LOCATION: CENTENNIAL 1
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2026 – 1:30 – 4:40pm
Chuck Penner started LeftField Commodity Research in 2010, providing independent research and analysis for special crop, small grain and oilseed markets. LeftField’s services include weekly market analysis and client-specific research projects. Chuck grew up on a family farm in Manitoba’s Red River Valley and has 30 years of experience in the Canadian grain business, including 15 years in various roles at United Grain Growers and Agricore United, followed by 5 years at Informa Economics as Senior Consultant. He has a B.Sc Ag and Diploma in Agriculture from the University of Manitoba.
Planning Without Prediction: Using Data to Improve the Odds
Grain markets are driven by unpredictable events. Even though that truth is widely recognized, price prediction (with all its limitations) is often the basis of many marketing plans. It’s frequently said that “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” What if grain market history is a more reliable indicator of price direction than predictions about weather, geopolitics or crop reports? Can “the data” improve the odds of a successful marketing plan?
This workshop will include a roundup of the current forces affecting grain markets and reconnaissance of events on the horizon. Then we’ll focus on how to use market data and history to help shape plans for marketing this year’s and next year’s crops, with increased odds of success.