April Interview With Brian
The Calm Before The Storm? April Interview with Brian Wilson
Option Army: We’re diving in right away! What’s your one or two-word summary of March? Ridiculous bids and outrageous offers? Haha.
Brian: Definitely. I call it that for a reason! As for these Crop Reports - nothing really happened. It was boring. March 31st is usually the real kickoff of the year because USDA releases 75,000 farmers’ acreage intentions across the country for corn, soybeans, wheat, and cotton.
Option Army: And?
Brian: The numbers were exactly what private forecasters had already predicted for the past few weeks. It was a total non-event — probably the biggest non-event in the last 10 years. The market response was one of the calmest I’ve ever seen.
Option Army: Why do you think that was?
Brian: It came down to anticipation. Funds liquidated a long corn position early in March and continued selling soybeans, soybean meal, soybean oil, and wheat. They’re now short across the board. Markets are trading at what I’d call “pipeline” levels — no risk premium is being added for exports, weather, or anything else.
Option Army: So what does this mean for April? What should people be watching?
Brian: All eyes will shift to weather. If it stays dry, planting will get off to a timely start — especially soybeans. That might have already been priced in a little bit late this afternoon. Corn gets planted after soybeans. Timely planting is a positive, but it doesn’t guarantee big yields. We’re planting into very dry soil, and there wasn’t much snow this winter. The drought monitor is creeping east, and weather models — the good ones — are all showing a hot and dry growing season. When that many models agree, you need to pay attention.
Option Army: Let’s shift to programs — LRP, ECO, important dates. What should folks be tracking?
Brian: LRP is still live. ECO closed on March 17. We’re the only group that’s figured out how to take what’s just an insurance policy and turn it into a tradable product. We’ve done it verbally, and now we’re auditing it into something soldiers can use to track delta exposure and turn it into real, actionable flow. It’s going to be super valuable for farmers and the LFP.
ECO is done for now, but we still have LRP available, especially for cattle and hogs. We’ll get Ben Rand back soon. Cattle markets are at all-time highs — it’s a great time for producers. We’re even looking at LRP contracts that go all the way out to January 2026 — stuff you can actively trade around.
I also talked to Angie Setzer (@GoddessOfGrain), and we’re trying to get her on soon to talk about the cash grain side and basis.
Option Army: I love her. I’ve been wanting to start a “Women in Trading” group — even just a one-time webinar — and I think she’d be perfect for that.
Brian: Absolutely. Her husband’s big in the cash grain world too. She’s in Michigan, so she sees a lot of basis and logistics. I think we’ll have her on The Bunker soon. I also want to bring Rick Clark back, and as planting progresses, I want to start a farmer “callout” — bring in guys from different regions to give us real updates.
I was talking to a soldier in Central Illinois who had a good start on soybean planting. That kind of info — real, on-the-ground updates — is way more valuable than some USDA report regurgitation.
Option Army: Totally. We could even assign people by region to give updates every couple of weeks. Keep it short, just two sentences. Any upcoming podcasts or events?
Brian: Probably doing the Farm Green Podcast with Rick Clark again soon. I’d love to do a meetup — Des Moines makes the most sense. We could pull from Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa — it’s easy access. I just need to find the time. Right now, I’m stretched on everything I’m working on.
Option Army: Des Moines is the move. Chicago was just too hard during planting. We’ll make a fall or winter event happen — maybe even bring some guests. Casual but intentional. Where do you need help right now?
Brian: Honestly, I have to scale back my swim coaching. I love it — it’s a great release — but I’m at a breaking point. I’ll still help with local events, but I’m not traveling anymore. The Option Army is my priority. I want to deliver the best possible product to people who need it.
Option Army: That’s a big call. I know how much coaching means to you. But I get it — this community is special, and it’s growing fast.
Brian: It is. And the team’s growing. We’re onboarding people for Series 3 to help with order execution and trade ideas. Also, some of the swimmers I coach — they’re headed to Penn, Harvard, Indiana — and they want to intern for us, especially with social media.
Option Army: That would be great. But we are not doing TikTok. If someone wants to pitch me on it, I’ll hear it out. But that’s where I draw the line.
Brian: I hear you. I’m not on Tik Tok, but the audience is massive. And we could still use some help with Instagram and Twitter. And these kids are fast. It took me half a day just to repost something from my friend Ryan Lochte. We’re actually doing a swim camp with him in May here in Illinois.
Option Army: That’s awesome. But yeah — Pamela and I can’t do all the content. We need help. So yes to interns. But no to TikTok.
Brian: Ha! I checked out Reddit, too. It’s like Twitter. There’s some crossover between crypto and commodities. A lot of people are getting crushed in equities and real estate. Commodities — both hard (coffee, sugar) and soft (grains) — are the best sectors to be in right now. People hate commodities because of what happened in 2022 — mostly from people selling naked options. But what we’re doing — owning options — gives you a big payout when you're right and defined risk when you’re wrong.
Option Army: Let’s talk about some fun stuff. What are you listening to or watching?
Brian: In the car — Avicii, Linkin Park, and yes, Nickelback. I just binge-watched Breaking Bad and started Better Call Saul. Still working with Ryan Lochte and Caleb Dressel on a swim kickboard we’re finalizing. Meg Harris — the Aussie Olympian — tested a prototype and loved it. We’re sending it to Australia soon.
Option Army: That’s so cool! Okay, last one — our Option Army March Madness bracket. What a snoozefest.
Brian: I was out after Day One. Had Wisconsin vs. St. John’s in the finals. They were both out by Round Two. I’ll probably finish last in the bracket.
Option Army: Apparently it’s only the second time in NCAA history that all four top seeds made the Final Four. Wild. But hey — some of our members are still getting swag for playing, even if the tournament has been a little boring.
Brian: And ya know? Boring isn’t always bad. Just like the markets. Even if the market feels boring, there are still 1–1.5% daily moves happening. That’s massive compared to equities. Things will heat up fast as the growing season gets underway. I’m still hoping to get someone from South America to talk to us on The Bunker — to bring that on-the-ground perspective.
Option Army: What are your parting words to our community?
Brian Wilson: Don’t get complacent. Keep your powder dry and stay ready for what’s coming next — because it’s not going to stay like this for long. This time of year, especially over the next three months leading up to the July 4th weekend, we usually start to see fireworks in the grain markets. I don’t think this year will be any different. So don’t buy into the complacency you’re seeing on Twitter or from others. Stay sharp, stay ready.
Option Army: Let’s do it. April’s coming in hot — literally and figuratively. Appreciate you, Brian.
Brian: Appreciate you, too. See you in the trenches.
