New Educational Resources Support Tennessee Grain Producers
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Navigating the complexities of grain marketing is a critical part of farm profitability and risk management. Understanding marketing contracts and how they can be used to manage price risk is essential for corn, soybean and wheat producers in Tennessee. To support producers in making informed grain marketing decisions, the University of Tennessee Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics has developed a series of videos and accompanying publications focused on grain marketing contracts.
The video series explains common types of grain marketing contracts, including cash sales, forward contracts, basis contracts, hedge-to-arrive (HTA) contracts and more. Each video provides practical information to help producers understand how these contracts function, when they might be useful and how they fit into an overall grain marketing plan. The goal is to equip producers with the knowledge needed to confidently evaluate contract alternatives, communicate with grain buyers and manage price volatility to protect farm profitability. This video series is part of a comprehensive grain marketing curriculum. The entire curriculum will be released in 2026.
Aaron Smith, professor and Extension specialist, provided content expertise for the project, while Rachel Painter, Extension farm management specialist, produced and published the video series. “Grain markets are increasingly volatile, and contract decisions play a critical role in managing that risk,” said Smith. “These resources are designed to help producers understand how different contract strategies can protect profitability while still allowing flexibility to capture market opportunities.”
UT Extension is grateful to the grain industry partners who contributed to this project, including Woodall Grain Company, Summitville Feed & Grain Co., Tennessee Valley Commodities and Davis Farms. Their collaboration and willingness to share real-world insights helped ensure these videos address the practical needs of Tennessee grain producers.
The Grain Marketing Contract Video Series and publications are available on the UT Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics website at cropeconomics.tennessee.edu.
For assistance in utilizing any of the budgets or decision aid tools for your farm, contact your farm management specialist at manage.tennessee.edu.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch, and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.