About

Commodity Challenge is an online grain trading game, featuring real-time cash, futures and options quotes for corn, soybeans and wheat.

This opportunity to learn about commodity markets and pricing tools has reached over 32,000 ag students and farmers in 32 states and 7 countries. Starting a game is easy! Simply send an email with game start and end dates to Edward Usset at usset001@umn.edu.

Why play Commodity Challenge?

Grain marketing strategies are complex and difficult to teach. With its competitive and fun game environment, Commodity Challenge is a hands-on opportunity to learn about risk management and marketing strategies. Rather than discuss the pros and cons of futures and options pricing strategies, Commodity Challenge gives players the opportunity to put these tools to work in real time. Instead of explaining the benefits of a grain marketing plan, Commodity Challenge gives producers the chance to experiment with a plan in real time.

Other online trading games feature a speculative approach to the markets – "buy low and sell high." Commodity Challenge takes a different approach. Our game features real-time cash quotes from thousands of local markets from all corners of the country. Rather than play the role of a speculator, every participant in Commodity Challenge plays the role of a grain producer. Rather than address the speculators need to buy low and sell high, participants accept the challenge of marketing agricultural products and learning to manage price risks.

History

Commodity Challenge is managed by the Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota. The first version of Commodity Challenge was launched in February 2002, as a joint project of the Montana Grain Growers Association and Dr. Kevin McNew, President of GeoGrain.com. The Center for Farm Financial Management at the University of Minnesota assumed site management duties in September 2010. With support from the North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center (ERME), Minnesota Soybean and Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council (MAELC), a revamped game with supporting curriculum and videos was launched in March 2013. Thanks to support from the CHS Foundation, the mobile-friendly version of the site was released in December, 2017.