Classes
Spring 2019 Econ 337
Spring 2018 Econ 337
Spring 2017 Econ 337
Spring 2016 Econ 337
Spring 2015 Econ 337
Spring 2014 Econ 337
Spring 2013 Econ 337
Spring 2012 Econ 337
Spring 2011 Econ 339X
Spring 2010 Econ 339X
Spring 2009 Econ 338C
I co-teach Econ 337, Agricultural Marketing, with Lee Schulz in the spring semesters. I worked with Lee to evolve the course, as it combined three previous courses that covered applied grain, livestock, and dairy marketing. As the course is focused on applied marketing, we targeted our teaching in the course to guide the students through the subject of agricultural markets with exercises that allow the students to simulate participation in the markets. As most of the students in the course come from a farming background, they have some familiarity with some of the terms and parameters in agricultural markets. However, most of them have not actively participated in those markets. Since the students are often engaged with their parents in the farming operation, they may be talking with their parents about current market conditions. To build on these possible discussions, we strive to have class materials, such as homework assignments and test questions, reflect “real world” situations using actual market data. If we are discussing futures and options, the lecture examples are based on the current futures and options prices in the agricultural markets. As part of the course, the students participate in a semester-long marketing assignment. In the assignment, the students serve as market advisors for a farm, marketing current production on the farm and constructing the marketing plan for upcoming production. For the assignment, we use online simulation marketing websites to allow the students to make their marketing decisions under actual current market conditions. The websites allow the students to simulate cash, futures, and options trades for the assignment. Thus, they experience real world price volatilities and shifts throughout the course.