Farmers often tell Extension specialists that one of the things they want to improve is their ability to market crops successfully. Extension is responding by offering a five-week, all-virtual program titled “Strategic Marketing for Your Farm’s Future.” Now it’s your turn to respond and sign up online for this unique program. The registration deadline is Feb. 1.

“We’re excited to be able to bring first-class information to farmers who want to know more about marketing and improve their grain marketing skills,” says Jenna Nees, a Purdue University Extension educator in Putnam County, Ind. Nees and Ed Farris, Extension educator in Huntington County, Ind., are coordinating this effort with help from the Purdue University Center for Commercial Agriculture. The program is open to farmers all over the country, no matter where you live.

“We want to give individuals more confidence in making grain marketing decisions for their future farming operations,” Farris says. “The goal is to enhance a producer’s skills to address the highs and lows of the markets, while supporting producers’ interpersonal skills and mental well-being.”

For beginners and traders

The program is designed so everyone should be able to glean helpful information, no matter how much current knowledge they have about grain marketing, Nees says.

“We’re starting out with the basics of crop marketing the first night, including understanding cash markets, futures markets and where basis fits,” Nees explains. “The second program will focus on technical analysis, beginning at an entry level.”

Later sessions will discuss diversifying into niche markets, using breakeven cost information to develop marketing strategies and learning how to share your grain marketing strategy with others in the farm operation.

“We will focus on how to deal with the stress of marketing highs and lows later in the series,” Nees adds. “We want farmers to have tools to help them deal with stress that can come with working in volatile markets.”

Sign up now

The virtual programs will be delivered each Thursday evening beginning Feb. 3 and ending March 3, Farris says. Times for the program are 7 to 8 p.m. EST, or 6 to 7 p.m. CST.

The fee to participate is $30. You can register online. Registration is due Feb. 1. For more information, call Putnam County Extension at 765-653-8411 or email [email protected].

The background work needed to put this program together was made possible through a grant from the USDA-National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Nees says. It’s also supported by the North Central Extension Risk Management Education Committee.