I continued to deliver a monthly newsletter, the Crops Marketing and Management Update, to inform ANR agents, farmers, and agricultural lenders on new USDA reports, price risk management opportunities, and emerging issues in crop marketing and management. Every ANR agent in District 6 and District 7 receive the newsletter along with agents in other districts who are interested in this information. Fifty-one ANR agents receive this monthly newsletter with sixteen agents responding that they forward the newsletter each month to farmers, lenders, and local agribusiness. Also, Kentucky Corn Growers, Kentucky Soybean Growers, and Kentucky Farm Bureau distribute the newsletter to an unknown number of members every month. Several ANR agents incorporate information from the Crops Marketing and Management Update into their newsletters and newspaper columns. A conservative estimate of indirect contacts is 3500 Extension clientele per month.

Feedback includes: “Keep up the good work of analysis. We may not always like what you offer, but denying the facts does not seem to change them! Your effort is obvious.” Allen Franks, Todd County farmer. Clint Hardy, Daviess County ANR agent, responded: “Excellent! Todd, this is what we have been missing for too long. You are fulfilling many of the pieces of information our producers seek from the Extension grain marketing program.” The newsletter has a regional impact with one producer emailing: “This is the most informative crop marketing and management newsletter that is available to farmers and agribusiness representatives that I have seen. It is short enough to read and understand in one sitting while also providing sufficient detail and analysis to make farm-level decisions. This newsletter is a reliable source of information that I use to make short and long term decisions.” James W. Prevatt, Alabama Cattle Producer and Emeritus Extension Professor from Auburn University.