Better Decisions

Growers know all about planting and harvesting. But, for many, the ebb and flow of the grain markets remains inscrutable. Here, the marketing development manager for a major grain company offers some guidance

by TONY BALKWILL

Don Kabbes is sitting in front of several monitors wired directly to the network of the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). On the screens are colourful graphics, depicting endless numbers of pennies, dimes and quarters being spent or paid.

Retiring farmers believe the capital gains exemption takes care of everything, but it doesn’t. The AMT can still take a big chunk out of your returns

by MIKE MULHERN

When Dan and Diane Harkin sold their Winchester area farm last December, they expected their capital gains exemption would take care of any tax. They were wrong. When the dust cleared, the Harkins were hit with something called the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Their tax bill was about $32,000.

Events – and reactions to them – can make a mockery of the best-laid plans.
Here are some tips to help you make and stick to the right marketing decisions for your farm

by KEVIN SIMPSON

At a marketing skills workshop I led recently, there was plenty of buzz about the difficulty of making – and sticking to – marketing decisions. More specifically, my workshop participants were frustrated by market pundits and advisors with facts, figures and outlooks that sounded right, but turned out to be just plain wrong.

Holding out for seasonal price rallies can make a difference to your selling price

By KEVIN SIMPSON

Crops like corn, wheat, and beans are apt to have seasonal price tendencies, reflecting an annual cycle that is related to production and consumption patterns.

The ‘Rule of Thirds’ may help you decide what hedging strategies to adopt after the great bull market in corn

by KEVIN SIMPSON

Remember the early part of the decade? Back then, ethanol had yet to create an elephant-sized hunger for corn and there had been two back-to-back years of disappointing yields for wheat and other non-GMO grains around the world.

To make your marketing plan work, you need to take a disciplined approach and devote the necessary time. Here are some key elements

by JOHN BANCROFT

It’s not just the employment agency that is responsible for health and safety education. The task is shared and you neglect it at your peril

by DIANE HAROLD

When it comes to health and safety, employers cannot take shortcuts with temporary workers.  During times of high production, it is tempting to rush through training and put the temps to work right away. But the benefits of increasing production are not worth the risk of potential fines by the Ministry of Labour for a violation.

A checklist that will help guide you through the jungle that is the commodity markets

by JOHN BANCROFT

There is a lot of jargon tossed around in the commodity marketing world that can be confusing when you are developing and executing your marketing plan. To get you started, here is a list of definitions of some key marketing terminology.

The main reason new business ventures fail in their first two or three years is lack of planning. A sound business plan will help you focus your ideas into manageable components

by DORENE COLLINS

Often, we hear a farmer say:

“I would expand or grow my farm business, or start a new venture on the farm, if only I had more time and money.” Are there, in fact, things you can do in planning for an expansion or new venture to ensure that the time and the money are available?

Community supported agriculture programs are proving a great way to test market products on a small scale with little capital investment – just a lot of sweat equity and passion

by DORENE COLLINS