Increasing concerns about a healthy diet, food safety and support for the local economy provide new opportunities for farmers to increase their farm income by selling their farm products locally. The major challenge for the farmers is to predict consumer preferences correctly and provide goods...

Little information exists on grain merchandisers, their characteristics, and the skills needed to be successful. This research contributes toward filling this gap. A summary of survey responses from 230 experienced grain merchandisers quantifies personal characteristics, skills perceived as...