What’s Your Grain Marketing Plan for 2025?

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Article by Serenity Marshall
Grain Originator
Great Lakes Grain - CHATHAM, TUPPERVILLE, THAMESVILLE and MUIRKIRK

Marketing grain is about much more than chasing the highest price—it’s about managing risk, cash flow, and logistics while ensuring your operation's long-term profitability. Before diving into market predictions or technical trends, start by asking yourself: What did I do last year, and would I do it again?

To help get you and your grain originator started, here are five key points to structure your grain marketing plan for the upcoming year.

1. Cash Flow

   Grain marketing isn’t just about selling at the best price; it’s about knowing when and why to make sales. Consider your cash flow needs throughout the year—whether it’s for paying rent, equipment loans, fertilizer bills, or even planning a well-deserved family vacation. By anticipating these needs, you can ensure timely sales that keep your business running smoothly and your stress levels low.

2. Logistics

   Start with your immediate harvest needs and think ahead about storage plans. How long will you store your crop, and does the market carry justify the associated interest or storage fees? Set selling deadlines to manage incremental movement of your grain, rather than holding onto bushels until the seasonal market low in the summer. Ask yourself: If I waited until September 2024 to sell my grain, would I do it again?

3. Know Your Target Price

   Understanding your cost of production is essential. Establishing a break-even price point allows you to set a baseline for your marketing plan. From there, you can determine a minimum price and build a profitability strategy for the year. Share this information with your grain representative so they can present opportunities that align with your targets. A well-informed plan ensures you stay focused on your yearly average price, not just short-term highs or lows.

4. Historical Selling Patterns

   Reviewing past sales data can help you make better decisions for the future. Great Lakes Grain’s Cornerstone program lets you track your historical selling patterns and compare them to seasonal price trends. Reflecting on what worked—and what didn’t—can help you avoid repeating mistakes and take advantage of new opportunities.

5. Selling Percentages and Deadlines

   A proactive marketing plan includes setting pricing goals and incorporating deadlines. Commit to selling percentages of your crop by specific dates, such as April, May, or June, when seasonal highs are likely. Even if the market doesn’t reach your target price, making sales that meet your minimum price ensures your immediate needs are covered and reduces the risk of forced sales below your cost of production

Start Planning Today

Grain marketing isn’t just about today’s price; it’s about building a plan that supports your business goals, reduces risk, and takes advantage of opportunities throughout the year. Work with your Great Lakes Grain representative to build a strategy tailored to your operation and make 2025 a year of confident marketing decisions.