Hey everyone I am doing a project for a class and we are supposed to interview a local farmer about their marketing practices and rather than asking one of my neighbors I thought it would more interesting to see how people in other regions market their operations. If you'd like you can answer the questions below and let me know what region you are in. 

Questions about overall approach to marketing

(1) What is your name? (asked my professor and your usernames should be enough)

(2) What are your main objectives when you make marketing decisions?

(3) What are the main variables that you take into account when making marketing decisions?

(4) How do you choose what marketing contracts (futures, forward, basis, etc) that you are going to use in any given year?

(5) Do you use futures contracts by yourself or do you prefer to deal only with your local buyer (e.g. grain elevator, etc)? Why?

(6) What is the hardest part of making marketing decisions? Why?

(7) What advice would you give to young farmers regarding marketing?

Questions about specific marketing strategy this year

(8) How have you been marketing the crop (corn and/or soybeans) that you are harvesting this fall? Or, how have you marketed the cattle that you most recently fed?

(9) When did you start selling/pricing your grain or cattle? Why?

(10) What contract(s) have you used to market this year? Why did you choose this particular contract(s)?

(11) Did you follow a specific strategy (such as selling a little bit every month) or did you just followed the market and tried to identify “good” days to sell? Why?

(12) How did you decide when to “pull the trigger”, i.e. how did you decide the exact moment to sell your grain or cattle?

(13) Did you make all decisions by yourself or did you discuss ideas with somebody else (spouse, business partner, marketing advisor, etc) before making decisions? Why?

(14) Compared to previous years, was it harder or easier to market this year? Why?

(15) If you could go back in time, would you change your marketing strategy this year? Would you have adopted a different strategy or approach? Which one? Why?

Thank for any and all help!