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Gift Ideas for that hard to buy for farmer in your life

Online Gifts in Agriculture

by Denise Faguy, Farms.com

 

Looking for something thoughtful yet practical to give the farmer in your life?  Like many people, farmers often prefer practical gifts.  Sometimes gifts related to the farm business may be the perfect gift, gifts the farmer may not want to “treat” themselves to, but they will still appreciate.

As we get closer to Christmas, and last minute online shopping is your only option, try the following gift ideas.

Get them a paid subscription to an expert who follows the markets.  Most farmers are great at the day-to-day operations of their farms, and planning for the year ahead.  They are, however, often intimidated by the commodities markets.  Yet most commodity experts believe farmers could easily increase the profits on their farm by watching the markets more closely, and booking their crop/livestock or feed prices at the right time.  A newsletter subscription that simplifies this market information could be the perfect gift.  Farms.com Risk Management offers such subscriptions, but of course, there are many such offerings offered in the agriculture industry – choose the subscription that best meets the needs of the farmer.

A registration to an agricultural conference may also be a gift that will be appreciated well after the holidays are finished.  Are they farmer a member of a particular association that has one or more conferences or seminars?  Have they mentioned that they would like to improve in a particular area, or explore a new crop or farming technique, is there a conference registration that could help them fulfill that goal?  Precision agriculture is the latest trend in agriculture, here is a list of precision agriculture conferences in North America:

Why not buy them a subscription to a farm magazine – maybe an international farm magazine to give them a different perspective on farm issues.  There are also a number of free electronic newsletters on agriculture. (View all Farms.com free agriculture subscriptions.)

Has the farmer been trying to sell a piece of farm equipment? Buy them a classified ad in a local farm publication.

Is there an agriculture software program that would make their life easier?  Get them the software.

When all ideas have been exhausted, or when you want to add one more gift under the Christmas three for the farmer in your life who has everything, consider making a donation in their name to a farm charity.


Trending Video

Funds Ditch Ag Commodities, Chase Stocks Amid an End to Middle East War, & Trade Deal Buzz

Video: Funds Ditch Ag Commodities, Chase Stocks Amid an End to Middle East War, & Trade Deal Buzz


The 12-day war between Iran-Israel came to an end sending crude oil futures plunging as the big fund speculators removed the war risk premium.

The weather risk premium in the Ag complex is sending corn, wheat and soybean futures lower on month-end selling ahead of the market moving USDA quarterly grain stocks and acreage reports on June 30th.

Instead, funds were chasing and sending tech stocks higher with the S&P 500/NASDAQ indexes setting new all-time record highs!

June 1 USDA Hogs and pigs report was slightly bearish while the U.S. $ Index traded to new contract lows as the de-dollarization that began in 2014 continues.

Feed in the form of soybean meal futures for livestock producers got cheaper, trading to new contract lows.

The Stats Canada seeded acreage update was bullish canola and wheat.