Our Presenters

Mark Balzarini

Mark is a graduate of Hamline University School of Law and is licensed to practice law in the states of Minnesota and South Dakota. He received his B.A. from the Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio.

Mark has practiced law since his admission to the bar in Minnesota, in 2004, with a focus in the areas of estates, trusts, and medical assistance. He is a member of Wealth Counsel and the Minnesota State Bar Association Probate and Trust Law Sections.

He conducts seminars for Financial Planners, Accountants, Farm Business Managers, Health Organizations, and Nursing Home Social Workers, as well as the general public.

Rachel Armstrong

My passion for farming goes way back to the days when I proudly proclaimed that I wanted to be a farmer when I grew up. I’ve lived out that dream in many ways, from working on farms to managing a community garden, starting a catering company that featured local foods and running a nonprofit local foods consulting program. Although I never thought I’d become an attorney, when I realized how keenly we needed quality legal information, I felt compelled. Now, I love resolving the business legal issues that hinder farmers from achieving their goals.

I care deeply about farms, their profitability, and their role in our community. Running a strong farm business is easier with the help of a knowledgeable attorney who truly understands the farm business and can help farmers meet their financial and social goals. With strong farms, we can have a strong local food system and strong communities. The vision of a strong, cohesive community with sustainable farmers at its core is what motivates me every day.

I lead Farm Commons together with my board of directors and a supportive staff of full time and seasonal employees.
https://farmcommons.org/about

Jackson Takach

Jackson Takach, the Chief Economist and Head of Strategy, Research, and Analytics at Farmer Mac, is a Kentucky native whose strong ties to agriculture began while growing up in the rural town of Scottsville.

He joined the Farmer Mac team in 2005, and has worked in the strategy, research, credit, and underwriting departments. Jackson is the lead author and creator of The Feed, Farmer Mac’s quarterly publication on the agricultural sector, and he regularly presents to lenders, producers, and industry experts throughout the year.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in economics from Centre College, a Master’s degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University, as well as a Master’s of Business Administration and a Master’s degree in finance from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. He has also been a CFA charterholder since 2012.

Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin has been a pioneer in improving the handling and welfare of farm animals. Facilities she has designed for handling livestock are used by many companies around the world. She has also been instrumental in implementing animal welfare auditing programs that are used by McDonalds, Wendy’s, Whole Foods, and other corporations. Temple has appeared on numerous TV shows such as 20/20. Larry King Live, and Prime Time. Her books include: Thinking in Pictures, Livestock Handling and Transport and The Autistic Brain. Her book, “Animals in Translation” has been on the New York Times Bestseller List.

She was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Temple’s achievements are remarkable because she was an autistic child. At age two she had no speech and all the signs of severe autism. Many hours of speech therapy, and intensive teaching enabled Temple to learn speech. As a teenager, life was hard with constant teasing. Mentoring by her high school science teacher and her aunt on her ranch in Arizona motivated Temple to study and pursue a career as a scientist and livestock equipment designer.

Dr. Temple Grandin obtained her B.A. at Franklin Pierce College in 1970. In 1974 she was employed as Livestock Editor for the Arizona Farmer Ranchman and also worked for Corral Industries on equipment design. In 1975 she earned her M.S. in Animal Science at Arizona State University for her work on the behavior of cattle in different squeeze chutes. Dr. Grandin was awarded her Ph.D in Animal Science from the University of Illinois in 1989 and is currently a Professor at Colorado State University.

Dr. Grandin has received numerous awards including the Meritorious Achievement Award from the Livestock Conservation Institute, named a Distinguished Alumni at Franklin Pierce College and received an honorary doctorate from McGill University, University of Illinois, Texas A&M, Carnegie Mellon University, and Duke University. She has also won prestigious industry awards including the Richard L. Knowlton Award from Meat Marketing and Technology Magazine and the Industry Advancement Award from the American Meat Institute and the Beef Top 40 industry leaders and the Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. In 2011, Temple was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. In 2015 she was given the Distinguished Service Award by the American Farm Bureau Federation and Meritorious Award from the OIE. HBO has premiered a movie about Temple’s early life and career with the livestock industry. The movie received seven Emmy awards, a Golden Globe, and a Peabody Award. In 2016, Temple was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and in 2017 she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York. Bio source: CSU Faculty Directory

Dan Mooney

Daniel Mooney is an Assistant Professor and Extension Economist in Agricultural and Resource Economics at Colorado State University. His research and outreach interests in the field of applied microeconomics include household, farm, and firm-level decision-making, agricultural business management, production and supply analysis, technology evaluation and impact assessment, and agriculture, resources, and the environment.

He is currently focused on problems related to sustainable crop production, agricultural technology adoption, livestock enterprise management, and food systems development. At the undergraduate and graduate level, he teaches courses related to agricultural business management and applied production analysis. Prior to joining Colorado State University, he gained extensive experience in domestic and international agriculture through work and educational opportunities in Wisconsin, Tennessee, Michigan, Panama, and Ecuador. Bio source: CSU Faculty Directory

Dawn Thilmany

“My applied research and outreach programs focus on the firm, community and sector-level implications of agricultural and food system enterprises.” Read more about Dawn