Though fall row crop harvest and winter wheat planting is generally in the books for 2020, marketing those crops is a year-round job. And two big components of how those crops are marketed effectively are the cash basis marketplace and available grain storage. When storing grain, it’s important to consider the distinct cash basis patterns that can sometimes offer farmers a premium at high-demand times of year when the carry justifies selling. Cash basis is the cash price minus the futures price, meaning storing grain translates to speculating on the futures price as well as the basis itself. In general, there’s less risk to speculating on rising basis levels than there is to doing the same for grain futures during the “storage season,” the winter months after fall harvest. One strong option is to hedge by locking in the futures price but leaving the basis unlocked. That means you’re still able to speculate on basis levels rising throughout the storage season. The result is a much more flexible grain merchandising strategy. See more on these issues and how you can improve your marketing strategies.