FARMCON Conversations

Kevin Van Trump and Andy Daniels sit down with Mark Bishop to discuss current thoughts regarding the grain markets, option opportunities before harvest, updates on the rice market, what happens if we don’t get a trade war if Trump is elected in November, down side risk on wheat, money circulation in the stock market, how many rate cuts we will actually see coming up, national debit concerns, why we like the thoughts of precious and industrial metals longer term, current alternative investments coming across our desk, and our top stock picks at the moment. There are also lots of other great topics discussed. This is an episode you don’t want to miss!

Kevin Van Trump and Andy Daniels sit down with Braden Hudye, Co-Founder at Altrus Capital Investments, to discuss current thoughts and opinions regarding the markets, what is going to happen in the 2024 US election, recessions thoughts we’ve been talking about the last 18 months, precious and industrial metals outlook the rest of 2023, why a few of us like the thoughts of holding copper longer term, current positions in crude oil as well as natural gas, what all of us are doing with Benson Hill, our top stock picks at the moment, current thoughts on land values, and lastly, current thoughts on the crop market. There are also lots of other great topics discussed. This is an episode you don’t want to miss!

Kevin Van Trump and Andy Daniels sit down with Carter Williams, CEO at iSelect Fund, to discuss current thoughts and opinions regarding the markets, what the Argentina crop looks like, export outlooks moving forward, relationships with China, theories behind the Chinese balloon, new developing possibilities with Russia, overall economy outlooks from all three investors, and the introduction to the iSelect Ag Tech Rolling Fund. There are also lots of other topics discussed culminating with Kevin, Andy, and Carter providing their favorite nearby trades and investments. Enjoy!

Kevin Van Trump and Andy Daniels sit down with professional traders Mark Bishop and Dakin Bushner to discuss current thoughts and opinions regarding the markets, yield predictions, dislocation of grain, export headwinds, Russia & Ukraine tension, where the dollar might be heading, the FED’s next move, thoughts on Brazil, inflation, input availability for spring of 2023, how we may be on the verge of a food crisis, energy prices, precious metals, and much more! The group laughs a bit as they’re not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing in today’s market:) But as always, the Highly Volatile team delivers giving their honest and unbridled opinion on corn, soybeans, wheat, energy, and the overall market. There are also lots of other topics discussed culminating with Kevin, Andy, and guests providing their favorite nearby trades and investments. Enjoy!

Special Guest: Jeffrey McPike from WASEDA Commodities is one of the most respected names in the industry. McPike graduated from Yale University in 1980. After graduating he began a long and successful career in the commodity business. McPike began his career at Continental Grain Company working in North Dakota, Minnesota, and New York, specializing in wheat and feed grains trading. He was with J.Aron & Company until the mid-90s where he focused on physical and derivative trading in the global wheat markets. McPike later became the Head of Wheat Trading at Goldman Sachs before establishing his own trading and consulting firm, “McWheat Trading”. Formerly, McPike also worked at McDonald Pelz Global Commodities, an international physical commodity brokerage firm. He has also worked for two different grain importing firms out of Egypt, and with Cefetra BV to help them expand their origination base in Central and Eastern Europe and the UK. McPike is currently a member of the WASEDA Commodities LLC team, working with clients across the Ag commodity supply chain to develop and implement successful strategies. McPike is also a frequent presenter at U.S. Wheat Associates’ conferences and global conferences in the Middle East and Africa.

In this episode of Highly Volatile, four veteran traders Kevin Van Trump, Andy Daniels, David Parker, and Mark Bishop provide their insights and opinions about the market’s current landscape and the hurdles, pitfalls and opportunities that might be encountered in the journey ahead.   

Kevin Van Trump and Andy Daniels sit down with professional traders Bob Steele and Mark Bishop to discuss current thoughts and opinions regarding the markets, input costs, inflation, energy, precious metals, crypto’s, transportation, and much more. Interestingly, this podcast has more combined years of experience than any Highly Volatile podcast produced in the past. The group laughs a bit as they are not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing in today’s market:) But as always, the Highly Volatile team delivers giving their honest and unbridled pinion on corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, and even oats. There are also lots of other topics discussed culminating with Kevin, Andy, and guests providing their favorite nearby trades and investments. 

Big markets can make big moves so we thought it was time to circle the wagons with some experienced traders and hear their perspective on where we are headed and how to best play the opportunity as a spec and a producer. Enjoy the fireside chat! 

David Parker, Professional Trader at Olam – David is a graduate of Harvard University and a 40 year veteran of agricultural markets working the commercial side of the business with the likes of Continental, The Andersons, Ferruzzi, and Nidera.

Big markets can make big moves so we thought it was time to circle the wagons with some experienced traders and hear their perspective on where we are headed and how to best play the opportunity as a spec and a producer. Enjoy the fireside chat! Accept our apologies in advance on the background noise. We recorded the conversation on Friday afternoon and think a couple of us were already kicking off the weekend:) 

Joel Ross began his career in Wall St. as an investment banker in 1965, where he handled public offerings, mergers & acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and other corporate advisory matters for a variety of clients. During the seventies he was CEO of North American operations for a UK based conglomerate where he acquired and oversaw six companies. He also sat on the parent company board. In 1981, he began his own firm handling leveraged buyouts and investment banking, as well as financing real estate syndications. In 1984 Ross began providing investment banking services and arranging financing for real estate transactions with his own firm, Ross Properties, Inc.

In 1993 Ross and a partner, Lexington Mortgage, created the first Wall St hotel CMBS program in conjunction with Nomura. They went on to develop a similar CMBS program for another major Wall St investment bank and for five leading hotel companies. Lexington, in partnership with Mr. Ross established a hotel mortgage bank table funded by an investment bank, and making all CMBS hotel loans on their behalf. These were the first capital markets financing programs for hotels to be created since 1989, and it reopened Wall St to the hotel industry.

In 1999 he formed Citadel Realty Advisors as a successor to Ross Properties Corp., which focuses on all types of real estate investment banking. This includes raising equity, mezzanine capital and debt for individual properties as well as entities, and advising individuals on the formation of new entities for which he then raised the equity funding. In addition to the US, Citadel has arranged the financing for numerous office and industrial transactions in the UK and Paris. He has closed over $3.0 billion of financings for office, hotel, retail, land and multifamily projects.

Mr. Ross was co-master developer for a 240 acre brownfield mixed use development in Sacramento, CA., while continuing the investment banking practice in New York. He was also a founder of Market Street Investors, a brownfield land development company. Mr Ross is also involved in the acquisition of notes on defaulted loans and various REO assets in conjunction with several major investors.

Mr. Ross has served as an expert witness in eight court cases testifying on debt structures, interest rates, markets and development. He was an adjunct professor in the graduate program at the NYU Hotel School. He is a member of Urban Land Institute and was a member of the leadership of his ULI council. In 1999, he conceived and co-authored with PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Hotel Mortgage Performance Report, a major study of hotel mortgage default rates.

Mr. Ross is a graduate of the Wharton School and served two tours in Vietnam with the US Navy.