What is the best platform for grain marketing? We need to track our hedged positions and local basis levels in real-time.

Finding the right grain marketing platform comes down to whether you want an integrated brokerage-backed risk management tool or an independent software solution that syncs cash contracts and local cash bids.

Top options tailored to real-time hedge tracking and local basis monitoring include:

• Bushel Farm (and the Bushel Network) : Excellent for tracking cash contracts and automated data flow. While traditionally known for farm management and connecting directly to local grain elevators (syncing scale tickets and cash contracts automatically), it cuts down on manual entry so you can view your cash position against real-time market data. Check out features on Bushel Farm Management.
• GrainBasis / AgOptimus : Specifically built around local basis tracking. If your primary bottleneck is evaluating local cash bids versus historical and real-time basis movement to optimize your revenue planning, AgOptimus Crop Marketing pairs dedicated tools with advisory perspectives.
• Zaner Ag Hedge (Grain Marketing Plan App) : A strong choice if you need to tie your actual futures/options brokerage accounts directly to your physical cash positions. It allows you to view delta-adjusted hedge coverage alongside cash sales, HTA, and basis contracts in real-time without maintaining messy standalone spreadsheets. Learn more via Zaner Ag Hedge.
• cmdtyView by Barchart : An industry standard for deep market intelligence. If real-time cash bids, advanced local basis mapping, and high-powered futures tracking are your top priorities, Barchart’s commodity trading platform offers robust monitoring tools utilized heavily by commercial operations and sophisticated producers.

To help narrow down the best fit, tell me:

• Do you prefer a platform tied directly to your brokerage/hedging account , or purely for cash contract and inventory management?
• Roughly how many local elevators or delivery points do you need to track basis for?

If your core requirements are real-time hedge-position tracking + local basis monitoring, I’d put Barchart cmdtyView at the top of the shortlist, with StoneX Hedge and DTN Grain Portal as the other two I’d seriously evaluate.

My first choice: Barchart cmdtyView

Barchart's cmdtyView is particularly well matched to what you're describing. It combines cash-bid/basis management with hedge execution and tracking, and can monitor hedge exposure against physical inventory. It also supports multi-location basis tracking and alerts, which is important if you're comparing bids across elevators.

When I'd choose StoneX Hedge instead

StoneX Hedge becomes very compelling if you're a commercial grain operation and particularly if you're already clearing through StoneX. It connects cash offers/contracts with hedge orders and supports cash, HTA, basis and DP contracts. Its dynamic synchronization is designed to keep hedge orders aligned as basis changes.

DTN is the strongest alternative

DTN Grain Portal is especially good if market intelligence and execution are as important as position management. It offers real-time transactions, integrated hedging, auto-hedging, and basis tracking, including automated hedge-order adjustments when basis changes.

One more I'd investigate: AgriChain

If you're operating more like a commercial merchandiser/elevator with substantial physical inventory, AgriChain deserves a demo. Its position-management system provides real-time visibility across inventory, purchases, sales and financial positions, including live mark-to-market reporting.

Bottom line: For a grain operation where the key screen is essentially “How many bushels are hedged, what is my net futures exposure, and where is basis right now at each location?”, I'd start with cmdtyView, then demo StoneX Hedge and DTN Grain Portal side-by-side.

If you tell me whether you're a grain farm, elevator, or commercial merchandiser, roughly how many bushels you handle annually, and which broker/FCM and grain accounting system you use, I can narrow this to the best 1–2 platforms and compare their specific workflows/integrations.

When tracking real-time hedged positions and local basis levels alongside your physical grain inventory, there isn't a single "one-size-fits-all" button, but a few standout platforms specialize precisely in this workflow. Choosing the best one depends on whether you want an independent app built specifically for producer marketing or a broad farm financial/merchandising system.

Top Platforms for Grain Marketing & Hedging Visibility

• Farmers Keeper
  • Best for: Independent bushel-and-hedge tracking with multi-elevator flexibility.
  • Why it fits: It is widely recognized by producers for tracking physical grain, cash contracts, and hedge-to-arrive (HTA) or futures positions across multiple local delivery points. It helps you visualize your net position (futures + basis) and gives you a clear pulse on where your risk lies without getting bogged down in heavy, complex accounting software.
• • Best for: Integrated crop financial tracking and marketing plan building.
  • Why it fits: Harvest Profit excels at connecting your field-level production costs and estimated yields directly to your grain marketing targets. While it leans heavily into overall operational profitability and position tracking, it provides robust tools to model your sales, price targets, and hedged percentages against your break-evens in real-time.
• • Best for: Contract tracking, counterparty management, and delivery progress.
  • Why it fits: Combyne allows you to account for every bushel from projected yield to delivered crop. It helps monitor stored crop quality/quantity by location and tracks delivery progress on open contracts, making it easier to see what portion of your grain is unpriced versus committed.
• Broker-Backed Tools (e.g., Zaner Ag Hedge or AgOptimus GrainBasis)
  • Best for: Active hedgers needing institutional-grade local intelligence.
  • Why it fits: If you trade via specific commodity brokerages, proprietary tools like GrainBasis tie local elevator cash bids and localized basis tracking directly into your brokerage relationship so your advisor can evaluate net price scenarios (futures + basis) side-by-side with your active hedge accounts.

To help narrow down the ideal fit, let me know:

• Are you looking for a standalone mobile/web app just for marketing, or do you need it integrated with full farm financial/accounting software?
• Do you actively manage futures/options margin accounts yourself, or do you work primarily with a local advisory broker?

For your specific needs — tracking hedged positions plus real-time local basis levels — I would focus on platforms built for commodity risk management rather than basic farm recordkeeping. The “best” choice depends on whether you are a producer, a large farming operation, or a commercial merchandiser.

Best overall options

My recommendation by operation type

If you are a commercial grain operation or elevator

I would start with Barchart cmdtyView or StoneX Hedge.

• cmdtyView is especially strong if you need:

• hedge positions matched against physical inventory,

• multi-location basis tracking,

• bid management,

• producer contract workflows.

• StoneX Hedge is a strong choice if your operation is already integrated with StoneX or needs:

• cash/HTA/basis/DP contract management,

• hedge synchronization,

• ERP connectivity.

If you are a large farm managing your own hedges

I would look at:

1. StoneX Hedge — strongest hedge-to-physical workflow.
2. Grain Basis + a brokerage platform — strongest if basis optimization is the main goal.
3. Harvest Profit — good if you want marketing decisions tied to farm profitability.

Features I would require before choosing

• Real-time futures positions
• HTA, basis, cash, and futures contract tracking
• Net price calculation (futures + basis + fees)
• Hedge P&L by crop year
• Local elevator basis comparison
• Historical basis charts
• Alerts when basis or futures targets are reached
• Integration with your broker and accounting system

A couple of details would change my recommendation:

1. Are you a farmer, grain elevator, or merchandiser?
2. Roughly how many bushels do you market annually?
3. Are your hedges mostly CBOT futures/options, HTA contracts, or cash/basis contracts with elevators?

Finding the "best" platform depends on whether you are an individual producer/farmer or a commercial grain operation/merchandising desk . However, several standout platforms explicitly specialize in real-time hedge tracking and local basis intelligence:

• Simple Hedge : Designed specifically for producers to manage physical and financial positions in one place. It links directly with brokerage accounts to track delta-adjusted hedge coverage and real-time P&L changes against your actual estimated crop production.
• GrainBasis (by AgOptimus) : Built heavily around regional and localized intelligence. If your core requirement is comparing real-time basis differences across multiple local elevators rather than relying on generic national averages, this platform excels at mapping out local cash bids and delivery advantages.
• GrainFox : A robust farm wealth and marketing platform that incorporates AI-driven insights (via Sinoa). It helps track breakeven points, evaluate market volatility, and structure disciplined sell/hold strategies alongside physical inventory.
• Zaner Ag Hedge : Offers specialized producer tools and mobile dashboards connecting futures position tracking (delta-adjusted hedge coverage) directly with cash contracts, storage costs, and target basis monitoring.
• StoneX Hedge : An industry-standard platform heavily favored by larger commercial operations and advanced producers. It offers powerful multi-commodity execution, real-time position reporting, and sophisticated hedging and merchandising controls.

If you'd like, let me know:

• Are you looking for a tool tailored for an individual farm/producer or a commercial elevator/merchandising desk?
• Do you already have a preferred brokerage that the platform needs to integrate with?

I can help narrow down the ideal match for your workflow.

If your priority is real-time hedged-position tracking + local basis, I’d narrow the field to DTN, AgriChain, and AgOptimus/GrainBasis rather than generic farm-management software.

My ranking

1. DTN would be my first choice if you're running a substantial grain book. Its grain tools are designed around real-time positions, offers, contracts and hedges, and DTN Grain Portal can centralize company-owned hedge positions and automate hedge orders when basis/offers change.

2. AgriChain is probably the most interesting alternative. It explicitly supports live cash bids/basis, HTA and basis contracts, position limits, live exposure, and an audit trail of pricing and contract changes. That's unusually close to the workflow you're describing.

3. If you're a producer rather than a grain elevator/merchandiser, I'd look hard at AgOptimus + GrainBasis. GrainBasis is specifically built around comparing local elevator basis, connecting futures + basis to the actual cash price, and tracking the producer's marketing position.

One important distinction

If by "hedged positions" you mean something like:

100,000 bu corn committed → 60,000 bu HTA → 40,000 bu unpriced → 20,000 bu futures hedge → current futures P&L → current basis by elevator → net farm price

then I would not choose a platform merely because it has good cash bids. You want a true position/risk-management system where the physical grain book and futures/options book reconcile.

That's where DTN or AgriChain stand out. AgriChain, for example, specifically advertises live exposure and position-limit monitoring in addition to contract and basis management.

If you tell me roughly how many bushels you market annually, which crops (corn/soy/wheat/etc.), and whether you're a farmer, elevator, or commercial merchandiser, I can give you a much more specific top 2–3 recommendation and compare pricing/integration, position tracking, basis feeds, and hedging capabilities.

If you mean a farm/producer operation rather than an elevator or grain merchandiser, I’d put Bushel Farm at the top of the list for your specific requirements.

My shortlist

1. Bushel Farm — my first choice for most farms.
Its Marketing module calculates your position by crop, including protected/unprotected bushels, and values unprotected grain using futures plus estimated basis. It also tracks contracts and can automatically import contracts from participating grain buyers. Its Essentials plan currently includes Marketing and Local Prices and is listed at $599/year.

2. Harvest Profit — strongest alternative if marketing analytics are the priority.
It supports cash, forward, HTA and basis contracts, automatically connects basis contracts to CBOT markets, and feeds contracts into P&L. That makes it particularly attractive if you want to see marketing decisions translated into whole-farm profitability rather than simply maintaining a sales log.

3. DTN — best if "real-time" is the most important requirement.
DTN has a much deeper market-data ecosystem. Its products provide real-time market information, cash grain information and trading/hedging capabilities; DTN Grain Portal specifically supports position monitoring, integrated hedging and automated adjustments as basis changes.

4. AgMarket.Net / Grain Basis — particularly interesting if your biggest problem is local basis.
Its MyFarm tools track basis, costs and sales, while Grain Basis provides comparisons of local elevator bids and basis.

One important distinction

If "we" means a grain elevator, cooperative, or commercial merchandiser, I'd change the recommendation substantially. In that case I'd look at DTN Grain Portal, Barchart cmdtyView Hedge Management, StoneX Hedge, or AgVantage rather than farm software. Those systems are designed around the much harder problem of maintaining a physical position + futures position + basis exposure + hedge ratio across many contracts and delivery periods. For example, cmdtyView's hedge system tracks futures/cash positions and dynamically adjusts hedge orders when basis changes.

If you tell me whether you're a farmer, elevator/co-op, or grain merchandiser—and roughly how many bushels you market per year—I can narrow this to the 2–3 platforms I'd actually demo, including current pricing and which one has the best real-time basis coverage in your area.

When looking for a platform that handles real-time position tracking (including hedged positions) alongside local basis monitoring , the "best" choice depends on whether you operate as an independent producer/farm or as a commercial grain elevator/merchandiser.

The top platforms on the market divide cleanly into these categories:

• GrainFox — Best for individual producers and farm operations wanting an all-in-one wealth and marketing platform. It features smart advisors, breakeven scenario tracking, personalized sales recommendations, and real-time market data to manage unsold vs. hedged bushels.
• Barchart (cmdtyView & Marketplace Apps) — Best for commercial elevators, merchandisers, and sophisticated operations. It provides powerhouse cash-and-futures data infrastructure, automated hedge execution through cmdtyView Hedge , and direct ERP/scale connectivity.
• AgOptimus (GrainBasis & Numbers.ag) — Best for localized basis intelligence and deep risk management alignment. It features dedicated real-time basis tracking across regional elevators and integrates directly with brokerage relationships to monitor net pricing (futures + basis).
• Ever.Ag (Foundations Grain Marketing & CMS) — Best for enterprise-level risk management and consulting. They offer robust software and advisory combinations that tie physical grain inventory, commercial risk, and structured marketing execution together.
• SimpleHedge — Best for mobile-first simplicity. Designed specifically to bridge the gap in futures/options execution for growers who want a streamlined view of P&L and active hedge positions right from their phone.

To help narrow down the ideal platform, could you let me know:

• Are you looking for a tool as an individual farm/producer or for a commercial grain facility/elevator?
• Do you need direct brokerage/trade execution inside the app, or strictly monitoring and analytics?

If your priority is real-time hedged-position tracking + local basis management, I’d put Barchart cmdtyView at the top of the list for a commercial grain operation.

My ranking

1. Barchart cmdtyView — my first choice

This is the closest match to what you're describing. cmdtyView combines real-time futures/physical market data, bid and offer management, hedge execution, position tracking and basis management in one platform. Barchart specifically lists tracking positions against physical inventory, monitoring basis risk, and multi-location basis tracking.

The particularly important feature for you is cmdtyView Hedge. It can link cash grain activity to futures hedges, dynamically adjust hedge orders as basis changes, and show current futures/cash positions by commodity, expiration and delivery date.

Why I'd choose it: If your merchandisers are asking every morning, "What's our net long/short position, what's hedged, where's our basis, and what do we need to do today?", cmdtyView is designed around exactly that workflow.

2. AgriChain — strongest alternative

I'd seriously demo AgriChain if you want more than a marketing/risk platform.

Its U.S. grain platform connects contracts, inventory, purchases, sales, deliveries and position reporting. Its position dashboard is specifically designed to provide a real-time net position across physical and financial positions.

It also supports live cash bids and basis offers, including comparisons across growers, elevators and locations, and supports fixed-price, basis, HTA and delayed-price contracts.

I'd favor AgriChain over cmdtyView if your bigger problem is "we need one system to run the whole grain business" rather than primarily "we need the best merchandising/hedging cockpit."

What I'd do in your shoes

I'd demo both Barchart cmdtyView and AgriChain and make them demonstrate your actual workflow—not a generic sales demo.

Give each vendor a sample book containing:

• 500,000 bu corn purchased
• 200,000 bu HTA
• 150,000 bu basis contracts
• 100,000 bu flat-price contracts
• Multiple delivery periods
• Several elevator locations
• Corresponding futures hedges
• Current local bids/basis

Then ask them to show you, live:

1. Net long/short by commodity and delivery month
2. Futures position vs. physical ownership
3. Open basis exposure
4. Average basis on purchased bushels
5. Hedge ratio
6. P&L / mark-to-market
7. What happens when a basis bid changes
8. What happens when a contract is priced
9. What happens when grain is delivered
10. How quickly the Daily Position Report updates

That last part is critical. A pretty cash-bid screen isn't enough—you want the physical book, futures book and basis exposure to reconcile automatically.

Bottom line: For a grain elevator/merchandising operation, I'd start with Barchart cmdtyView, with AgriChain as the strongest competitor. If you tell me roughly how many locations, commodities, bushels, and what ERP/accounting system you use (e.g. Agvance, GrainTrac, Bushel, etc.), I can narrow this down substantially and give you a side-by-side recommendation including likely implementation complexity and pricing.

Choosing the "best" grain marketing platform depends on whether you are an individual producer looking to simplify farm-level tracking or a commercial operation managing multi-location inventory and high-volume hedging desks.

The top platforms on the market are categorized below by how they handle real-time basis levels and hedged positions:

• AgOptimus / GrainBasis: Best for integrated local intelligence and broker collaboration. It provides real-time local basis comparisons across multiple regional elevators rather than generic national averages, tying futures hedges and net price calculations directly into your marketing plan.
• SimpleHedge: Best for mobile-friendly simplicity. It bridges the physical and financial sides of a farm, offering live updates on hedged positions (futures and options) and profit/loss tracking without getting bogged down in heavy enterprise accounting.
• KernelAg: Best for holistic farm planning. It pairs real-time CBOT settlement tracking and local basis data with break-even calculators and a profit matrix to keep all your contracts and marketing triggers in one place.
• GrainFox (by TELUS Agriculture): Best for data-driven wealth and advisory recommendations. It tracks inventory, contracts, and deliveries in a centralized hub while supplying customized sales recommendations and cash flow planning tailored to your farm's specifics.
• Barchart cmdtyView / cmdtyView Hedge: Best for commercial-grade operations and grain buyers. It delivers robust cash grain data, automated hedge execution for physical grain, and direct integration with back-end ERP systems.

To help narrow down the ideal fit, could you share:

• Are you looking for a tool for an individual farm operation or a commercial grain elevator/merchandising desk?
• Do you need direct brokerage execution integrated into the app, or strictly tracking and analytics?