Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/831897
FARM 406 20 • Canadian company, TMX, that provides online clearing facilities, data products, and other services to the international financial community. To enable and empower producers through personal contact, the US division of AgriClear has employees situated throughout parts of the country where the beef industry is the strongest. Think of the way eBay works when trying out the AgriClear website. Stock- growers register to become members of the AgriClear community. They go to the overview dashboard page where they can search for cattle, view notifications, and keep track of listings. Viewers can then observe listings that include number, price, and location of the cattle and a photo, if available. If they are buying, they make a watch list of the characteristics they want to purchase. From there they can search for listings based on their specific needs first by basic criteria, such as breed and weight, or by advanced features, such as feeding programs. Once they have made a watch list, they can also check their notifica- tions on the dashboard page where a listing of cattle with the right character- istics is placed. Essentially, sellers can create listings for cattle they are selling; buyers can create listings for cattle they are planning to buy. The Activity page keeps track of the action by showing what stockgrowers have created, made offers on, and sold, etc. The advantages of AgriClear for sellers are setting their own price and selling conditions, negotiating a mutu- ally satisfactory price, and being able to choose the best offer. The advantages for buyers are being able to search by cattle attributes, to post listings with what is being sought and from where, to watch preferred suppliers, and to negotiate a satisfactory price. "A rancher from the Oklahoma panhandle saw a listing from South Carolina on AgriClear. The cattle were exactly what he was seeking to add to his herd, and he knew he would never find them in his region. When he found what he wanted through AgriClear, he was ecstatic. Now those cattle are living on the range in western Oklahoma," said Nevil Speer, Vice President of U.S. Operations. Now think of the way PayPal works when it comes to paying for a sale, which is one of the best features of AgriClear. When the price and transportation details have been resolved, the buyer sends the money to his account with AgriClear. The cattle are transported and inspected by the purchaser. If the purchaser is satisfied, the money is transferred to the seller's account to be accessed by the seller. If there is a disagreement, such as the buyer did not receive the right number of cattle or they do not fit the description that the buyer was anticipat- ing, AgriClear has set up an arbitration process. Until the dispute is resolved, the payment is held by AgriClear. In addition to the features of being able to buy and sell across the Unit- ed States and Canada, the financing arrangement is a smooth and exceptional AgriClear attribute. Once the sales transaction has been completed, both the buyer and seller pay a fee to AgriClear for the convenience of the listing service's multiple features. AgriClear is always updating its website for member convenience. The company has advertised the website, but they also urge stockgrowers to check with other ranchers about their experi- ence with AgriClear. AgriClear is confident that word of mouth will contin- ue to be the best way for stockgrowers to hear about the company's excellent service. Try out the website by going to agriclear.com and sign into the free service of becoming a registered member. The AgriClear website provides cattle producers with the entire United States and Canada as a market place for buying and selling cattle. F 406 Having grown up on a farm that is still in the family, Suzanne Waring maintains an interest in advances being made in agriculture.