News B

by TIM MARSHALL, County Agent
Will the wheat market continue to climb? When will the calf market peak and at what price level? Should I consider retaining ownership in my calves? Should I forward contract a portion of my crop? Is it time to lock in some input costs?
Farmers and ranchers face tough questions like these on a daily basis. Without a crystal ball, no one can know the answers to all of these questions. However, with some advanced planning and preparation, producers do have the ability to be better positioned to take advantage of marketing opportunities, minimize their risk, and increase their profitability.
In an effort to provide all area producers with the foundation for developing a marketing plan and managing risk in their operations, the Barber County Extension Office, The First State Bank in Kiowa, and OK Coop Grain Co. are partnering to give area producers an opportunity to attend an Ag Marketing seminar on Tuesday, September 14th at the Kiowa Community Building.
Darrell Holaday, President of Advanced Market Concepts, will be the featured speaker. Darrell is not your stereotype market analyst. He brings a wealth of knowledge that has been gained through his personal experience as both a producer and marketing professional, along with a sincere desire to help producers improve their operations, in a high energy and enjoyable manner. The presentation will be a mixture of no-nonsense straight talk about ag marketing and some personal stories of the success and failure experienced by others in agriculture because of their dedication to risk management and marketing.
The evening will begin with a 5:30 PM meal, which is being furnished by Williams Ag, and the presentation will begin at 6:00 PM. This opportunity is open to all area producers and is being offered at no cost by the local sponsors. For more information, please contact Tim Marshall, Barber County Extension Office, at (620) 886-3971 or tmarshal@ksu.edu , or Tommy Hutson, First State Bank, at (620) 825- 4147 or t_hutson@fstbanc.com .