Managing volatile times

You won't catch me in the front car -- or any car -- of a roller coaster. Never. Yet I confess to actually enjoying the adventure and thrill of what must be a similar experience: commodity marketing. While most of us would say we prefer a little more predictability in our lives, we also like the exhilaration of pouncing on opportunities ($15 beans!) amidst the volatility.

To deal with it, you constantly have to add to your understanding of the markets and expand your risk-management choices. I hope the ideas and tools presented in this special issue help illuminate your understanding of volatility and how to successfully manage it.

• Loren Kruse, Editor-in-Chief

• Understanding options volatility
• Taking charge of cash sales
• Ethanol corn demand is back
• Does volatility benefit farmers?
• Understanding chart analysis