In Episode 122 of the What the Futures podcast, Ryan reviews a volatile week in prairie crop markets after a USDA-driven spike and explains how grain companies often widen or protect basis during rallies, creating large price discrepancies between nearby elevators. He urges farmers to focus on execution during seeding-season market spikes, emphasizing that rallies can materially improve farm profitability and should be evaluated and protected. Using real examples (e.g., Killam vs. Daysland, Alberta; Aberdeen vs. Melfort, Saskatchewan), he compares wheat bids and breaks down futures, currency, and basis to show differences of roughly 50+ cents per bushel. Ryan discusses strategies to manage the remaining unsold crop without high buyout risk, including put options, structured floors with upside, and averaging-type contracts, and encourages active price discovery across buyers.

00:00 USDA Spike Setup

01:30 Short Sweet Focus

02:39 Merchandisers Love Rallies

04:16 This Week Market Recap

05:40 Profitability Wake Up Call

15:47 Execution After Spikes

17:53 How Farms Sell Rallies

21:43 Act Of God Reality

22:29 Protect The Remaining 70

25:02 Elevator Price Math

31:16 Risk Tools And Options

35:54 Eating Your Veggies

Ryan Denis is joined by Allison Thomson of The Money Farm to break down the latest USDA WASDE report expectations, wheat market rally potential, 2012-style drought comparisons, and the biggest crop marketing strategies farmers need right now.

From wheat, corn, soybeans, barley hedging strategies, and weather risk, this episode covers critical insights for producers navigating volatile grain markets in 2026.

Topics Covered:

- USDA WASDE new crop outlook
- Wheat rally opportunities
- US drought map vs 2012
- Spring wheat & winter wheat risks
- Barley downside protection
- Corn and soybean options strategies
- Farmer crop marketing plans

Guest:
Allison Thomson – The Money Farm

Sponsored by:
UPL – Wave Biostimulant & Telaron Fungicide

Timestamps:
00:00 Market headlines + sponsor
03:20 Allison Thomson joins
05:20 Winter wheat crop concerns
07:40 Drought map analysis + 2012 comparison
11:00 Crop hedging strategies
13:00 Feed barley downside protection
17:30 Have farmers missed the wheat rally?
19:40 USDA WASDE preview 22:40 Final farmer marketing strategy

• (00:00:00) - Market headlines + sponsor
• (00:03:20) - Allison Thomson joins
• (00:05:20) - Winter wheat crop concerns
• (00:07:40) - Drought map analysis + 2012 comparison
• (00:11:00) - Crop hedging strategies
• (00:13:00) - Feed barley downside protection
• (00:17:30) - Have farmers missed the wheat rally?
• (00:19:40) - USDA WASDE preview 22:40 Final farmer marketing strategy

Episode 121 of the What the Futures Podcast features Ryan Copithorne (Cows in Control) on cattle markets sitting at all-time highs, including why pricing is strong, what bearish risks to watch, and practical risk management ideas like forward selling, livestock price insurance, and hedging, plus details on his June 18 event in Madden, Alberta. Ryan also discusses farm community challenges, flooding and road washouts delaying seeding on the Denis farm, and emphasizes “tractor cab math” to compare today’s grain prices to budgets and lock in margins. Tyler Yaremchuk (Nation Network) joins to recap the NHL playoffs, discuss Oilers roster needs, and react to the draft lottery chaos with the Maple Leafs landing the No. 1 pick. The episode closes with “eating your veggies” marketing tips and a song pick for the planting playlist.

00:00 Welcome and lineup

01:06 UPL Wave and subscribe

01:58 Hat contest and crisis line

04:31 Heavy weeks and community

12:08 Cattle markets with Ryan

32:42 Tractor cab math setup

38:21 Oilers Season Letdown

55:06 Eating Your Veggies Risk Plan

58:46 Planting Playlist And Wrap

The host recaps morning market moves (canola steady; wheat, soybeans, and corn lower; bean oil strong; CAD ~73.5; WTI down) and urges diesel price discovery due to wide quote variance, then welcomes Chuck Penner of Left Field Commodities to discuss what’s driving markets, seasonal patterns, and crop marketing timing. Penner says many crops are still following seasonals despite record production, warning wheat/canola and other major crops often top within the next few weeks and tend to weaken into summer, so growers shouldn’t assume rallies will continue. They review USDA crop progress and ratings, prairie seeding disruptions from excess moisture, shifting Western Canadian seeding intentions, risks in barley tied to Chinese demand, and red lentil seasonals alongside El Niño considerations in India. Penner notes post-harvest rallies often peak around November and directs viewers to leftfieldcr.com for a 30-day trial.

00:00 Market Week Kickoff

00:44 Morning Futures Snapshot

01:35 Diesel Price Discovery

01:59 Viewer Questions Preview

02:38 Headlines War and Crops

03:13 USDA Crop Progress Breakdown

04:31 Prairie Planting and Fertilizer

05:19 Chuck Joins and Seasonals

06:13 Seasonal Peaks and Timing

08:05 Supercycle Talk and Wheat Bull Case

10:25 Barley Demand Risks

11:45 Seeding Intentions Shifting

12:53 Prairie Conditions and Delays

14:14 New Crop Selling Strategy

17:47 Wheat Selling Window

19:49 Lentils Seasonals and El Nino

22:23 Wrap Up and Next Episode

What separates the top 2% of farms from everyone else? In this episode, Ryan Denis talks with Evan Shout about crop marketing, farm financials, cash flow, diversification, and the management decisions that actually move the needle. If you farm in Western Canada, this one is packed with real perspective. Guest: Evan Shout of Maverick Ag, Farmer Coach, and The Truth About Ag.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

03:31 Meet Evan Shout

04:47 How farmers react when markets get volatile

09:54 The first big farm coaching aha moments

12:10 Why Farmer Coach exists

14:32 What Maverick Ag actually helps farms with

17:48 Ryan’s crop marketing story

19:39 Why future-focused farms think differently

22:54 The top 20% vs the top 2%

27:31 Why crop marketing is still underused

29:51 Cost of production, cash flow, and selling strategy 38:08 Family, advocacy, and why Evan speaks openly 40:12 Why this conversation needs a part two

The host delivers a live grain and energy market update, noting canola slightly higher near 719 on July/November, soybeans up, bean oil lower, KC wheat up about 11 cents on poor hard red winter wheat ratings (around 18% good-to-excellent), and WTI crude down sharply near $95 with the Canadian dollar around 72.97. Prairie cash highlights include a notable shift in Alberta feed barley bids becoming competitive again in the Edmonton region, Lethbridge fall feed barley around 6.30–6.40/bu, malt and feed barley offers in Saskatchewan, old-crop yellow peas at 8.50–9.00/bu, new-crop flax near 16.50, and new-crop green peas around 9.50–10.00. Input prices discussed include NH3 near $1,600/ton in Alberta, urea near $1,300/ton, and diesel about $1.42–$1.44/L plus GST. Headlines include a U.S. naval blockade impacting Iranian imports, improving early Russian winter crop conditions, minor U.S. Corn Belt planting delays, and Brazil’s soybean harvest nearing completion. In discussion with Quintin, they cover chart concerns, managed-money positioning as an alarm bell in veg oils, limited war premium beyond canola, re-owning pre-sold canola on pullbacks, crude oil call-spread hedges, and frustrations in oats where futures gains have not translated to cash prices.

00:00 Live Market Snapshot

00:55 Prairie Grain Highlights

03:13 Input Costs Update

04:00 Geopolitics And Wheat News

05:52 Wheat Market Outlook

07:45 War Premium And Canola

11:26 Re Owning Sold Canola

13:11 Hedging With Crude Options

14:35 Positioning Alarm Bells

19:58 Wrap Up And Next Shows

Episode 118 of the What the Futures Podcast features meteorologist Bret Walts (BAM Weather) discussing the developing strong-to-potential “Super El Niño,” its definition, and likely impacts on U.S. and Canadian moisture patterns, including continued Kansas winter wheat dryness with a possible pattern change toward more rain later in April/May and a warmer, generally favorable late-April/May outlook for Saskatchewan and Alberta planting. Ryan also shares crop market notes, highlighting wheat strength tied to Kansas dryness, caution on barley and canola, and the importance of being comfortable with hedge and sales positions. The episode then turns to diesel with Lorelei Gress (Fuel Nexus), covering the temporary federal excise tax suspension (April 20–Sept. 7), how Fuel Nexus’ pre-purchase program and delivery works, pricing transparency, and an additional short-term discount promotion.

00:00 Episode Preview

04:37 Positive Moments And Vacation

08:30 Wheat And Canola Markets

11:45 Weather Talk With Bret

17:17 Prairie Spring Outlook

24:07 Weather Wrap And Marketing

27:05 Fuel Guest Introduction

30:12 What Fuel Nexus Does

39:06 Pre Purchase Discounts

46:00 Fuel Myths Busted

50:46 Locked In Price Promise

58:11 Eating Your Veggies

01:02:37 Final Wrap Up

In episode 117 of the What the Futures Podcast (recorded April 8), Ryan covers a sharp midweek market drop and questions whether a Middle East ceasefire will matter for crop prices, noting markets were already cracking. He compares pre-war and current futures levels, with canola holding gains best while corn and soybeans have erased them, and suggests selling and re-owning risk on paper versus trusting a lasting ceasefire. Ryan updates his crop rankings after raising his fertilizer budget about $40/acre, yet makes minimal price assumption changes (max 3%), with canola still top for margin on his farm, maple peas and flax next, and many cereals and pulses underwater. He discusses 2026 marketing “baskets” (patience, opportunistic, forgiving), shares strategy reminders to review recent hedges and sales, and outlines a detailed farmer meeting agenda covering wins/losses, contracts, hedges, market outlook, cash flow, workflow, future crop plans, and inputs.

00:00 Markets Tank This Week

00:28 Podcast Intro

04:08 Don’t React On Down Days

05:37 Tooth Fairy Break

13:14 Crop Rankings And Fertilizer

24:00 Hat Design Contest

30:48 Meeting Agenda Basics

38:43 Inputs Fuel Logistics

42:02 Wrap Up Veggies Checklist

44:57 Final Sign Off