Crop Marketing

Course Description

Crop Marketing is a non-credit professional certificate offered by Iowa State University that provides a learning opportunity for those who manage farm operations.

What was once exclusively a face-to-face workshop is now available for you to learn at your own pace, available from anywhere in the world. We all rely on crop specialists, and this course uses active learning tools to give you that expertise courtesy of leaders in the industry from the Iowa Farm Bureau and Iowa State University Extension.

In this course, you will explore the topics of price movements, contracts, basis movements, option values, and creating a successful marketing plan. The class consists of video presentations, learning activities, and educational quizzes. A special emphasis is given to comprehensive planning and risk management.

Intended Audience

The course is intended for a broad audience within the agricultural industry, such as row crop farming managers, Ag lenders, individual farmers, grain merchandisers, and agronomists. The course modules were designed to provide fundamental knowledge about grain markets and are particularly valuable for those interacting with marketing tools used to sell or purchase crops. While the course highlights examples from the corn and soybean markets, the knowledge is easily transferable to wheat and cotton markets. The course is also beneficial for a global audience as it features key concepts such as futures and options that are applicable internationally across various commodities and markets.

Course Procedures

The course opens on November 4, 2024. All coursework must be completed before the course ends on March 31, 2025. The approximate time to complete this course is 60 hours. Once your registration information is received, we will send you your username and password to access the course site.

You can complete the modules at your own pace. You must complete all required module items before you can progress to the next module. Upon completion of the assessment and the course, you will receive a certificate of completion.

Registration will open from October 21, 2024 to March 14, 2025. You can register at any time within this period.

Next course offering will be scheduled November 2025. Check back in October 2025 for information about future course offerings.

Course Materials

Course materials are provided within the course. No additional purchase is required.

Contact Information

Contact isopd@iastate.edu for more information.

Scholarship Rebates for Iowa Farm Bureau Members Only

Iowa Farm Bureau members will receive a $50.00 scholarship rebate after successful completion of the course. For more questions about the rebate, contact Zach Brummer, IFBF Farmer Education Program Manager at zbrummer@ifbf.org.

Sponsors

Course is co-sponsored by Iowa Farm Bureau and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Instructor

Chad Hart

Professor of Economics and Extension Economist
Iowa State University

• Crop market specialist for ISU Extension for 10 years
• Speaks to roughly 100 groups throughout the upper Midwest each year about ag markets and the factors that shape them
• Served as U.S. Policy and Insurance Analyst with the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute.