The CHS Center for Agricultural Business Management and Engagement originated with a gift from CHS to coordinate agribusiness teaching, research, and outreach activities at UW-River Falls.

Brenda Boetel, UWRF associate professor of agricultural economics and UW-Extension agricultural marketing specialist, is the director of the Center. Click here for the full press release.

Vision

The Center for Agricultural Business and Management will serve students and the agricultural community by providing and coordinating learning opportunities that develop knowledgeable leaders through teaching, research, and outreach. The Center will provide:

• Students with the ability to participate in undergraduate research examining agricultural business and production problems;
• Research results and analytical tools that will assist industry and government in addressing challenges in modern production agriculture and agribusiness;
• Students with the opportunity to gain practical job experience through internships and international travel programs;
• An integrated outreach program designed to disseminate research results that will further development and improvement of agricultural businesses.

Goals

To provide university direction and coordination of diverse yet interrelated initiatives that focus on the needs of farms and agribusiness. The Center will focus on the following areas in the first four years:

• Price risk management of agricultural commodities focusing on hedging skills, market structure, and evaluation of price volatility, government policy and insurance products;
• Agribusiness management focusing on finance, strategic management, profitability, transitional planning, and industry organization.