
The grain merchandisers podcast where Roger and Jason capture the big topics and challenges of the grain industry with humor, pragmatism, and simplicity. With a few decades of combined experience in the basis trading, brokerage, and farm marketing spheres, they use their experiences and knowledge of their area of the grain business to shed some light on what they can, and debunk some myths and exaggerations that exist in the grain industry.
Episodes

Friday Mar 21, 2025
Spreads, Basis, and Risk—What Merchandisers Miss Most
Friday Mar 21, 2025
Friday Mar 21, 2025
S2E2 In this episode, Jason and Roger return from the road to unpack what they’re hearing across the industry—from farmer frustrations to merchandiser game plans. They dig into summer inversions, spread behavior that defies expectations, and the silent chaos of full bins before harvest. Also: co-op board decisions, pricing deadlines, and how bureaucratic policies somehow helped basis. If you’re in grain merchandising or AG logistics, this one’s for you.

Wednesday Jun 23, 2021
Chicago's Cut
Wednesday Jun 23, 2021
Wednesday Jun 23, 2021
We sit down with Fred Seamon, Executive Director of Commodity Research and Product Development at CME Group, to discuss all the buzz and consternation around the corners of the internet for the agricultural world. Of course, we also delve into the zeitgeist of this season. Fred sets us straight on how the commercial side is affected by HFT, algos, convergence, and more. And he does it all in a clear and simple way that even a couple guys from Arkansas can understand.

Tuesday Apr 06, 2021
Widening Your Horizons (or is it narrowing?)
Tuesday Apr 06, 2021
Tuesday Apr 06, 2021
Ashley Bettenhausen (@TheFarmWifey) joins the guys all the way from up north to share her trials and triumphs as a female grain originator from a non-ag background. And of course, she sets the record straight on just exactly how proper spread terminology do.

Thursday Nov 19, 2020
Make Spreadz Great Again
Thursday Nov 19, 2020
Thursday Nov 19, 2020
2020 has been the most unique year we’ve had in a while, and spreadz are not immune to this year’s wonkiness. While we haven’t seen this type of spread action in the grain biz in a few moons, they are not unheard of and in fact, once understood, flat & inverted markets can provide the astute merchandiser with both profit and fun. Probably.

Thursday Oct 01, 2020
From the Ivory Tower to the Drying Tower: Interview with Rob Cogdill
Thursday Oct 01, 2020
Thursday Oct 01, 2020
Family grain business operator, blogger, and friend Rob Cogdill of Cogdill Farm Supply in Dunlap, Iowa joins us to share his journey into the family business from the halls of academia, as well as some of the ways he’s been able to de-complicate grain merchandising. Find more info about Rob at www.cogdillfarmsupply.com and www.bullsheet.blog or on twitter @BullSheet_Blog.

Thursday Feb 13, 2020
Spreads: The Revenge
Thursday Feb 13, 2020
Thursday Feb 13, 2020
As promised, in this episode the guys revisit the topic of spreads. Get your pencil and paper ready!