It will be a happy Halloween at midnight Oct. 31 for two growers who scared away low corn and soybean prices in MarketMaxx 2006 from The Corn And Soybean Digest and our parent company Prism Business Media.
MarketMaxx '06 officially ends then, and two growers will win a grand prize of one year's use of either a tractor or combine from Massey Ferguson. Winners will come from some 5,000 official participants in the game.
One of those winners may be Matt Rehder, a grower from Paullina, IA. He has been a leader in the corn and soybean contest for several months. “I watch the competition and try to understand what positions I think they are holding to get the equity moves they do,” says Rehder.
This is the second year for MarketMaxx. All information on the game can be accessed at its Web site www.MarketMaxx.net. MarketMaxx is designed to help all calibers of corn and soybean marketers become better at obtaining top dollar for their crops. And they do so without fear of losing one cent.
In the MarketMaxx corn marketing contest, each player has an allotment of a simulated 100,000 bu. of corn to trade. Players have 50,000 bu. of soybeans in the soybean marketing contest. Market transactions are made based on Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) corn and soybean futures contracts.
Anyone 18 years of age or older as of Nov. 1, 2005, who is actively engaged in crop farming and who has not served as a licensed commodity broker within the last five years is eligible to win MarketMaxx prizes.
Sign up for MarketMaxx 2007 begins soon.
MarketMaxx trades mirror those that are made daily by farmers and other traders everywhere. Contest participants can sell and buy back 2006 CBOT soybean and corn futures or options in 5,000-bu. increments as often as they want during the market hours.
Whether you're an avid marketer or just learning the ins and outs of puts and calls, the www.MarketMaxx.net Web site helps guide you through virtually all aspects of developing a market strategy. There's an extensive marketing library and a handy link to help you write and follow a marketing plan.
Leaders in the corn and soybean contests can be tracked at any time. You can also see how your trade positions measure against players outside the leader board.
Outstanding market commentary is also available on the MarketMaxx site. Al Kluis, president of Northland Commodities, Minneapolis, MN, provides his analysis of corn and soybean market trends and outlines trade strategies.
Kevin McNew of Cash Grain Bids, Billings, MT, manages the MarketMaxx Web page and provides insight for growers who watch their corn and soybean basis movements. McNew's charts and tables examine the path of corn and soybean basis movement in their local area and nationwide.
Massey Ferguson and Syngenta are MarketMaxx sponsors, while Grayhill Custom Solutions and Agristar Global Networks are prize sponsors.
Grand prize in the corn marketing contest is one year's use (not to exceed 100 separator hours) of a Massey Ferguson MF 9000 Self-Propelled Combine, valued at $12,000. Grand prize in the soybean marketing contest is one year's use (not to exceed 250 hours) of the choice of any Massey Ferguson tractor in the MF 7400 or MF 8400 series, also valued at $12,000.
Three runners-up will also be awarded valuable prizes. They include a computer system from Syngenta Crop Protection, customized rugged mobile computers from Grayhill Custom Mobile Solutions or a high-speed satellite Internet service from Agristar Global Networks.
Bookmark www.MarketMaxx.net if you haven't already. It's a site that could link you to some great prizes as well as marketing strategies that can help you get the most from your real life corn and soybeans.
And it will help you get ready for MarketMaxx 2007.