Farmers looking for the best grain deal have a new tool from Cash Grain Bids. It’s a mapping interface where you just plug your zip code in and it will show you a local Google-powered map with local markets and pricing to decide where to go.

“Basis levels are as low as they’ve been in five years,” said Kevin McNew, president of Cash Grain Bids. “We look for things to improve with this fall’s 2006 crop. But that doesn’t help farmers trying to market their grain right now.” “There are still premium markets out there,” McNew said. “But it can be difficult for farmers to find them quickly.” With that in mind, McNew’s company is offering a free online price and map service through the end of the marketing year. Farmers who use this service can enter their zip code and review 100 different markets in their area on a map and find the one with the best price for them.

“On a table, everything looks the same and a farmer has no concept of how far away that market is,” McNew explained. “A map is an intelligent tool that helps farmers really use the data presented to them. It’s not just a list of numbers.” To use this free service, log onto www.cashgrainbids.com and follow the link to the basis map.