Kansas City, Missouri, United States
I grew up in a small rural farm community just outside Kansas City, Missouri, where hard work, honesty, and family values shaped everything I know about agriculture. After moving to Chicago in the early 1990s with my high school sweetheart (now my wife), I started at the very bottom of the commodities world and spent over 30 years trading professionally at the CME, CBOT, and KCBOT. Through determination, relentless networking, and a little luck, I built relationships with some of the industry’s most influential executives, hedge fund managers, clearing firms, and political leaders—access that gave me a front-row seat to the forces truly driving global ag markets. Today, as Founder, President, and CEO of Farm Direction and The Van Trump Report, I’m passionate about turning complex market dynamics into clear, actionable intelligence. I publish The Van Trump Report three times per week along with the Farmcon Conversations Podcast. These resources deliver proprietary research, macro analysis, commodity market insights, and practical risk-management strategies to help producers, agribusiness leaders, fund traders, and executives cut through the noise and make better decisions. Beyond these resources, my work includes: - Founding and hosting FARMCON, the premier ag conference connecting producers with cutting-edge ideas - Co-Hosting FARMCON Conversations Podcast - Serving as a corporate coach and keynote speaker - Acting as an angel investor in Ag-Tech startups - Advising multiple agribusiness boards My deepest motivation has always been helping farm families and agribusiness owners succeed. When I return home, I still field the same questions I heard decades ago—how to market crops effectively, manage risk in volatile times, price inputs wisely, and position operations for the future. I’m driven to share the knowledge, tools, and networks I’ve built so producers can protect their livelihoods, adopt emerging technology, and build lasting prosperity for their families and communities. Whether you’re a multi-generation farmer, an agribusiness executive, or an investor in the ag space, I’m here to help you navigate change and stay ahead. Life is good when you have the right information at the right time. Let’s connect if you’re passionate about agriculture and committed to excellence in our industry.
• Founded FARMCON to unite elite producers, ag tech innovators, and institutional investors. • Curated high-level sessions on market intelligence and risk management for industry leaders. • Built a robust ecosystem that connects production with global investment strategies.
Farm Direction is an international organization assembled to bring the brightest minds and most current agricultural thoughts to leaders in the industry. Farm Direction produces an award winning and world recognized daily agricultural newsletter called The Van Trump Report. The report breaks down the complex global Ag markets into an easy to understand format for Ag producers and Ag service providers. The information promotes "thinking outside the box" and "connecting the dots" to help clients better reduce risk and exposure associated with the ag sector.