Marketing advisors

[Bushpusher]

Curious what advisors others are working with that they like and why you like them. I don’t care about options much at this point so not wanting some knob who thinks he had all the answers on that end. I shoulda got one years ago but finally gonna add one this fall. I was looking at Cargill market sense but they hired the tard that f’d up fbns marketing program. I’d prefer to work with one that doesn’t work for a grain company cause thats a no brainer in my head.

[BTO780]

Unless they know your entire farm financial situation down to payments, etc they will advice to sell in bits and pieces. There I just told you what to do for free. ????????????

Personally I’ve never used one and I feel I’m money ahead doing things on my own.

Each to their own.

[LEP]

Personally I prefer marketing newsletters. Wild Oats, Kostal, Jubinville, Left field, there's a bunch.

I have a financial background so I have created my own cost of production spreadsheet. I don't need to pay someone for that.

[jdg364]

Kostal is a great source

[westernvicki]

I still like marketing newsletters, too. I still like Weber; he is a policy person with a global view. He is not tied to any buddies. He gives you global information and notes political influence on markets. You also get stats. His objective to make you a more innovative marketer.

You decide.

And yes, too many "Talk the books". Too many rely on statistics only, and while
Statistics are essential, but they seem less related to markets nowadays.

Since January, he's been calling Canola below $600. In 21, he advised against forward selling.

No one is always right, so you need to gather information to make better decisions.

Weber for $350 annually, it's a steal.

Indeed, companies will plan your cash flow and help you decide when to sell which commodities and when to buy inputs. But ultimately, the whole decision lies in your ability to pull the trigger.

[blackpowder]

For just over $1200 a year you can get a lot of info from 3 or 4 sources.
Overload can be a problem.
No one can or will tell you exactly what to do.
If you struggle with making decisions without an "advisor", you're going to struggle the same with one.
Price out Cargill Marketsense. You can smell their business model for the program a mile away. Options offered are definitely not the same as through your broker. I would say it's profitable. For them.

[BreadWinner]

I refuse to use a grain company as a grain marketer, like using a fox to guard the hen house. I have tried quite a few but I really like Grain Shark, a couple texts a day to not overload your brain and lots of good recommendations on when to sell or buy Western Canada crops and fertilizer. Probably gains us 1-2 dollars per bushel every year.

[furrowtickler]

I still like marketing newsletters, too. I still like Weber; he is a policy person with a global view. He is not tied to any buddies. He gives you global information and notes political influence on markets. You also get stats. His objective to make you a more innovative marketer.

You decide.

And yes, too many "Talk the books". Too many rely on statistics only, and while
Statistics are essential, but they seem less related to markets nowadays.

Since January, he's been calling Canola below $600. In 21, he advised against forward selling.

No one is always right, so you need to gather information to make better decisions.

Weber for $350 annually, it's a steal.

Indeed, companies will plan your cash flow and help you decide when to sell which commodities and when to buy inputs. But ultimately, the whole decision lies in your ability to pull the trigger.

After the past few years many got burnt very bad foreword selling with no crop .
we all get it but in areas where production has been very limited and unpredictable, foreword selling can cost the farm way way more than it can benefit.
good example this morning, a few degrees colder and this crop was screwed .
47 frost free days .
without an act of god contract , it can be a suicidal mission .

[furrowtickler]

All the best info in the world , and no doubt Larry is one of the best , Mother Nature still holds the Trump card

[consuelo]

kostel and weber are great. if they only had more direct information from the actual buyers who are paying the exporters.

[LEP]

In a year like this, especially with the massive short position held by funds, I expect it to take until almost Christmas for prices to reflect the reality of the level of production.

Typically I sell some lentils and canola earlier in the year for harvest delivery. Then hold out for the market to reflect reality before selling anymore product.

Just one person's opinion.

[jamesb]

I have used them all from low cost to high cost. For me the best value is some of the lower cost subscriptions. Grain Shark is great text service. Larry's newsletter provides information that takes him a lot of time to glean from various sources. They really aren't advisors, rather being information sources. We use a broker for hedging and they provide information. We are always looking over the fence for the next outfit to come along. I don't believe anyone outfit has the answer. Also currently following Ryan Denis, he has an interesting perspective, will see how that product develops

[SASKFARMER]

Larry and Grain shark!

[wrongway]

I tried cargills market sense for a couple of years, young guy with gauges in his ears and tattoos, wasn't in ag industry till hired by cargill. 10k a year and really only promoting in house programs that had fees to use. gave them all my financials and asked for some benchmarking in return...never got it. so dropped them then had a dozen calls asking why and promises to do better. their recommendations' where always based on percentage of crop...but who really know how much you're going to produce till its in the bin.
when grain prices rose for those 4-5 years they were always behind the 8_ball, then i dropped them . not sure how they performed this year...probably better.

lots and lots of good cheap information out there, just have to act on it.

[shtferbrains]

Like everything else it's all about the one guy you deal with?

If you get a guy you are comfortable with it doesn't matter what company they work for?

Might be a one man outfit.