Completed Project Report


Commodity Challenge for Livestock Feed Purchases

  • Award Amount: $49,985
  • Regional Center: North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center
  • Grant Program: 2013 Unrestricted Grants
  • Project Director: Edward Usset
  • Email: usset001@umn.edu
  • Organization: Center for Farm Financial Management

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Project Overview

A sustained period of high grain prices led to the need to teach risk management to feed grain buyers.

Commodity Challenge is an on-line trading game, featuring cash, futures and options quotes for grains. Originally a sellers game, we adapted the game for corn buyers.  The updated game now provides feed buyers with an excellent platform to explore new pricing tools and develop grain procurement plans. This gives buyers the chance to try new tools and test strategies in real time.

Game leaders have access to new curriculum developed for feed buyers. Curricula includes 14 “chapters” that guide players from an introduction to cash and futures markets, through basic pricing tools to more advanced pricing tools that feature options strategies. A seven part video on “How to Develop a Grain Procurement Plan” is also available to players. Game leaders have access to newly created powerpoints and a bank of test questions and answers for each chapter.

During the project term, 13 games were played in eight states, reaching 582 current, beginning and prospective livestock and dairy producers. Better yet, we secured a gift from CHS to support Commodity Challenge and help us reach many more producers in the years ahead.

Number of Participants: 582

Outcomes

Project Steps

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

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EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

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DELIVERY AREA

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