10/01/2026
Brian's back with a check-in on our fall calf marketing series! We're following the same set of calves through four different ways to market them this fall, and tracking each one in real time right up to late October.
Here's a quick refresher on the four scenarios:
1️⃣ Wait & Sell – Keep the calves and sell at the end of October at whatever the market pays that week.
2️⃣ Forward Sell – Lock in a price now for late-October delivery.
3️⃣ Hold + Buy a Put – Keep the calves, but buy a price floor in case the market drops.
4️⃣ Forward Sell + Buy a Call – Lock in a price, and keep a ticket to any big market rally.
The futures market has moved since we set these up, so Brian walks through where the put and call options sit today. He also explains what that means for each strategy. Remember, an option works like insurance. Sometimes you pay for protection you end up not needing, and that's part of the plan.
There's no "right" answer yet. We'll keep tracking all four until the calves sell, then compare the final numbers side by side.
👉 Which scenario would you lean toward in your operation? Let us know in the comments!
