By JANE HOUIN
Ohio Correspondent

COVINGTON, Ind. — With spring planting right around the corner, the upcoming growing season is on the minds of many farmers. Two of their biggest concerns are price volatility and fluctuating markets.

That’s why the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) and Indiana Corn Growers Assoc. (ICGA) are hosting a risk-management workshop April 7. The all-day workshop, entitled “Basics of Using Futures Market to Offset Risk,” will help both grain and livestock farmers learn more about strategies to offset the risk inherent in their operations.

The workshop will get underway at 9 a.m. EDT at the Beef House restaurant in Covington. Attendees will learn about grain flow, the world ag marketplace, hedging, basis trading, market reports and farmer contracts.

“This workshop features well-respected risk management experts who will provide a holistic view of the market landscape and describe how to get ahead of it,” said Leah Beyer, ISA/ICGA livestock director. “The day will start out with a broad overview of the world marketplace, but will quickly focus on the different methods grain and livestock farmers can use to manage risks and optimize profitability.”

The workshop will be conducted by Sue Goll and Eugene Kunda, who have extensive experience in risk management. Goll is an agricultural consultant with more than 20 years of experience as a cash grain merchandiser and futures industry participant.

Kunda is the visiting assistant director and research associate of the Office for Futures and Options Research (OFOR) in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois. OFOR promotes and enhances scholarly research and learning of futures, options, and derivative markets.
“We are very pleased to have these two well-known specialists presenting at this workshop,” said Gary Lamie, ICGA president. “Most recently, a workshop similar to this one was held with these two speakers, but cost participants hundreds of dollars. We are proud to offer this rare opportunity to our members for free and to other farmers at a very reasonable cost.”

Specifically, Goll and Kunda will cover a number of topics, including a World Marketplace Overview coving major producing areas, import/export players, market fundamentals that drive price, policy changes and trade effects; History and Development of Agricultural Futures and what exactly futures are; Hedging Fundamentals; Farmer Contracts, including pros and cons of elevator-to-farmer contracts; and an Introduction to Options and Basic Hedge Strategies.

The workshop is free of charge to ISA or ICGA members; non-members may attend for $20. Lunch is included. Online preregistration is required by April 1 at www.indianasoybean.com
seminar and the workshop is limited to the first 100 people. A complete agenda and directions are also included on the site.
Sponsors of the workshop include the ISA and Indiana Corn Marketing Council, the state’s soy and corn checkoff organizations, as well as the Illinois Soybean Assoc., American Soybean Assoc. and Monsanto.

Additional information about the workshop may be found at the website or by calling the ISA/ICGA office at 317-347-3620. And for more information on becoming a member of either of these organizations, contact Jared Coppess, Membership and Policy Manager, at 317-644-2797 or e-mail jcoppess@indiana soybean.com