Risk in agriculture has increased 3-4 times since 1980, NDSU recognized this and established the Center for Trading and Risk (CTR) in 2011. Using the Commodity Trading Room NDSU faculty and students are able to conduct more elaborate research. This research includes farm management, ag lending, commodity marketing, crop insurance, and agribusiness finance. The Commodity Trading Room also prepares students with instruction and exposure to industry leading software.

In preparation for the opening of the Commodity Trading Room Scott Nagel, former president of Archer Daniels Midland-Benson Quinn was interviewed “"As a global agricultural business that connects crops with markets around the world, ADM relies on the acumen of our commodity merchandisers every day, North Dakota State University has a long tradition of preparing students for the complex world of agricultural commodity trading, and we are pleased to help them continue this leadership with our investment in the Commodity Trading Room. We are confident it will help develop the next generation of industry leaders."

Now after a decade, graduates of NDSU have moved on to work for ADM such as Thomas Knoetchka who works as a Commodity Trader for the Oilseeds division. Thomas felt prepared for his current job after taking AgEcon 444 in the commodity trading room which introduced him to the diverse world of trading grain and the risk management that is associated.

The Commodity Trading Room continues to stay relevant with the goal of providing students a chance to work with better technology paired with better training to help them gain experience with the tools of the industry. The commodity trading room is used in three main capacities. Teaching, Extension and outreach, and the Bison Fund.

Classes are taught in the CTR allowing our students to gain instruction paired with software preparing them for their future careers. Approximately 95 students have class in the CTR every year plus the additional students who use the room for the Bison Fund.

Extension programs use the commodity trading room in multiple capacities. Commodity organizations like the ND soybean council and ND wheat commission programs come to the CTR for multiple day trainings to learn about commodity specific trading. The CTR also hosts farmers and provides programs which go into detail about current trade and marketing issues. Industry groups for aglenders attend trainings based around understanding how to finance farmers and how to better understand the farmers side of trading. Frayne Olson, Crop Economist/Marketing Specialist with the North Dakota State University Extension, leads most of these programs. Frayne sees many benefits from the CTR one of the biggest being the information he gains and is then able to work into his extension programs.  

The Bison Fund currently manages 2.5 million dollars in the stock market. The Bison Fund is actively managed by students using a bottom-up approach. Students in The Bison Fund learn how to do equity research and portfolio management. Annually there are about 30 students involved. The Bison Fund was first place in the Midwest Region CFA Research Challenge and attended Nationals in 2020.

Our graduates have been hired by firms such as, Ameriprise, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan, Edward Jones, Bloomberg, Craig and Hallum, DGI, Microsoft, Oracle, Gavillon, Cargill and others.