Young Farmer Network

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Top Producer's Marketing Advisors

1/12/2009

The Top Producer Market Adviser Track Records have acted as "truth serum" for advisory services for 12 years. They are based on actual trades placed on the advice of each service, adjusted for basis and storage costs (see "methodology"). We report their positions monthly, so you don't have to wait six months or more after the marketing year ends to see how they have done. Top Producer applauds the services confident enough in their performance to be tracked in this way. We hope you will, too.

OUR MARKETING ADVISERS

These advisers participate in the Top Producer Track Records. For more complete information about the services and what they offer, please call them directly or contact Scott Harms, who runs the Prudential Bache Ag-Hedge Program from which the track records are derived and who has worked with these advisers for years.

Ag-Hedge Program
The Ag-Hedge Program is designed to assist producers that want to include professional analysis as a part of their overall marketing plan. This program acts as a "hired hand" by providing disciplined monitoring and implementation of futures and options advice, essential to the marketing process. It can also provide assistance in planning and projecting all the elements of your business equation.

You meet with a Financial Advisor to review or develop your business plan, including time frames, profit objectives, break-even costs, risk-bearing ability and cash-flow needs. You'll identify profit and price targets and the kinds of tools you are willing to employ. Next, you choose one or several marketing advisory services to assist you with your hedging decisions and assign bushels to each.

You pay the subscription cost of each service. Prudential monitors your advisers' recommendations and implements their advice on your behalf. There is no separate charge for this service, only transaction charges associated with your hedge account.

Scott Harms
Archer Financial Services
(800) 933-3996
Scott.Harms@archerfinancials.com

AgResource Company
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Dan Basse

Founded in 1987, AgResource Company is an independent information, statistical, research, and advisory firm, headquartered in Chicago, Ill.

The firm provides fundamental agricultural market analysis and focused advisory information to a varied clientele, both domestic and international. AgResource's services are employed by farmers, elevator operators, and a variety of commercial users, including food and beverage manufacturers, grain companies, wheat millers, end users of flour and vegetable oils, soybean, sunflower and corn processors, importers, exporters and major US livestock feeders.

Over the years, AgResource has prided itself on calling the long-term price direction of grain, oilseed and livestock markets so that clients can formulate sound marketing and trading strategies. AgResource has been the top-ranked advisory service in the AgMAS Study conducted by the University of Illinois for several years.

A free trial of AgResource's daily market commentaries can be found at www.agresource.com.

AgResource Company
175 W Jackson
Chicago, IL 60604
Phone: 312-408-0045

AgriVisor Services Inc

AgriVisor LLC, a subsidiary of GROWMARK, has been providing marketing analysis and advice to farmers since 1973. The AgriVisor team includes Rob Huston, Manager, Dale Durchholz, Bridget Chinowth, Graham Utter and Paula McGowan.

AgriVisor offers a number of services including: Cash Strategist, sound risk management strategies for cash sellers of corn, soybeans and wheat, offered weekly on the back pages of the Illinois Farm Bureau FARMWEEK, and Iowa Farm Bureau SPOKESMAN. E-VISOR, 13 pages of advice, including Market Watch, updated at 6:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m.; 11:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.; A Closer Look, greater detail on issues impacting the market; Cash and Hedge (futures and options) advice on corn, soybeans, wheat, hogs and cattle; Feed Input-advice on purchases of feed corn, wheat and soybean meal. E-Visor is offered through FarmDayta, DTN or the AgriVisor Internet website. E-Alert, instant alert voicemail sent to your phone once a firm recommendation has been made. E-Quotes, timely accurate market data sent to your cell phone. Agri-Mission Brokerage Services, servicing hedge accounts. Our brokers are salary based (not commission based) so you can rest assured the assistance you receive is unbiased and tailored to fit your needs. Crossover Solutions, cash grain contracts with a participating elevator to help you diversify and manage risk effectively. Max-Visor, Comprehensive marketing program that makes firm recommendations to market 100% of your crop for your specific farm/geography.

E-Quotes, timely accurate market data sent to your cell phone.

Pricing:

Cash Strategist: Check with Illinois Farm Bureau or Iowa Farm Bureau for information.

E-Visor: $235/year

E-Alerts: $60/year

E-Quotes: $65/year

Agri-Mission Brokerage: (call for pricing)

Crossover Solutions: (call for pricing)

Max-Visor: (call for pricing)

Brock Associates
In business since 1980, Brock Associates is owned by Richard A. Brock. Brock Associates publishes The Brock Report, a 24-page weekly newsletter, and manages grain sales on more than 500,000 acres of row crops through North America.

The Brock Report (available by first-class mail or on the Internet) includes educational articles, price charts and technical and fundamental analysis on corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, cattle, hogs and financial markets.

The Brock Report is priced at $455/year, and for an additional $90/year, subscribers can receive comments and advice three times daily over the Internet, DTN or FarmDayta.

Brock provides specific marketing advice for strict cash marketers, selective hedgers and feed buyers, as well as consulting services tailored to comfort levels.

Brock Associates
(800) 558-3431
(414) 351-5500
www.brockreport.com

Doane Advisory Services

Doane Advisory Services offers market news, forecasts and price risk management counsel via Doane's Agricultural Report newsletter and also on their Web site, www.doane.com. Rather than relying on one person's judgment, Doane takes a team approach with a staff of seven seasoned market analysts with more than 160 years of collective experience among us. Founded in 1938, Doane's Ag Report is not only the oldest among market advisory newsletters for farmers, we have more paid subscribers than any other to this day with a renewal rate consistently in excess of 85%.

A separate division of Doane's offers risk management counsel to some of the nation's largest buyers of farm commodities so there is no risk of our analysis becoming biased towards what either the buyer or the seller wants to hear. That helps keep our analysis very objective and focused on offering profitable counsel, whether the price trend is up, down or sideways. Covered commodities are feedgrains, oilseeds, wheat, cotton, hogs, fed cattle and feeder cattle.

Doane's offers three distinct approaches to farm marketing because producers vary in their willingness to use futures and options and the approach to marketing they are most comfortable with. The three marketing plans offered are 1) The Strictly Cash Marketer; oriented toward producers who prefer not to use futures or options, 2) The Outlook Hedger; oriented toward producers willing to use futures and options and to follow conservative recommendations from the Doane economists based on their market outlook, and 3) The Systematic Hedger; oriented toward producers who prefer to follow an aggressive, but disciplined technical trading system determined by actual market action rather than price forecasts.

A free 30-day trial of The Doane Ag Report and access to www.doane.com can be ordered at the website or by contacting me personally:

Dan Manternach, Director Doane Advisory Services 11701 Borman Drive, Suite 300 St. Louis, MO 63146 Phone 314-372-3519; e-mail: dmanternach@doane.com .

Dynamic Hedge
The Dynamic Hedging Program is a conservative, disciplined method of risk management for commodity hedging. Its objective is to make pricing decisions at levels which are favorable to market averages over the long term. It does this by taking short hedge positions on a scale-up format within the upper half of an expected trading range, and liquidating these short positions at the lower half of the expected trading range. With the use of this program the hedger knows ahead of time what action to take as prices move up or down rather than reacting emotionally to short-term market volatility.

Scott Harms
Archer Financial Services
(800) 933-3996
Scott_Harms@archerfinancials.com

Progressive Ag

Progressive Ag, founded in 1992, has been the Top Ag Marketing Firm the past three years and running for corn and soybeans as determined by the AgMas Study (www.progressiveag.com/AgMasNR.html or www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/agmas/ ). Progressive Ag specializes in soybeans, corn, wheat, sunflowers, dry beans and canola.

Progressive Ag’s goal is to make you more money with less risk. The firm’s target in marketing is to gain an extra 10¢ to 20¢/bu. This goal is met by following seasonality, basis, spreads, quality differentials, and calculated returns to storage, as well as futures price movements. In addition, Progressive Ag uses a combination of forward contracts, futures, and options to tailor a program that balances risk and reward. Progressive Ag attributes its success as the top marketing firm in the nation in part to its recently developed export, yield, and price computer models.

Progressive Ag is your hired hand in risk management. By combining crop insurance and marketing, it aims to achieve higher returns on insurable bushels without unnecessary risk.

Daily/Weekly Internet Segment is $300/yr and access to comments on DTN is $35/month. Full-service packages are designed to service all types of marketers, from the beginner to the experienced. Please call Progressive Ag for more information on its full-service packages.

PROGRESSIVE AG
Randy Martinson
417 38TH ST SW, SUITE A
FARGO, ND 58103
Phone: 800-450-1404
www.progressiveag.com
randy@progressiveag.com

Scott Stewart

Stewart-Peterson Advisory Report
Published since 1985, this service offers four daily updates-6:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m., noon, and 4:00 p.m. The final update provides a comprehensive overview of each of the markets covered-corn, soybeans, wheat, cattle, hogs and cotton. The Report also includes a daily Market Focus article and a speculative trade idea called Trade of the Week, as well as outlook and specific recommendations for cash and hedge marketers. Internet subscribers also have access to research and educational tools.

Cost is $180/year (available on DTN quarterly).

Stewart-Peterson Advisory Report
(800) 334-9779
www.stewart-peterson.com

Bryan Doherty

Top Farmer Intelligence
Top Farmer provides market commentary, outlook and recommendations. Opening calls are updated twice each morning, beginning at 6:00 a.m. Mid-day comments follow at 11:00. The 4:00 p.m. update includes an overall review, outlook and recommendations for corn, soybeans, wheat, live cattle, feeder cattle, hogs and cotton.

In addition, Top Farmer provides a weekly Perspective article each Friday that gives insight into events that affect the markets, trade ideas or strategies to think about when considering risk management.

Top Farmer's Cash Tracker page monitors the cash advice for old crop and new crop. The date, price and quantity are logged after each sale is recommended.

Top Farmer is available on DTN, FarmDayta and the Internet. Subcription rates are $99 for 6 months or $180/year. Internet subscribers have access to research and educational tools, as well as current market and weather reports.

Top Farmer Intelligence
(800) 334-9779
www.topfarmer.com

Utterback Marketing Services Inc.
Utterback Marketing Services is dedicated to providing the marketing support clients need in a very volatile commodity environment. Bob Utterback, Farm Journal economist, and regular guest on AgDay's Weekend Marketplace, is the chief analyst for grains and livestock. He is known for his "sell and defend" system for locking in a profitable price, while keeping upside potential open if the market rallies.

Utterback offers a daily advisory service via the Internet, e-mail or Fax and the Executive Market Report, a print newsletter mailed 18 times a year. Individual marketing plans and managed accounts are also available.

Utterback Marketing
(800) 832-1488
www.utterbackmarketing.com

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