Matt Roberts, Ph.D.

Low prices can lead to stressful marketing decisions. High prices make for stressful marketing decisions. Volatile prices make for stressful marketing decisions. Notice a pattern? Dr. Roberts will outline the national and global causes of current prices, the outlook for the next 6-24 months, and, most importantly, marketing strategies and decisions that producers can use to balance the risks and rewards presented by the market.

In a world ravaged by war, tariffs, recessions, inflation, labor market instability, unprecedented market volatility, and escalating political division and strife, how can we position our businesses to capitalize on the opportunities that do exist? 

What can we learn from past price cycles, both boom and bust, and how can we apply it to today? How much of the inflation we are seeing is actually monetary, and how much is due to supply chain or demographic factors? Most importantly, what does all of this mean for your business decisions—whether hiring and marketing, or long-term planning. Join us to hear how Dr. Roberts will bring this together with insight and humor, and walk away with actionable insight to make our businesses more profitable and resilient.

Dr. Roberts has been teaching growers and students how (and why) to create a grain marketing plan for 15 years. Drawing on extensive real-world experience and theoretical knowledge, Dr. Roberts helps producers understand what a marketing plan should and shouldn’t be, as well as the most significant barriers to implementing the plan—psychological, financial, and logistical. This can take the form of a 60-minute talk covering broad principles and offering pointers, or a half- or full-day hands-on workshop for growers. 

This talk is suitable for growers and can last anywhere from 1 to 5 hours. Ideally, this would be coordinated so that the growers are at least comparable in terms of marketing sophistication.

In this breakout session, Dr. Roberts will introduce new or mid-career lenders to the fundamental knowledge of grain marketing they need to evaluate a grain operation, including forwards, futures, insurance, and options. Participants will learn the questions that they can ask producers to gauge the grower’s actual marketing plans (if any) and how that should affect lending decisions. 

From Brexit to the US Election to China to USMCA to Trump 2.0, trade is hot again. But like so much of economics, just because trade is easy to talk about doesn’t mean it is simple to understand. American policy-makers have spent the last 50 years negotiating free trade agreements, while economists have cheered them on, chanting ‘trade makes everyone better off.’ But if that’s the case, why are so many Americans so sure that the truth is entirely different? Dr. Roberts helps audiences understand the trade-offs of trade, especially who it helps and who it hurts. Most importantly, Dr. Roberts will help the audience understand the policies that we need to pursue as a country so that everyone can benefit from the global market, not just a few. 

This talk is suitable for a wide range of audiences, from civic clubs to lender meetings. It can be easily tailored to address the opportunities, challenges, and policies specific to any industry.

Dr. Roberts will explain, in entertaining yet straightforward terms, how the economy is actually performing, down to the sector and/or regional level if needed, and what it means for your clients. These talks include interest rates, exchange rates, income growth, and how policy decisions will or won’t affect it. He will address the hot-button topics of the moment, including spending, deficits, debt, taxes, and inflation. 

This talk is suitable for a wide range of audiences, from civic clubs to lender meetings. It can be easily tailored to address the opportunities, challenges, and policies specific to any industry. 

This is a ‘big picture’ talk with (many) real-world applications for row-crop farmers. This talk is ideal for farmers or Ag Lenders. He will explain how row crop agriculture has undergone significant changes in the past 5 years, increasing opportunities for farmers, while also highlighting the associated dangers. He discusses the six ‘businesses’ that comprise a modern grain farm: agronomist, grain elevator, custom machinery operator, land speculator, futures speculator, and capital allocator. He also outlines the changes that farmers can make to each of these ‘businesses’ to help ensure their farm is a winner in the 21^st century. 

After teaching and consulting with farmers of all sizes and types for over 20 years, and an even longer time spent in business, Roberts will help your audience understand the business, economic, and agricultural principles that will set them apart from their competitors and help them succeed in the coming decades.