Grown Here at Home: Virginia Farm Bureau giving insights into grain and feeder cattle markets through YouTube and Spotify series

RICHMOND, Va. (WDBJ) - Virginia Farm Bureau is helping farmers stay in the know about market trends through a weekly series called Merchandiser Minute and a monthly podcast series called CattlePulse. Robert Harper and Elijah Griles do their best to explain how what’s happening on a national level applies to our farmers and buyers here at home.

Merchandiser Minute started in 2016. It focuses on the grain market.

“We want to help give them information in this one area of their business to be able to make decisions that are sound and they’re getting the highest average for their crop when they sell it,” said Harper, the host of Merchandiser Minute.

Harper breaks down what happened during the week regarding price influence and what could happen in the week to come.

“We’re always telling them you grow it to sell it. You don’t grow it to keep it. The world needs every kernel you can grow, every bean you can grow; and let’s sell it early, let’s sell it often, let’s sell in small percentages,” he explained.

The CattlePulse podcast started this year. The show explores trends in the feeder cattle market .

“Gone are the days the price at the local auction, for cattle producers, is just affected by who’s sitting in the building,” said Griles, the host of CattlePulse.

Griles explained the demand for beef nationally, and even production cost play a significant role in prices locally.

Harper and Griles say the day-to-day conversations they have with farmers play a big part in the information they put in every episode.

“I think every conversation, every interaction, and really every episode is an opportunity to learn and condense the knowledge and information we have access to, into the most helpful format for the producers,” Griles said.

You can watch Merchandiser Minute on YouTube, and listen to CattlePulse on Spotify.

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