Extension Offers High-Tech Grain Marketing Workshop

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To help farmers put together a winning grain-marketing game plan, Penn State Extension is offering a workshop designed to enhance farmers’ grain-marketing confidence and skills. The course offers practical, easy-to-execute advice to help farmers secure a good average price for their crop.

Developed by the University of Minnesota, Center for Farm Financial Management, this workshop simulates real-life grain-marketing decisions, enabling farmers to practice marketing without the risk of losing actual money. During the 3-hour program, participants put their marketing acumen to work, making grain-marketing decisions based on their specific farm situation and actual market information.

Over the course of their career, a farmer may have only 30 crops to sell,” says John Berry, Penn State Extension. “That doesn’t leave much room for learning-curve errors. We designed these courses to give farmers a chance to practice their marketing skills in a no-risk environment.”

This award-winning workshop will take place in Bradford County this year:

Thursday, Feb. 7

10:30 am

Penn State Extension

200 Main St #3

Towanda, PA 18848

The on-line registration is available at https://extension.psu.edu/what-is-your-preharvest-marketing-strategy You may also call toll-free 877-345-0691. Questions about this workshop may be directed to Casey Guindon at 570-265-2896 or email cvb5538@psu.edu

In this lively workshop participants get a greater understanding of seasonal grain prices, how crop insurance can be a part of their grain-marketing strategies, and begin to develop a grain-marketing plan for their farm. As part of the workshop, participants simulate a year of grain-marketing decisions, choosing whether to purchase crop insurance and forward contract their grain. They see the results of their decisions, not just for one year, but also against 15 years of actual market prices.

Through the marketing game, participants can see how year-in, year-out, pre-harvest marketing pays” Berry explains.

Farmers go to great lengths developing production plans for their crops, but we tend to plan less on how to get a good price for the resulting grain,” Berry notes. “In this workshop, we give farmers an opportunity to develop a marketing plan and practice its implementation, using actual daily market prices.”

Here is your chance to develop a grain marketing plan, or test the one you use!

Focused on practicing marketing skills, this will give us a chance to review an actual marketing plan. During this session, we focus on the value of target dates and target prices as a method to consistently secure a good average crop price. As part of this workshop, you will test your grain marketing skills with a fast-paced marketing game that simulates how a marketing plan can work, as well as how to react to real-life market changes.

The Pennsylvania State University encourages qualified persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact Casey 570-265-2896 in advance of your participation or visit.

Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

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