According to an article by USDA in October 2020 from studies through NASS(Farm use of Futures, options, and marketing contracts, https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/99518/eib-219.pdf?v=486) , 10.4% of corn and soybean farmers use the futures market for hedging purposes and less than 4% of cotton and wheat farmers use futures.
Is this fear? Is this lack of capital? Every farmer should have the confidence and ability to read a chart, make a decision on the direction of that chart, and have a strategy on when and what tools should be used based on the action of the chart. And if you don't, find someone that does.
We are trying to bridge the education gap for farmers to have the confidence to know when and what tools need to be used to market their products. Not only to help their pocketbook but also to help their peace of mind that they made the correct decision and the know how to make adjustments to the sale if the market tells them too.
Will the market sometimes move in the opposite direction of the decision that was made? Yes, it will sometimes, but we want to empower the farmer to not only know how to make the first decision of when and what tool to use but the confidence to adjust that first decision correctly if needed.
