Dairy producers wanting to increase their knowledge of commodity marketing tools and principles—and better manage risk—will have that opportunity during a seven-week Commodity Marketing Class sponsored by the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW). Course topics include understanding agricultural commodity markets and marketing; developing an effective market plan; analyzing the market for market activity; understanding and utilizing the futures market, the cash market and the options market; and a hedgers and marketers checklist.
The first class—which is free—is set for Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Animart, Beaver Dam, Wis. At the close of the first class, attendees can decide if this course is for them and sign up for the next six classes.
Lead instructor for the course will be Carl Babler who has been involved in commodity marketing as a broker, educator and hedger since 1975. Babler also teaches at the School of Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
“Dairy producers have done a remarkable job on the production side, and this course is designed to give us the knowledge and skills to use risk management tools to reduce price volatility,” Doug Knoepke, Durand, Wis., dairy producer and president of PDPW. “In today’s environment, we dairy producers need all of the tools available, and this course’s focus on price opportunities will provide us with another highly valuable and useful tool.”
Cost for the full course is $450, with this covering one to two individuals from the same farm. Class size will be limited to 30.
Source: Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin