succession plan, this is a must listen podcast to make sure your farm operation is successful for generations to come.
We will be following up with future episodes, both on The Ag View Pitch and 19 Minutes.
If you would like a free audio, copy of Andy “Caygeon” Junkin’s book STUBBORN you can listen to it here: www.stubborn.farm/stubbornbook
Ryan Moe talks with Chris in this week's Market Outlook.
They discuss the delayed planting and the possible price increase that it still may bring in the market.
However, prices will likely be limited as farmer sales seem to provide a wet blanket over any price increases.
If we do see some price strength due to slower planting pace, producers may want to consider getting their offers in to take advantage of what might be a short-term pricing opportunity.
Andy Hruby and Joe Paulson hook up to have a conversation about how they ended up where they are today. They talk about everything from collaboration to the importance of charting your own course in life. You can reach Andy at andy@agviewsolutions.com and you can reach Joe at joe@agviewsolutions.com.
Jim McCormick with agmarket.net joined Andy Hruby to discuss Friday's WASDE report and watch outs around spring rallies with things producers need to be keeping an eye on as planting progress continues.
Troy Deutmeyer visits with Chris about the recent planting delays and some of the key agronomic principles in a wet and delayed environments.
The discussion includes the following topics:
- Compaction penalties versus calendar date.
- When is it time to go to earlier maturity hybrids?
- Seeding populations on late planting dates.
- Seed treatment benefits.
- Insecticide rates with corn on corn and later planting dates.
- Potential nitrogen loss: Leaching and volatilization.
- Potential future disease pressures to watch for.
- Crop protection and weed control: pre-emerge and post emerge applications.
- Replant decisions.
- Calendar dates and population considerations.
Paul Neiffer visits with Chris on the differences between the House and Senate’s new farm bill proposals.
- Discussion on the differences between the Senate and House Farm Bills, focusing on ARC and PLC programs, with the House version generally offering more favorable terms for farmers.
- Exploration of payment limitations in the Farm Bill, discussing potential impacts on farmers based on income and ownership structures, with a critical view on the Senate’s proposals.
- Discussion on how crop insurance may be impacted by the new farm bill.
- Debate over the national debt and its sustainability, with a focus on the implications of continuous borrowing and the need for fiscal responsibility.
- Discussion on agricultural practices and policies, including the need for farmers to adapt to new regulations and practices to stay competitive and sustainable
This week Matt Bennett from Agmarket.net and Joe discuss this week's market news. Matt and Joe discuss everything from planting progress to dollar strength and how these things could impact the market next week.
Jarod Creed and Pete Meyer visit Chris in this episode of The Ag View Pitch. They discuss the April 30th press release from the US Department of Treasury regarding SAF (sustainable aviation fuel.) They proceed in detail to discuss what 45Z might look like along with some of the challenges and opportunities.
- Challenges and complexities in implementing and adapting to agricultural policies and practices aimed at sustainability and environmental responsibility.
- Discussion focuses on agricultural practices like no-till and cover crops, emphasizing the need for nitrogen management and the use of stabilizers to prevent environmental impact.
Wheat and weather seem to be the center of conversation this past week, will the Midwest receive the forecasted amounts of rain over the weekend and into next week, and will the wheat markets rally spill over into the corn and bean markets this upcoming week???
Shay talks with Ken Stewart on Peer Groups as a business leader, and specifically faith-based peer groups.
They discuss the function, overview, and key aspects and benefits a peer group provides participants.
If you have any questions, please contact Shay at (319)-464-5708 or if you’re interested in joining a Convene group call Ken at 309-256-5068
Joe Paulson and Jeremy Doetch have a conversation around what good communication with your lender should look like and what types of things need to be communicated from both sides of the table.
Jeff Fichtelman joins Chris in this week's Market Outlook.
- Planting Conditions
Discussion on the current planting conditions in Ohio and the impact of weather patterns on planting progress. Concerns about rain and soil conditions affecting the planting schedule were highlighted. - Market Concerns
The conversation touched on the lack of concerns regarding the agricultural market’s response to current planting conditions and the potential impact on prices. - Basis and Pricing Strategy
An in-depth analysis of the basis and pricing strategies for crops, emphasizing the importance of setting targets for selling crops and managing the basis effectively. - Impact of Global Events
Discussion on how global events, specifically tensions between Israel and Iran, could impact the agricultural markets and commodity prices. - 2024 Crop Planning
Strategies for the 2024 crop, including sales and planting decisions, were discussed, with an emphasis on the low percentage of crops currently sold for 2024. - Yield Enhancement Techniques
Exploration of techniques and advancements in agriculture aimed at enhancing crop yields, particularly in the face of challenging weather conditions. - 19 Minutes Subscription
Promotion of the ‘19 Minutes’ subscription service, which offers detailed episodes on various agricultural topics, including labor, cost production analysis, and the economics of biologicals. The service aims to provide deeper insights for business-minded individuals in the agricultural sector. - Sign-Up For 19 Minutes
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Mark Welch, Texas A&M, Extension Marketing Specialist, visits with Chris in this week’s market Outlook. Planted acres will still be the big question this year as the market observes planting progress over the next several weeks. Mark explains some historical numbers on “total acres” along with some of the decisions that producers are making as we work through this planting season across the US. Mark and Chris address some of the challenges with Marketing the 2023 crop. Managing basis will be critical, especially as we get further into the growing season and closer to the 2024 crop. Mark and Chris discuss some of the tactics that producers may want to consider as they begin to price 2024 crop. Producers may be in a position that requires recalibrating our expectations too much lower price levels. Taking advantage of small rallies that don’t last long, might be the key to successful marketing this year.
Troy Deutmeyer area Agronomist with Pioneer visits with Chris in this spring agronomy update.
They start the conversation discussing the keys to effective tillage. One of the keys areas Troy talks about is the importance of running the tillage tool in the same direction as the planter. He goes on to talk about several other factors around planting into strip till.
They go onto discuss the importance of planter settings. Managing the row, cleaners, seeding depth, spacing, variable rate, seeding, and soil conditions.
They continue discussing crop protection and managing your sprayer passes.
They wrap up the conversation discussing importance of managing your ROI as you make decisions on certain products for your crop.
Duane Lowry is visiting Chris in this week's Market Outlook.
Chris quizzes Duane on some of the key fundamentals to watch, as we head into spring planting season.
Duane acknowledges the burdensome supply of grain, which is one of the key factors pressuring the market. However, he explains several opportunities that could give us a short window of pricing opportunity.
The upside price opportunities are likely limited. However, Duane sees the importance of having targets in play and being willing to get some level of new crop priced during these opportunities, especially during the planting season.
They go on to discuss energy prices, summer weather, possible acreage shifts, geopolitical possibilities, and Fund positioning as we continue through the year.
Shay and Chris introduce Andy Hruby and Joe Paulson.
Andy and Joe now take on the role as the newest team members with Ag View Solutions.
Both Andy and Joe introduce themselves. They both explain their farming operations and how they got started working with Ag View Solutions.
Andy and Joe will play an intricate role with the team. They will be working with individual farm operations on collaboration, transition, succession planning, profit manager, and peer group facilitation.
Finally, in the discussion, Shay announces that he will away on a military deployment. Shay is part of the Illinois National Guard and will be away for an indefinite period of time. However, once Shay is back, he will pick up his role where he left off.
In the meantime:
Chris, Andy, and Joe will back Shay up while he is away.
We are so thankful for Shay and his military service, and all who bravely and selflessly serve our country!
Please reach out if any of you have questions.
Joe visits with Chris in this week’s weekly market Outlook.
Joe breaks down the numbers from the crop production and supply & demand reports.
Chris quizzes Joe on what the potential acre mix could mean to the markets moving forward in the next couple of months.
Demand continues to be extremely dismal with no changes expected.
Weather is still a potential threat within key production areas being very dry; however, markets are unlikely to move without BIG production issues.
If production issues do arise, they will likely be short-lived, in terms of pricing opportunities. Joe points out that producers will need to be aggressive to take advantage of profit margins, if and when they come.
Chris and Joe wrap up the conversation, talking about outside markets, including interest rates, energy prices, and currencies.
Jarod Creed With, JC Marketing visits with Chris in this week’s market Outlook.
They start the conversation talking about how the cost of production in 2024 has not reduced much from the costs in 2023.
Producers are struggling with the fact that crop budgets are in the red and it will take increased yields to bring the cost of production down this year to get in line with current market prices.
Their conversation continues at length discussing numerous options to consider in order to capture some success out amongst all the challenges that we face as we head into spring planting.
Setting a margin target, being disciplined, and taking on a modest opportunity may be a huge win for 2024.
Nobody knows where price levels could go on spring rally; however, the risk on the other side of the equation is significant!
Implications of the spring planting pace, planting intentions report, and what’s on the ethanol producers mind around carbon credits.
Mike Oberbroeckling from Garnavillo Iowa visits with Chris in this episode of Dads Wisdom.
Mike talks about the history of his farming career and some of the lessons he learned from his dad along the way.
Mike goes on to talk about the extreme importance of his wife and family and the many of the lessons learned over his career of farming.
Mike emphasizes the importance of learning from your mistakes, staying at challenging projects, and putting the time in necessary to create a successful business.
When asked about a biggest mistake; his answer rhymed with what many producers say. “They wish they would’ve bought more farmland during the course of their career.”
Mike has had an extremely successful operation and his two boys are continuing to grow the operation today with a phenomenal team of employees.
There are many of tidbits of wisdom that you’ll be able to capture in this episode! ENJOY!
Dr. Kurt House with Medical Associates of Independence Iowa, visits with Chris about the most important piece of equipment on your farm.
We don’t think twice about changing the oil on our tractor timely or greasing machines daily to keep all of our equipment in top-notch shape.
How are you doing with your body? It’s the one piece of equipment that has the most value on your entire farm.
Unfortunately, many people neglect the most important piece of equipment with the excuse of “not enough time”, or “simply not a priority.”
This is a conversation around some tactics that can help you to improve yourself from a health perspective.
Not taking care of yourself now can be an expensive endeavor later on in life. It’s not any different than not caring for your equipment.
Dr. House and Chris go on to discuss some key things that can change your life by creating a healthy environment for yourself and ensure that you’re around to enjoy farming as long as you want, before you pass it along to the next generation.
The key topics discussed include exercise, sleep, nutrition, water intake, mental health, and safety.
Investing time in your health, both physically, and mentally will impact the bottom line of your business financially faster than investing in any other piece of equipment on the farm.
Mike Finley visits with Chris on the idea of investing intelligently and creating wealth that will provide a successful retirement plan for you and your entire family!
This conversation is an update from a prior Ag View Pitch podcast created almost 2 years ago that has helped many producers to build wealth outside of their farming operations.
As you invest into your future are you doing it in a way that is helping you and your family? Or instead, are you helping your personal financial planner / broker through hidden fees and loads?
Check out this podcast and learn how to take care of yourself instead of the financial industry.
Crazy Man In the Pink Wig (crazymanpinkwig.com)
Jeremy Doetch with German American Bank in northern Illinois, talks with Chris about the State of the Ag Economy. Chris and Jeremy discussed in detail the position many lenders are in currently, as they navigate interest rate inversion, inflation, and customers that are facing a challenging year ahead, due to significantly reduced commodity prices. They go on in the second half of the conversation to talk about headwinds that farmers are facing. They discussed some of the keys to ensure that your individual credit quality meets the expectations of lenders.Sign-Up For 19 Minutes: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/19-minutes/subscribe
Today Joe has a chat with Greg Mcbride. Joe and Greg discuss the March WASDE report and the importance of having a plan to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves.
Today Joe Paulson sits down with Brent Judisch with P&K Midwest about spring preparations.
In this episode Brent talks about best practices in getting planters, sprayers, tractors, and tillage pieces ready to go.
In this episode of the Weekly Market Outlook, we have a discussion with Jarod Creed about not necessarily bullish news but lack of additional bearish news. If this is a short-term bottom and we get a rally, we need to be ready to pull the trigger on sales.
Shay talks with Jarod Creed on the ways Margin Protection is influencing current producer decisions, considerations for the year ahead, and some helpful examples to better understand it's use as a hedge in your operation.
In today’s Weekly Market Outlook, we have a conversation with Jim McCormick of AgMarket.Net.
With March unpriced basis contracts coming due plus option expiration does this portend a short-term bottom with a bounce in corn prices.
If so, farmers need to be quick to take advantage of this. We also discuss some options for unsold 2023 corn.
Shay talks with a co-founder, Charles, and also the Director of Sales, TJ, on what the Farmers Business Network is, it's history, and why you should consider how their business may fit into your operational needs.
Jeff Fichtelman visits with Chris in this week’s Market outlook episode.
Jeff talks about how the Funds continue to add to their short positions, pressuring price levels.
The funds continue to follow the trend lower and seemingly increase the price pressure as they add to their short positions.
Fortunately, some areas are starting to have improving basis levels, however; if prices do start to rebound, these basis levels will evaporate rapidly.
Jeff goes on to explain the phenomenon called “price decision fatigue.”
He points out that many producers mentally have decided not to make sales until the market rebounds. Unfortunately, the price has done nothing but go down systematically since late October. This downward trend has created the situation that mini producers are paralyzed and not willing to make sales at this point.
Jeff challenges producers to make a sale at some point on old crap bushels in order to at least price some bushels with the hopes of that being the “worst sale” of the remaining bushels. Conversely, if the price does go lower at least you’ve got some sales on the books.
With the funds being short and producers having a huge volume of old crop corn on hand, the likelihood of much of a price increase is limited.
Matt Bennett with AgMarket.Net visits with Chris in this weeks episode.
Matt and Chris discuss the market pressures that continue to weigh on prices.
As we are working through the February crop insurance price discovery for corn and soybeans; Matt and Chris discuss some of the possibilities and potential considerations as we move toward the March decision timeframe.
They go onto to discuss outside fundamentals, such as the funds taking on additional short positions potentially, weather in South America, basis levels, and demand pressures.
They wrap up the conversation discussing some practical considerations for 2024 along with some considerations for offloading, the balance of the 2023 crop as opportunities “hopefully” present themselves.
Shay and Nick discuss Harvest Profit, things affecting the industry of agriculture, and some practices we use for thinking about business decision-making, knowing ourselves, and more. Enjoy and please share!
Jarod Creed with JC Marketing, visits with Chris in this week’s episode.
At the beginning of the February price discovery for crop insurance; corn comes in around $4.77 while soybeans come in around $11.70.
Jarod and Chris discussed the possibility of market movers during the month of February, however, unless the Funds begin to lighten up on short positioning, all other prospects for moving the markets higher look bleak currently.
Additionally, with the massive amount of old crop corn still in farmers hands, it makes any price increase extremely difficult.
The balance of the conversation revolves around strategies to consider with your crop insurance plans.
Jarod goes on to explain numerous programs which are available through different insurance companies in order to minimize risk as think through the best decisions to protect your farms bottom line.
Ryan Moe guest hosts this episode with Scott Klososky (Founder of Future Point of View) which was recorded at the Ag View Executive Business Conference.
Scott explains the current and future uses of AI and the impact it could have on our businesses. We are in the midst of rapid changes in technology.
Scott explains some of the opportunities and challenges with the technology. Either way it’s coming fast!
Ryan Moe guest hosts this conversation with Jason Kuhn former Division 1 Athlete, and Navy SEAL Sniper.
Jason gives brief story of his process to becoming a Navy SEAL and how some of the lessons learned can be applied in our ag businesses.
Jason gave an extremely motivational and impacting presentation at the Ag View Executive Business Conference, this discussion is a short summary of some of what he talked about at the conference.
Ben Gordon with Fractal Agriculture discusses the ideas behind equity capital in agriculture, why it could be important in the years ahead, and information on the upcoming webinar he will be hosting with Shay and 2 other industry figures. You can sign up for the February 22nd webinar here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/4017056278050/WN_CkwKhsXRQC6f0oeike4qSA#/registration
Joe Vaclavik guest host this week’s Market Outlook episode from the Ag View Executive Business Conference in Phoenix Arizona.
Joe talks with Jarod Creed and Peter Meyer. They take a look ahead and discuss some of the opportunities and challenges over the next few weeks as we try to dig out of continued low price action.
Clark Neighbors with BIS Commodities in Cedar Rapids Iowa visits with Chris in this week’s episode. Chris starts with the key question: What is the “magic corn price” that farmers would be willing to let go of the 2023 crop? Farmers seem to have a minimum target of $5 per bushel on farm price for the balance of inventory. However, is that realistic and how do we navigate basis to get to that net value? Clark provides some perspective on what some of the trigger points might be for producers to begin to move the balance of grain inventory. Several of those factors include, cash flow needs, the Calendar, basis opportunities, and the cost of storage versus the carry in the market. They continue the conversation with the following topics of discussion. Interest rates Energy prices Commitment of trader's report Geopolitical situations Demand They wrap up the conversation, discussing some potential targets and the importance of paying attention for opportunities on the 2024 crop.
Shay talks with Mike Downey of Next gen Ag Advocates on transition planning, how to get started, and what to consider in 2024 and beyond. They also touch on investing off the farm with farmer groups.
In today’s weekly market outlook, we have a conversation with Peter Meyer and Jarod Creed about the series of USDA reports that came out on Friday. Although the initial reaction by the market was bearish, it did recover a bit at the end. But the tone is not bullish and there is a lot of corn stored by farmers that needs to be sold. We also discuss the outlook for corn versus beans for 2024 and the trend appears to be moving to corn.
Damian Mason Author, Business of Agriculture Podcaster, and National Speaker visits with Chris in this episode. Doing business better is the theme of this entire conversation. Chris pulls out 4 key elements of Damian‘s book titled “Do Business Better” and questions Damian on the applications of these topics in order to help farmers do business better as we head into 2024. Chris dives into a discussion with Damian on the following. 1. Get Better 2. Four Traits to Success. a. Risk tolerance. b. Drive. c. Resilience. d. Vision. 3. Treat Time Like Money. 4. Know Money or (You’ll Have No Money.)Sign-Up For 19 Minutes: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/19-minutes/subscribe
Jeff Fichtelman with interactiveag.com visits with Chris in this week's episode.
Jeff provides some excellent perspective on the importance of recalibrating your mindset with where the corn and soybean markets have been versus where they are now.
He walks through some of the key principles needed to take advantage of small opportunities as they arise in this new marketing environment.
Chris asks for some perspective on dealing with the glut of old-crop corn that many producers are still sitting on.
Jeff explains the importance of managing the carry in the market in concert with basis opportunities, and the perspective or potential value of using call options on a percentage of old crop sales to leave some level of upside open.
No recommendations here just some excellent perspective.
The conversation continues with a brief discussion around additional market, influences: The Funds and demand prospects. IE China.
They wrap up the conversation by discussing opportunities for 2024, including some discussion around the corn and soybean acre mix.
Matt Bennett, with AgMarket.Net visits with Chris on this week's market outlook.
The conversation begins with a discussion around the possibility of pricing opportunities in the first half of January.
They go on to talk about some of the opportunities and challenges that could come out of the upcoming January 12 USDA report.
The balance of the conversation consists of discussions around the funds, money flow, US dollar weakness, and the importance of managing your numbers on your own operation to take advantage of profit opportunities when they present themselves.
They wrap up the conversation talking about the 2024 acre mix possibilities between corn and soybeans.
Chris and Shay join each other in conversation; each with their top 5 lessons learned in the past year.
Neither Shay nor Chris knows each other’s lessons learned before the recording which makes this an interesting conversation as they share their lessons from the past year.
Get a pen and paper out and jot down the 10 lessons as Shay and Chris share their list with each other and compare those with the lessons you have learned in your operation over the past year.
We encourage you to share your lessons with us and provide any feedback, so that we can all benefit from lessons learned in 2023.
Chip Flory with AgriTalk visits with Chris in this week’s episode.
Chris begins with a question for Chip on how to navigate all of the noise and opinions around Marketing. Chip provides some excellent perspective on navigating your information sources.
Chris continues the conversation around the challenge of the 2023 unsold bushel. Chip provides perspective around the importance of “controlling your inventory.” Setting a price and opening the upside potential as one key consideration in the discussion.
Chris paints a scenario in the event we see a price rally for the 2024 crop in January. They discuss possibilities and the importance of capturing profitability and limiting risk.
They also discuss a number of other areas, including export demand, current and future possibilities from sustainable airplane fuel, inflation outlook, and interest rates.
They wrap up the conversation talking about the acre mix possibilities as we head into 2024.
Jarod Creed with JC Marketing visits with Chris in this week’s episode.
This discussion is a three-part conversation that starts with opportunities to consider for the 2024 marketing year.
- Jarod explains several strategies to minimize risk in the 2024 season.
- Jarod and Chris, discuss the challenges and opportunities as growers navigate pricing the remaining production from the 2023 season.
- Jarod and Chris discuss some interesting observations as producers begin conversations with lenders on loan renewals. Some startling reductions in working capital are beginning to show up on some balance sheets for a number of reasons. They go on to discuss some of the factors influencing the working capital reduction.
Garret Brown with Codak Risk Advisory, codakgroup.com, visits with Chris in this week's Market Outlook.
Garret begins the conversation with a breakdown of some of the key components from last week's WASDE report.
Garret goes onto to explain the strength in the wheat market and the importance of the recent Chinese demand.
The conversation continues with discussion around Fund positioning along with various other fundamentals, impacting the markets.
Some outside macro conditions to pay attention to include energy prices, currencies, export demand, and potentially South American weather developments.
They go on to discuss considerations around opportunities and challenges with pricing the remainder of 2023 crop.
They wrap up the conversation discussing margin opportunities for the 2024 crop production year.
Lewis Stearns with progressive Crop Solutions doesn't need his work to be sexy- he needs it to to work. And his work is putting your data to work for you. We are all guilty of not managing our farm data like we should, and Lewis and his team work with farms to get them where they need to eb, and provide a stand-alone report card on how your business and farm is doing, without telling you how to farm. Today Shay and Lewis discuss some key objectives for the year ahead, and address common questions and challenges faced in farm data.
2024 mistakes to avoid:
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Mislabeling Products- clean data in, clean data out
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Calibrations- recalibrate con every 5% moisture and between hybrids
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Multiple Machine calibrations and data management post or mid-harvest
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Improper Storage of historical information
We need to add a new "basic" level of farm management to the playbook- fertility, pH, drainage, timeliness, and now data management.
You can reach Lewis at lewis.stearns@progressivecrops.com or check out the website at progressivecrops.com
Sign-Up For 19 Minutes: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/19-minutes/subscribe
Jim McCormick with AgMarket.Net visits with Chris in this week's episode.
The conversation revolves around the following theme. There are significant similarities this year to what we saw in 2013. This doesn’t necessarily mean we will see the exact same scenarios play out however, there are significant conditions that rhyme with 2013 and create a risky scenario that producers will need to navigate in the coming weeks and months in order to mitigate risk and capture subtle Profit opportunities.
The conversation weaves through several topics to pay attention to including commercial positions, managing basis, opportunities, South American weather, fund positioning, and possible export demand.
They go on discussing the idea that managing risk going into 2024 will be paramount as you look at your marketing plan and consider the price levels that work on your individual farm. They wrap up the conversation talking about several possibilities that could give us strength in the grain Markets however, setting your price targets and limiting downside risk is advisable with the potential headwinds of 2024.
Pete Meyer visits with Chris in this week's episode.
They start the conversation discussing recent volatility in the Soybean market.
What would it take to break out of the current price range and how much impact is South American weather having?
Peter does make the comment to be careful in “weather markets” and take advantage of rallies when opportunities present themselves.
They go on to discuss some practical decision considerations in order to take advantage of carry in the market, while at the same time, factoring in interest rates, storage cost, and cash flow needs.
They wrap up the conversation discussing the general economy, the value of the dollar, energy prices, geopolitical issues, inflation, interest rates, and the stock market.
Ryan Moe with Stone X visits with Chris in this week’s market outlook.
Producers in the east, continue harvesting high yields, high moistures, and running out of space.
Producers in the west, have shut the Bin doors and are struggling with what to do with unsold bushels.
Ryan expects the Funds to have very limited and light trade in the upcoming week, and possibly as we head toward the end of the year as many traders are exiting commodity positions for the time being.
Ryan goes on to explain the fact that end-users have plenty of grain, but do not have the ownership. Capturing strong basis levels as we move forward in time now may become more of a challenge, especially in the east.
Some pricing opportunities could possibly arise if we see continued weather issues in South America. However, Ryan points out the fact that there is such a massive production area in South America now that short term rallies in the market are opportunities to continue selling both old crop and 2024 crop.
Thanksgiving is this week and it’s the time to reflect on the past year and the upcoming year.
We are so blessed in agriculture that: “We get to do what we love.” Be sure to take some time with family and talk about your blessings and what you are thankful for.
Jarod Creed with JC Ag Financial visits with Chris on this week's episode.
The conversation begins with a discussion around final harvest results as many producers wrap up the 2023 harvest with a few areas still challenged with wet grain conditions.
Jarod reviews last week's WASDE report and talks about what it might mean for producers in the months ahead.
They go on to discuss numerous other topics, which include South American weather, Chinese demand, and the funds.
The balance of the conversation involves a detailed discussion around numerous considerations as producers do the math in order to decide how to market the remainder of the 2023 grain inventory while facing a bleak price picture.
Numerous layers factor in the discussion, as producers will need to balance opportunities with flat price, basis levels, storage cost, interest rates, inflation, market carry, and cash flow needs.
Mark Welch, Grain Marketing Economist at Texas A&M visits with Chris in this week's episode.
Mark starts the conversation talking about the issue of having a large carry over in corn. Coupled with limited demand. Price pressure on corn is likely to persist.
Mark goes on to discuss some considerations and the importance of taking advantage of short-term price rallies and feeding the market along the way.
Mark also hits on the idea that farmers need to pay close attention to managing their line of credit, interest rates, basis levels, and cash flow.
From Mark’s perspective, soybeans, may have more opportunity for price, strength than corn based on fundamental information.
They continue the conversation discussing management considerations for 2024 input purchasing, and Marketing.
Mark wraps up the conversation with Chris on the perspective that everyone should know: "What price they can’t sell for.” In other words, what price “does work "and where is the danger zone that you need to have Sales made?
Joe Vaclavik with Standard Grain talks with Chris in this episode as producers continue to chip away at harvest.
They start the conversation around harvest progress but lean into what has become the biggest question for many producers. “What should I do with my unpriced bushels? This is a huge question for many producers with a lot of things to take into account as these decisions are made. When to sell, and what is the appropriate price levels? Careful consideration is needed on numerous variables, such as interest rates, storage cost, average selling price, tax considerations, and cash flow needs.
They continue the conversation around some potential demand improvements, which could possibly include some South American weather challenges during their growing season.
They wrap up the conversation discussing some of the technicals around possible price movement and ask the question: “What is a low price in the future?” “Have we reached a new plateau which could limit the downside?
Jim McCormick with AgMarket.Net visits with Chris in this episode as harvest continues and Jim questions whether or not the harvest low is in? As we enter the last week of crop insurance price discovery, it looks as if corn will land somewhere around $4.90 while soybeans well land likely in the area of $12.74. As of this recording, there are still seven days of price discovery, but it is unlikely the prices will move very much from here. Chris and Jim go on to discuss the one day price run up that we saw last week and question the idea of pricing when these short-term opportunities present themselves. Jim talks about the challenges of out producing the current demand, along with the challenges of moving grain with record low river levels. They also discuss the importance of doing your algebra in calculating the following variables such as basis, carry, interest rates, logistics, storage cost, and your cash flow needs. One potential bright spot could be challenges with South American weather however, that is still yet to be seen. They wrap up the conversation on the importance of considering matching up your input purchases with some sales to lay off risk for the 2024 season. If you’d like to reach out to Jim, you can contact him at: jmccormick@AgMarket.Net
Jarod Creed with JC Ag Financial Services talks with Chris in this episode about key marketing topics as we progress deeper into harvest season. They both talk about harvest updates for themselves and clients. Many producers are pleasantly surprised with yields higher than expectation in both corn and soybeans. However, there are still some areas where yields are falling short in some of the extreme dry areas. Jarod makes note of the current insurance fall discovery price for both corn and soybeans. Corn is at $4.90 while soybeans are at $12.74 ending the first week of October. They go on to discuss some of the probabilities from the USDA report coming up on Thursday, October 12th. Jarod also dives into some of the following topics to pay attention to in the next couple of weeks.
- Fund positioning.
- Basis management.
- Current energy markets.
- Managing interest rates / cash flow, market carry, and your harvest logistics.
If you have questions for Jarod, you can reach him at: jarod@eliteagins.com
Shay and Paul discuss payment in kind and charitable contributions and where they might be a fit in your farm and family.
Clark Neighbor, President at BIS Commodities in Cedar Rapids, Iowa visits with Chris about numerous marketing fundamentals to watch as we get deeper into harvest and beyond.
- Harvest progress.
- USDA, Quarterly Stocks report details.
- Managing unsold bushels / Storage.
- Technical price ranges to pay attention to.
- Impact of low river levels on grain movement.
- Doing your math: managing carry in the market, storage cost, interest rates, basis, and cash flow.
- Lack of export demand.
- Crops growing in South America.
- Fund positioning for both corn and soybeans.
- Stay safe, this harvest season!
Mitchell Hora with Continuum Ag talks about how to take advantage of funds coming to agriculture in the Inflation Reduction Act and the implications to Renewable Fuels. Learn how your farm can take advantage and get paid, and what you need to be doing RIGHT NOW for 2024 and 2025.
Actionables:
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Get your Carbon Intensity score (CI)
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Talk to your processors, ask the 5 P's
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What is your CI program?
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What will your premium be?
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How will I get paid?
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What pilots programs are in place now?
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Who are you partnering with on software or data collection?
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Start implementing, documenting, and testing your practices NOW
topsoil.ag
continuum.ag
Jarod Creed with JC Marketing visits with Chris and Guest Host, Joe Paulson, farmer from DeKalb County Illinois. They begin the conversation discussing early harvest results that seem to be extremely variable across the country. Joe leads with the question around basis levels and what we can expect not only during harvest but throughout the next several months as we finish out 2023, and begin early 2024. Jarod talks about the “very” low river levels, regional yield differences, and the impact this could have on basis both short and long-term. They also discuss whether or not the recent price pressure on corn and soybeans will continue or worsen as we head into the gut slot of harvest. The balance of the discussion revolves around your crop insurance, indemnity potential’s for 2023 and an in-depth discussion on what margin protection MP could protect as you think about risk management for 2024. Jarod does an excellent job of mapping out two different scenarios so that you understand the math behind margin protection. This podcast is also on YouTube so if you’d like to see the visual of that portion of the conversation, check it out on YouTube also.
Peter Meyer with S&P Global talks with Chris about a number of market conditions to focus on as we get deeper into harvest. The conversation starts with Peter unwinding some of the results from last weeks. USDA report. He explains the increase in planted acres for corn and the justification for USDA’s average yield numbers. Peter sees the market, continuing in a “tight trading range” for both corn and soybeans as we transition from September into October. Light trading volume and limited demand make it difficult for the market to go up, conversely, he doesn’t see much downside risk at this time either. They continue the conversation discussing demand issues and opportunities. Peter cautions producers to watch 2024 opportunities closely, as our ability to “over produce” should be a real concern with the quality of today’s genetics, and production techniques, even in the face of weather adversities. They wrap up the conversation discussing Argentina and Brazil competition, and the importance that renewable fuel demand will have for corn and soybean prices into the future, but it still may be late 2024 or into 2025 before this opportunity is truly realized.
Ryan Moe with Stone X visits with Chris about numerous market conditions to watch as we head through the early part of harvest. Here’s a list of the numerous topics from their discussion.
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Crop conditions. The corn is “dying not drying” in many areas. And soybean yield prospects are still a mystery.
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Early harvest markets.
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Storing corn versus soybeans.
4.Fall basis levels.
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Processor and Elevator perspective.
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Potential demand opportunities. 7. Fertilizer prices for 2024. 8. 2024 pricing outlook and the keys to managing margins for profitability.
This is a special 19 minutes episode being shared on The Ag View Pitch platform.
Chris and Alissa both share their experience of working together to understand each other's personal and professional goals in their business and personal lives.
We hope this is an excellent example for you as the listener to do this exercise in your own, lives to help improve communication, family life, and business life.
We always remind people of the importance of spending time working “on” your business and not just “in” your business. The same logic applies to your relationships especially with your spouse. The idea here is not only to work “in” your relationship with your spouse but also to take time to work “on” your relationship with your spouse. This is a great episode to listen together with your spouse as a team and then take action!
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Brent Judisch, farmer and John Deere representative visits with Chris about crop conditions and updates on some of the most important settings to pay attention to as you get your combine rolling this harvest.
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In today's weekly market outlook, we have a discussion with Joe Vaclavik on whether a farmer should be rooting for $4.50 or $5.50 corn during October for crop insurance purposes. We also go over the soybean balance sheet outlook and review how Brazil is now the number one corn exporter.
How will you stay competitive in an investor-driven land market? Who do you partner with for future growth? How will you handle the purchasing opportunity for several hundred acres at a time? We answer these questions and many more with Ben Gordon, CEO of Fractal Agriculture. You can learn more at fractal.ag.
Jarod Creed talks with Chris in this episode about key factors driving markets as we continue to inch closer to harvest. They review the final data from Pro farmer crop tour, discuss the current corn to soybean ratio, continued dismal demand picture, and Key considerations for 2023 and 2024 sales levels. They go on to discuss the importance of risk management in the current and future micro financial environment. Jarod explains margin protection in detail as we are currently in the price discovery period for the 2024 season.
Troy Deutmeyer, Pioneer Agronomist, talks with Chris about the impact of an extreme August heat wave across the corn belt. What is the heat doing to the crop? They go on to discuss grain quality, subsoil moisture levels, stalk quality, test weight, and the potential yield impacts of extreme heat and low moisture
Duane Lowry and Chris, discuss crop conditions, yield, prospects, and price probabilities as we inch closer to harvest.
They go on to discuss a number of other topics including the anticipated Pro farmer crop tour, possible yield reductions in the September USDA report, demand issues, dismal export outlook, early harvest basis, opportunities, the cost of carrying grain in a high interest environment, and managing 2024 profit margin opportunities.
Chris talks with Economist Dr. Bill Conerly.
Topics include:
- Interest Rates
- Recession
- Inflation
- Labor access
- Labor Retention
- AI and its impact on Agriculture
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Jarod Creed talks with Chris about details from the August USDA report. They go on to discuss numerous other market factors including crop conditions, Chinese weather, the Funds/money flow, a dismal demand picture, and managing basis opportunities heading into harvest.
General transition principles for a senior generation getting the next generation started in a cow-calf and row crop operation. how do you manage decision rights, communication, equitable transition, and what can you do to get started planning?
In today’s Weekly Market Outlook, we have a discussion with Joe Vaclavik on a couple of key topics for grain markets. Weather appears to be beneficial to the crops but maybe not the pricing. The Ukraine/Russia situation appears to be heating up with attacks on Russia shipping. And we discuss how additional Brazil acres might affect corn markets next year and in the future. And finally we will have a USDA crop report to review on our next weekly market outlook.
Matt Bennett with AgMarket.Net visits with Chris on the markets for the week ahead.
They discuss numerous topics:
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Crop conditions
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Weather
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Farmer selling, or lack of
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Potential price ranges for corn and soybeans.
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Russia - Ukraine war
6.Current dismal demand.
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Fund positioning.
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Interest rates: the impact on the cost of production and the challenge it creates for holding onto grain inventory, especially for those who have a tighter working capital position.
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2023 and 2024 Sales.
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The importance of setting margin targets instead of price targets, and then following up with disciplined offers to catch the market opportunities when time is of the essence.
Jarod and Shay discuss lost opportunities, volatility isn't dead, and why being right or wrong when it comes to markets doesn't matter.
The American farmer is alarmingly undersold, what are you going to do about it, and what opportunities do you have in front of you yet?
A tribute to the wisdom of Jerry Meissner
In this special edition podcast, Jerry and Chris discuss purchasing land and growing the operation with little equity. When is it time to add employees and build the business to the next level? Perspective on transitioning the farm to the next generation and building a sound business structure. Most importantly, quality of life and the importance of family.
Peter Meyer with S&P Global talks with Chris on the market outlook for the week ahead.
Topics Include:
Still in a weather market!
Supply and demand balance sheet for corn/soybeans, plus what it means for the markets in the next couple of months.
Chinese demand issues
The impact of big crops in South America
Ukraine crop update
What the Funds and money managers are thinking/navigating.
Continue to pay attention to Basis levels.
Practical decision-making for your operation as we continue through this growing season and a continuing weather market that could present some opportunities in the next 4-6 weeks.
Brent Judisch talks with Chris about the large inventory of combines.
They go on to talk about equipment, values for tractors, tillage, planting, and sprayers.
They also discuss inflation and interest rates, impacting equipment, values, and trade opportunities.
In today’s podcast we have a discussion with Clark Neighbors of BIS Commodities about the history of corn harvest prices when the stocks to use is greater than 10%. The top is about $5 and the estimated stocks to use right now is 15%. We also discuss where the bean: corn ratio may end up.
Grant Shimek with Black Oak Financial talks with Chris about last Friday’s surprise USDA report and the implications it could have in the weeks and months ahead.
They go on to discuss the following topics:
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US weather/drought.
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Weather in China’s key corn growing areas.
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What factors might impact demand - good and bad.
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Price ranges to watch from a technical perspective.
5.The Funds and the possible direction of money flow.
- The importance of separating board price from basis.
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- Joe Vaclavik with Standard Grain talks with Chris about this week’s market outlook.
- Weather continues to be the main driving factor, creating volatility and opportunities at the same time.
They go on to discuss the following topics:
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The Funds.
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Demand.
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Russian civil war.
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Upcoming USDA report and potential crop size.
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Considerations for 2024 sales
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They wrap up with a short conversation on managing emotions in order to manage margins for your business.
Gary Monson, Father and Grandfather talks about his career of farming with his family in the Palouse area of Washington State.
Faith, Family, and Farming are the key ingredients of the Monson family’s business success.
The Weekly Market Outlook has a conversation with Ryan Moe of StoneX. The weather over the next couple of weeks will be critical to the corn and bean market, but weather this year seems to be more local than normal. Will that be good or bad for prices? Also, Ryan indicates that having a good marketing team is even more important now.
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100% anonymous, we can't see who fills it out or where you are. Thanks for the feedback and look for some follow up!
Jarod Creed with JC Marketing visits with Chris on the market outlook for the week ahead.
- Weather. Dry Dry Dry
- Last Friday’s USDA report.
- Demand pressure.
- The Funds positioning.
- 2023 pricing opportunities.
- 2024 pricing opportunities.
Sign-up for 19 Minutes Here!
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Shay and Chris talk with Matthew Bertram with Future Point Of View about the July 6 launch of the Citizen Data Scientist Program.
Sign-up begins on June 10th, the program is limited to 25 participants. If you are interested in this program, we recommend you sign up ASAP as this program will get full.
Ag View Solutions along with Future Point Of View are excited to launch the Citizen Data Scientist Program!
This is an opportunity to take your farm business data to the next level.
For additional information on what the program can bring to your farm, you can go back and listen to podcast #496
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ag-view-pitch/id1467935773?i=1000609484416
Sign up for the program here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVqY9OLYiTQjqwUxcHxQUuA_WTOYoji78u1gyWvf9eu7C5Zg/viewform?usp=sf_link
The fee for this program will be $1500
An invoice will be emailed to you upon your completion of the sign-up form.
This will be an outstanding opportunity to improve your data, network with your peers, and take your business to the next level.
Garret and Shay talk dry weather, sharpening your pencils, having a plan for unsold bushels, and what to be excited and wary about in the week ahead.
Have you considered having an intern on the farm or in your business? Can you professionalize your current hiring pipeline? Are you looking at an internships as what you can get out of a person for work, or how you can benefit the person and their career? Email shay@agviewsolutions.com for resources. Enjoy, and thanks for listening!
Brian Splitt with AgMarket.net talks with Chris about the market outlook for the week ahead.
- The conversation starts with the importance of Memorial Day and remembering those who sacrificed for our freedoms.
- “Weather Market” considerations
- 2013 Market similarities to 2023?
- The Funds - money flow.
- Current fundamentals.
- Technical’s to watch and probable areas for price movement.
- Placing offers and marketing tools to consider for managing opportunities as we get further into the growing season.
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/19-minutes/subscribeGrant Shimek with Black Oak financial talks with Chris about the recent price pressure on commodities. They go on to discuss the following topics.1. Planting progress.2. Commodity price pressure.3. Demand.4. Geo political issues.5. The funds going short.6. Technical considerations and possible price retracement.
Mark Welch, Grain Marketing Specialist with Texas A&M talks with Chris about the USDA report and numerous other market-driving fundamentals to watch in the weeks ahead. Planting progress. Trend line yields. Demand Outlook. The economy and the “risk off” attitude of the funds. 2013 similarities to 2023. Basis management. Future Price Opportunity. Update your cost of production.
Jarod Creed with JC marketing talks with Chris about the market outlook for the next several weeks ahead as planting season continues.
- Planting progress.
- Market pressure.
- Recession talk.
- Chinese demand.
- Funds and money flow.
- Weather outlook.
- Russia and Ukraine
Thank you for listening to 500 episodes- please review the podcast on Apple Podcasts and leave comments! We look forward to continuing to provide value and perspective. Thanks for listening- in today's episode:
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Soil Conditions
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Stand Counts
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Replant Threshold's
Matt Bennett with AgMarket.net talks with Chris on the market outlook for the week ahead.
- Planting progress and weather.
- Corn and soybean price decline.
- Planted acres, corn versus soybeans.
- Chinese cancellations and export outlook.
- Funds and money flow.
- Price considerations for the weeks ahead.
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Soil Moisture
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Soil Temperature
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Forecast
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Workload
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Yield History
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Soy vs. Corn
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Crop Protection
Sign-Up for 19 Minutes Here! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/19-minutes/subscribe
Duane Lowry talks with Chris on market conditions to watch in the week ahead.
- Planting Progress
- Energy Prices
- Technicals for corn, soybeans, and wheat
- Ukraine, Russia, and Black Sea grain movement
- Price targets to consider for corn and soybeans
Scott Klososky and Matthew Bertram with Future Point Of View (FPOV) visit with Chris about opportunities to improve data management and business decision making.
We all have tons of data. Are we capitalizing on the true value that this information is bringing us?
Even some of the best ag software leaves us with a large amount of data and limited guidance on what to do once we have the information.
Scott and Matthew explain key solutions that could change the trajectory of how we utilize data into the future.
They go on to discuss how we could be educated on data management in such a way that brings clarity, communication, transparency, insight, actionable conclusions, and next steps from our data.
This discussion lays out the opportunities for someone in your operation to be an in-house Citizen Data Scientist.
You have the data, now let’s put that data to work to improve your bottom line in order to maximize your financial future.
We will be launching this educational opportunity to clients this summer with the start date and details to be announced in the next several weeks.
Stay tuned as there will be more specifics on how you can sign up for this outstanding learning opportunity.
Peter Meyer with S&P Global talks with Chris about several market fundamentals as we head into spring planting season.
- Planting progress.
- Weather
- China corn purchases
- The Funds and money flow
- Spring price targets to consider for corn and soybeans
Troy Deutmeyer with Pioneer visits with Chris about best practices for spring planting corn and soybeans. Calendar vs. soil conditions Planting in warm conditions with cold weather forecast Soil temperatures Insurance planting dates Residue management and row cleaners Corn and soybean planting populations Corn and soybean seeding depth Precision plant spacing for both corn and soybeans. Planting speed management Continuously monitoring planter performance Soybean pre-emerge applications Cover crop termination timing. Be safe! Stay rested and take care of yourself during planting season!
Ryan Moe with Stone X talks commodity price outlook as we head into the first part of spring planting season. There are currently a number of negative macro fundamentals that are troubling to the market including energy prices, diminished interest from the funds, questionable Chinese demand, the war in Ukraine and Russia being old news, plus a potentially very large crop in Brazil. Conversely, Tuesday’s April 11 report will shed some light on US and world carry out and a hopeful seasonal tenancy of higher prices into the early spring planting season. The conversation wraps up with a discussion around managing profit opportunities and putting in some open orders for sales in the event, we have opportunities that last only a short period of time or when we are distracted by spring planting workloads.
There are too many excellent items from this podcast to list them all! Give this a thorough listen, maybe even twice, and take notes from Mike's experience. Also check out his business and how they might be able to help you. Performance Management, simplified.
Secchi.io
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-white-860b9a16/
Mike Finley, Crazymanpinkwig.com talks with Chris and special guests, Jeff Buseman, and Keaton Buseman, father and son, farmers from Iowa, about the importance of investing early and often to diversify your finances, build wealth over time, and create financial freedom. This is a phenomenal conversation that you do not want to miss! Jeff explains his story of investing throughout his career as a farmer, including some of the best decisions and some of the things that he could’ve done better. Mike and Jeff explain some of the changes they made in Jeff’s investing strategy for the family as well as the opportunities he made for his kids by investing at a young age in a Roth IRA custodial account. Mike goes on to explain many of the particulars necessary to do this correctly, and with the least amount of fees possible. Mike also illustrates the difference between managed funds and stock index funds, and provides insight on some of the best places to go for help that does NOT have hidden fees. Jeff Buseman and his family are a true testament to the fact that we all have the ability to manage our own money and the payback is absolutely exponential. IT’S YOUR MONEY!! Also, A special thank you to Mike Finley for all the help that he is giving to our clients and people in the agricultural industry to help us all create our own financial freedom. Here is a link to a “fee-only” helper that I use in our farm operation. benchfn.com
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Joe Vaclavik with Standard Grain visits with Chris following last week’s USDA Report.
Joe breaks down some of the important numbers to consider from the report. One big question is the expected increase in corn acres for North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota. With all the snow and current weather forecast, it will be interesting to see if those acres can actually get planted to corn .
Additionally, they discuss in detail the following topics.
- Seasonal trends.
- Geo political influences.
- Strong Chinese demand lately.
- The US economy.
- Interest rates.
- The funds. Will they get back in commodities, in a meaningful way?
- Some possible technical trends.
- Farmer sales considerations.
Do you utilize H2A? Looking for winter labor or need us to make a connection? Don't hesitate to reach out. Have a great weekend!
Quick thoughts from Shay: 1. USDA reports and mid week podcast 2. China continues to buy corn 3. Prevent Plant? Too soon to tell, but never say never 4. Heating up!… slowly 5. DEC 23 vs. DEC 24 corn thoughts 6. Where is your cost of production? Have you updated it recently? Reach out this week to shay@agviewsolutions.com and be sure to check out 19 Minutes podcast. Have a great week!
Michael Steeke and Brother-in-law Gabe Pankonin set out to make logistics look and feel like they're supposed to with Rocket Shipping. So many of the farmers and ag businesses listening to this podcast move and accept freight and have had good and not so good experiences, especially over the last few years. michael talks about his farm operation, growing the logistics company, and highlights the exciting future of the company Headquartered in Fargo, ND as well as the future of the industry. Anyone who has ever accepted or sent freight needs to listen to this episode! #LTL #FTL #ServiceandSupport
Learn more about the company here:
www.gorocketshipping.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/rocketshipping-llc/
https://twitter.com/steeke7
Check out 19 minutes here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/19-minutes/subscribe
Clark Neighbors with BIS Commodities in Cedar Rapids, Iowa visits with Chris on market conditions to watch over the next several weeks and months ahead.
Throughout the conversation they discuss the following 10 topics.
- Argentina production.
- Basis levels
- China corn purchases
- Planting intention estimates
- US economy
- Inflation
- Russian Ukraine war
- Energy and diesel fuel purchase opportunities
- Spring and summer price outlook for corn, soybeans, and wheat
- Funds continue to go “risk off” reducing length in commodity markets.
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Jarod Creed with JC Marketing talks with Chris on the market outlook for the next several weeks as we head toward planting season. They discuss in detail the following topics Final insurance decisions Setting price targets Fund positioning US demand South American weather and financial issues Russia, Ukraine War Upcoming USDA reports Managing your margins as we head into spring planting season.
Shay talks with Angie Setzer of consusroi.com about current market conditions, some interesting Chinese outlook, and March being a month you should be paying close attention to.
Captain Patrick talks with Chris and Alissa about the fundamental importance of love, family, and the opportunities for family business success.Patrick has many words of wisdom growing up in Jamaica and working in the same career for over 23 years as he’s raised his family with his high school sweetheart.Much of what Patrick talks about has a direct correlation to how we run our family businesses. We all can learn a tremendous amount from this conversation.Applying these basic principles to our family businesses is a journey that we are all constantly on.Enjoy!!https://anchor.fm/19-minutes/subscribe
Sunday Market Outlook 2-26-2023 with Matt Bennett
https://www.agmarket.net/our-team/matt-bennett/
Unfiltered, high-value content for the challenges you face in your business. Roughly 19 minutes each, 3x/month. Invest one hour a month in your business. Link to subscribe:https://anchor.fm/19-minutes/subscribe
- Acreage - Planting Intentions
- Crop Insurance Price Discovery.
- South America
- Ukraine Russia War
- China / Demand
- Inflation
- Interest Rates
- Energy
- Stock Market
- Margin Risk Management.
This week, Chris and Duane Lowry discuss a wide array of factors likely to impact agricultural prices, both in the next few weeks and maybe months down the road. Markets have many factors to sort through and possibly some emotional influences that could surface in the near-term weeks ahead. Producers have difficult decisions to make and 2023 might not be a good year for complacency. Today's podcast is likely to provoke your thought process!
What is the State of you Farm or Ag Business? Shay would like to encourage you to put together an end of the year presentation that maps out a few items in your business:
Agenda
Where You've Been
Where You're At
Where You're Going
Last Year Projections
Year End Financials
Next Year Projections
Balance Sheet
Cash Flow
Trends Analysis
Cost of Production Information
Pictures of the Year
Family Updates
Question and Answer Time
If you like this episode or want to learn more, shoot Shay an email at shay@agviewsolutions.com and thanks for listening to the Ag View Pitch!
Don't forget to buy flowers and manage your 2023 soybeans sales says Jarod!
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South America
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WASDE
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Global
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Revenue
https://www.fsa.usda.gov/Assets/USDA-FSA-Public/usdafiles/emergency-relief-program/pdfs/ccc860_20230111.pdf
Mail Bag Question 1: "Shay, I am attempting to buy out a neighbor and take over 1200 acres. This will come with sheds, bins, and any or all of the equipment if I want it. I was wondering what are some things I should consider while he and I are having conversations? What are the best ways to handle the equipment and even the land rental agreement to ensure that I have the ground long enough to make the equipment purchases worth it? Do you guys have any podcasts on this subject?"
Valuation
Discount
Time
Expectations
Communicate and Reassess!
Grant Shimek with Black Oak Financial talks with Chris about numerous marketing factors as we head through the month of February.
They begin the conversation discussing basis levels and navigating final sales for your 2022 crops.
They continue on discussing the corn soybean ratio and what the acre mix may look like going into 2023.
The bulk of the conversation consists of numerous macro factors that may be affecting our markets in the longer-term, but things that we need to pay close attention to.
China is one of the biggest concerns moving forward from a macro perspective so Chris and Grant discuss numerous Geo political considerations that may impact Commodities.
They wrap up the conversation discussing the US domestic economy, including interest rates, inflation, recession, and technological influences.
Shay and Kristjan discuss a wide variety of topics- from Management Systems, to Transition Planning, and long-term goals and purpose in your farm. Kristjan is a well-respected farmer, consultant, father, son, and team leader that has a great outlook on business growth (however you define growth) managing volatility and challenges, and preparing your operation for future success. This is one episode you won't want to miss- and get your pen and paper out to take notes!
Joe Vaclavik, Ryan Moe, and Jarod Creed discuss markets from the Ag View Executive Business Conference in St. Pete’s Beach, Florida.This powerhouse of marketing brain power cover a number of topics in their conversation. 2023 acres estimates. Supply and demand adjustments on the balance sheet Working capital management and margin management Crop rotation, decisions, and navigating high cost for inputs Brazil and Argentina weather Chinese demandThis is a great dialogue between three market experts!Enjoy!
Guest host Joe Vaclavik discusses technology and its future in agriculture with tech guru, speaker, and author Scott Klososky. From the Ag View Executive Business Conference.
Jim Wiesemeyer talks with Chris about what’s going on in Washington DC currently and the key things to pay attention to in the year ahead.
The conversation covers the following topics.
- The US debt limit.
- The upcoming State of the Union address from President Biden
- The upcoming Farm bill, its timing, and the changes to watch for.
- WOTUS Waters of the US ruling.
- Renewable Fuels Credit.
- What are the up-and-coming presidential candidates for both Republican and Democratic parties?
The conversation wraps up with a light-hearted discussion between Jim and Chris on the outlook for DC in the years to come.
Paul Neiffer talks with Chris about the emergency relief program(ERP) and pandemic assistance revenue program(PARP).
Paul describes some of the complexities and necessary components to qualify for ERP.
He also goes on to explain the details of PARP; who qualifies and the necessary components of that program as well. They finish up the conversation by discussing FSA sign-up and considering ARC versus PLC. If you’d like to contact Paul, you can reach him at:
Blog: farmcpareport.com
Email: farmcpa@outlook.com
Jon Scheets and Shay discuss the most overlooked risk management strategies and options for 2023, discuss some specific opportunities, and take a look into the future of Crop Insurance. As part of our 10 Important Topics for 2023 series, this is one you won't want to miss!
Matt Bennett with agmarket.net makes his first appearance on the Ag View Pitch Weekly Market Outlook.
Matt starts the discussion with his philosophy of marketing and the importance of managing your profit margins and mitigating risk, especially when commodity prices are at the current levels.
Chris and Matt discuss the possible 2023 acre mix and the decisions between planting corn versus soybeans or other crops from a profitability perspective.
Matt explains the market strategies that he is using for some of his clients and the reasons for putting a floor on around 50% of your production risk.
They wrap up the conversation, talking about the general economy, and some of the fundamentals to pay attention to in the weeks ahead as we head toward the February crop insurance price discovery.
Jeremy Doetch, Ag Lender with German American State Bank in Illinois, visits with Chris on the financial fundamentals necessary for navigating 2023 and beyond. The conversation begins with a brief discussion on the importance of having a current succession and transition plan, that’s updated regularly. The balance of the conversation revolves around many specific financial considerations as you communicate with your lender, build your financial documentation, and utilize this information for the most accurate and dependable decision making. Jeremy points out what he views as some of the most important data to provide your lender during loan renewals and for accurate analysis of your financial condition. 1. Accrual adjusted market value balance sheet. 2. Detailed income statement. 3. Detailed cash flow from prior year and projections for the upcoming year. 4. Operating plan that includes crop rotations and detailed production planning. 5. Operating plan that includes specific marketing strategies. 6.Capital plan which includes purchases, replacements, and sales. They go on to discuss need for additional financial analysis depending on the growth strategy, size of operation, repayment capacity, working, capital, and the ability to manage and navigate risk. Finally, they discuss numerous ratios, but list three of the most important. 1. Debt service coverage ratio. 2. Working capital ratio. 3. Debt to asset ratio.
Jarod Creed with JC Marketing visits with Chris on the market outlook as we march toward the February insurance discovery period.
Jarod dissects much of the information disseminated from the January 12 USDA report. There were some surprises in the acreage numbers. Jarod goes through the details explaining what some of the information may mean to the market place in the weeks ahead.
Jarod sees a bright outlook short term with the fundamental reality that we are still setting on a very tight supply while at the same time Argentina and other fundamentals paint a supportive price picture. However, the managed money does not seem super interested without new news to bring them back into the fold.
Jarod and Chris finish up the conversation discussing the importance of wrapping up 2022 sales especially paying close attention to basis levels.
Even though Jarod is friendly short term to the markets, he encourages the listeners to take advantage of 2023 market opportunities by placing price targets (that meet your sales objectives) in the event we see continued price strength in the next several weeks to get some more sales on the books to reduce 2023 margin risk.
After some fantastic questions from top tier operations at TEPAP 2023, we felt it was important to rerun this episode from June 2021. We hope you find it helpfully, and feel free to reach out with any questions to shay@agviewsolutions.com ! "How well is your operation covered? Chris talks with Adam Brickley with PDCM from Waterloo, Iowa. They discuss gaps in coverage and the risks associated with the under insured. They also discuss levels of coverage and the types of insurance to best fit your coverage needs."
Ryan Moe, Regional Director for Stone X in Minneapolis visits with Chris on the market outlook for the week ahead.
The discussion starts out with many of the fundamentals that could threaten price strength in the weeks ahead and the big risks associated with high input cost for farmers as we go into the 2023 growing season.
Ryan and Chris continue the conversation discussing the estimates that were put forward by Stone X for the upcoming USDA report on January 12th.
Finally, Ryan and Chris wrap up the conversation with a discussion around multiple marketing strategies that farmers could consider as they market their crops and try to reduce risk in the weeks and months ahead.
75 Hard is a discipline, fitness, and mental challenge over 75 days. Shay, Joe, Chris, and Jerod recently took it on during Harvest of 2022. As the new year is upon us, be sure to check out this podcast and let us know if you would like to be in the support group in the months ahead. Whether you plan to partake or not, do not miss this episode. You can see the original podcast by Andy Frisella here, and if you'd like to join email shay@agviewsolutions.com
Learn more here at "What is 75 Hard?"
Joe Vaclavik with Standard Grain talks with Chris as we head into a New Year!
The conversation begins with a review of 2022. There were a number of market drivers that Joe discusses, including inflation, the war in Ukraine, drought in the west, energy prices, and rising interest rates.
Joe transitions into some of the opportunities and challenges that we will see as we head into 2023 both short-term and long-term.
Short term, conversation revolves around paying attention to South American weather, the Russia, Ukraine war, and the January USDA report. From a long-term perspective, we still have drought in many areas, continued interest rate hikes potentially, and acreage decision making with corn still showing much larger profit opportunities than soybeans for most producers currently.
On a personal note: If you’re not watching Joe’s content on YouTube every morning or subscribing to his “subscribers only video” check him out here
Jarod Creed with JC Marketing talks with Chris about the importance of finishing up 2022 sales in order to put the focus on risk management for 2023.
Jarod maps out the next 45 -60 days as we move through January and into the February price discovery period for crop insurance.
Several market factors in the next 60 days will need to be monitored closely as we manage our risk and take advantage of opportunities.
Jarod explains the key issues to pay close attention to, including South American weather - specifically Argentina, the lack of interest from the funds to stay long without any “new” bullish news, and the importance of the January USDA Report.
Jarod thinks the January report could be a “big mover” one way or an other calling it, “the Super Bowl of Usda reports.”
Chris and Jarod finish up the conversation talking about current profit opportunities for 2023 and the importance of protecting your profit margins as we head into this new year.
Chris visits with Travis Martinek with Benchmark Financial in Cedar Falls, Iowa about various retirement options to offer yourselves, family members, and your employees through your farming business.As farm operations continue to grow in size, attracting quality labor and retaining skilled employees continues to be a struggle for many operations.Offering some type of retirement plan is a an excellent way to enhance compensation, while at the same time, receiving tax benefits, for both the employer and the employee.Travis goes on to explain the nuts and bolts of simple IRAs versus 401(k)s and considerations as you decide which type of retirement plan makes the most sense for your individual business.There are lots of “helpers” out there that are willing to provide this information and services, but be extremely careful on rates, fees, and commissions associated with these services.We’ll be sure to follow up in future podcasts with more details in this area.If you have specific questions, you can reach out to Travis:travis@benchfn.com
Peter Meyer with S&P Global “Commodity Insights” visits with Chris about numerous market conditions as we wrap up 2022.
Peter sees little hope for bullish news in the “near term” with the exception of Argentina weather issues.
Peter goes on to discuss some of the current fundamentals in the energy sector and the fact that crude oil prices have come down to a level which is not supportive of grains.
He goes on to talk about several other issues, including the recent EPA announcement on renewable diesel, the general economy, natural gas volatility, lack of Chinese demand, and the issues in Ukraine.
Peter wraps up the conversation with a bright note, talking about the opportunities that will come in the soybean market in the next couple of years. Be sure to listen to the end as the conversation sets the tone for a bright future ahead.
Chris talks through these top ten items:
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Land Rents/Values
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Commodity Prices
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Equipment Values
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Labor
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Budgets/Cash Flow
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Risk Mitigation
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Access to Capital/Interest Rates
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Quality Information Sources
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Transition Planning
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Communication
Chris and Shay will go over each of these topics more in depth so stay tuned!
Chris and Duane Lowry discuss last week's USDA report, South American weather, and potential seasonal market influencers, all amid a backdrop of reduced profitability offerings vs several weeks ago. With 2023 crop production costs likely the highest in history, how will producers analyze prices, profitability and possible crop rotation decisions in the weeks ahead? With some regions experiencing severe soil moisture deficiencies, everyone experiencing record costs of production and revenue calculations lower now than much of the past 3 months, what will be the driving forces behind the decision-making process when it comes to both marketing and acreage mix decisions for 2023 production? What should be the focus for remaining unsold 2022 bushels? The decision process isn't simple or without consequences, but it may be better to engage the process now and formulate a plan, as opposed to choosing not to engage and have no plan.
Brent Judisch talks with Chris about the challenges with managing machinery and equipment in an inflationary environment. Additional management challenges include supply chain issues, equipment, inventory, and interest rates. They go on to discuss some of the strategies to manage these challenges and things to consider as you update machinery and equipment, along with analyzing the possibility of leasing some equipment instead of purchasing.
Clark Neighbors with BIS Commodities in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, talks with Chris about a number of market conditions and strategies to consider during the month of December and into 2023.
Primarily the conversation revolves around managing basis, however, they expand to discuss a number of other topics, including the short crop in certain areas of the US, interest rates, and South America.
They finish up the discussion on crop rotation decisions, and the need for the corn and soybean ratio to improve if we are going to see people willing to plant many soybeans versus corn from a profitability standpoint.
What you need to know as a current user (refresher) and back to the basics for those who are new to the Profit Manager system. Shay and Chris discuss the business decision-making capabilities of Profit Manager, a system that Chris developed and the Ag View Solutions team has improved for over 27 years now. This simple yet comprehensive tool helps you dial in our cost of production to the penny, know your exact machinery costs, and sets you up for good input, marketing, and real big-time farm decisions that impact your business every day.
Profit Manager is a tool that hundreds of farm operations across the United States and Canada are using to make key decisions. It is simple, allows you to tie in other workbooks and spreadsheets if you'd like, and offers a complete view of your business to help drive good decisions.
Keys in this episode:
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Profit Management
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Cost of Production
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Knowing YOUR target margin
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Return to Management- what is it and how do we manage it?
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Effective equipment costing analysis
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Using Profit Manager and our Team for continued farm decisions
Profit Manager is a one-time purchase, that you own for life, with anytime access to Chris and Shay for service and support. No yearly subscriptions, no complicated data integrations or data collection, and no hidden fees or upgrade fees. To learn more and purchase your Profit Manager today, visit www.farmprofitmanager.com. You can also email shay@agviewsolutions.com to set up a 45 minute overview call to see if Profit Manager is a good fit for your farm operation.
We look forward to working with you and bringing tremendous value to your farm operation and ag business for years to come!
Jarod Creed with JC Marketing visits with Chris about the advantages of wrapping up 2022 sales.
Jarod and Chris have a lengthy conversation around management considerations for 2023.
They discuss some of the risk management considerations that should be part of your 2023 planning starting with knowing your costs, planning your specific margin targets, mapping out your current crop rotation, and setting reasonable profit targets/goals.
They wrap up the conversation discussing some of the macro considerations to pay attention to, including South American weather, Covid issues that China is currently dealing with, energy markets, the US economy, interest rates, and the involvement of the funds lightning up on their long positions.
Joe Vaclavik and Shay Foulk discuss the week ahead for November 21st. In the discussion they talk Russian trade agreements, USDA reporting, and what to think about as we head into the holiday season. Enjoy, and as always please reach out with any questions!
Mark Welch, grain marketing specialist with Texas A&M, visits with Chris about numerous fundamentals that could be moving the markets in the next several weeks/months. Mark emphasizes the importance of taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. The 2022 crop yields are now a “known” for many operations and make it easier to plan for marketing the balance of your crop in order to achieve your desired economic results.
They go on to discuss a number of macro situations to pay attention to as we head toward the end of the year including the Ukraine and Russian war, China, South American weather, and the general US economy. Sometimes it just takes one headline to move the market drastically one way or another. We’ve been in a tight trading range for quite some time now and at some point we will break out of that range.
Additionally, Mark explains some fundamentals to consider around your 2023 marketing.
As harvest gets wrapped up it’s now time to sit down and crunch your numbers in order to make the best decisions for your operations financial success.
Jarod Creed with JC Marketing visits with Chris this week about the opportunities for a profitable 2022 for the majority of crop operations.
The discussion involves navigating many of the challenges and opportunities which include interest rates hikes, the general economy, basis management, protecting or selling your unpriced bushels, and being disciplined enough to take advantage of profit margins that currently exceed most/all prior years.
They go on to discuss the opportunities for 2023. Even though the cost of production is up on the 2023 estimates the commodity prices are up more than enough to provide even more opportunity than we had last year at this time. As harvest wraps up it’s time to do some math to finish up 2022 and to make sure 2023 is as successful as possible. Managing your margins in 2023 will be the key to success!
Chris talks with Duane Lowry this week, with an interesting discussion about how influential other markets have been performing in recent weeks/months and how that might provide valuable insight into not only the price discovery process of corn and soybeans, but maybe more importantly, how such might impact speculator buying interest and the level of aggression buyers may be using as they seek to navigate the price discovery process. Today is an important and timely podcast. With Halloween just ahead, it's a good reminder to remember that if something does seem scary, you are always best served to face it head on and quickly. When it comes to marketing and protecting what are historically very favorable revenue opportunities, it may be time to evaluate from a proactive approach, striving diligently to avoid complacency, which is so often a destructive trap.
Paul Neiffer, "Farm CPA" has an interesting conversation with Chris about how the elections will affect farmer's tax situation. They also go over year-end tax planning and upcoming changes to bonus depreciation
Grant Shimek with Black Oak Financial talks with Chris on technical and fundamental market movers as we head into the last week of October.
Grant addresses some of the fundamental issues that warrant our attention including the low river levels, temporary eroding basis levels in both corn and soybeans for some areas, and the possibility of Russia taking over the power grid in Ukraine.
Grant explains each of these issues and talks about some of the possibilities for the markets.
From the technical side of things, Grant talks about where the market could go if we break through current price resistance levels to the upside in both corn and soybeans.
Finally, they discussed 2023 marketing and some considerations as you manage margins moving into the upcoming year.
Shay and his wife, Hannah (first time guest!), talk about making a dream list of 100 dreams, how to implement them, what a Dream Manager does, and how you might use this in your team and family. This is a GREAT episode to share with your spouse- please share this with friends, family, and co-workers that need to hear this.
You can find the book here: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Dream-Manager-Audiobook/B004O9E6UI
You can register for the Ag View Executive Business Conference here: https://agviewsolutions.com/conference/
Dream list categories: physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, psychological, material, professional, financial, creative, adventure, legacy and character
Did you like this episode? Let us know! Email shay@agviewsolutions.com
Jarod Creed with JC Marketing has an insightful harvest market conversation with Chris. While some areas are experiencing poor yields, other areas are harvesting record yields. Most of the areas with high yields are also experiencing a slow dry down in corn moisture.
Jarod talks about both situations. For the low yielding areas; it will be key to managing the bushels you do have, plus understanding your insurance policies. For the areas with high yields, managing basis, storage, and logistics will be key.
Low river levels and a short crop in some areas may give continued strength to basis levels in many areas. Jarod gives some specific examples of what may drive basis levels to remain strong into the near future.
Jarod also addresses several market fundamentals that could impact the markets in the next several weeks.
Finally they discuss a number of strategies to consider as you market both of the 2022 and 2023 crops.
Chris points out six “To Do’s” as you think through the strategy of marketing your 2023 crops.
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Clearly identify and document your crop plan/rotation for 2023.
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Calculate your estimated total production with your current 2023 plan.
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Calculate your expected cost of production for 2023.
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Identify “Your” acceptable profit margins for 2023.
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Keep a close eye on the macro economic environment as we head toward 2023.
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Place some price targets that accomplish your goals for 2023.
Playing defense going into 2023 may be your best offense!!
Be sure to listen to the entire podcast all the way to the end! This is an insightful conversation as we work through the heart of harvest!
Joe Vaclavik with Standard Grain visits with Chris about numerous macro and micro considerations for your marketing as we continue through harvest season. The conversation starts with Joe explaining the importance of paying attention to the following macro fundamentals including the general economy, stock market, inflation, interest rates, Russian nuclear threats, South American production, and the recent price rally in crude oil. The second part of the conversation is more about some of the Micro decisions that need to be made at the farm level. They discuss best practices for managing basis and understanding the opportunities of possibly rolling some of your HTA’s depending on the market carry, storage, logistics and cash flow needs. They finalize the conversation around 2023 sales and the importance of managing your margins as you make future decisions for 2023.
Chris and Duane Lowry have a wide-ranging discussion about basis possibilities, Friday's USDA reports, South American production potential and the influences of global economic recession fears. All this amid notable price volatility and divergences from one commodity to another, following head-spinning USDA data themes from Sep 12 to Sep 30. Today's podcast also takes a serious and sober look at how all the volatility might impact 2023 decisions.
Chris Wicklund, Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Enforcement Officer talks with Chris about the importance of understanding the safety and regulation rules of the road around semis and farm equipment. They discuss many of the commonly asked questions around regulations for both semis and farm equipment. Recognize that this podcast discussion talks about rules specific to Iowa, therefore the main message here is to think about your operations safety and legality. We encourage you to communicate with your local DOT office so that you understand all the necessary expectations. It is much less expensive to be proactive rather than reactive.
Peter Meyer, Head of Grain and Oilseeds with S&P Global Commodity Insights visits with Chris about a number of market fundamentals to watch over the next several weeks as we get into the heat of harvest. Peter talks about the grain markets playing tug of war inside a price range with fairly good support. While Peter doesn't see a lot of downside risk, he does talk about a number of things to pay attention to which could move the markets. Some of the key things they discuss are around the US stock market, Strength of the US dollar, increasing interest rates, reduced production, potential US recession, upcoming USDA reports, South American production, export demand, and varying basis levels across the country. They go on to discuss some of the considerations as you market both the 2022 and 2023 crops. Finally, Peter talks about his thoughts on 2023 planted acres and how that could affect price movements between corn, soybeans, and wheat in the months to come.
Chris talks about the importance of having pre and post harvest meetings with your entire team to make sure everyone is on the same page. Make your harvest as efficient and safe as possible!
Clark Neighbors with BIS Commodities in Cedar Rapids, Iowa talks with Chris on numerous market fundamentals as we march towards harvest.
First off they address some of the market carry over from the USDA report last Monday. They go on to discuss some of the early harvest activity and the importance of managing basis levels in your local area. Some areas will have deficient supplies which may give us basis strength, however timing and paying attention will be crucial.
Finally, they discuss several macro economic fundamentals that may provide some market headwinds in the near future. Some of the areas to watch include interest rates, inflation, input costs, and the potential of a world slow down or even potentially a recession.
Jarod Creed with JC Marketing visits with Chris about the outcome of the September 12 Usda Report. Jarod talks about a number of things to pay attention to from the report and as we head further toward harvest. Continue to be “margin managers” and pay close attention to basis levels in your local area.
Steve Jonhson, retired ISU Extension Specialist and Jarod Creed, with JC Marketing talk with Chris about the importance of investigating Margin Protection as a possible risk management tool for your operation. They emphasize the importance of contacting your insurance agent to make sure you have a clear understanding of the risk management tool that is available for 2023. They go on to explain some of the details of the program and the value that it may bring to your operation. Margin protection is a unique policy which has a bit more complexity than (RP) Revenue Protection, but worthy of your time to learn and manage your risk for 2023! If you would like a copy of Steve Jonhson‘s PowerPoint presentation detailing some of the information around the program, please email Chris at: cbarron@agviewsolutions.com
Garret Brown with Codak Risk Advisory talks with Shay about 3 key marketing techniques, where we sit heading into harvest, and what the potential upside (or sell-off) could look like in corn, soybeans, and wheat. We discuss South America and China, as well as 2023 outlook on profitability. Don't miss the end for some open opinions from Garret's point of view.
Thanks for listening to the Ag View Pitch!
If you haven't already, go check out Profit Manager at www.farmprofitmanager.com as you start budgeting for 2023.
In case you missed the first episode of “The Top Five Best Practices of Top Tier Operations” Please click the link below.
https://apple.co/3csyuL3
Jason Monson farmer from Washington state joins Chris to talk about five additional best practices of top-tier operations. Jason shares with Chris Five more practices that will maximize professionalism and profit ability to your operation. They discuss the following practices:
6 Having an Advisory Council.
7 Empowered Equipped Team
8 Core Values Clearly Defined
9 Gratitude
10 Decisiveness
Finally, Jason and Chris wrap up talking about the importance of professionalism in business.
Joe Paulson and Jerod Creed review the Pro Farmer Crop Tour and other private yield estimates to look for in the coming months. They also review 2023 fertilizer and price risk management.
Chris has another insightful "Dads Wisdom" conversation with Lloyd and Del Gates who farm in North Dakota. They talk about the past, the current, and the future of their operation as they work through a transition to the next generation of the operation.
Steve Johnson "Retired ISU Extension Specialist" explains the margin protection insurance policy. We are in the midst of the price discovery period now: Aug 15th-Sep 15th with deadline to purchase the policy September 30th. Steve explains many of the details of the margin protection policy and answers many of the commonly asked questions. Now is the time to get with your local crop insurance agent to ask about margin protection and start your risk management plan for 2023. This is a must listen podcast.
Stay tuned we will follow up with more details once the price discovery period is complete.
If you'd like more information on margin protection you can go to marginprotection.com
Jerod Creed with JC Marketing joins Chris for another thought-provoking discussion on managing your marketing opportunities as we get closer to harvest. They begin the conversation addressing the crop variability across the US. Some areas are plush with an absolute record yield potential while others are undoubtedly well below APH levels. What could this mean to price levels moving forward?
Jerod explains some of the fundamental and technical conditions that could give us marketing opportunities on one hand, but limit upside potential on the other.
Jerod and Chris also discuss the importance of estimating your individual production in order to plan logistics, storage and basis levels to maximize your profit potential.
For some with extremely poor potential it's just as important from an insurance perspective to analyze production potential and have that conversation with your insurance agent.
Jerod and Chris wrap up the conversation discussing nitrogen input cost for 2023 along with matching grain sales at current levels to capitalize on solid risk management and profit potential
It seems there wasn't much to write home about in Friday's WASDE report. Shay talks with Pete Meyer on European corn, upcoming crop tours, trouble spots in production areas, low export demand, fund positions, and the two week weather outlook. We hope you all had a great weekend, and a great week ahead!
Ryan Moe with Stone X visits with Chris about market conditions for the week ahead. Crop conditions in many areas are beginning to look excellent, however, there are some areas totally burnt up by drought. Ryan and Chris go on to discuss how future government reports may analyze the crop situations. Additionally, they discuss managing basis levels on both old and new crop as we head toward harvest.Finally, Ryan and Chris talk through grain marketing and handling situations during and after harvest to manage inventory as well as profit potential.
Registration is now open for the 2nd Annual Ag View Executive Business Conference! Listen to this quick 2 minute episode on how to register and we will see you in sunny Florida in January!
Jarod Creed of JC Marketing (402) 680-1744 talks weather markets, huge gain this last week of July, and impacts of Ukraine/Russia and Europe. He highly recommends you catch last week’s episode with Duane Lowry as we head into this first week of August!
Closing July higher than June
Opportunities to make "catch-up" sales
Looking closely at 2023
Taking risk off the table
Remembering what a weather market is
Chris talks with Chris Dunne owner of “Iowa Strength” a gym in Independence Iowa. They have discussion on taking care of the most important piece of equipment on your farm: YOUR BODY! Farmers are meticulous about changing the oil and greasing farm equipment in a timely manner. However, many of us don’t give the same maintenance priority to our bodies.
Chris and Chris discuss the basic maintenance needed for us to all take better care of our bodies which includes Safety, Exercise, Sleep, and Nutrition - which is generally 80% of the battle for Better Health.
This podcast is not a recommendation on any specific diet or exercise changes, instead it’s to remind us to take better care of our most important piece of equipment on the farm, so we can be around as long as possible for our families!
Chris and Duane Lowry discuss the recent sharp grains/soy price declines and the difficult choices producers face on unsold bushels. While the crops are not made, we must contend with market sentiment and the calendar, which have historically been willing to make bets that the crops are made. Price volatility has been intense for months and this may continue. Fundamental narratives are wide-ranging and technical conditions offer something for everyone. We have a lot to dissect and discern in this week's podcast.
Chris has another thought provoking conversation in this "Dad's Wisdom" episode with Roger Toquam, a farmer from Blooming Prairie, Minnesota.
Jerod Creed With JC Marketing talks with Chris on market fundamentals and risk management for the week ahead. Jerod explains the importance of connecting with your insurance agent in July, to match up your marketing with your insurance coverage level. They go on to discuss some practical applications/decisions for managing your 2022 marketing as well as some considerations for 2023. They finish up the discussion talking about the importance of managing your 2023 input purchases alongside some matching sales provided they me your margin objectives.
Exciting announcement regarding our 2023 Ag View Executive Business Conference! Listen in for information on location, resort and speakers. Registration opens August 1st on agviewsolutions.com!
Podcasts mentioned in show:
Financial Happiness
Investing 101
Retirement 101
Taxes and Financial Management 201
Chris talks about the five best practices that top tier operations use to grow their businesses based on his observations and experience working with high-level operations. These five practices include:
Strong Communication Strong Financials High Yields and Productivity Consistent / Disciplined Marketing Growth
Podcast Episodes Mentioned in Today's show linked below: Peer Groups. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ag-view-pitch/id1467935773?i=1000531583031 Transition. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ag-view-pitch/id1467935773?i=1000492036568 Business Structure. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ag-view-pitch/id1467935773?i=1000534091418
Grant Shimek with Black Oak Financial talks with Chris about the seasonal market declines we have seen recently. They go on to discuss some of the factors causing the markets to shift along with some of the factors that could cause a continued decline. However, Grant paints a potential optimistic picture longer-term, with the caveat of paying close attention to the following factors such as the US economy, weather, stock market, funds, and money flow. They wrap up talking about some considerations for 2023 marketing.
Is your budget prepared for 2023? What decisions can you control right now to handle what's coming at us in the next few weeks? Joe Vaclavik talks with Shay this morning about his thoughts on the week ahead. Stay tuned for more information on our YouTube Live later this week. Thanks for listening to the Ag View Pitch.
Pete Meyer with S&P Global Platts joins Chris for an interesting conversation around current market fundamentals. Some of the topics they discuss include weather, stock market influences to commodities, inflation, Interest rates, trader attitudes, money flow, and the upcoming USDA report on Thursday. They go on to discuss the possibility of recession and what that could mean to crop inputs for the 2023 growing season.
Custom batch whiskey made by farmers, for farmers like you. Your corn, your field, your own whiskey. Joe Knobbe talks about how his family, farming operation, and business partner Devon Birchem, Head Distiller, customize farmer whiskey experiences across the United States. I had such a fun time with this podcast and look forward to ordering ours this Fall from our first owned corn field! Be sure to check it out and order yours at https://flyoverwhiskey.com/about-us/
Chris and Duane Lowry discuss current US weather concerns, amid the backdrop of the Fed's fight to curb price pressures, along with global economic and political uncertainties. With Ag prices at the upper historical parameters and with costs so sharply elevated, the numerous combination of plausible outcomes can produce dramatic swings in net revenue calculations. While 2022 has crop insurance protection in place to protect worst-case scenarios, nobody has crop insurance protection for 2023. With 2023 prices at $6.50 and $14.00, there is much to ponder when establishing your game plan.
Chris visits with Mike Finley thecrazymaninthepinkwig.com and Paul Neiffer “The Farm CPA.” This is a must listen podcast for everyone involved in farm business management. Farm transition from one generation to the next and the importance of managing your taxes and financial investments are critical to the success of your business! Mike and Paul go on to discuss many of the tax advantages to structuring various types of investment strategies for your business. Tools such as 401(k), Traditional IRA, Roth, Brokerage Accounts, SEP, Simple Plans, and the best of all, HSA (Health Savings Account). Attracting and maintaining good quality labor is an issue for many farm operations; they discuss some strategies and plans for retaining quality employees that are also beneficial to you as the employer. Managing your liquidity, working capital, and balancing it with financial opportunity is another important part of this discussion. Finally, they discuss numerous other considerations in retirement planning that can benefit you both financial and personally. Take a listen, and maximize your tax savings and financial opportunities.
Joe Paulson and Scott Berger quiz Jerod Creed on this weeks Market Outlook. Jerod starts out discussing Fridays report which highlighted Ukraine production and India's drought problems. They also talk about the upcoming heat wave hitting the midwest, inflation, demand, and how the market will react to weather changes. Finally, Jerod urges farmers to keep some attention on 2023 in the upcoming months.
Joe Vaclavik with Standard Grain shares his market insight for the week ahead as we roll into summertime markets. Chris and Joe start the conversation with a discussion around the impact weather improvement has had in addition to seasonal market trends. Joe addresses numerous market fundamentals including the Russia Ukraine war, pressures from the general economy, inflation, interest rates, energy prices, and a potential “risk off” attitude for traders. Chris and Joe go on to discuss the importance of managing your profit margins during a potential weather rally this summer, which is often an excellent time to get the bushels priced that you will not have room for in the bins at harvest time. Finally, they have a short discussion around the topic of land values.
Grant Shimek with “Black Oak Financial” talks with Chris about numerous market technicals and fundamentals as we head into the first week of June. We’re finally starting to see some planting progress in some of the areas that have been extremely wet including the Dakotas and some of the eastern states. As planting will eventually wrap up, much of the focus will turn toward weather on the production side of the equation. Chris quizzes Grant on many of the market fundamentals including basis, fund positioning, the stock market, inflation, and interest rates. They go on to discuss other economic headwinds that could impact the market direction in the short run. Longer-term weather will be a huge factor moving forward. Finally, they discuss some considerations for sales levels for both 2022 and 2023.
Chris has an insightful conversation with Mark Welch who is the Grain Marketing Specialist and Director of TEPAP at Texas A&M. Mark talks through many of the economic hurdles that the markets will need to navigate in the coming weeks and months. They start out discussing production potential which starts with planting delays and various weather problems across the US. The Russian Ukraine war continues to be a spotlight in the market even though they appear to be getting their crops planted. Additionally, they discuss demand “strength”; however, at what point do we see demand reduction or even demand destruction? Is a declining stock market a threat to commodities at a certain point or will it drive even additional money into the commodity markets? Finally, they discuss some pricing considerations for marketing your 2022 and 2023 crops.
Chris talks with Paul Neiffer about the Emergency Relief Program (ERP). Paul describes the details of the relief program. He explains the correlation to crop insurance coverage levels, providing a number of examples to help you better understand the program and the potential payment levels. If you had a crop insurance loss in either 2020 or 2021 this is a must listen to understand this relief program.
Chris talks with Jarod Creed with JC Marketing. They talk about several topics including last weeks USDA Report Surprise, wet conditions in many areas, slow planting pace, basis levels, and future demand prospects. Additionally they talk about whether or not we may see a negative influence on the commodities from the recent stock market declines.
Chris has another insightful and educational conversation with Mike Finley. Author of the books Financial Happiness, What Color is the Sky, Graduation, and Now What. Mike and Chris discuss some of the most important things to consider as you work towards your retirement regardless of your age. There is a maze of things to consider including Social Security, Medicare, taxes, insurance, investments, pensions, and the psychological piece of transitioning from your career to a new endeavor in your life.
Mike goes on to explain what he calls as the four big questions.
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Do you have a budget and understand how much money you will need to live comfortably?
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What fixed income sources will you have such as Social Security, pension or other revenue streams like land rental.
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How diversified is your portfolio?
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Do you understand the 4% rule?
Mike goes on to explain the 4% rule along with the emotional components of transitioning over to retirement and how to handle the emotions and the financial transition for a great life in a new phase.
Finally, Mike talks about some of the options that your farm operation may want to consider with regard to offering retirement packages for family members and employees. He covers three options that you may want to consider. 401(k), SEPP IRA, and the Simple IRA plan.
Chris talks with Ryan Moe from Stone X. They discuss the slow planting pace, however, as temperatures begin to warm the markets may be less concerned if we see planters rolling more heavily in the next week. Additionally, Ryan and Chris discuss some of the macro fundamentals including the Russian-Ukraine war, energy markets, and the likelihood of continued strong demand from China. They also go on to discuss the profit margin opportunities between corn and soybeans and some of the likely decisions farmers will make leaning toward a few more acres of corn in many cases. “Time will tell.” Finally, Ryan reminds people to take advantage of the strong basis levels during spring planting season if/when the opportunity presents itself as you finish up any old crop sales.
Chris has an insightful and educational conversation with Mike Finley. Author of the books Financial Happiness, What Color is the Sky, Graduation, and Now What. Mike and Chris go through some of the most important principles of investing no matter what your age is. One of the key topics is the importance of being extremely cautious of who you work with in the financial industry. Ask the right questions as you consider “helpers” with your financial investments. Here are some key questions to ask any financial advisor that is helping you with your investing:
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Are you a fiduciary?
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Are you receiving any compensation from the products you are providing me?
3.How are you compensated from these investment products?
4.How much are you making from the products you are providing me annually?
Mike and Chris go on to discuss the importance of understanding fees and the impact they have over the long-term robbing you from much of your potential earnings. Be wary of who is truly “helping” you with your investments!
Additionally they go on to discuss the value of no load index funds And how limiting fees can help you grow your investment portfolio.
Joe Vaclavik (Standard Grain) and Chris discuss current weather issues and planting delays among other things supporting markets in the week ahead. As inflation stays high the funds continue their long positions in the grain markets, keeping high prices supported. Brazilian weather and production issues, along with strong demand in most every sector are additional supportive fundamentals to the market. Joe and Chris also discuss the China lockdowns and the impact it may have on additional supply chain issues in the future. However, the Chinese lockdown may be helping relieve some demand pressure on energy possibly keeping oil prices a bit lower than where they might be otherwise.
Chris visits with Moe Russell about his life growing up on an Iowa farm, becoming an Ag Lender with Farm Credit Services for over 25 years, getting his MBA, and starting his own successful consulting business (Russell Consulting Group) helping farmers across the United States. Moe talks about numerous life experiences. He points out the importance of doing the “right thing” when there are difficult choices to make and the importance of “taking the highroad to personal accountability.” Moe has a phenomenal outlook on life and a message that we can all learn from.
Chris talks to Peter Meyer with S&P Global about multiple market fundamentals to watch in the weeks ahead. Peter and Chris discuss topics including the Russian Ukraine war, interest rates, inflation, money flow, stock market, energy prices, continued supply chain disruption, and the likely shift from many corn acres back to soybeans.
Chris Interviews Mike Finley Author of the book: Financial Happiness. Mike shares numerous financial mistakes people make which impacts their ability to gain personal wealth. Mike explains financial literacy in a way that is not complex, yet extremely applicable to everyone. His message is one of creating financial freedom for yourself and focusing on what’s truly important in life. This is a must listen to improve your financial IQ! Enjoy!
Dean Fehl joins Chris for an insightful conversation around transition and the retirement years. There are three parts to the transition 1. The idea, thought, or concept 2. The implementation 3. Living the retirement years. They go on to discuss some best practices to think through in the 3 phases of transition. This is a must listen for every generation.
Brent and Chris co-host a conversation with Jarod Creed about the market drivers for the week ahead. They discuss the importance of managing basis on your 2022 sales along with the importance of recognizing the large profit opportunities that are on the table currently. Additionally, they talk about the strong profit levels on corn versus soy beans. Be sure to run your numbers to make sure your current crop rotation is maximizing your profit opportunities.
Thank you for listening in for our 400th episode. If you are new to the podcast, we would love to hear what topics you'd like us to talk more on. If you've gotten value out of the podcast, please email shay@agviewsolutions.com and let us know what you've enjoyed most. We look forward to another 400 episodes!
Grant Shimek with Black Oak Financial joins Chris for a discussion on the technical and fundamental forces driving grain markets in the weeks ahead. Grant talks about the potential for some near term down side risk on corn and soybeans (if the Russia Ukraine war would subside.) However, there are numerous other issues influencing markets. They go on to discuss these topics which include inflation, energy policy, weather, demand, currencies, and input cost. Finally, they discuss some strategic thoughts on inputs and pricing opportunities for 2023.
Chris talks with Troy Deutmeyer (Pioneer Agronomist), Mike Tierney (Pioneer Account Manager), and Brent Judisch (John Deere Sales Rep) about the extreme importance of paying attention to details during planting season. They discuss the factors that will impact the quality of your planter pass - THE MOST IMPORTANT PASS OF THE YEAR! This is a great conversation to listen to before you hit the field with your planter.
Chris has another thought provoking conversation in this "Dad's Wisdom" episode with Denny Berger, a farmer from Traer, Iowa. Denny is in the process of transitioning his farming operation over to his son Scott. He brings up some of his key learnings as a young farmer and explains how he navigated the challenges and opportunities through out his career.
Chris questions Jerod Creed with JC Marketing on the wild rollercoaster ride we are on with so much uncharted territory in the grain markets. As we approach the Thursday March 31st USDA Report, what will the reaction be? With inflation pushing close to 20% and interest rates starting to increase, will this all continue to effect input prices? Basis has also been on a rollercoaster ride from one area to another recently, so how should you manage the balance of old crop bushels to maximize your potential? The biggest question and discussion is around the war in Ukraine. How can they possibly plant, grow, harvest, process, and deliver a crop in the middle of a war zone? Finally Jerod brings up the topic of margin protection and some opportunities to consider for the 2023 crop.
Chris has a thought provoking conversation with Scott Church, a farmer from Illinois. Scott farms with his wife Jeanie, son Jared, and Grandson Ian. Scott is a 4th generation farmer and is in the process of transitioning the operation over to Jared, 5th generation, with the hopes of a 6th generation coming along to keep the farm legacy alive into the future.
Spending money on a professional office space and meeting space will make you more money than it will ever cost you. Shay talks about what we hear from clients, farm businesses, and others in the industry on having a professional workspace. 5 Reasons to put in/professionalize your office: 1. Professionalism in Work Space 2. Hiring 3. Growth 4. Separate your Work/Home Life 5. ROI! 3 Reasons why Farm Business Don't or Haven't: 1. Cost! ($100-350K) 2. "What we have is adequate." 3. Haven't had a need Email any time with other thoughts!
Ryan Moe with StoneX and Shay Foulk answer some key questions for the week ahead. Are 2023 Markets a sleeper? What do we need to know about corn pricing and soybeans range? How do Ukraine headlines affect wheat? All this and more in today's episode!
Chris talks through some key components to make sure your trucking LLC is providing the limited liability that you expect. Have a conversation with your insurance agent and state DOT to ensure your trucking LLC is meeting all the requirements necessary for liability protection. Don't find out after a loss that the LLC is missing some critical elements that would have otherwise ensured your liability protection.
Chris talks with Joe Vaclavik with Standard Grain. As oil prices rise how will that affect input prices now and in the future. Inflation is already at record levels. We've reached a level of 20% increase year over year just to put in a corn crop. Chris and Joe go on to discuss many other factors impacting market volatility including Russia/Ukraine conflict, inflation, supply chain disruptions, the funds, and government policy.
A high-quality lengthy discussion today with information that you will not get from other market analyst sources. An in-depth look at what is going on in Ukraine and long-term implications. This is one that you won’t want to miss!
How would you rate yourself in these 3 areas? A, B, C, D, F? Check your ego, be vulnerable, give up control to gain control, and gut check your operational communication health with this short podcast listen!
Steve Johnson on volatility, pricing, and revenue protection options. Get your meeting with crop insurance agents scheduled, and make your elections well before the deadline!
Take a look at 4 Key Slides here:
www.farmprofitmanager.com/crop-insurance-2022
Sunday Market Outlook brought to you by Shay Foulk and Clark Neighbors with BIS Commodities. Ukraine, Russia, Energies, and Crop Insurance are top of mind as we head into March. Perhaps most importantly, in this game of musical chairs will you have a place to sit when the music stops?
Chris talks with Joe Vaclavik of Standard Grain about the current situation. As Russia invades Ukraine will this lead to continued higher prices or just increase the likelihood for more volatility? Chris and Joe discuss some of the possible outcomes and the need to stay “simple” with your marketing strategy as we all manage this emotional market roller coaster.
Shay Foulk and Chris Barron discuss 8 key topics in farm equipment management for 2022 and beyond. The time and effort in partner relationships, clear communication, and commitment to a plan and strategy will separate farm operations from their peers in the next decade, and drive success for years to come. This is one you won't want to miss!
Referenced in the podcast-
Farm Equipment Management Articles:
https://www.farm-equipment.com/articles/20116
https://www.farm-equipment.com/articles/20117
https://www.farm-equipment.com/articles/20118
More on equipment Cost Analysis and Long-Term Planning:
www.farmprofitmanager.com
This week Chris talks with Duane Lowry, assessing profitability opportunities, but also addressing what seems to be a horizon filled with uncertainties and the potential for abnormal price volatility. This is not the first or only year that we have seen exceptionally favorable prices in February, but history shows a wide range of ending scenarios from similar beginnings. We take a look at some of that history and its worth reflecting on those years.
Chris talks with Peter Meyer with S+P Global. Peter talks about numerous conditions that are currently impacting commodity prices including Interest rate hikes, demand, South American production, money flow, and the Russia Ukraine situation. Pete worries that the high price levels we are seeing now are unhealthy for the future as this will continue to drive input prices even higher in the near term and years to come. As of Feb 11th the insurance prices are at $5.79 for corn and $14.07 for soybeans. With only 10 trading days left we will likely see record levels of insurance coverage. Stay tuned and we will have much more on the insurance opportunities in the next few weeks.
Chris provides some perspective on the current cost of production trends that he is seeing from Profit Manager for the 2022 crop. He touches on some of the individual line item expenses including, return to management, crop insurance, fertilizer, nitrogen, and herbicides. Be sure to reach out to Shat if you are interested in receiving the analysis toll to run your own numbers for the 2022 crop year.
Here are three things to know in February 2022!
Contact shay@agviewsolutions.com with any questions. Have a great day!
Chris introduces Duane Lowry as he co hosts Jarod Creed, Ryan Moe, and Joe Vaclavik speaking about the markets for the upcoming week. Additionally they discuss numerous variables that will likely drive market volatility in the months ahead.
Chris talks with Paul Nieffer about some of the tax planning to watch for in 2021 and 2022.
Paul Neiffer (The Farm CPA) and Jim Wiesemeyer (DC Policy Analyst) talk about the build back better plan and several other things cooking in DC.
Duane Lowry talks to Joe Vaclavik with Standard Grain about wildcards in the 2022 markets.
The Ag View Executive Business Conference is on this week! We are so excited to host an amazing group of producers from over 20 states and Canada. Stay tuned as the Ag View Pitch produces a number of informational podcasts from the conference with some actionable items and business principles for a profitable 2022. For those of you attending this will be an amazing opportunity for networking and meeting new friends and building business relationships.
Chris talks with Mark Welch, a Grain Marketing Economist with Texas A&M, about the impact of inflation, interest rate increases, and investor money on the commodity markets. They also discuss the potential market impacts of the Russian and Ukraine situation and South American weather. Strategies for marketing the balance of 2021 crop and managing the price risk on the 2022 crop conclude the discussion
Chris and Duane Lowry discuss South American weather changes, inflation, plentiful old-crop supplies, and how all this might impact the maze of risk and opportunities, as we shift focus to the 2022 crop. It is time for a sober evaluation of your operation's preparedness for potential market volatility and how inflation will impact your working capital situation in the months ahead.
Chris talks with Grant Shimek of Black Oak Financial. Grant talks about how inflation is affecting the economy overall along with its direct impact on commodities and input costs going into 2022 crop season. Grant explains his logic on monitoring current market volatility and some likely directions in the market as we move through the January 12th USDA report and then on toward the February crop insurance price discovery timeframe. Grant's concern with the US reduction in domestic energy production (fossil fuels) will continue to drive inflation pressure which will likely support high input prices and commodity prices alike for the foreseeable future.
THESE are the key things to know headed into Spring 2022. Shay talks with Bryan Bednarek of StoneX on what's going on in the Fertilizer World. Bryan offers a great overview of the last two years of price action, supply and demand, and some key decision considerations moving forward.
- Actually define your goals. Make them measurable and reasonable. Keep them as simple as possible.
- Drawing a line in the sand on what’s important to reach those goals. We are all overburdened with information, but what is actionable? I don’t believe that daily wires are a lot of use to the average producer because they are often filled with a lot of information that isn’t relevant to the task at hand. I know because I’ve been on both ends of many marketing wires.
- Truly put together a breakeven cost of production. I favor it on a per acre basis. This number only matters to the farm, but it can greatly increase the confidence in making decisions.
- Put together a marketing plan with your needs in mind. So, let’s unpack what this looks like.
- Our approach is to ask some simple questions to help both our clients and our advisors understand the client’s uniqueness. These questions are simple but help provide the framework for our very simple marketing plans.
i. Run through some of the questions.
- From there we can help make a marketing plan to base decisions on based on specific triggers, execution methods, and volumes directed by the answers to those questions.
The key here really is in execution. Each producer needs to be able to find a reliable indicator that they can understand and track that assists them in reaching their goals.
Chris talks with Jarod Creed with JC Marketing and Peter Meyer with S&P Global Platts. They wrap up 2021 markets with a discussion around money price hurdles as we move into 2022. Some of the watch outs for early 2022 include South American weather improvements, increased farmer selling in January, slowing inflation rates, and possible softer demand for corn and soybean exports. They go on to discuss other economic factors including inflation, interest rates, and the need for producers to manage working capital with discipline throughout 2022 and into 2023.
Chris and Duane Lowry discuss South American weather, inflation, profitability and risk factors as we reflect upon market volatility in 2021 and begin to imagine what 2022 might bring. One thing for sure is an elevated vulnerability to revenue risk from multiple possible sectors. Fortunately, we currently have price structures that allow us opportunities to secure profitability and reduce/remove certain elements of risk. The future is uncertain and filled with plausible pathways. It's time to scan the entire horizon and discern risk, opportunity and execution.
Chris talks with Ryan Moe from Stone X about some of the market opportunities on the 2021 and 2022 crop. Current basis strength in many areas is providing opportunities for strong cash on farm prices, they discuss taking advantage of what for many operations are record income levels. Additionally they discuss some of the concerns with regard to demand, supply chain issues, inflation, and Chinese political issues with the US. As inputs continue to rise managing margins for the 22 crop season will be more important than ever. Finally they discuss how the acre mix between crops may affect different markets as farmers navigate crop rotation going into the spring timeframe.
Chris talks with Paul Neiffer about the checklist of action items for year end Tax prep. They discuss pre-payment rules, defend payments, and the importances of accurate accounting. They also touch on Paul's topics for the Ag View Executive Business Conference which includes learning how to calculate contribution margin, tax planning for future growth, an update on new tax laws, and numerous other tax management strategies.
Chris talks with Brent Judisch of P&K Midwest about the effects of inflation and supply disruption on new and used equipment. They discuss the strong demand particularly for tractors and combines. Additionally they touch on sprayers, tillage, and planting equipment. Some other key factors of the conversation include managing lease versus purchase, appropriately structuring interest rates, and developing an equipment replacement strategy that is most effective for your farming operation.
Chris talks with Chris Wilson of Atten Babler about the following:
- Macro market drivers
- Ethanol demand
- Inputs
- Finishing up 2021 crop marketing
- Key focus points on 2022 marketing plan: Input costs, ethanol demand, South American production could pressure soybean prices further, Crop rotations in 2022
Chris talks with Bill Conerly, a business economics consultant, a Senior Contributor to Forbes and a Duke University Ph.D. He has worked in economics and corporate planning at two Fortune 500 corporations and at a major bank, where he was senior vice president. They discuss the upcoming Ag View Executive Business Conference in Phoenix, Arizona and give a preview on some of the topics Bill will share at the conference. Additionally, Bill will be there for the entire event to network with you one on one as well. They also discuss some current issues including inflation, supply chain problems, interest rates, and managing working capital during "good times" in business.
Chris talks with Jarod Creed with JC Marketing about several market drivers to pay attention to in the next few weeks. They start out talking about some of the unknown hurdles around new variants with covid and the impacts of oil and energy prices especially as they relate to fertilizer prices. Other topics of discussion include taking advantage of basis opportunities especially in the next month as farmers close their grain bin doors waiting for the next year. Finally, Chris and Jared dialogue about the opportunities with respect to profitability in corn, soybeans, and wheat and what the acre mix may look like. However the emphasis still needs to be on running your own numbers.
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Thankfulness
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South America
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China
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Inflation watch outs
Don’t forget to register for the conference at agviewsolutions.com!
Chris has a detailed conversation with Peter Meyer with S&P Global Platts about numerous moving parts currently driving the markets. Many of the drivers include demand, inflation, strong ethanol margins, fertilizer prices, basis levels, and the continued supply chain disruptions. Additionally they review the interesting reaction from last weeks USDA report with corn prices strengthening. Finally they discuss at length many of the considerations that farmers will need to work through including marketing the balance for the 2021 crop and navigating margin opportunities as we go into the 2022 season.
Ryan Moe with Stone X talks with Chris about Tuesdays USDA report. They also discuss market drivers including Chinese demand, South American crops, and Ethanol demand. Finally, they discuss what basis might do depending on the reaction to Tuesdays USDA report.
We're excited to be hosting this first annual Ag View Executive Business Conference to bring you education and networking at a conference like never before. Our lineup of amazing speakers will be available not only to present but to network with you during the entire conference bringing you the most educational value possible. Be sure to reach out to Alissa (abarron@agviewsolutions.com) with any questions as you get registered and we can't wait to see you in Sunny Phoenix on January 26, 27, and 28th.
Shay and Chris talk with Joe Vaclavik with Standard Grain about a number of factors driving the markets in the near term and things to consider as you think through early marketing of your 2022 crop. The conversation hits on many market drivers including demand, exports, government policy, macro economics, inflation, interest rates, basis, and the corn-soy ratio.
Mark Welch with Texas A&M talks with Chris about marketing corn and soybeans in the last week of October. Managing basis levels and price opportunities leads the discussion along with Ethanol demand. They also address many of the risks associated with possible demand pressure as we move into the next year. 2022 provides a lot of opportunities but managing your margins will be the name of the game.
Did USDA just give us data that will force us to "reset" our selling decisions and what is a "good" price." With carryout levels rising and some question marks beginning to surface on the demand front, current prices may seem low, but they are still much higher than the past several years. Without a South American production problem, where will the new bullish inputs be found? For many producers, better than expected yields and still good prices, total revenue will exceed expectations. Should this prompt a sales decision more so than just "price"? These are legitimate questions that each producer needs to seriously ponder, as they keep filling their storage bins. ?
Chris talks with Dr. Bill Conerly who will be one of the outstanding speakers at the Ag View Executive Business Conference in Phoenix, Arizona on January 26, 27, and 28th. Bill is a business economics consultant, a Senior Contributor to Forbes and a Duke University Ph.D. He has worked in economics and corporate planning at two Fortune 500 corporations and at a major bank, where he was senior vice president. Chris and Bill discuss numerous factors currently influencing the economy including inflation, supply chain disruptions, interest rates, managing working capital, labor issues, trade, and the potential impacts from various tax increase proposals.
Chris visits with Brenda Kochanny and Matt Coley with Cargill in Cedar Rapids and Eddyville, Iowa. They talk about current local harvest progress and some mid season yield results. Additionally, they dive into a number of other topics including supply chain disruptions, storage considerations, basis levels, carry, and the Chinese demand picture moving forward. Finally, they discuss some of the opportunities and challenges as we look toward 2022; high input costs, crop rotation decisions and the need for a marketing plan.
Chris and Alissa discuss the Ag View Executive Business Conference happening in Phoenix in January with some exciting details regarding location and speakers! Tune in to learn more and email Alissa at abarron@agviewsolutions.com or text 319-231-8296 to be added to our invite list. See you in sunny Phoenix for this high level conference with like-minded producers and a dynamic lineup of speakers!
Jarod Creed with JC Marketing talks with Chris about the marketing week ahead. They discuss a number of topics including last weeks USDA stocks report, energy issues and uncertainty with China. They also talk about current profit opportunities, yield reports from around the corn belt, and 2022 sales considerations.
Shay talks with Jody Lawrence on what to expect in the month ahead. They discuss carry, storage decisions, ethanol basis, and even oats. this is one you won't want to miss while you're riding in the combine!
Chris Barron and Duane Lowry discuss why it is worth your time to learn and understand Margin Protection and determine if it works well for your operation.
Chris, Paul Neiffer, and Duane Lowry explore current marketing opportunities, through a lens of where risk might exist, possibly from factors many are not giving respectful consideration.
Shay talks with Steve Johnson on Margin Protection insurance for the 2022 crop season. The deadline is September 30th. If you think this may be a good fit for you, reach out to your crop insurance agent right now. Profitability doesn't care how busy you are- stop the combine, if you have to, to take a look at this important decision for next year!
Chris talks with Chris Wilson, Economic Analyst with "Atten Babler Risk Management LLC." They discuss the markets reaction to the September USDA report from last week and the realization that yield levels are going up in both corn and soybeans. They also talk about some early harvest results and the importance of paying attention to basis levels if you still have unpriced bushels to move off the combine.
Chris talks with Peter Meyer with S&P Global Platts about market factors to watch in the week ahead. Pete explains how the damage from hurricane Ida is effecting flat price/basis for corn and soybean and that repairing the damage may take months. Pete also explains how the September USDA report uses an objective ear count to come up with yield. Don't be surprised if we see a yield adjustment. Acreage adjustments will likely be made in the September report as well. Finally, Pete and Chris discuss some considerations for marketing both the 2021 and 2022 crops.
Chris talks with Paul Neiffer on the topic of structuring your farm business entities to manage liability, accounting, and transition.
Chris and Paul Neiffer talk with Grant Shimek of Black Oak Financial. They talk about some of the key market drivers as we head towards harvest. Grant talks about some technical ranges to watch for corn and soybeans in addition to the importance of paying attention to basis as we move towards harvest. Also, Paul talks to Grant about current strategies for wheat marketing.
Chris talks with Clark Neighbors with BIS Commodities in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They discuss the factors that pressured the grain markets last week. Clark also talks about the factors to watch in the week ahead including continued historical price pressure, technical pressure, lowering of the RFS, fund pressure, and prospects of the crop being a bit larger than the August USDA report stated.
Chris talks about the 8 key factors in defining what growth means to you and your business. Getting your team to understand what your operations growth goals are helps to establish a clear vision yielding the best possible odds for long term business success.
Joe Vaclavik with Standard Grain talks with Chris about market factors including last weeks USDA report, funds, demand, and current crop conditions. They also discuss basic considerations as we head toward harvest and some risk mitigation strategies to consider.
Chris talks with Brent Judisch about the price increases that we are seeing with new and used farm equipment. They also talk about availability of parts, service, labor, new and used equipment. Brent explains the challenges that are leading to availability and price increase issues.
Chris talks with Brad Downing, a producer in Indiana, about the value of participation in a peer group. They discuss the importance of transparency, vulnerability, and accountability within the peer group. Brad and Chris go on to explain how the group functions and the direct benefits this experience will bring to your farming operation.
Chris talks with Jarod Creed of JC Marketing in Hudson, IA. They start the conversation discussing crop conditions, and some considerations around the August 12th USDA Report. Additionally they dive into some key risk management topics for 2021 and the opportunities that 2022 price levels are giving many producers even in the face of higher input costs. Finally, be sure to understand the value of margin protection insurance by staying in close contact with your crop insurance agent.
Shay talks with Tevis Mott of Central Bank in Princeton, IL about what a beginning farmer needs to know, think about, and focus on as they meet with good lenders. Not all lenders are alike, so find the right fit for you! This is a huge step in understanding the steps you need to take towards getting your farming career off the ground. Learn more about Central Bank and contact their lending team at https://www.central-bank.com/loans/agriculture-loans/operating-lines-of-credit.html Enjoy!
Shay talks with Mike Downey of Next Gen Ag Advocates about how to connect with landowners, transition within families, and have the right discussions about leasing, renting, or owning, and what your future in farming might look like. This is the first episode in our beginning farmer series- stay tuned for more! You can find out more about Next Gen Ag at https://www.nextgenag.us/team/ Enjoy!
Chris talks with Ryan Moe from StoneX. They talk about the market in the week ahead. Enjoy!
Shay talks with Rick Radliff of Witness Distillery in Vandalia, IL about his career with Pioneer, how he got into distilling, plans for the future, and the importance of family and healthy team dynamics. Check out Witness distillery at https://www.witnessdistillery.com/ Enjoy!
Chris talks with Roger about his life lessons and wisdom that he's gained over the years while farming with his family. Enjoy!
Chris talks with Grant Shimek from Black Oak Financial. They discuss several factors that could drive the corn and soybean market in the week ahead, including weather, crop conditions, technicals, Chinese demand, and the massive flooding that is occurring in China.
Chris talks with Chris and Terry Patterson about the dynamics of farming with siblings.
Chris talks with Bill Northey who was Secretary of Agriculture of Iowa from 2007-2018, he also served as U.S. Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation from 2017-2021. Currently Bill works as a conservation sustainability consultant. Chris asks Bill to talk about the importance of how potential new legislation with regard to carbon credits may directly affect farmers. Additionally they talk about the importance of getting started on some conservation activities on your farm in order to be ready for some of the changes coming our way in future farm bill legislation.
Chris talks with Bill Northey who was Secretary of Agriculture of Iowa from 2007-2018, he also served as U.S. Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation from 2017-2021. Bill discusses his journey as a grandson, son, and father throughout his life on the farm. They also discuss the transition as a father from farming to public life and the opportunities brought to his family throughout his career to this point. Bill has a great message on the importance of service and the opportunities that can be brought forward meeting new people and getting out of your comfort zone.
Mark Welch, a Grain Marketing Economist with Texas A&M, joins Chris to discuss the corn and soybean markets as we head into a new week. They discuss weather, foreign and domestic demand, sales strategies, and basis management as we move through the growing season.
For more entertainment, head on over to our youtube channel for this episode! Chris and four of his sons sit down for an entertaining and educational discussion around the importance of family on the farm. This is an absolute must listen for EVERYONE looking for an entertaining way to learn about the importance of business and family communication. Enjoy!
Chris talks with Peter Meyer with S&P Global Platts. They discuss USDA reports and the week ahead.
Communication always seems to be the #1 challenge for farming and businesses to navigate. Chris talks about the 3 R's of communication to help you improve how communication flows within your business.
3 R's
- Reflection
- Roles Defined
- Regular Reviews
Chris talks with Jarod Creed from JC Marketing out of Hudson, Iowa. They discuss the impacts of weather on the markets in addition to crop conditions across the corn belt. Jarod talks about some strategies to consider whether you're in a drought stricken area or looking at the potential for a record crop. They also discuss considerations for 2022 marketing for both corn and soybeans. Finally they touch on managing basis as we move through the growing season and towards harvest. As a reminder in no way are any of the strategies discussed here are recommendations, instead these conversations are intended to bring you perspective and to help you think about opportunities for improving your profit margin.
Chris talks with Joe Vaclavik about the June 30th acreage report in addition to managing emotions and risk throughout the growing season. Joe also hints on the topics he will be discussing at their evening meeting on location.
Bruce talks with Chris on his years of experience as a farmer and some of the business lessons learned over the years.
On a lighter note, Bruce explains the sex life of a field rock.
Shay talks with Garrett Brown of Codak Risk Advisory Group on recent weather events, Renewable Fuel Standards, and the big player this week of the June 30th Acreage Report. Garrett had a few key comments that stuck out:
"It is more rare to see a decrease in planted acres than an increase"
"This is historically an extremely volatile report, with limit moves either way not uncommon."
Tune in for twenty minutes of key commentary and discussion for this Weekly Market Outlook!
Clark Neighbors with BIS Commodities talks with Chris about recent market volatility. What were some of the factors that influenced market moves last week and what may continue to drive the market volatility in the weeks to come. Clark hits on some of the factors including inflation, currency, Chinese demand, potential Chinese policy changes, and ongoing news within the ethanol industry.
How well is your operation covered? Chris talks with Adam Brickley with PDCM from Waterloo, Iowa. They discuss gaps in coverage and the risks associated with the under insured. They also discuss levels of coverage and the types of insurance to best fit your coverage needs.
Chris talks with Joe Vaclavik with Standard Grain about market conditions to watch for in the week ahead. Last weeks USDA report, weather, South America, demand, and new crop corn and soybean basis levels are all topics of discussion. Joe also talks about possible changes for the biofuel industry proposed by the Biden administration and the concerns it may hold for the corn market.
Chris talks with Troy Deutmeyer a Pioneer Field Agronomist and Mike Tierney an Account Manager with Pioneer. They discuss current crop conditions in Iowa including frost damage, heat, crop protection, fertility, and drought.
Chris talks with Peter Meyer with S&P Global Platts. They discuss a bullish picture for corn and soybeans as we move through the growing season. Some key bullish drivers include Chinese demands, strong soy oil demand, and weather. They also talk about the acreage report coming up in 3 weeks and how it could impact price levels.
Chris talks with Brent Gloy with Economic Insights out of West Lafayette. Brent is a past professor at Purdue University teaching Ag Finance. Chris and Brent discuss inflation and the impacts that it is having on the general economy. They go on to talk about interest rates and some loan structure to consider while rates are still very low.
Chris talks with Clark Neighbors of BIS Commodities from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Clark talks about Chinese demand for corn and the impact it's having on price movement. Additionally, they discuss basis movements in both corn and soybeans, 2021 crop sales, 2022 crop sales, and marketing strategies/principles to keep in mind in a volatile marketing environment.
John Kermicle is a Husband, Father, Grandfather, Farmer, and soon to be retired AgriGold Brand Lead. John and Shay have a conversation on John's storied career with AgriGold and his involvement in the ag industry over 40 years- everything from D.C. to local seed sales. John shares his thoughts on the future of agriculture, what he wants his children and grandchildren to know, and offers some great advice on handling the ups and downs in agriculture. This is an episode you won't want to miss!
Chris talks with Steve Johnson, a retired ISU Extension Specialist, about several key risk management tools to stay focused on. They discuss the importance of staying connected with your crop insurance agent. Did you purchase hail coverage? If not, you may at least want to discuss with your insurance agent. Also, Steve encourages producers to involve your Insurance agent with helping you to get your acres certified with the FSA office. Finally, Steve introduces the idea of looking into "Margin Protection" Insurance. We will follow up in more detail on Margin Protection in a July podcast. Enjoy!
Shay talks with Jarod Creed of JC Marketing Services on the outlook this week and some very important options strategies you should be considering as a farmer in the next 25 days
Shay talks with Neil in SW Minnesota on the good early planting conditions, cool weather, and hopes for a rain. Neil poses an interesting questions on comparing this year to the market reactions in crop progress of 2019. Now what do we do- wait and hope for some rain! Tune un to today's episode to see what's going on in Minnesota- enjoy!
Chris talks with Chris Wilson of ATTEN-Babler. They discuss last weeks market volatility and some of the factors that drove market movement. They go on to discuss key factors that will drive the market in the upcoming weeks including money flow from the funds, planted acre estimates, and continued demand strength. Chris also provides his perspective on levels for sales/risk coverage for both 21 and 22 crop.
Coming to you from Indiana today is a crop update from Andy and Brad. We have seen varying levels of planting progress and departures from normal in a year that has many farmers hoping to hit a home run with market conditions and planting conditions, but will the weather cooperate? Tune in to hear how Indiana is making out in today’s Ag View Pitch Crop Progress podcast!
Chris talks with Scott Lonier about planting progress in Michigan, he also talks with Jerod Schmidt from Chilli, Wisconsin about planting progress there, and he talks with Scott Berger from Traer, Iowa about planting progress in his area.
Ryan Moe with Stone X talks with Chris about market drivers for the week ahead. They discuss South American weather, Chinese demand, Wednesdays WASDE Report, and the importance of reviewing your grain contracts for accuracy and proper tracking totals.
Chris talks with Trevor Thompson from Saskatchewan, Canada. They discuss the current planting pace, soil conditions, crop rotation, and prospects for the 2021 growing season while Trevor is planting Canola.
President Biden announced his American Family Plan last week. This podcast reviews the benefits of the plan, especially for younger farm families. We also review how they will pay for the plan and how it affects typical farm families. And we spend some time on the unintended consequences of the plan.
Chris talks with Zach Paulman from Western Nebraska. They discuss the current planting pace, soil conditions, crop rotation, and prospects for the 2021 growing season.
Chris talks with Chase Dewitz, producer in South Central North Dakota about the extreme dry conditions. Challenges for crops and livestock production will worsen unless rain comes soon.
Grant Shimek with Black Oak Financial talks with Chris about the market outlook for the week ahead. They discuss weather, expanded trading limits, basis, and the funds positioning moving forward. Current price levels are providing a very strong return on investment. As a result they discuss some possible strategies to consider to protect these strong profit levels.
Chris, from Northeast Iowa, discusses the current planting pace, soil conditions, crop rotation, and prospects for the 2021 growing season.
Chris talks with Rance Daniels from Southeast Missouri. They discuss the current planting pace, soil conditions, crop rotation, and prospects for the 2021 growing season.
Chris talks with Fred Black from Southeast Arkansas. They discuss the current planting pace, soil conditions, crop rotation, and prospects for the 2021 growing season.
Mark Welch (Grain Marketing Economist with Texas A&M) visits with Chris about current market fundamentals including weather, South American crop, inflation, basis levels, and speculative investors "The Funds". They discuss the potential volatility in the grain markets moving forward, especially if we see weather issues this summer. However, current prices are at significant profit levels for most producers requiring close attention to the current market opportunities.
Chris talks with Chris Wilson of ATTEN-Babler about some of the market drivers for the upcoming week including weather, the funds, currency, and basis levels. Much of these conditions will continue into the growing season and could likely bring us some intense market volatility.
Eric Zumbach, Pioneer Field Agronomist in Iowa talks with Chris about planting corn and soybeans in cold conditions. He talks about the three key drivers for the planting decision, #1 Soil Condition, Soil Temperature, and the forecast. If your questioning whether or not you should be planting be sure to listen to this discussion.
Shay talks with Jacob Wade of @AgVantageseeds in Central Illinois on planting progress and a great discussion on early planted soybeans and on-farm trials!
Chris talks with Dave Eidman from Mascoutah, Illinois. They discuss the current planting pace, soil conditions, crop rotation, and prospects for the 2021 growing season.
Chris talks with Levi Taylor from North Dakota. They discuss the current planting pace, soil conditions, crop rotation, and prospects for the 2021 growing season.
Chris talks with Jarod Creed of JC Marketing. They discuss how ultra sensitive the grain market will be to weather problems, especially if we see any issues arise during planting or early growing season. They also discuss several strategies to consider as you continue marketing old and new crop bushels.
Chris talks with Russel French from Amarillo, Texas. They discuss the current planting pace, soil conditions, crop rotation, and prospects for the 2021 growing season.
Chris talks with Drew Wendland from Autaugaville, Alabama (Central Alabama). They discuss the current planting pace, soil conditions, crop rotation, and prospects for the 2021 growing season.
Chris talks with Clark Neighbors of BIS Commodities in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They discuss some of the market fundamentals as we head into planting season including price movement, demand, and basis levels.
Chris talks with Paul Neiffer of Farm CPA Today about the STEP Act and what it might mean to you and your family's farm operation. They touch on specific topics including income tax, gifting, transfers, trust, and estate tax. This is a must listen episode!
Garret Brown of Codak Risk Advisory talks acres, stocks, feed use, international production, and what farmers should keep in mind moving into this report! Learn more from Garret at https://www.codakgroup.com/. Be sure to subscribe and leave a review on the podcast!
Joe Vaclavik with Standard Grain joins Chris to discuss the week ahead in grain marketing. They touch on a variety of topics including Chinese demand, funds, planting intentions, and several marketing strategies to think about.
We are closing in on one year of the marked low commodity prices. What does this mean for our marketing? Should we be looking at 2022 sales? More speculative positions than ever before will be in commodities on March 15th- what's the risk of that? All this and more as Shay talks with Grant Shimek of Black Oak Financial in this Weekly Market Outlook. Enjoy!
Shay talks with Gavin Spoor about how he got started as a first generation popcorn farmer, what the role means to him, and what he sees for the future of his business. A fun podcast you won't want to miss! Check him out at spoorfarms.com
When have you ever had the opportunity to protect as much revenue as you do this year? Tune in as Shay talks with Jarod Creed of JC Marketing Services about the opportunities we have ahead, and what to expect this week!
Shay talks with Dan Frieberg and Brenton Rossman of Premier Crop Systems about who they are, what they do, and how they might help work with your operations next steps!
Shay talks with Jody Lawrence of RCM Ag Services. Jody has been in the industry over 20 years and writes an excellent daily newsletter. This week they talk about how we got to where market prices are today, and what to expect in the coming week. Spring Prices have been set, and there is a lot of opportunity ahead! Enjoy
Chris talks with Steve Johnson, retired Iowa State Extension Field Management Specialist. They discuss the importance of understanding the value that crop insurance will bring your operation in 2021. They caution not to let the sticker shock/ price increase over last year drive your coverage decision. Instead, focus on your risk management needs and work closely with your insurance agent to acquire the most feasible product for 2021.
Shay Foulk talks with Josh Waite of Northwestern Mutual Greater Peoria Office about Farm Financial Planning in 2021. Key topics include an outlook of profitability, making time to start investing, hiring out what you don't do well, and simply getting started. They also discuss retirement, insurance gaps, and overall general risk management strategies for someone preparing for the future. This is a conversation you won't want to miss! You can learn more about Josh and his team at http://www.waitefinancialgrp.com/
Chris talks with Ken Root, a retired farm broadcaster with over 46 years in the industry. They discuss perspective on several topics including US China relations and China’s demand for our products, current and future government programs, economic decision making on the farm, and the challenges and opportunities with transitioning the farm over to the next generation.
Chris talks with Grant Shimek with Black Oak Financial as we enter the final week of price discovery for crop insurance. They discuss some of the factors currently driving market volatility, including technical drivers, South American weather, current and future fundamentals, demand, and some of the possibilities that may develop with planted acres this spring.
Chris talks with Joe Vaclavik from Standard Grain about some of the key market drivers to watch for the next weeks and months ahead for both old and new crop sales. They discuss how speculators (Funds), Supply and Demand, Weather, and Planted Acres could contribute to Market volatility.
Chris talks with Brian Splitt with Agmarket.net. Brian provides perspective on Tuesday's USDA report, along with several marketing strategies to navigate market volatility.
Chris talks with Paul Neiffer about some of the Biden Administration tax proposals currently under consideration.
Shay talks about the Five Dysfunctions of a Farm, based on Patrick Lencioni's book "Five Dysfunctions of a Team". While it is a fable/story book, there are many excellent points you can pull from the book to relate back to your farm operation. The five key dysfunctions are:
- Lack of Trust
- Fear of Conflict
- Lack of Commitment
- Lack of Accountability
- Inattention to Results
How do these affect your operation? For further questions you can email Shay at agronguy@gmail.com or visit us at agviewsolutions.com. Thanks for listening!
Chris talks with Jarod Creed from JC Marketing in Hudson, IA. They discuss some of the factors creating uncertainty in the corn, soybean, and wheat markets. Volatility in the weeks ahead may create some additional pricing opportunities.
Chris talks with Steve Johnson, retired ISU Extension Economist, about some of the crop insurance options and decisions that producers will need to make by March 15th. You can contact Steve with questions at sdjohns@iastate.edu.
Chris Barron and Steve Johnson discuss considerations for producers as elections are made on the ARC (Agricultural Risk Coverage) or PLC (Price Loss Coverage). You can contact Steve at sdjohns@iastate.edu.
Chris Barron and Shay Foulk have experience with key issues agricultural operations face. They work with producers all across the U.S. and Canada and see many common trends that farm operations face. Four of these happen to start with D- death, divorce, disability, and disaster.
Chris talks with Mark Welch, grain marketing specialist from Texas A&M University. They discuss the discipline of managing through current market volatility. Some of the topics of discussion include short and long term demand, large speculators in the market and their current long positions, ethanol, and some of the potential tendencies for market moves in the weeks and months ahead. Having a plan to manage your risk through the course of this upcoming year may be more important than anything on your operation.
Chris talks about the importance of understanding your true equipment costs. He also discusses the importance of understanding how depreciation and inflation impact your cost of ownership. To learn more about this check out Profit Manager's equipment analysis tool at https://agviewsolutions.com/profit-manager/ or call Chris at (319)533-5703 or Shay at (319)464-5708!
Chris talks with Clark Neighbors from BIS Commodities. They discuss topics including ethanol, last week's USDA report, the funds, current long positions, 2020 crop basis levels, and some past years that are similar to this year for perspective. Additionally, they discuss some considerations for new crop marketing as we get further into 2021.
Shay talks with Jarod Creed of JC Marketing Services in Iowa about the lack of fundamentals in the market, Tuesday's report, the utter importance of 2021 Crop Insurance decisions, and also the outlook if we can maintain price strength through February. Enjoy!
Chris speaks with Paul Nieffer about the latest Coronavirus aid relief package and details specific to farmers. They discuss guidance with respect to the PPP (Paycheck Protection Program), ERC (Employment Retention Credit), and CFAP #3.
An awesome market conversation today! 2020 review and 2021 outlook with Joe Vaclavik of Standard Grain. Check out Joe's podcast and YouTube channel, and also give these two episodes a listen that we reference in today's podcast. Joe is candid, honest, and does a great job- enjoy!
Stock Market Investing from a Dummy: https://www.buzzsprout.com/793022/episodes/5964955
Crypto from a Dummy: https://www.buzzsprout.com/793022/episodes/4884284
Shay talks with Dr. Gary Schnitkey on some key aspects of 2020, and what farmers should think about moving into 2021 and well beyond! Enjoy
Shay talks with Ben Blair of Max Ag (click here for the tool!) about all of the current chemical programs and availability in today's market place. Ben does a great job of making a complicated system easy to understand, and has a great tool to help growers and retailers alike! Enjoy
Chris talks with Jarod Creed of JC Marketing in Hudson, Iowa. They discuss the current strength in the grain markets, strong basis levels, and the current slow pace of farmer sales. Also, they discuss opportunities for finishing up 2020 sales and looking forward to 2021.
Chris and Mark discuss marketing opportunities and challenges including exports, ethanol demand, South American production/weather, and cash grain pricing opportunities. They also discuss considerations for pricing of 2020 crops and getting started on 2021. If you would like to contact Mark at Texas A&M, feel free to email him at jmwelch@tamu.edu.
Chris talks with Mark about his life lessons and wisdom that he's gained over the years. Faith, family, farming are all part of this interesting discussion. Enjoy!
Shay talks with Scott Pedigo about the newly rolled out Enhanced Coverage Option for crop insurance. This is something you will want to listen to and understand moving into 2021!
Chris talks with Mark Welch, the director of TEPAP, about the 2021 program which will be virtual every Tuesday of January, from 10 a.m. to noon. Be sure to check out this high level, educational opportunity!
Chris talks with Grant Shimek with Black Oak Financial about some of the market drivers to pay attention to over the next several weeks. Some of the topics include current weather conditions both in the US and South America, technicals, outside investors (funds), Chinese demand, and possible acreage shifts going in to 2021.
Brent Judisch with John Deere talks about what is going on in the used equipment market, new machinery backlogs, and how the PPP is impacting purchasing decisions here at year end.
Chris Barron and Clark Neighbors of BIS Commodities discuss some of the market drivers including coronavirus/ethanol demand, Chinese purchasing, and South American weather. They also discuss some of the action items to consider for 2020 grain sales and considerations for getting started on 2021 grain marketing. If you would like to reach out to Clark, you can call him at (800)373-2525.
Chris Barron talks with Ken Root, a communications consultant. He works primarily in agriculture with skills in writing, broadcasting, and video. Chris and Ken discuss Kens experiences in farming and broadcasting throughout his life, and the wisdom gained throughout his years. Enjoy!
Chris talks with Paul Neiffer about some of the rules and guidelines of the existing farm program along with some of the likely similarities and changes for the upcoming 2021 farm program.
Chris and Paul Neiffer of Clifton Larson Allen discuss the primary components of year end tax planning including differed income, pre payments, and equipment purchasing. They also discuss in detail the rules around income from sources such as crop insurance, disaster payments, CFAP I & 2, MFP, and PPP.
Chris talks with Jarod Creed, owner of JC Marketing Services from Hudson, IA. They discuss some of the driving forces behind recent market strength and some of the risks associated with those forces. They talk through some of these following questions. Will Chinese purchasing continue? South American weather? Could the funds increase their long positions? Will basis continue to be strong? Is inflation around the corner? And finally some practical considerations around finishing up 2020 sales and starting 2021 sales.
Joe Vaclavik talks about turkey, why La Nina is a hot-button word, trade obligation fulfillment, fund positions, and more in today's episode of the Ag View Pitch.
Shay talks with Garrett of Codak Risk Advisory on what the biggest pull on market my be in the weeks and months ahead; China, South America, or continued election news.
Shay and Brian talk on Tuesday's market rally, veterans day, and much more! Thank you to all who have served, to those who are parents of soldiers, and for all of you out there who have made sacrifices for the liberties we enjoy. Be sure to check out our website at agviewsolutions.com
Listen for Mark's top reasons to attend 2020's virtual Farmer Veteran Coalition Conference, and learn more about his operation! You can learn more at https://conference.farmvetco.org/. This year's conference is one you won't want to miss! Whether you are JUST getting started farming, or have been farming as a veteran for many years, this conference is for you! Happy Veterans Day to you all.
Chris talks with Steve Johnson of Iowa State University about what to expect in the corn and soybean markets for the week ahead. USDA Report, the funds, exports, and basic levels are all part of the discussion.
Chris talks with Grant Shimek with Black Oak Financial. They discuss market drivers including Chinese demand, delayed planting in Brazil, basis levels, and some key technicals to watch for in the weeks to come. Grant also gives some perspective on possible pricing opportunities to consider for 2021.
Just 5 days until election day... Shay talks with Paul Neiffer (farmcpatoday.com) about tax law related to retirement, income tax, estates, and also healthcare and the environment. We encourage everyone to vote, and we are as interested as anyone to see how this election plays out! As always you can contact Shay at (319)464-5708 or Chris at (319)533-5703. Enjoy!
Chris talks with Brian Splitt of AgMarket.Net about some of the current market drivers and some possible strategies to capture price opportunities.
While every year has it's challenges, here's a reminder of what conditions were like for many across the Corn Belt last year in today's episode rerun. We hope everyone is staying safe and having a much smoother harvest than last year!
Chris talks with Clark Neighbors with BIS Commodities about several demand factors that are driving the corn and soybean markets including continued purchasing from China, a slight supply shrinkage, and the increasing interest from the funds. What does all of this mean and what are some things that we may want to consider moving into the next several weeks?
Chris Barron speaks with Jarod Creed, owner of JC Marketing Services. They discuss some of the driving forces that are providing current strength to the corn and soybean markets. They also discuss how farmers should consider these opportunities for profitability along with the viability of storage. For many producers, these are opportunities that no one thought we would see.
Record long positions in soybeans, dry conditions in South America, and light carry… This and more with Shay Foulk and Garret Brown of Codak Risk Advisory. Enjoy!
Chris talks with John Maxwell and Ben Blair, farmers from Central Iowa about the data they have collected around the topic of "Phantom Yield Loss." They discuss in detail their finding on what is the most economical moisture to harvest corn.
Chris and Duane discuss the latest yield themes, as well as market sentiment heading into Friday's USDA monthly S&D/Production estimates. Last week's Quarterly Stocks reports are still influencing trader expectations, but how should we react and plan to this year's harvest time rally? This is no time to ignore creating a marketing plan, opportunities are among us and it is time to personalize your own marketing plan.
Shay talks with Illinois Soybean Checkoff Association. Members Linda Kull and Emily Carls of FBFM about how your check off dollars are used and an exciting program called AMP - Agribusiness Management Program. You’ll notice a lot of similarities in their program that we work with often with farm operations… enjoy today’s podcast.
Shay Foulk talks with Garret Brown of Codak Risk Advisory for a Mid-week Market Outlook as well as perspective following the Quarterly Grain Stock Reports released September 30, 2020. The theme is "unexpected" and "surprise" as many analysts have alluded to today. The importance is focusing on what is ahead, managing margins and pricing opportunities into the future, and knowing our numbers as farmers and producers. Learn more at agviewsolutions.com
Chris and Duane discuss the 2020 Harvest season, yield outlook, upcoming quarterly stocks report and how all this may create marketing opportunities. Prices are much better than most expected/feared during virtually all of 2020. How should we respond?
Chris talks with Matt Todd from Grain Handler located in Lakeville, Minnesota. They discuss mix-flow driers and some best practices for handling and drying your grain as we move into harvest.
Shay Foulk talks with Garret Brown of Codak Risk Advisory for a mid-week market outlook. You can find more at codakgroup.com or contact Garret via his cell number in the podcast. Be sure to rate and subscribe to the podcast. Enjoy!
Transition shouldn't be an obstacle, it should be a key step in the legacy and vision of a farming operation. Ag View Solutions helps all types and sizes of producers make a successful transition to the next generation. Chris Barron outlines the key needs for farm operations that our team sees frequently. By tackling these topics head on, your operation will be ready to take the next step! For any questions on this or other topics, visit agviewsolutions.com. Be sure to check out Profit Manager, our Consulting tab, and our other podcasts. You can always reach Chris at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com and Shay Foulk at agronguy@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!
Harvest is upon us and weather forecasts suggest limited disruptions. Prices are into the upper half of price averages since 2014, well above what was expected/feared by many through much of 2020 and as recently as early/mid-August. Thus, there are multiple pathways to concluding that we are currently experiencing exceptional sales opportunities for 2020 and possibly for 2021. Today Chris and Duane discuss prices, yields, gov't payments and total revenue through a lens of opportunity and remind producers to recall what all this looked like through the lens of fear and despair, just weeks ago and through much of 2020. How much of China's demand can be continued in the weeks/months ahead and how much of their buying energy the past several months has been to rebuild stocks? There's a lot to discuss and even more for you to ponder as you seek a profitable pathway to navigate 2020 and 2021.
Chris Barron and Paul Neiffer discuss the details released with CFAP 2.0 and what the payment structure looks like for various commodities. Paul Neiffer is a Principal with Clifton Larson Allen and also author of The Agribusiness Blog Farm CPA Today. https://farmcpatoday.com/
Chris Barron talks about 10 key considerations for keeping the business going while transitioning to the next generation.
Chris and Duane discuss Friday's USDA report and the implications to both 2020 and 2021 producer marketing plans. There are interesting aspects to Friday's report data and in some cases a bit sobering. Much of 2020 was spent with producers fearing prices well below current values and never actually expecting the opportunities that are currently being offered. This creates an entirely different landscape and thus it may warrant a completely different perspective and approach. Listen to today's podcast today, as timely decisions are upon us!
Chris talks with Mark Welch, a Professor and Extension Economist - Grain Marketing at Texas A&M University. They discuss the current macro and micro economic conditions, including some possible strategies for dealing with the challenges and opportunities that may lay ahead.
Chris and Duane discuss late season rains and yield expectations as the market anxiously awaits Friday's USDA projections and harvest results. Much of today's podcast discusses the possible merit and need for price protection strategies after recent strength. Each producer needs to evaluate their own situations, but current prices may offer opportunities, as the harvest season and normal price pressures of the harvest season may still exert pressure on prices, unless USDA shocks the trade with much smaller ending stocks in Friday's report. We also explore possible opportunities in marketing the 2021 production.
Shay talks with Natalie Roy of the Agrisafe Network on a cross-podcast discussion for National Farm Safety and Health Week. Sign up for the webinars at https://learning.agrisafe.org/ and follow and subscribe to the Agrisafe Network Podcast for more farm safety information! Shay will be speaking on Thursday, September 24th! Enoy.
Richard was a long time farming neighbor of Chris and his family. Chris and Richard discuss Richards experiences in farming throughout his life, and the wisdom he gained throughout the years.
Steve Johnson with Iowa State University talks with Chris Barron about the methods used for generating the September 11th USDA report. Which includes Producer Yield Survey, Objective Yield Survey, and Satellite Imagery. How might a shrinking crop after the report influence the next report?
Steve Johnson with Iowa State University and Chris Barron discuss how crop insurance companies are working through coverage adjustments in the crop damaged areas of the Derecho. Be sure to listen in! Important information to understand about your crop insurance policy.
Today Chris and Duane try to sort out weather, yield loss calculations, price targets, possible producer profitability calculations and how all of this may or may not yet be reflected by current prices. With the market now keenly focused on both USDA's Sep 11 reports and combine yield data not far behind, producers need to separate their own farm's production outlook and profitability calculations from the entire national yield discussion. There is a lot to discuss today, but we begin the podcast with a key foundational discussion that is one everyone's mind, but not even included in this summary! Have a listen!
Chris Barron visits with Fred Black who farms in Southeast Arkansas. Fred grows rice, corn, cotton, and soybeans. Chris and Fred discuss crop damage and harvest progress to this point.
.Brent Judisch talks with Shay about the trends in new and used equipment markets, harvesting down corn and watchouts, and also general pre-maintenance checks and inspections as we head into 2020 harvest. Learn more about Brent and his family here: https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/article/2017/03/28/teamwork-attention-detail-hallmarks
Chris talks with Ben Pagel from Northeast Security Bank located in Northeast Iowa. They discuss many of the issues that farmers are facing in the current environment, including interest rates, refinancing, cash flow, risk management, and several other financial topics.
Chris and Duane seek to "step back" and try to assess all that has changed during the current growing season, especially a major wind storm, late season dryness, and an increasingly active Chinese buyer. For the first time, we may be seeing the beginning of a major turnaround in large spec funds, who have been short corn for months. Have fundamental foundations changed enough to alter price outlooks? There is a lot to discuss as harvest approaches and producers ponder their marketing and storage plans.
If you like the podcast be sure to subscribe, and check out more on transition planning, farm collaboration, business structuring, and profit management at agviewsolutions.com!
Chris and Duane seek to "step back" and try to assess all that has changed during the current growing season, especially a major wind storm, late season dryness, and an increasingly active Chinese buyer. For the first time, we may be seeing the beginning of a major turnaround in large spec funds, who have been short corn for months. Have fundamental foundations changed enough to alter price outlooks? There is a lot to discuss, as harvest approaches and producers ponder their marketing and storage plans.
Shay talks temporary storage in the form of grain bagging with Zane Erickson of North Star Ag. While bagging may seem cumbersome and unreliable (it’s not), Zane talks about why it is a great solution in many areas and how it can potentially help those who have lost storage for this year. You can learn more at northstar-ag.com/product-category/grain-bagger/ and by contacting them at (701)361-4790. Enjoy!
Chris Barron and Greg Carson discuss the challenges from the Derecho. With much of the Grain storage demolished, the storm ravaged area will need to look at alternative logistics for drying and storage options.
Today Chris and Duane produce Ag View Pitch's 200th podcast! As we look ahead to this week, traders are contemplating whether last week's USDA yield projections may have been the year's high water mark. The combination of a very devastating multi-state wind storm, and a 2-week forecast that offers limited precipitation on too many acres, may both help to add momentum to last week's price strength. Producers need to pay close attention to both basis and futures during the next 2-3 weeks. Today's podcast discusses important producer perspectives to their marketing approach, and we may be on the verge of the market offering improved opportunities. Also be sure to check out our latest video on the Iowa Derecho at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HvJAYiS1xE&t=51s and SUBSCRIBE here!
Chris Barron and his brother-In-law Brandt Fehl discuss the aftermath of the storm that traveled through Iowa on August 10th. Also check out the video on our YouTube channel showing images of the destruction https://youtu.be/3HvJAYiS1xE
Meaghan Anderson, Extension Field Agronomist at Iowa State University, talks with Shay about the extent and aftermath of the derecho earlier this week. They discuss agronomic, economic, and logistical impacts that farmers will be dealing with moving forward. This is very informative, and gives perspective and consideration as you move through the rest of the growing season. For more information, please visit https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/blog and https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/cropnews
Today Steve Jonhson from Iowa State University Extension and Chris discuss the methodology used by the USDA for the August 12th report. They also discuss drought conditions in western Iowa and some fundamental and technical marketing considerations as we move toward harvest.
Today Chris and Duane discuss Wednesday's report and how China's demand activity could help to offset some increased yield projections and produce carryout numbers that are not as negative as current market sentiment has discounted. They also take a look at some historical perspectives to today's prices, in an effort to determine whether producers have reasons to act, or reasons to sit tight.
Mike Grover shares some of his life story with Chris........living on the farm with his father, transitioning from livestock to grain farming, pursuing a career off of the farm and later coming back. Mike also shares important life lessons passed on from his father. We are honored to have talked with Mike! #DadsWisdom
Today Chris and Duane discuss crop conditions and forecasts, pondering how that might provide a market boost. Much of this year has been focused on excess supplies, but has recent China purchases and the prospects of more to come, given justification for shifting focus to demand? Producer sales activity has been below normal so far this year, but it is time to solidify harvest strategies and is it possible that an August weather scare might provide an opportunity for some pre-harvest producer sales opportunities? Lot's to discuss this week!
Paul Neiffer and Chris Barron discuss what’s in the Senate “Heals” act for agriculture. They discuss in detail some of the changes for the PPP as well as several other components of the bill.
Today Chris talks with Mike Downey, a Land Consultant with Next Gen Ag Advocates. They discuss various lease arrangements, and the advantages of having third party assistance during rental lease negotiations. More information about Mike and his team can be found on their website at https://www.nextgenag.us/.
Chris Barron talks with Grant Shimek on today's Sunday Night Market Outlook. They discuss what factors will be driving the markets in the week ahead by evaluating technical trends, weather, China, COVID-19, and basis opportunities. Be sure to tune in!
Chris talks with Joe Vaclavik of Grain Markets and Other Stuff in today's Sunday Night Market Outlook. Joe and Chris discuss weather, Chinese demand, ethanol, fund position in corn and soybeans in the market, and what all of this might mean in the weeks ahead. Enjoy!
Mike Paulson shares with Chris the wisdom he has learned from his father, as a father, and what he hopes to pass on to the next generation. We are honored to have talked with Mike on this, and look forward to capturing many more of these stories so we can all learn and grow together. #DadsWisdom
Check out tonight's ISU webinar! https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8492254387107325454 More about that here: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/iowa-state-university-extension-and-outreach-offers-free-crop-marketing-strategies-webinar
Chris Barron and Steve Johnson of Iowa State University discuss some strategies to consider as weather improves and markets decline. What are producers going to do with a potential big crop and excess bushels at harvest? If you'd like our harvest storage calculation tool please shoot us an email at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com
Chris and Duane discuss changes in weather and the potential ability of markets to build downside momentum following Friday's disappointing price action. Making marketing decisions in the current price range are not without risk, whether the decision is to sell or to hold. Chris has traveled widely across the Midwest and shares what he has seen regarding crop conditions. There remains a wide-range of market opinions and approaches to producer marketing. We have a rather spirited discussion of these choices today!
Chris and Duane talk in depth about the current weather market rally and how best to determine whether this offers selling opportunities, despite the fact that prices are still well below desired levels. As mentioned in the podcast, go check out the Margin Enhancement Calculator at agviewsolutions.com/free-tools and give us a call any time with questions! Chris (319)533-5703. Enjoy!
Happy 4th of July, everyone! Chris and Duane discuss the scope of price strength since Sunday night and put this into perspective and comparison with what exactly has changed during the last 3 months. Current Dec Corn prices are the highest since March 30. Current Nov Soybean prices are the highest since March 6. Are these selling opportunities? Chris and Duane discuss the merit of sales considerations from multiple perspectives and measurements. With a long holiday weekend ahead, this might be a timely podcast discussion.
Chris and Duane assess the June USDA report- tune in for more information! Chris: (319)533-5703 Duane: (563)419-1300
Chris and Duane discuss Tuesday's USDA reports, market sentiment and weather forecasts. Producer marketing strategies, specifically the 2021 crop may warrant extra special attention IF we manage to find post-report market strength, either due to short-covering energy and/or weather developments. The landscape is depressing, but we are not without hope that opportunities may yet be presented for those willing to actively search them out.
Chris discusses the thought process behind investing in your crop throughout the growing season to enhance margin potential. He discusses the 4 key components of better analysis:
- Use your specific numbers
- Evaluate your production potential
- Assess your insurance coverage level
- Run the numbers through our Margin Enhancement Tool
As always, you can reach Chris at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com or (319)533-5703. Enjoy!
Happy Father's Day! While most producers are focused on Dec 20 sales, Duane and Shay discuss why farmers may want to be thinking ahead this week to 2021. They also discuss the apparent non-response in weather events, China Trade Agreements, and variability in basis throughout the Corn Belt and what farmers should be acting on this week. As always, email at duanel@netins.net for market related questions, or reach out to Chris and Shay at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com for Cost-of-Production, Collaboration, Business Structuring, and more!
Chris Barron talks about some of the key issues to keep in mind before and during the land rental discussion with your landowners.
- Structure your conversation
- Know your numbers inside and out
- Understanding area competition
- Fake news in the industry
- Quality relationships
Be sure to listen and re-visit this podcast to help you start to prepare an effective conversation with your landowners as we enter into the season of land rental negotiation! Learn more about Ag View Solutions at agviewsolutions.com and contact us any time at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com or call Chris at (319)533-5703
Chris and Duane discuss potential weather influences in an atmosphere where everyone is bearish. But while one eye is on weather, the other eye needs to be fully open and focusing on the search for opportunities. Is it possible that the best current opportunity could actually be found in the 2021 crop prices? Lots to discuss in today's unusually time-constrained podcast.
Brad Downing, of Cross Creek Ag Solutions in Greentown IN, fills in today for Chris Barron, who is busy side-dressing N before rain arrives, to talk with Duane Lowry and discuss the Week Ahead Outlook. Today Brad and Duane cover this week's monthly USDA S&D report, the acreage report at the end of the month and the potential for a weather-inspired short-covering process in the grain markets. We also discuss the political uncertainties that seem to be arising and how that might impact producers' longer-range profitability. With weather now very much in focus, price volatility potential increases and marketing decisions become even more critical.
Today Chris and Duane discuss the decision process of handling July basis contracts. We are all facing a timeline crunch and nobody wants to be the last one holding the bag. Anecdotally, it "feels" like we may have record levels of these unpriced basis contracts. IF there is no weather story-line during the next 3 weeks, the market could attempt to further press their large short positions in corn. These are not easy decisions, but they may be decisions that would benefit from a timely decision.
Shay talks with Brad Hobrock in Central Illinois about micronutrients, biologicals, fertility management, and profitability. The conversation poses the question of if our traditional research on fertility is truly revealing what we need to know about plants, and maybe some of what the future may hold. They also discuss soil vs sap testing, and how in-season sampling could affect long-term decisions on nutrient availability. Give today's podcast a listen, and be sure to reach out to Brad with any comments or quesitons- enjoy!
Chris and Duane discuss the latest tensions between China and the US, along with weather forecasts to explore the week ahead. As we begin a new month, we ponder what the future holds... and the exercise is challenging.
Soybean Replant: https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/SPS/SPS-104-W.pdf
Corn Replant: https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/encyclopedia/corn-yield-predictions-replanted-and-late-planted-fields
Email us for the Prevent Plant Decision Enhancement Tool at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com
Today Chris Barron and Duane Lowry discuss the holiday-shortened week ahead, trying to sort out US/China trade tensions, as well as the clear opening up of US and global economies, despite ongoing concerns related to Covid-19. We also discuss the latest understood payment calculations for last week's announced CFAP program. Marketing decisions for 2020, basis and weather are also key parts of today's podcast. US/China trade tensions will remain a cloud over markets, but the markets that are trading this Monday morning, crude oil and US and global stock indexes, appear to have no concerns about US/China tensions.
Paul Neiffer and Chris Barron discuss the structure of CFAP. Sign-up starts Tuesday, be sure to have your homework done and be ready for sign-up. How will it work? What do the payments look like? Which crops and producers benefit, and who may be left behind? Learn all this and more in today's Ag View Pitch. Be sure to check out Paul's blog on the topic at https://blogs.claconnect.com/agribusiness/we-have-cfap-finally/ and learn more about the program directly from the USDA here: https://www.farmers.gov/cfap. Enjoy, and be sure to call if you have any questions or need help.
This week Chris and Duane discuss basis and the handling of final cash corn decisions for remaining 2019 inventory. Weather and potential Chinese demand may have a key influence during the next 90 days, but improving competitive bids from the ethanol plants may suggest some optimism may be returning to that industry. The 2020 crop appears to be off to a good start in most areas, but with current prices already at the 85% level of the spring crop insurance price, is is safe to say the market may have already discounted the worst-case scenario for price?
Shay talks with four growers in Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana about their planting progress, growing conditions, and overall feeling of the 2020 crop season. You can follow along with three of them on Twitter at @bradhobrock @seanblomgren and @jamesramsey1. Enjoy!
Shay talks with Marc Cartwright of NE North Dakota on planting progress, ground conditions, and what 2020 looks like. They talk $2.50 corn, decision making on prevent plant, and provide perspective on how different this year is than last year, yet the bleeding effects we are still seeing as a result of that. Enjoy!
In Part 2 of the discussion with Steve Johnson, Farm Management Specialist at Iowa State, Chris and Steve talk about the economic impact of everything going on right now and the programs and government help that is on it's way. Be sure not to miss this episode, and as always feel free to reach out to Chris at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com, and Steve Johnson at sdjohns@iastate.edu
Today Chris and Duane focus on this week's USDA report and the first look at the 20/21 balance sheet. The ethanol industry and Phase One also get a lot of attention in today's podcast. Marketing in the weeks and months ahead will be challenging, both basis and futures. Stay on top of all the current inputs and ponder what the horizon may be hiding, with today's podcast.
EMAIL US at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com for "Basis and Storage Tool". Must listen- Chris and Steve Johnson from Iowa State University discuss the short-term potential for basis, what to consider before major summer crop reports, and opportunities in the futures market. Also, don't forget the impact government programs are having on your bottom line. If you have any questions on your cost of production and working through the chaos right now, don't be afraid to call us Chris (319)533-5703 and Shay (319)464-5708. Enjoy!
Shay talks with Peter Hill of East Central Texas about crop conditions, agronomic updates, and some perspective on what goes on in that part of the world. An Indiana native, Peter has been with Pioneer hybrids for a decade working with producers in Eastern Texas, and today we discuss some of the challenges and opportunities the producers in this region are facing this year and historically. Peter does a great job explaining the dynamics of difficult growing conditions, and how different that area is than so many other parts of the world! If you have questions you can reach out to Peter at peter.hill@pioneer.com and be sure to look him up on Twitter @Texasagronomo. Enjoy!
This week's podcast talks about producer marketing decisions involving old-crop and new-crop corn basis, as well as weather. So far, much of the US has enjoyed a very favorable and rapid spring planting season, except for southern and eastern locations that have been experiencing greater than desired rains. However, today's weather discussion is more of a "what if" topic that highlights the expanding dry pattern that has evolved from the southwestern US Plains into IA and southwestern WI and points west of that line. This dry pattern is visible for at least the past 90 days. It may be too early to embrace, but I can assure you that conversations about this dry pattern and the possible movement to a La Nina conditions are increasing. Enjoy today's discussion!
Market outlook; how does basis, grain quality, China, and new crop decisions affect the week ahead, and should you be putting up more storage? Duane Lowry and Chris Barron discuss these topics and more this week on the Ag View Pitch Sunday Night Market Outlook.
Paul Neiffer and Chris Barron discuss the additional funding brought forward this past week and discuss how it applies to farmers. They also talk about the importance of of understanding the program and following the proper guidance. This is still a moving target and there will be additional information brought to you as things develop. For more insight be sure to check out Paul's Agribusiness Blog. Stay safe out there and enjoy today's podcast!
Shay talks with Traci Rodemeyer of Corteva about grain bin safety throughout the year and the importance it plays and what Pioneer is doing to keep farmers like us safe. They also talk about other confined spaces, keeping kids safe on the farm this Spring, and safe road travels. As Traci mentioned at the end of the podcast, we encourage everyone to be extra careful and PRESENT this Spring, so that we can continue to do what we love. Enjoy!
USDA announced a $19 bil COVID-19 Farm Aid Package late Friday afternoon. Agriculture has many places to distribute this $19 bil, so much so that many will be left disappointed. In a world where trillions and trillions of support are distributed, this farm aid package is not as exceptional as are the events that are impacting agriculture at this time. Yet, there is no industry that enters each production cycle with more hope and optimism than does agriculture. It is springtime, and that is the birthplace of the spirit of new beginnings, optimism and the hope of a bountiful harvest. When you plant a seed, you can choose to focus on the coolness and darkness surrounding your seed, or you can choose to look upward to the sun and know that its power will not be denied. Now is the time to look upward and to walk in confidence and to be driven by hope. Our job is to place the seed into the darkness, but to place our faith in the power of the sun. The past few weeks have been dark. Our job is to go through such periods, let's not dwell there.
Shay and Chris discuss some of the other podcasts out there that we really enjoy listening to day in and day out (ag and non-ag), and hope we can bring some diversity and interest to your podcast listening experience! We'd love to hear from you on what else you enjoy listening to, and sorry in advance if we forgot any great ones! Some that were mentioned:
Future of Agriculture
Business of Agriculture
Field Work
AgriTalk
DC Signal to Noise
Do Business Better
Farm 4 Profit
Ag PhD (forgot to mention)
Men Making A Difference (M.M.A.D)
Intelligence Matters
Grain Markets and Other Stuff
Gary Vee Audio Experience
The Ed Mylett Show
Shay Myers, CEO of Owyhee Produce in Oregon and Idaho talks today on topics ranging from Asparagus Production to Transition Planning, and everything in-between. Shay and Shay discuss the complexities of what it means to be a farmer, and how we can make the public better understand what it is we do. Shay is insightful, astute in his observation of production agriculture, and incredibly honest in discussing his own operation and the challenges and opportunities we face in agriculture today. He is also a fantastic content creator, posting frequently on LinkedIn as Shay Myers and TikTok as @shaythefarmkid. Be sure to look him up- it is interesting stuff and worth the time! We can all learn a lot from this conversation, and we hope you appreciate the discussion and perspective provided today- enjoy!
Chris talks with Paul Nieffer again on the moving targets of PPP and some bigger picture ideas to consider as we move through the season. Be sure to give this a listen!
Shay and Chris talk about the role nutrition plays in overall farmer health in conjunction with sleep and working out. If you missed the first two episodes, be sure to go back and give those a listen! Nutrition is key in health, and it is most important to understand what works for you and fits your needs, schedule, and goals. As we continue to point out, you wouldn't miss an oil change, maintenance, or necessary upgrade on machinery, so why would you not look into these things that affect the most important tool on the farm- YOU!? We hope this continues to provide some perspective, and please let us know if there is anything else you would like to hear from us by emailing us at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com. Enjoy!
Happy Easter to all! In the spirit of the day, agriculture looks forward to the spring planting season, rising crops and the excitement and hope of a new growing season! Today we try to navigate all the latest topics with an eye towards optimism, but with the realism that challenges will be along our pathway to harvest.
Enjoy!
Shay and Chris discuss the implications of hundreds of thousands to millions of kids being around the farm for Spring and Summer operations that historically have not been as involved during this time of year due to school closures, shelter-in-place orders, and the welcome opportunity for additional help on the farm. They also discuss what parents and farms should consider in order to maintain safety, liability coverage, and to take the right course of action for everyone's benefit. Shay put together a 17 minute video that can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PrY0vbEznU&t=3s that hits on some of the key safety topics for kids and families to review, but that is not a replacement for walking through and having the discussion with kids on the farm of where they should and should not be, what they are and are not allowed to do, and having a conversation focused on safety and the ability to ask questions in a stress-free environment. We hope all of you stay safe and healthy this Spring, and please let us know if there are any safety considerations we may have missed or if there is any way we can help your family and operation!
Chris and Duane discuss the difficult process of trying to make producer marketing decisions at a time when prices are well below cash-flow projections, but sentiment is so bearish that some still contemplate sales now. Not because they are good sales, but driven by fear that they will get even worse. There are real philosophical questions that you have to ask yourself, "Are times of price volatility and extreme fear/negativity a good time to make sales?" "There is a time to buy and a time to sell, but is there also a time to take no action, choosing to wait for a different time to make a decision?" "Is a proactive decision to 'not decide' a legitimate decision, possibly a wise decision?" Frustration abounds in agriculture at this time and sometimes frustration can abound in a podcast on agriculture!
Enjoy!
Chris has a conversation with Andy Roach, Business Banker at Kerndt Brothers Bank in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They discuss the Paycheck Protection Program and it’s application for farming operations. There is a lot of confusion around the SBA loan, so Chris and Andy discuss eligibility and specifics around the program. Be sure to contact your lender/CPA with specific questions as it relates to your individual farming and business operations. This information is to the best of our knowledge currently, as some specifics may yet still change.
Paul and Chris discuss how the “CARES” package passed last week affects agriculture. Farmers will have to choose between getting a SBA loan or getting payroll tax relief since you can’t have both. We discuss which might be better and like most questions the answer is it depends. We also review some of the Ag specific provisions and tax changes that might help farmers.
Chris and Duane explore a lot of different points of influence on markets during the next few weeks. While the USDA report is front and center because of its timing, the reality is that final acreage decisions seem much more fluid than normal. And, we may have many more items that are much more important to the price discovery process during the next 90 days than Tuesday's USDA reports. We discuss a lot in today's podcast. All of which we consider relevant and many items that may surprise you.
Enjoy,
Chris and Duane
Chris talks with Chip Uhrmacher of Prairie Lakes Church on farming with faith and how to work through some of the current challenges we are facing today. While the devil wants to instill fear, apprehension, and negativity in our lives, we can turn to God for all of our needs, in prayer, and for optimism, hope, and faith in the future.
Shay and Chris build off of the episode on sleep, and dive into working out. Not only are there multiple health benefits, we know it is something that improves quality of life and extends life. They talk through various ways to work out, how that is different for each person, why we should all work out (even during the busy season), and what it means for your family and coworkers. Don't wait to get started, DO IT NOW!
In today's Sunday Night Market Outlook by the Ag View Pitch, Chris and Duane discus how to manage remaining 2019 production inventory. There are a wide range of topics to cover and the intertwining of their connection points make these uncertain times. However, wrapped in these difficult, challenging, and uncertain times, are often very significant opportunities. There is the "other side" of the current COVID-19 fears and we WILL get through to the other side. It is important to avoid major near-term panic decisions that prove to be a mistake. Rather than dwell on near-term fear and uncertainty, let's keep an eye on the futures and try to discern the opportunities that may unfold during these tumultuous time.
As always you can reach Chris any time at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com and Duane at duanel@netins.net
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This is the start of our Farm Health Series. Shay and Chris discuss the importance of sleep and how it impacts everything else that we do. There are many good resources and information on sleep, and we encourage you to look into more resources if needed. This series was inspired by a listener reaching out to us, and we encourage that from all of you! If there are any topics you would like to hear more about, let us know. Enjoy!
Chris talks with Ben Pagel, an Ag Lender in NE Iowa, about the opportunities that we as producers will be able to discover during this black swan event. Interest rates and restructuring of loans in many farm operations may bring us opportunities as we work through this unprecedented time in history.
Chris and Duane discuss what in the world is going on with the Corona Virus Development, and what people need to take into consideration as we head into planting season and beyond. They also discuss the difficulties that come along with marketing at this time with the constant changes, and looking at what the opportunities are and where. You can always reach out to Chris at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com, and Duane at duanel@netins.net. Enjoy!
This week Chris and Duane discuss fear, markets and opportunities. Yes, opportunities. When we look back at history, anything resembling what we are currently experiencing always creates opportunities. The secret is to try and step back from all the emotions and try to see the opportunities. The first step to that process is recognizing that you should search for the opportunities. Fear is a good thing for only a brief period of time, if it helps you to respect situations. HOWEVER, when you embrace fear and allow fear to embrace you, there may be nothing more detrimental than having a fear-based mindset, or making decisions from a fear-based foundation. Sometimes it is important to look deeper inside yourself, than it is to look at the headlines of the day. Today's podcast is a must-listen broadcast at the most important of foundation of perspectives. We discuss crude oil, coronavirus, financial markets, economic outlook and of course the grain trade, but the most important part of today's podcast is the thread interwoven among all components, with possibly the most important summary of today's message found in the final minutes. Be sure to listen to today's podcast in its entirety.
Enjoy,
Chris and Duane
Often times it is better to hear from someone experiencing the same things, rather than someone telling you they understand what you’re going through. Listen in as Shay discusses the real challenges and opportunities he has faced as a returning farmer veteran, and how he is learning and living ways to try to shut down. Honest, open, and frank, Shay will discuss topics that may seem uncomfortable to talk about with others in the industry, because they don’t quite understand what that transition is like in today’s environment. If you’re a farmer veteran in agriculture, someone who works with and wants to better understand veterans, or someone simply interested in the challenges and opportunities veterans in agriculture face today, be sure to tune in. You can also find the actual webinar here at the AgriSafe Learning Lab: https://learning.agrisafe.org/products/learning-when-to-put-the-work-away-finding-balance-for-veteran-farmers#tab-product_tab_overview or here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et1R-j0Z8Ck&t=318s
Upon completion of this podcast, participants will understand:
Why veteran farmers don’t know how to shut down
Why we need to shut down and step away from work
How we can implement healthier decisions
Why not knowing how to shut down is a positive thing
Other things to consider and lessons learned
Shay talks with Michelle Klieger of Stratagerm about why farmers need more business partners and less friends and 'good ole boys'. They discuss strategy, providing value, and knowing your products inside and out. Regardless of your business, there are probably some key things you can take out of this podcast! Enjoy
Rick farms with his wife, Cindy, and his boys Brian and Brad, in Northern Illinois. Listen in for some of his Dad's Wisdom!
Soybean Fundamental Expectations May Soon Get Very Interesting! Chris and Duane assess coronavirus again, as it remains top on everyone's mind. However, price action in relationship to the fears associated with coronavirus is much different than most think. Therefore, maybe the worst of these fears are behind the ag markets. Between coronavirus, USDA's report Tuesday and possible acreage mix discussions, we cover a lot of important topics this week. Enjoy!
Today's episode is a webinar recording from members of the AgriSafe Network community who are dedicated to sharing information with farmers to help them understand the risks and hazards during flood recovery. These are lessons learned from devastating 2019 floods in many areas across the midwest, in advance of any flooding we may experience in 2020. If you have livestock or have the potential to deal with recovery due to location, be sure to tune in to this episode. The actual webinar can be found here: https://learning.agrisafe.org/products/winter-farm-flood-health-threats-risk-factors-during-recovery#tab-product_tab_contents__3 Give this a watch for any information they reference on slides or graphs. Also, if you have any information on resources be sure to reach out to Shay at agronguy@gmail.com and he will point you in the right direction! Enjoy, and stay safe heading in to flooding season!
Shay and Duane discuss many aspects of today's marketplace. They talk through the Coronavirus and prior epidemics and their affect on the market place, the historically significant price ration in corn and soybeans, the impact trade and weather could have in the days ahead, and what producers should consider as we move into planting season. This is a full episode you won't want to miss! If any of these factors in your life are overwhelming and you don't know where to start, reach out to duanel@netins.net for marketing, or Chris Barron at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com for Cost of Production analysis or major operation decisions you are experiencing. Enjoy!
Shay talks with Brad Downing of Cross Creek Ag today about biologicals. They talk through what biologicals are and are not, what to look for when considering biologicals, and the exciting future they hold. They also dive into Profit Management as a business, and the importance of understanding that the farm is almost the same as a manufacturing business. Finally, they have a brief discussion on peer groups and the importance they serve in every industry, especially agriculture. We always enjoy bringing you perspective, and hope you enjoy!
Chris and Duane discuss the latest barrage of USDA projections and their clear effort to point out that Phase One was NOT part of any of these projections. What is the purpose of this clear disclaimer? Could USDA's latest 20/21 soy balance sheet be sending a signal to the market that we need more soybean acres in 2020 and less corn acres? Why are corn spreads showing some of the strongest levels since July, at a time when we typically are vulnerable to liquidation pressures into the must price/roll stage of the March contracts? There are a lot of questions that when you start to unpack the answers, the contents of the package don't seem to equal the current market narratives and trade sentiment. We deal with a lot of questions in today's podcast and we think you will want to hear the process of trying to discern reasonable answers. Enjoy!
Shay talks with Shawna Hubbard of Corteva about the Enlist Weed Control System, Enlist E3 soybeans, and other crops with the Enlist technology. We cover topics such as why the system was developed, how it may be a good fit for your operation, and examine some common misconceptions about the product. If you want to learn more about Enlist, be sure to give today's episode a listen! Also, here are some resources mentioned in the podcast that may be useful:
Enlist website: https://www.enlist.com/en.html
Enlist Ahead: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/enlist-ahead/id646367167
Enlist Spray Nozzles: https://www.enlist.com/en/application-guide.html
Enlist Tank Mix: https://www.enlist.com/en/approved-tank-mixes.html
Enjoy!
Chris and Duane discuss 2020 acreage plans, the validity (or lack of?) of USDA's 10-yr Baseline projections, Phase One potential and this past week's poor corn price action performance. And, Duane makes a promise to the Ag View Pitch listeners--you'll want to hear that!
Enjoy!
Chris and Duane
Ron's family homesteaded their farm in Canada in 1907, and the family still farms there today. Sam and Chet, Ron's boys, run the majority of the farm operations, but Ron is still very actively involved in the operation. We talk history on the farm, continuous learning, and taking lessons from folks outside of the family. Ron and his family are humble, hard workers, and truly have built a phenomenal farming operation to be proud. Be sure to tune in to this episode in our Dad's Wisdom series!
Dykshoorn Farms run a very diverse crop and cattle operation in Canada, north of Great Falls, Montana about three hours. The beautiful landscape, with low population, serves as a true backdrop for the scale and tenacity it takes to be a Canadian farmer. These brothers and their families and co-workers work very hard, and share here a true farmers perspective. They share many of the same struggles and triumphs as farmers around the world, and we were very happy to be visiting them on a day honoring the hard work and dedication they put into their world of agriculture.
Chris and Duane try to shift everyone's focus from the microscope to the broad horizon ahead. Tuesday's USDA report is anxiously awaited, but Chinese trade activity associated with Phase One is an even greater focus, even though it may seem elusive at this time to most. The lack of any recent Chinese buying is weighing on trader sentiment. USDA's own white paper released Thursday that discussed the impact of Phase One and how USDA may factor it into their balance sheets, seemed vague to me and certainly opened the door for USDA to incorporate some level of larger usage figures to the S&D report that will be released Tuesday. With prices at the lower end of recent history and with trader sentiment so bearish/discouraged, it might be a good thing to think out of the box and look further into the future than just today's prices, or Tuesday's USDA report. Join us and listen to today's podcast! This is a great time of year to take in a bigger picture perspective.
Shay and Chris discuss University posted custom rates. They weigh in on the information collected, how the region affects those rates, and what you need to consider when charging yourself or others a rate. We value all of the hard work the Universities put into this data collection to give farmers a better idea, we just want to stress the importance of knowing your true cost of production and ensuring you are evaluating how that should look on your farm!
Chris and Shay discuss time tracking and the benefits and challenges associated with it on farm operations. Some key take-aways: You can't improve what you don't measure, if you don't track time you're just guessing and don't have a leg to stand on if there is an issue, and labor costs often account for 15-25% of production cost, making it even more important to evaluate. We hope you enjoy today's episode!
Chris and Duane recap the month of January, with a look forward to expectations during the next 60 days. We also take a special look at February's important role in determining the spring crop insurance values. The historical patterns associated with this time-frame are very interesting. Today's podcast is a great prescription for the flu experience the ag markets are currently trying to deal with. Plus, today's podcast is much more appealing than any flu shot! Listen to today's podcast and start preparing how you will react to price action during the month of February.
Today Shay put together a mashup of three podcasts he conducted at the Great Lakes Crop Summit in Michigan. This is a phenomenal event that we highly recommend, as do nearly 1000 people that attended this year! Be sure to listen in as Shay talks with Michigan Corn Growers Association President, a leader in the Cover Crop World, and Crop Insurance advocate from Washington D.C. Enjoy!
Shay talks with Jake Swanson who is an Agriculture Policy Adviser at Office of the Governor, State of Iowa. They talk on everything from Waters of the United States ruling to hemp, and what's coming down the pipe in ag policy. Jake is passionate about ag policy, optimistic for the future, and gives a real perspective on what is going on and how you can impact what is going on as a farmer, not just sitting on the sidelines watching it happen. Enjoy today's podcast, and reach out to your legislators and representatives to affect change in your area! Enjoy.
Profit Manager Workshop
February 25, 2020
8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
3238 Jamestown Avenue, Rowley, IA 52329
PLEASE RSVP TO ABARRON@AGVIEWSOLUTIONS.COM BY 20 FEB 2020
Why: There are many benefits in using Profit Manager and learning from the expert who developed the program. Some of these benefits include:
• Profit management skills
• Detailed analysis of your operation
• In depth and accurate equipment analysis
• Better decision making
• Perspective from Chris Barron who works with many operations across the United States and Canada
• Networking with other high-level operations looking to improve their profitability
What: An intensive 6-hour educational session on using the Profit Manager software. You will input your own operation’s data in a small group setting, and by the end of the session know your true cost of production and how to use the data from the program for future decision making. Chris and Shay will take you through all the details of the program and make sure you leave with a full understanding of how to use the program.
Who: A maximum of 8 operations who are looking to improve their profitability and make better, more data driven decisions.
Cost: The fee for this intensive training session will be the cost of the Profit Manager software program which is $1995 plus $500 for the instruction for a total of $2495. Chris and Shay will then be available over the course of the following 6 months by phone or email 24/7 to answer questions or help guide you through decision making based on the information outlined by the program. Lunch will be provided during the session.
We are limiting this workshop to 8 operations. If you are interested please let us know as soon as possible so we can have your name on the list. If our 8 operation slots fill up we will add an additional workshop at a future date. Below is our contact information. We look forward to working with you and your operation!
Chris and Duane have a wide-ranging discussion this week:
1) Impact of the new coronavirus situation in China and its potential influences to agricultural markets,
2) Cash corn basis overview,
3) Market saturation of discouragement, bearishness and lack of optimism towards Phase One and prices in general,
4) Bigger picture discussion of potential Chinese demand,
5) Crop insurance discussion and approach to the February price establishment.
Producers are facing many decisions now and in the weeks ahead. We hope today's podcast can be a helpful part of the decision-making process. If you have any questions, seek more details or just want to have a discussion to help in the decision-making process, give Chris or Duane a call during your research and discovery period of your decision-making process. We look forward to hearing from you this week!
Contact Chris at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com or (319)533-5703
Contact Duane at DuaneL@netins.net, or cell phone/text at 563-419-1300.
Thanks for your time and support! Enjoy today's podcast and have a great week!
Chris and Duane
Thank you, everyone, for tuning in to another episode of the Ag View Pitch. Today we are joined by special guest Erik Oberbroeckling who has been listening to the podcast for a while, and we were very happy to link up with him today at the Farm Futures Summit. Erik and Shay Discussed important trucking topics, how an Iowa farmer views what's going on in China, and a little about how to use and find good labor in agriculture. If you or someone you know would be interested in trucking with them, learn more about their farms at https://www.obiefamilyfarms.com/. Enjoy!
Chris and Duane focus on Friday's dramatic rejection of Thursday's "difficult to explain" price washout. Also, IF we begin to see Chinese purchases clearly gaining momentum in the nearby weeks, how will the market react? What are reasonable price targets and marketing plans for 2019 inventory and expected 2020 production? How will basis perform during a futures rally? We discuss it all--and more! It's time to start planning how to react, just in case we get some much better pricing opportunities. Hey, it CAN happen!
Chris and Shay spent lots of time with Dennis, Cameron, and Kevin today in Georgia providing value to producers on what they should be looking at moving into 2020, data driven decision making, where to start on operational improvements, and how collaborations may be a viable option and play a key role in the future with the dynamic environments producers face in Georgia. Listen in to a candid conversation recorded "after hours" full of topics not yet discussed on the Ag View Pitch. We want to extend a huge 'Thank you!' to these gentlemen and their team for true hospitality and a wonderful day. As always, feel free to reach out to us any time at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com. Enjoy!
Chris and Duane have a very spirited, but still grounded, discussion about Friday's USDA reports and its implications for price action during the next 120 days. If there is an Ag Pitch podcast discussing markets that you don't want to miss and that you surely will want to listen to its end, this is it! Also, Duane offers you a special offer near the end of today's podcast! We have potential for significant marketing decisions for both old-crop and 2020 production, and we may face these critical decisions during the next 90 days. China will sign Phase One Wednesday, which we also talk about in an opening manner. Yes, lots to listen to today.
Chris talks equipment utilization and efficiency with Brent Gloy. Dr. Gloy has held tenured faculty positions in agricultural economics at Purdue University and Cornell University. He is currently operating his family farming operation in Southwest Nebraska. Brent is a partner in Agricultural Economic Insights with David Widmar. Learn more and check out their website here : https://aei.ag/
If you have specific questions for the Sunday Night Market Outlook podcast following the report email us at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com and duanel@netins.net. While not completely earth-shattering, the recent January USDA report caught most people in the market by surprise. The positive? Unlikely bearish trends, but fairly stable overall. Many are scratching their heads, and trying to simply pick up their broken expectations once again and keep moving along. Duane Lowry and Shay Foulk discuss the report from a 30,000 foot view.
Transition Planning can be difficult, stressful, and has lasting impacts for the future of your farm and family. Farm Collaborations are just as difficult, if not more so. Ag View Solutions has helped many, many farms and families through this process and we want to provide some insight and value into how we do this, and how we may be able to help your operation. Email us at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com if you would like to schedule a call and see if we would be a good fit for your needs. You can also call Chris at (319)533-5703. What that phone call and process will look like:
1. Farmer tells us about their operation and situation
a. Names, age, who all is involved
b. Goals and vision
c. “Painting the perfect picture"
d. Timeline
2. We ask questions specific to your operation
a. Financials
b. Family logistics
c. Labor pool
d. Other
3. We lay out what the process looks like
a. Discovery Process
- Where we’ve been, where we’re at, where we’re going
b. Equipment Appraisal, Net Equity Calculator
c. 2 Full day meetings, 24/7 access phone, email.
4. Initial Meeting
a. Discovery
b. Profit Manager
c. Proven Process for collaborations and transition
- An Iterative list
d. “Paint the Picture”
e. 3rd Party Importance
f. Understanding the people involved- outsider perspective on if it will work
5. It’s a process!
a. Working as part of your team; CPA, attorney, accountant, lenders etc.
b. 12-18 months, 3-7 years
c. Want you to graduate
d. Documentation, Follow thru, and Accountability
Final Notes:
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References: Feel free to ask us ( ~60 operations to date collaboration and transition)
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Any questions at all shoot us an email
o cbarron@agviewsolutions.com
o Or call at (319)533-5703
§ If don’t answer, shoot an email
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Check out our other podcasts on the Ag View Pitch
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Strategic Planning Tools for 2020
o Email if you would like the tools
Chris and Alissa head to TEPAP (http://tepap.tamu.edu/) this week to present on Collaboration, Transition, and several other topics. This is a program Ag View Solutions has been involved with for many years. TEPAP is one of the premier learning events in the nation for progressive operations looking to take their business to the next level. If you have questions about TEPAP, want to learn more about how you can attend, or want referrals from friends, clients, and others we know who have attended, please reach out to us at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com or call Chris at (319)533-5703. Enjoy!
This week Chris and Duane discuss the potential implications of Friday's USDA reports. This is a report that always has potential for surprises, but this year's report could be a major crossroads for price direction and 2020 acreage decisions. This past week US producers were able to capture their highest on-farm soybean bids since June 2018. Is this a selling opportunity, or an indication of higher prices ahead? Cash corn prices are good for 2018 yields, but for many producers, 2019 yields still can't dollar-up to a profit at current prices. A lot hangs in the balance with Friday's upcoming reports. Are you ready? Do you have a plan? Let's dive into it...
Steve and Shay follow up with part two on decisions to be made by March 15th, 2020, and what to consider in that time. Please reach out if you have any questions, and be sure to check out the tools online mentioned in Part 1 of this series!
Steve Johnson from Iowa State University joins us today to talk about ARC/PLC elections for the next two years and important decisions you need to be making for your farm operation. This is part 1 of 2, with the second episode focusing on PL Yield Update and Insurance. Steve has been on the road talking about this for 6 weeks and is really one of the leading experts in the field- happy to have him on. Enjoy!
Who is on your "team"? This is the question Chris Barron and Shay Foulk ask today as they talk through Chris' list of 10 people or groups to consider as part of your team. Putting the right people in the right roles is crucial to a successful operation. As the coach of your team, it is your job to identify, recruit, and coach the people on your team for everyone's success. Grab a pen and paper, right this list down, and be thinking through your team and where your improvements lie for 2020.
We know many people that are phenomenal in the industry for these roles, and if you need further help on building your team and have questions, please reach out to us! cbarron@agviewsolutions.com, or call Chris at (319)533-5703.
CANDIDATES FOR YOUR STRATEGIC RESOURCE TEAM
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Family:actively engaged, owners, eventual owners, spouses.
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Advisory Board: family, key employees, trusted mentors.
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Financial/Production Consultants: strategic planning, coaching, education.
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Lender:access to capital, interest rates, education.
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CPA:should understand your market value position.
6. Attorney: business structure, succession/transition planning.
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Investment Partners: landowners, peers, family, others.
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Insurance Agents: risk management, production, property, liability.
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Marketing Advisers: brokers, end-users, market analyst, education.
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Peer Advisory Board: similar farmers not in direct competition.
How well do you know your ag lender? How well do they know your operation? Today Chris talk with an ag lender close to his operation, and discusses some important topics to consider when talking with your lender in the year ahead. We think there is a lot of important information in this episode, so be sure to give it a listen!
cbarron@agviewsolutions.com
(319)533-5703 Chris Barron
Today Chris and Duane discuss handling some of the best on-farm soybean bids since early summer 2018, vs possible implications from Phase One and the always important January USDA reports, due Jan 10. With just a little imagination, the corn/soy market world could look a lot different after Jan 10 than it does now. To some extent, the trade is guilty of not respecting the volatility potential of Jan 10. This report could have significant implications to 2019 inventory and 2020 opportunities. There is a lot to ponder. Start your discernment process by listening to this week's podcast!
Duane Lowry- duanel@netins.net
Chris Barron- cbarron@agviewsolutions.com
Shay talks with Marc Cartwright in North Dakota on how harvest is progressing. There are still millions of acres of corn left to be picked, and lots of sunflowers in the fields. With a long, drawn out harvest there is a lot to consider, and we talk about how to handle those situations and stay positive moving forward. We wish you all a Merry and Safe Christmas!
Chris and Duane talk on important market topics moving into the holiday season. As always, if you have any questions please contact Duane at duanel@netins.net, or Chris at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com.
Enjoy!
Tune in today for a story on strength, perseverance, and good decision making. There is wisdom to be shared from all family members, and we had the opportunity to sit down with farmers, business partners, and a mother-son duo that is doing an outstanding job in their operation. We are honored to work with people like them, and we hope you enjoy their story and can learn from their perspectives. Enjoy!
Shay was on as a guest with Kelsey Litchfield's AAEA - The Agricultural Communicators Network Podcast a few days ago. Their mission is to provide opportunities for professional improvement and networking to communicators across the spectrum of agriculture media—from editors, writers and photojournalists to designers and public relations professionals.
Shay talks with Kelsey on everything from LinkedIn articles, to podcasts, to working in the seed and consulting business. The importance of communication is huge in agriculture, and we maybe do not discuss this topic enough. If you have any thoughts on this topic or want to learn more, please reach out to Shay at agronguy@gmail.com or contact Mary Kendall Dixon, AAEA Membership Coordinato at mkdixon@asginfo.net.
Enjoy!
This week Chris and Duane dive into the US/China trade developments. Contrary to the skeptics, there are seriously legitimate reasons to believe that China will in fact live up to promises regarding US agriculture in this Phase One agreement, at least for the first year. The scope of the increase in US ag purchases is very notable. If it is true, and we believe there are reasons to believe that it is, then China's purchases will expand far beyond just soybeans. To reach these dollar figures, China's US ag purchases will need to be running on all cylinders and we should expect to see noteworthy evidence in the 1st Quarter of 2020.
Also, we know that producers are facing serious challenges in the financial sector following several years where working capital may have declined, which especially is coming to light with a year like 2019, where yields may have been well below recent years and where harvest costs were elevated. If you find yourself stressed by the challenges in 2019 and the stresses associated with 2020, listen to this podcast and listen all the way to the end. There can be light at the end of the tunnel, but you must confidently embrace the challenges by finding unity in your operation and sometimes seeking the guidance from someone outside of your operation. We have 10 days until a joyous Christmas holiday! Soon it will be a New Year! From the birth of a Savior to the birth of a New Year, there is joy and hope in new beginnings. Embrace and enjoy this Christmas season with your family and search your own operation for new beginnings and the birth of optimism. They say that the holiday season is a time where stress levels can become extremely difficult to handle and we all know that to be true. But possibly more true than that is the fact that a focus on new beginnings brings joy and peace. Let's all get to that point, for from that point is where things get better!
While our Sunday Week Ahead Outlook is largely market focused, for some reason our spontaneous podcast added an additional dimension this week. Maybe this message is just for you? Lots of supportive/constructive developments have recently evolved and just maybe we can build some confidence in an improving situation during the next 90+ days--improving both the financial outlook for 2019 inventory and 2020 production planning. Not only is it a time for some optimism, it is time for confident optimism! Listen, discern and hopefully enjoy today's podcast!
Chris and Duane
cbarron@agviewsolutions.com
duanel@netins.net
We were fortunate to talk with Roger Rix of NE South Dakota today. Roger and his sons are part of one of our peer groups, and a phenomenal operation to work with. We knew Roger would be a great candidate for the Dad's Wisdom as he is working through transition with his boys in the operation. Listen in to the podcast and subscribe to the Ag View Pitch, and please feel free to send us a message with anyone you think would be a great fit for the Dad's Wisdom series at agviewpitch@gmail.com, or call Chris Barron at (319)533-5703. Enjoy!
Chris Barron talks with Dick Wittman on our Recognized 100th episode in Las Vegas on the importance of Managerial Accounting and how to get there in your operation. Dick is an expert in this area, leading some of the original foundations of standardized accounting and teaching this subject for the last 40 years. You can learn more at wittmanconsulting.com. Contact Chris at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com, email us here at agviewpitch@gmail.com, or call at (319)533-5703. Enjoy!
Chris and Duane summarize where we are at and take a look at how we still have 2019 unknowns that can impact the price discovery process early in 2020. While markets have experienced some weakness during the past few weeks, the current marketing year high was established in October. Historically, it is most likely that we will have opportunities to market 2019 production at values above the October highs. With that as a teaser, Chris and Duane take a look at 2020 marketing opportunities as well. There are reasons to be optimistic and encouraged as we approach the Christmas season and a New Year. Stay engaged and let's search for the next opportunities and plan to navigate their pathways with success. Planning for success is the first step to achieving success and it is time for planning and engagement. Start that process with today's podcast!
You can contact Duane at duanel@netins.net and Chris at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com, or email us here at agviewpitch@gmail.com.
Chris and Duane have an in-depth discussion regarding US/China trade talks and whether or not we may be very near a deal. They also talk extensively about 2020 acreage and pricing decisions, as well as trying to lay the groundwork for what a new month might bring, considering last week's diverse price action where Chicago Wheat was up 23 cents, Corn gained approximately 3 cents and soybeans fell 20 cents. There's a lot to analyze in this week's podcast- enjoy!
You can contact us at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com or duanel@netins.net.
Shay talks with Nicole Gentz of Cottingham and Butler on how her transition from an agricultural background into the ag insurance world gave her perspective on what farms and operations like yours should be considering and what you can be doing better. Nicole also talks about new legislation that will start taking effect in early 2020 that may affect your trucking logistics. You can contact Nicole at nicolegentz18@gmail.com or (563)235-9617 if you have any further questions, or Shay at agronguy@gmail.com. Be sure to tune in and subscribe to all new episodes of the Ag View Pitch on Apple Podcasts or Anchor! You can also check out the information on CDL drug and alcohol testing requirements here: clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov
Enjoy!
Today Chris and Duane have a conversation from the semi and grain cart on markets in the week ahead. Be sure to tune in for some things you need to consider with your marketing strategy and other things going on in the industry. As always, be sure to subscribe and share the podcast with other farmers who you think might get value from the Ag View Pitch. Enjoy!
Contact us at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com or duanel@netins.net
Shay talks with Pioneer Strategic Account Manager Marc Cartwright in North Dakota on harvest progression, test weight, and wet conditions. We know many of you have had extremely challenging years and difficult harvests, so we title this only as an emphasis on the difficulty of conditions in North Dakota. Our thoughts are with the producers who still have a significant amount of corn to harvest, and please let us at Ag View Solutions know if there is any way we can help in our role. You can contact Chris at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com for any harvest tracking or profit management discussions, as well as any difficult operational decisions, Duane at duanel@netins.net for any marketing considerations or questions, and Shay for other comments, questions, or concerns at agronguy@gmail.com. We are here to support the producers who have been doing an amazing job in a challenging year. We hope you enjoy the podcast, and look forward to hearing from you.
Chris and Duane discuss the diversity of margin targets within small regions of the country and differences from region to region. While true every year, this year the necessity to very precisely know your own operation's cost/revenue structure is really important. Chris and Duane also talk about reasonable futures price targets and how basis and spreads may play an important role in producers attaining their targets. And, they also talk about 2020 price opportunities and the possible merit in becoming more focused on sales opportunities that may develop during the next few months, rather than waiting until spring/summer 2020. Yes, lots to discuss in today's podcast. Don't miss this one!
Shay Foulk talks with Farmer Veteran Coalition founder Michael O'Gorman about why the Farmer Veteran Coalition exists today, where he sees the organization going, and what he is most excited about for this years conference. For anyone in attendance at the conference this year that would like to be featured on the Ag View Pitch, find me, Shay Foulk, email me at agronguy@gmail.com, or email our team here at agviewpitch@gmail.com. Have a great week everyone, and enjoy!
Farm Emergency Response Planning can be crucial to a successful response in the event of an emergency. This can save time, lives, and create better continuity within farm operations. Shay Foulk talks about Farm Emergency Response Planning, and how you can set up your farm and family for success. There is also a series of Q and A at the end of the talk. If you have any questions on this, please email Shay at agronguy@gmail.com, agviewpitch@gmail.com, or call him directly at (319)464-5708. You can also find him on Twitter and LinkedIn. Enjoy!
While most of you are still in the fields, there are a lot of things farmers need to consider when facing year-end taxes. Chris Barron talk with Paul Neiffer, CPA, on things you should be considering moving forward. This short, concise discussion will bring you and your operation a lot of value, and could save you a lot of money! You can contact Paul at paul.neiffer@claconnect.com or Chris at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com. Have a great day, and stay safe out there!
Chris Barron and Duane Lowry have a great discussion on the week ahead, and some of the key things to be looking for moving forward. This is a special Sunday edition, and one you won't want to miss. You can contact Chris Barron at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com and Duane Lowry at duanel@netins.net. Enjoy!
Not only do we have a USDA report on Friday, but could it soon be time to ponder 2020 and beyond?? Chris and Duane discuss 2019 harvest activity and challenges, including LP gas shortages, upcoming USDA reports and a serious pondering of 2020 and beyond
We've combined audio from several podcasts and post-meeting Peer Group takeaways to give you an insight into why we think Peer Groups are so important. This 12 minute clip may help you decide on committing your operation to taking the next step for improvement and growth in 2020. We hope you enjoy, and you can always contact us vie email at agviewpitch@gmail.com, cbarron@agviewsolutions.com, or call Chris Barron at (319)533-5703. Visit our website at agviewsolutions.com or our Facebook page to stay up to date on our current offerings to help your farm operation. Stay safe, everyone!
Duane Lowry and Shay Foulk discuss this week's makret outlook, and consider things such as yields from the field, basis, China trade progression, and weather throughout the country. As mentioned in the podcast, you can learn more about Profit Manager at agviewsolutions.com or by emailing Chris Barron at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com, and you can learn more about Duane Lowry's daily commentary by emailing Duane at duanel@netins.net. Enjoy!
Shay talks with North Dakota producer Mark Belter on how harvest is going in an area ravaged by wet conditions and a grim outlook. You can contact us at agviewpitch@gmail.com, find us on Facebook at Ag View Solutions, or on the web at agviewsolutions.com. Enjoy!
Chris and Duane discuss how yield trend ideas are being shaped as harvest unfolds and the implications towards producer marketing decisions, which are also being impacted by higher drying costs. Chris and Duane urge producers to evaluate their own operation's yield and price matrix, as yields are wide-ranging and each operation may have notably different price levels that return favorable profit margins. As harvest has been late to get started and may extend longer than normal, this may also impact timeliness of preparations for 2020. Producers are anxiously pondering how to handle 2020 new-crop marketing decisions and today we offer some early guidelines for 2020 marketing decisions. Today's podcast is a must listen to help producers gain perspective on the importance of knowing your own operations profitability and how this will help you make the best informed decisions.
Enjoy!
Chris and Duane
Shay talk with Mark Santas of Alongi Insurance on why farms need to maintain an excellent working relationship with their insurance provider, what they should be looking for in the months ahead, current industry trends, and some great discussion on points you may have never considered in your farm operation. You can contact Shay at agviewpitch@gmail.com, Mark at (608)751-3976, and you can learn more about Alongi Insurance at https://www.alongiinsurance.com/. Enjoy!
Today Chris and Duane discuss harvest progress, supportive demand news from last week, price outlook for both corn and soybeans as we go into a new week, upside potential and and support levels in corn and soybeans, and South American weather. A LOT covered in today's segment, with an exciting week ahead. Stay safe, everyone! As always, you can reach Chris at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com, Duane Lowry at duanel@netins.net, or if you have questions or want to be on the podcast email our team at agviewpitch@gmail.com. Enjoy!
Chris and Duane talk about today's report, and what you need to be thinking about in the week ahead. Take 1/2 hour today to get yourself in the right mindset for the lasting impacts of this report, and what you should be thinking about to position yourself for success in the weeks ahead. For more perspective contact Duane at duanel@netins.net and Chris Barron at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com. Enjoy!
Chris and Shay have a discussion on Ag View Solutions to provide a better framework for new listeners and clients who may not fully understand our business, its offerings, and why we do what we do. The Ag View Solutions Team is proud of where we are today in providing value to our listeners, like you, and we hope you enjoy learning a bit more about our story and how we can benefit your operation! As always, you can check us out at agviewsolutions.com, on Facebook and LinkedIn, call Chris at (319)533-5703, or email agviewpitch@gmail.com or cbarron@agviewsolutions.com. Enjoy!
Chris Barron and Duane Lowry discuss this weeks upcoming USDA October Report and the possible impacts on the markets moving forward. They also discuss the upcoming US/China talks that will be held on Thursday of this week. Additional conversation on corn/soy fundamental and technical considerations and how basis may be affected by these factors. Other topics include yield reports, insurance price discovery during October, and the impacts of weather on the market in the week ahead. Enjoy!
Join us in our Dad's Wisdom Series as we talk with Tom Husnik, a lifelong mentor and father figure to Chris. Tom has a very compelling story from his youth growing up on a farm with a family who was well diversified even back in the 1960's. Chris and Tom then discuss what Tom learned from his many years as a Pioneer account manager and the wisdom he would like to pass on to today's farmers. Chris provides highlights of the important things that Tom taught him over the years. Enjoy!!
Chris talks with Mark Welch, Grain Marketing Economist at Texas A&M and the Director of TEPAP. They outline how working on your business, and not in your business, and how The Executive Program for Agricultural Producers (TEPAP), sets you up for success and really takes your business to the next level. If you'd like to hear a personal testimony on the benefits of attending TEPAP, please reach out to us at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com or call Chris Barron at (319)533-5703. Enjoy!
Shay and Brent Judisch of P&K Midwest discuss things you may be forgetting heading into Harvest 2019. Enjoy!
There's a lot going on during harvest, and marketing often times takes a back seat. Chris and Duane explain why it should probably be in the "buddy seat" in the combine, instead. Watch or listen in for 10 Fall Marketing Tips, and listen in for other marketing advice agricultural perspective on the Ag View Pitch. You can always contact us at agviewpitch@gmail.com, cbarron@agviewsolutions.com, and duanel@netins.net. Our website is agviewsolutions.com, and you can also find us on Facebook. Enjoy!
In today's episode Chris and Duane discuss pertinent information for farmers as we move into the week ahead. They talk on Quarterly Stocks Report, basis, technical trends for the week ahead, demand and the positions that large funds are holding, and early yield results. These are all things to keep in mind, providing a perspective for the farmers moving into the first week of October. Enjoy!
Part 2 of our Dad's Wisdom series, here we offer insight into why those we have been interviewing are interested in Dad's Wisdom and why it is so important to family and friends. The love between Father and Son truly shines through here, and we think this is a truly unique perspective on the father-son relationship in farming. Enjoy!
This 2 part podcast in the Dad's Wisdom Series starts with the traditional format of talking with the father in a farming operation in North Central Iowa, and their unique story to getting where they are today, providing some wisdom and advice along the way. The second part was taped at the same time, and highlights why the son, Dave, wanted to hear his father speak on his wisdom and to tell his story. This is a two-part you won't want to miss! Enjoy.
Shay has an awesome conversation with Sam Goldberg, Producer of Silo, a grain entrapment story that outlines the family, community, and mental health dynamics of rural agriculture today. There is so much to be learned in this area, and we are thrilled Sam and his incredible team put this independent film together. You can learn more about it at silothefilm.com, by emailing Sam at sam@silothefilm.com and by checking out their Facebook Page. Enjoy!
Shay talks with area Manager Cara Meteer on harvest in Missouri, and how things are there starting early on. They discuss early yields, how they may change throughout the season, and how harvest feels compared to expectations.
Chris and Duane discuss crop conditions, the "demand" narrative in the market, basis opportunities, and wet weather
Shay talks with Strategic Account Manager Russell French on harvest rolling in his 6 state area, and how things look where the water shut off vs. irrigated land. Optimism and Positivity for growers down South. Enjoy!
Chris talks with first generation farmer Mark Schaffer from Norwalk, Ohio. After high school Mark started an excavation business with a backhoe and a dump truck in 1977. Today the excavation business employees over 80 people and is run by Mark's son. During that time Mark simultaneously built his farm operation from the ground up and farms around 6000 acres of soybeans, wheat and intercrop soy and wheat with his daughter. Vision, dedication, hard work, giving back to the community and his faith in God has yielded his success.
Duane Lowry discusses market outlook, while Brad Downing offers an exceptional summary he is hearing regarding production outlook and yield reports from across the country.
Chris and Duane break down the information from the September 12th USDA Report and what it might all mean in both corn and soybeans
Chris and Duane discuss the possibilities of where we go from here on prices for corn and soybeans as we head towards Thursday's September 12th USDA report
Chris talks with California boy turned Iowa farmer Howard Hill. Howard is an Iowa pork producer, beef producer, row crop farmer and veterinarian. Chris discusses with Howard his journey all the way from California to the farm fields of Iowa and the challenges and opportunities that he and his family have dealt with along the way. Some of the topics include his endeavors with the livestock industry, being the CEO of a large business, purchasing land along the way and today being active in trade negotiations for the pork industry. They also discuss the opportunities of land ownership, business growth and collaboration. DON'T MISS THIS WISDOM FILLED EPISODE!
Chris talks with Illinois farmer Mark Rust and his wife Laura about the challenges of losing both their fathers at a young age in their farming career and growing their business during some scary times. As a 23 year old farmer, Mark and Laura talk about how they grew their operation over the years and today farm with their 2 sons as they look at transitioning the operation and helping in to continue to grow.
Chris talks with agronomist Eric Zumbach about current crop conditions and some of the agronomic challenges as corn and soybeans move towards the end of the growing season. What might an early end to the season (frost) mean for yields?
Chris and Duane discuss possible market stabilization in both corn and soybeans, basis, and what possible direction does the market go from here?
In today's special edition podcast, Shay interviews a Farm Manager and a Master Roaster at Kona Joes Coffee on the Big Island of Hawaii. They discuss every aspect of coffee production, from planting, to fertility, and roasting. If you enjoy a cup of coffee occasionally, or rely on it day in and day out to make your operation run, you won't want to miss this. This is our longest episode yet, and is chuck full of interesting information. Listen all the way through to hear how coffee production and Midwest production are extremely similar, and that the love and passion for agriculture is everywhere in the world. Enjoy!
konajoe.com
https://www.facebook.com/KonaJoeCoffeeHawaiiUsa/
@konajoecoffee on Instagram
In this special edition podcast, Chris has a discussion with a very important farmer in his life, his father-in-law! Chris and Dean discuss the challenges of purchasing land, the importance of a father's support, your relationship with your lender, and growing your operation. Chris and Dean also discuss the importance of cashflow and dealing with the stresses associated with difficult times. Dean was a pioneer in his area beginning to strip till in 1986. They continue this practice today and have directly and indirectly helped numerous other farmers adopt the process. While conservation was the primary concern, profitability has been a primary result. Finally ,they discuss the importance of family communication and not waiting too long to begin the process of transition to the next generation. Enjoy this special episode!
After last week's disappointing USDA report, Chris and Duane discuss some of the dynamics ahead in the market as we go into a new week including crop conditions, weather, demand, basis levels and the Pro Farmer crop tour.
Chris and Brian Grete, who is the Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour Eastern leg leader, discuss the tour's methodology and some of the challenges they will deal with on the tour this year.
Chris and Matt Jungmann discuss some of the technology, new equipment, field demonstrations and educational offerings which will bring a phenomenal opportunity to your operation. Be sure to mark your calendar and tune into this podcast for lots of great information!
Chris and Duane break down the results of the report today and discuss what these results might mean moving forward.
In this special edition podcast, Jerry and Chris discuss purchasing land and growing the operation with little equity. When is it time to add employees and build the business to the next level? Perspective on transitioning the farm to the next generation and building a sound business structure. Most importantly, quality of life and the importance of family.
Where do we go from here after last week's pressure on the grain markets? Could weather be a driving factor? Will we continue to trend lower or do we have some strength in this final week before the August 12th USDA report? Chris and Duane discuss these topics.
Shay talks with Dana Harder, an Agronomist that covers all of Missouri and Southern Illinois on crop conditions, prevent plant, and upcoming harvest expectations. He also discusses Burrus Hybrids and Don Mario seeds- a company from South America just entering the United States market. Don Mario has 54% market share in South America, where they produce more soybeans than the United States. Some very interesting perspective on how that could affect the market in the years ahead. Enjoy!
Chris Barron and Duane Lowry wrap up the week with talk on a down week, crop progress report, and panic in the marketplace. With price flushing in the market despite the external factors, it will be a wild ride moving into the next two weeks. Enjoy!
Russell French is well-known as an irrigation aficionado. Hailing from the Amarillo, TX area, Russell covers Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado farms that are raising irrigated corn, dry-land corn, silage, cotton, sorghum, and a few other specialty crops. We discuss irrigation, tillage practices, and the future of both in the Midwest, along with a crop update in his region. If you're interested at all in irrigation, this is one you don't want to miss!
The Dakota's, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia in today's episode with Chris Barron and Shay Foulk at Ag View Solutions (agviewsolutions.com). With a combination of personal insight and spliced in audio from other growers and industry leaders, as well as talking with many clients and friends, we are here to provide perspective on crop conditions to those in agriculture who are passionate about what they do. We hope you find some value in this, and please feel free to share with friends, subscribe, and call us with any questions! You can contact us at agviewpitch@gmail.com, cbarron@agviewsolutions.com, or Chris Barron at (319)533-5703. Enjoy!
Trade, demand dynamics, weather, and lethargic trader activity leading into the last week of July and the first week of August. Listen in as Chris and Duane talk about this and more heading into this weeks trading. Enjoy!
Chris and Grant discuss the market conditions from the week, and a few of the factors around market and crop conditions.
Chris and Paul Neiffer discuss the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) Payments outlined on 25 July 2019. Make sure you understand what this means for your operation. Please email us or give a call if you have any questions; cbarron@agviewsolutions.com and (319)533-5703 to get in touch with Chris.
Chris and consultant Pete Meyer discuss Pete's pre-Crop Tour tour, $.60 over basis, awful looking soybeans, and the Brazil-US-China dynamic. Also, how will planted acres vs. harvested acres affect markets come August? Listen in for some great perspective!
Chris talks with Josh and Jerod about their first peer group meeting with Ag View Solutions, the benefit of peer groups, and their operation in the heart of Wisconsin. They also discuss transition planning, and corn planted on July 11th. Enjoy!
With a new week in front of us, Chris and Duane discuss upcoming market expectations, Rumors from China, Soybean's upside potential, and lack of price action conviction in the marketplace. Get started on the right foot this week, and be sure to listen in for an outlook you won't find anywhere else. Enjoy!
Shay talks with farmer/husband/father/son/YouTuber/Facebook/Instagram all-star Zach Johnson the "Millennial Farmer" from West Central Minnesota on everything from YouTube to Minnesota crop conditions, and farm transition to local basis. Zach is an advocate for farmers and agriculture, and was a fun guest to have on. This is one you won't want to miss. Enjoy!
Also be sure to check out all of his channels HERE:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp0rRUsMDlJ1meYAQ6_37Dw/featured
https://www.facebook.com/MNMILLENNIALFARMER/
https://www.instagram.com/mnmillennialfarmer/?hl=en
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/field-work/id1460010498
Today, brothers Ben and Brandt Fehl in Iowa discuss quality of life with Chris in a special episode from Canada on a rainy day. If you have any interest in Strip Till, Farm Transition, Collaboration, Equipment LLC, and perspective on making your life better on the farm, this is an episode for you. Enjoy!
Listen in for new news on prevent plant acres, and a discussion on the early week of red ink and where we go from here. Enjoy!
Chris and Grant Shimek talk technicals in the market place and what to be thinking about moving through the week. Enjoy!
Duane and Shay discuss today's disappointing Price Action, and how it appears to be demonstrating temporary weakness as the weather narrative continues to favor bullish trends. Duane discusses the bigger picture of weather on the markets, and what areas this will be impacting most. The discussion wraps up with sweet corn and how experience and stories have shaped an interesting discussion around the crops reflection on Yellow Dent #2 later in the season. We have also included some instructions on how to subscribe at the end of the episode- we want to make this the best and easiest listening experience possible. Enjoy!
Chris has an excellent Agronomic discussion with Agronomist and Strategic Account Manager Adam Brinker. From crop conditions, timely decision making, and some positive outlooks on the current weather, this is a full podcast of another perspective in the industry. If you are interested in the Margin Enhancement Tool, please email us at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com. Enjoy!
Is the tropical storm moving into the Midwest sending rain your way? If not, how about the rest of the areas? Hot and dry will be the narrative of this week's movement outside of other major news. Be sure to listen in as Chris and Duane talk more about how this may play out, and what you should be looking for!
With tough conditions over a large area in the near term forecast Chris and Duane discuss the possibility of markets making a jump. Be sure to listen in to why, and gain some perspective on what to expect in the week ahead. Enjoy your weekend, and feel free to send us a message with your thoughts on today's podcast. Enjoy!
July 11th's USDA Report, an overview of what Chris saw through the countryside over the last few days, and some perspective on where the market sits right now moving into an extended period of hot and dry in some places. Enjoy!
Mark Schaffer and his daughter Julie talk about the exciting wheat-soybean intercropping they are doing in North Central Ohio, and their involvement in a peer group. Here at the Ag View Pitch we think all of our podcasts are important and provide value, but this may be one of the most valuable podcasts we have done so far. Please let us know what you think, and we would love to talk with you about being in a Peer Group with our team if you are interested. Email Chris at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com, or call at (319)533-5703. Enjoy!
Chris and Shay have a quick conversation on their crop tour from July 9th through Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio. The word of the day is "confirmation." Check it out!
Chris and Duane talk Monday markets, the current conditions, and the developing conditions potentially generating some opportunity in the near term. Be sure to give a listen, and contact us if you have any questions. Enjoy!
Chris and Duane have a great conversation about what this hot and dry weather could do to the crop and markets in the extended forecast. Hang on tight, and be sure to give this a listen with timely information included. You can contact Duane at duanel@netins.net, and Chris at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com. Enjoy!
Chris and Duane do an impromptu mic test turned podcast. They talk recent stabilization, and where that goes in the next ten days or so. This simple conversation has lots of thoughtful information, and is a good quick listen for those baffled by why the market isn't reacting differently based on how many of us think it should be. Let us know what you think, and as always please contact Chris at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com, or Duane at duanel@netins.net for more conversations!
Special Edition. For the Fourth of July, Chris, Grant, and Shay discuss the transition from the military back into agriculture, what the future may hold, and how the service molded them and prepared them for success on the farm. Thank you for all listening who have served or been in a family of service, as we know the sacrifices are not small. Stay safe, and have a great Independence Day!
Chris, Shay, and Special Guest Joe Paulson, a farmer in North Central Illinois, talk about the dynamics of operating in a father-son business, current crop conditions in his area, and why he thinks he has the highest cost of production of anyone he's ever met. With the three of us in the same room, you can almost hear the coffee-shop style conversation through the conversation. Let us know how you're liking the podcast at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com, and be sure to subscribe if you haven't already!
Chris, Duane, and Grant Shimek, broker/owner of Black Oak Financial, talk current conditions, maybe sitting on your hands moving forward, and how to operate as a "Chief Emotion Manager" and marketer in your strategies. agviewsolutions.com, cropproductionscience.com, blackoakfinancial.com @chrisbarron24 @duanelowry
Chris and Duane give a quick recap of the weekend, and some of the most important headline information moving into the first week of July. Be sure to contact us at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com, or duanel@netins.net if you have any questions. Enjoy!
Today Chris and Duane talk about the report, and some of its surprising aspects. They discuss the long term implications, and provide some perspective on the weeks ahead. Be sure to listen to the whole thing as there is a lot of good content. You can contact Chrisat cbarron@agviewsolutions.com or Duane at duanel@netins.net. Enjoy!
Chris and Duane have a quick 10 minute discussion on pre-report expectations and possibilities.
Chris has a candid conversation with Shay on Transition and Collaboration, two areas of emphasis when consulting with Ag View Solutions Clients. Chris does an outstanding job of asking the right questions, and getting producers on their way to success. This process takes hours. If you want to be more than a 10 minute expert, or need help in your operation, please contact us at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com to discuss the next stops. Have a great day!
Today Chris and Duane talk about final planting pace, crop condition ratings, and where soybeans stand in emergence. Email Chris at cbarron@agviewsolutions.com or Duane at duanel@netins.net if you are looking for some perspective on the current situation and they will be happy to help. Enjoy@
Shay discusses weed management with Adam Striegel, Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln . Options for prevent plant ground, important things to consider for long term weed control, and some key notes on Enlist. We also discuss the importance of residuals, cover crop termination, and making sure you aren't planting the wrong cover crop. Enjoy! Adam Striegel: adam.striegel@huskers.unl.edu
Looking ahead to the LAST week of June already- the weather sure doesn't feel like it! How weather, cool temperatures, and current growth is affecting markets. Chris and Duane touch on some key topics you will want to be thinking about as you watch the markets and the crops TRY to grow.
Chris and Duane bring you a Monday Market Update for the week ahead. Listen in for their take on corn price reality and the future of soybeans.
Shay talks with Jerod at Norm-E-Lane Dairy in central Wisconsin about collaboration, their agronomic decision-making, unique planter setup, and creating optimism within the community during a difficult time. If you are looking for some optimistic perspective on the growing season, give this episode a listen!
Chris and Duane talk strategic planning, market outlook, and some things you should be considering as a producer moving into the week ahead.
Why producers won't be planting as many beans, the corn report, and basis improvement. A good update on recent changes, with thoughtful insight on the next few weeks in production.
Chris and Duane talk about suspicions of reduced amounts of prevent plant acres, how that affects carryout, and impacts of reduced yield with later planted crops. That and much more on tonight's edition of the Ag View Pitch!
Chris and Duane talk recent market price corrections. Listen in today if you are scratching your head!
Shay talks with Anthony Lackore on a global agriculture perspective, 2019 seed production, decision and precision agronomy, and eternal optimism. A great conversation with an innovative and passionate industry leader!
Duane and Chris discuss the implications of the [planting progress report, slow planting pace, and the challenging agronomic environment and its effect on the market now and for the upcoming week.
Tariffs, weather, trade escalations, corn instead of beans, price protection and more on today's episode of the Ag View Pitch!
Chris, Shay, and Steve discuss Prevent Plant information and challenges around the decisions; a must listen from today's discussion.
Chris and Duane talk about how to take advantage of basis, what to watch for in the market, and a wrap up of some of the weeks discussions as we move into the weekend and the major decisions of prevent plant. Enjoy the listen and have a safe weekend!
Chris and Paul discuss what we do and don't know at this point about MFP, how ARC payments and other program benefits tie into the aid package, and how producers can look at deferred payments into 2020 of Prevent Plant acres but not on MFP collection. If you are struggling with understanding MFP and PP is a lot to think about at the same time, this is the podcast for you!
Strategic Account Manager Jeff Cole in NW Indiana talks the danger zone, staying razor focused on your farms operations, and making important 'War Room' decisions. Listen in, and don't forget to ask about our Prevent Plant tool if you are looking to make a decision based on your farms numbers, and not emotion!
Planting progress state by state analysis after today's planting reports, prevent plant payments, and looking at percent sold as a producer. It's time for producers to really start taking care of some business, and Chris and Duane are here for you!
Brad Downing from Cross Creek Ag in Greentown, Indiana discusses optimism in land improvements, 6 day, week, month impacts of our decisions, and sticking with your plant plan as long as you possibly can with full season hybrids. You can contact Brad at 765-432-0475, brad@crosscreekag.com, and on Twitter and Facebook!
Headed through Memorial Day weekend, it looks like potentially big changes coming this week with the markets. Listen as Chris Barron and Duane Lowry discuss the possibility of $5 corn, covering shorts while building long, and what to think about with making sales at this time.
Special Guest Alyssa Abbott, a Strategic Account Manager with Pioneer and farmer's wife discusses the conditions in her territory, as well as thoughts on agronomic decision making as the rain continues to fall. "Everybody has to run the numbers based on crop insurance and based on what they already have down... there's so many factors that play into that decision." Shoot us an email at abarron@agviewsolutions.com if you would like to know more on our Prevent Plant and Corn/Soybean decision making tool!
Zane Erickson in Eastern North Dakota talks about their planting progress. We talk about what prevent planting means to them, and the lessons he has learned with those decisions.
As we close in on prevent planting dates, Pioneer Strategic Account Manager Adam Brinker and Ag View Solutions Consultant Chris Barron discuss some of the agronomic issues growers are facing right now. Visit agviewsolutions.com or email us at abarron@agviewsolutikns.com to learn more!