Connie’s Comments by Connie Strunk, Turner County Extension Educator—Agronomy  November 20, 2009

Current and projected crop prices, the late harvest, and the need to dry corn has had a big impact this year for farmers.  Many are left wondering what they should do with their marketing strategies.  If you find yourself in this situation or if you are interested in enhancing your current marketing strategies or if you just have some marketing related questions that you would like answered, make plans now to attend our “Back to the Basics: Marketing 101 Program” which will be held on Thursday, December 10, 2009 at the Parker Community Building in Parker, S.D.

            The program starts at 10:00 a.m. and will run till 3:00 p.m.  Dinner is sponsored by Temple Crop Insurance of Lennox and Davis.  The programs are sponsored by the South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service.

            The guest speaker for the program is Al May, SDSU Extension Marketing Specialist.  Topics discussed include marketing strategies to use, what is basis, what is a call option, what is a put option, how to hedge with a futures contract, what carry in the market means, the role crop insurance plays in a marketing plan, and how to write a marketing plan. 

            This marketing program is open to anyone interested in learning or fine tuning their marketing skills.  There is no cost to this program but pre-registrations are required by December 7, 2009.  Send your registrations to the Turner County Extension Office, PO Box 490, Parker, SD 57053; or call at (605) 297-3112; or send an email to connie.strunk@sdstate.edu.

            Have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!