Geo Grain

Our Mission

GeoGrain was founded on the basis that by providing hard cash market data and intelligence to grain buyers and sellers—no matter how big or small—they can consistently and reliably improve their business decisions.

Our mission, and the principles upon which GeoGrain was built, is simple:

About GeoGrain

GeoGrain was established in 1999 by company President Kevin McNew when he recognized the potential for precision-based farming decisions through the use of internet tools and applications. Motivated by the drastic changes to the country’s grain flow created by the arrival of bio-based energy, McNew developed a system for collecting grain market data.

“Volatility leads to opportunity” says McNew from his headquarters, based in Bozeman, Montana. “We knew basis levels would be much more volatile in the years to come, and that everyone in the grain marketing channel would need better intelligence to help manage that risk.”

In 2003, McNew turned beyond data collection to focus his team on developing a way for cash grain traders to know where their best local buying or selling opportunities were. “It’s one thing to give someone a table of prices. It’s another to give them a precise answer that helps them make more money. Every day our team of fifteen cash market specialists collects over 48,000 prices from around the country. This data, coupled with our cash market intelligence, gives our users an exact answer to which price generates the largest net return after taking into account trucking and storage costs– a precise answer delivered through our Optimizer tool. On average, our tools help producers find an extra 10 to 20 cents a bushel beyond what they would have received by simply going to their local elevator.”

Those extra cents make significant contributions to a farmer’s bottom line. “If you consider a 2,000 acre grain farmer, capturing an extra 10 cents on his crop can add $20,000 to his crop value.” Furthermore, McNew and his team of analysts found that market dynamics change readily, and that regional opportunities vary widely over the course of the marketing season. A research report for the crop year 2009-10 showed that a Midwest grain producer typically has six to seven optimal markets, and that it is not unusual for a producer to have up to twelve unique “best” markets during the marketing season. “What that means is a producer needs to constantly monitor numerous local markets to capture the most value” states McNew. “Fortunately, we take the time and the guess work out of it by giving farmers that precise answer every day.”

Today, GeoGrain offers its Optimizer technology along with other advanced tools to both farmers and corporate clients. Agribusinesses such as banks, farm management companies, brokers, and crop insurance companies utilize GeoGrain data and solutions to differentiate themselves among competitive service industries. These corporate clients use our technology to increase their farmer’s profitability and strengthen client-business relationships. In addition, farmers and grain merchandisers can benefit from GeoGrain’s associate company GrainHedge, which provides commodity brokerage services at a $7 commission per side. GrainHedge clients receive real-time quotes, weather information, newswires, and the Optimizer product for free. GrainHedge is a self-directed brokerage designed to empower grain traders by finding them money in the cash market and saving them money in the futures market. GrainHedge is the most comprehensive marketing package available to producers today.

Whether your desire is to make improved business decisions, boost profitability, or to build client relationships, GeoGrain has data and solutions that can help you meet your goals. Going forward, we will continue to provide the solutions to best serve the diverse needs of our clients nationwide.