What Marketing Things do Farm Managers Really Want?

[melvill]

Here we go, parsley.

What do farm managers really want?
1. Do you want to become better marketers by learning what marketing tools and information are out there and then learning how to use them to your advantage?
2. Or, do you want to become better marketers by buying marketing expertise which provides tips and recommendations and you carry out those recommendations?

Anything to add, parsley?

[parsley]

#2 Reminds me of our high tech boy working south, recommending buying Tech stocks, hell-bent, and "forget about the gold stock etc.investments". Good thing we ignored him.

I think both have merit, melvill, depending upon who you are and where you are in life. You should have some great expertise to offer, and it is such an easeful way to offer your services. Managers should be able to sift out the gold.

On the other hand, managers get stuck in ruts, cannot see the trees for the bush, and get lazy, and they need a think-lift quite regularly as in #1, (which is usually a chore with a bevy of know-it-alls). And considering primates usually dislike change and don't court it, new-found ideas are sometimes best introduced by knowledge-hunters like yourself.

Parsley

[ValueChainFX]

Hmmmmm interesting question maybe a combination of the two eh??? A collabourative effort maybe just what we all need to make something happen. But the guys that make recommendations should be hands on in the industry not just sitting behind a desk.

[farmtech]

I am looking for the easyiest way to find a home for my product and the best price after exspenses. I find using a expert is helpful and required to make a final comitment to selling product as they are closer to the daily and weekly happenings.
Also us expert's prior to signing contracts for production as they help with the fine print and obligation which vary with each contract.
I would love to say I was on top of the market every day but have to admit I am unable to sutain the interest over a longer period of time as there are other things happening in my life.
I guess what I am trying to say that I need to have a working relationship with some expert's and am willing to pay of it also. The trick is to find good choices out in the marketing world and do they have time for my buisness. A up to date list of marketers and there specialies would be a great help.

[melvill]

farmtech, when you say "an up to date list of marketers" would help, what exactly are you looking for? Are you looking for marketing advisors that make recommendations and suggest strategies or are you looking for an up to date list of marketers or potential buyers for your products? I assume it's the first one. Right?

[TJM]

I know, I know,I know that I will get in trouble for this but it is always more profitable to manage the farm than to do the daily work. You all know what I mean. Surround yourself by a rainbow of industry experts and some from outside the ag industry. They have some awesome ideas that can be related in principal to the farm as well. Sort through the 'chaff' and find out what can be done with a little time and savy. The effort will more than pay for hiring good people to do the day to day farming.

I know, this all takes acres and #'s, but everyone of us crawled before walking or running.

In answer to the question, personally, every damn bit of information and or industry player or expert has something to offer. It is up to us to figure out what.

[farmtech]

You are right the Marketing advisor is what I am looking for. Let me define what this term means to me, a contact that will keep a eye on the market for my specific products that I have and also look at next years production and what might be a good bet. I need the information to come to me with out asking for it,and only pertain to the product that I am capable of growing. I need the forward looking info. as I can find the historical myself.It needs to come on a regular basices.
In return I would be expected to answer back with my thoughts so that we would have a working relationship.
The term expert is not properly used by myself, better term would be marketer interested in my products and the success of my buisness.

[lornej]

I had 25 years of grain farming and faced many of the marketing dilemas that farmers still face . My opininion is that no one can do it better than the producer himself . Collect all the best information that you can , take Melvills Alberta Ag marketing course - take from it what applies to your situation and what your risk-comfort level is . Everyone is in a different financial situation so you have to know your production costs for your own farm . If you don't know what that number is then you have to find out or you are flying blind and wasteing time . Then if you know what the historical price levels are for the commodity that you are selling - start selling it where you have production costs covered and continue to sell a percentage of your stocks as price moves up . Historical price levels are very important to know because so many farmers get caught up at trying to sell ALL their canola at $10/bu when they maybe should have started selling it at $8/bu off the combine to pay for last years fertilizer . How often has it hit $10 in the last 30 years . Your chances of getting that top price are a crap shoot and you will not obtain it . My only other comment is - don't assume that the experts know anything more than you do re. where prices are going . THEY DON'T . The commodities market reacts to a number of things including weather that no one can predict or forsee . So make your own marketing decisions based on what your production costs are ( not emotions ) have a marketing plan based on that and STCK TO THE PLAN - then let your wife do the rest - that way you can blame her if it was wrong !

[melvill]

Here, here lornj, here, here.

Your message about dealing with prices-knowing historic high and low prices and knowing what YOUR costs of production are and selling based on those prices - is something that my colleagues and I have been trying to convince producers of for years and years but it doesn't seem to register a lot of the time.

Instead of your approach, so many producers are trying to win at marketing by doing the equivalent of laying an eight-ender or by scoring a goal on every shot on net with every marketing decision they make. That in itself is close to impossible.

What makes it worse, though, is that few producers get quality market info. I'm always amazed at how little market info most producers tell me they are getting when they phone to ask when the peak, or the bottom, in the market is going to happen. Most get what's available in the farm press. Granted the "market experts" can't always predict prices but they can provide producers with the detailed info that helped them arrive at their conculsions. That's info that producers can use to draw their own conclusions but it's not generally free so it can't be found in the ag press.

End of rant. . . . . .

[melvill]

farmtech

There are firms and individuals around that are doing the kind of thing that you are looking for. I can't pass on names here but they do exist.

The hardest part for these market advisors is that some clients expect market forecasts and strategies to be 100% correct 100% of the time. Of course, that's unrealistic.

The only thing is that there is no exact way to access market advisors' track records except by talking to current and past clients to evaluate level of service, etc.

Another way to measure a consultant's track record is to use him/her for several years to evaluate your benefit.

[ianben]

Confidence and education is what I would like all farmers to want and recieve.

The confidence to ask a fair realistic price.

The education to know what that is.

From your examples Lee some guys just dont have either but I find it quite hard to to get real figures.

If I grew mustard is the information on price switching easily accessible.

Is 11$ canola is just bound to have the same effect.

Where is this independant information like this to be found?

[rain]

This site can be interesting and insightful.

www.alternativegrain.com

[parsley]

A happening site. Wish them well

Parsley