A group of 44 farmers last week took a break from chores as they traveled to Chicago on an Iowa Farm Bureau-sponsored marketer’s trip.

The group, consisting primarily of young farmers, got a first-hand look at the opening of the market at the Chicago Board of Trade. Then the group traveled to Fair Oaks Farm in Fair Oaks, Indiana, to learn how the company tells its story of agriculture to thousands of visitors per year.

Steve Freed, vice president of investor services for ADM, spoke to ...