The Van Trump Report

About Us

My name is Kevin Van Trump and I am the President and founder of Farm Direction and the Van Trump Report. I grew up in a small rural farm community just outside Kansas City, MO. My wife and high school sweetheart and I moved to Chicago in the early ’90s where I first began my career in commodities. I started at the very bottom but with hard work, determination, honesty, and a little luck I was able to work my way to the top. Along my journey, I was blessed to meet some very influential and important players in the agricultural world.

Executives of large clearing firms, Presidents and CEOs of some of the world’s largest investment banks and commercial grain operations, political leaders, hedge fund managers, floor traders, etc… With my newfound network of friends, I was able to gather information that was often difficult to obtain and in turn assemble the pieces of the puzzle often better than other competitors in the trade.

Not only was I able to get what I considered the best information in the industry, but I also had the experience, understanding, and knowledge to know how to use it. Each time I went back home I often found myself bombarded by local farmers and families with questions regarding their marketing and risk management strategies. I was also able to help farmers find ways to better price their inputs such as seed, fertilizer, and fuel.

Farm Direction was launched as a full-service consulting firm back in the mid-2000s, basically, once corn and soy started being traded as an energy source and the funds decided to dive head first into the ag industry. The pricing volatility really started to spike after the launch of biofuels, particularly ethanol, and many in the ag industry were searching for direction.

Farmers and other ag industry executives had thousands of questions during this initial fund frenzy in regards to pricing models and risk management strategies. Therefore I started writing a daily market commentary explaining in detail what was driving the prices, what the money-managers and fund traders were thinking and what direction we may soon be headed.

The Van Trump Report evolved out of more than 20-years of hard work, networking, and dedication to the ag industry. Today the report circulates in over 35 countries worldwide and is a daily read by some of the industries top executives, fund traders, money-managers, and political leaders.

I am truly blessed to have had the opportunity to help so many people better understand the movement and trends being established globally each day in agriculture. My family and I are forever grateful for all of the support and feedback we receive.