The markets have seen their share of ups and downs lately, making risk management all the more important.
One ag economist says all farmers need to go back to the basics.
“Let’s go back to some core basic strategies that we can pull out of the bag for our marketing plans. One of those is to recognize that, number one, you, as a farm manager, are not fast enough to chase the marketplace. Things are happening so quickly. The volatility is so high that you can’t chase the market, so the challenge is how do we try to get out in front of this?” said Frayne Olson.
Olson says farmers need to sit down and crunch the numbers, then decide what price they are willing to sell at.
“And a lot of that is based on your cost of production and the cost of storage. Those are things that you know and have much more direct control over.”
Olson adds that placing orders ahead of time can help you capitalize on acceptable prices, saying it helps avoid impulsive decisions during market volatility.
Margin Protection and the new MCO add county-level margin tools — with earlier price discovery, input cost triggers, and high subsidy rates — to complement on-farm risk plans for 2026.
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For aging operators and their rural neighbors, staying socially engaged is a practical strategy to preserve decision-making capacity and farm vitality.
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Sen. Roger Marshall explains which types of beef are imported into the United States, how there’s room for new imports, and logical reasons for current high prices.
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U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) discusses the USDA’s new cattle plan, ethanol policy, and the broader challenges ahead for rural America.
October 23, 2025 11:24 AM
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Expanding bioethanol use strengthens rural economies, supports farm markets, and positions U.S. agriculture at the center of global low-carbon trade.
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“President Trump Undercuts America’s Cattle Producers,” says NCBA
October 22, 2025 04:42 PM
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