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Grain Marketing Courses for Women Help Iowa’s Family Farms Manage Risk

Timothy Christensen and Madeline Schultz

Summary

The value of sales for corn and soybeans represents nearly half (46.7%) of the total market value of all agricultural production in Iowa. Women are 34.5 percent of all farm operators in Iowa. Marketing of crops is a critical component for managing net income on their family farms. The ISU Extension and Outreach Farm Management team offers women three key opportunities to learn about grain marketing. Annie’s Project Farm Business Management 18-hour courses include a 1.5-hour introduction to terminology, basis, and contracts. Women Marketing Grain courses are 12-hours and stress the importance of knowing cost of production and writing a marketing plan. Advanced Grain Marketing for Women is a 9-hour course on how options markets might fit into an overall grain marketing strategy and features marketing scenarios and small-group learning activities. Annie’s Project pre-course survey respondents indicated 17.6 percent knew "quite a bit" or were "completely familiar" with how to evaluate a marketing contract; this increased to 80 percent post-course. Women Marketing Grain pre-course survey respondents indicated 40.2 percent had "calculated their breakeven price"; this increased to 82.1 percent post-course. Advanced Grain Marketing for Women survey respondents indicated 40 percent "definitely plan to" apply a new marketing strategy on their farm, and 50 percent "definitely plan to" talk with family/partners about marketing strategies. Women can learn to improve their agricultural risk management skills with education, analytical thinking, research-based information, and support. When Extension provides research-based grain marketing education for women, they can create value for their farm business and improve overall economic conditions in Iowa.

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