Contacts:
Alejandro Plastina, 515-294-6160; plastina@iastate.edu
Nathan Cook, Communications, 515-294-3809; nmcook@iastate.edu

May 18, 2021

Ames, Iowa — Farm Foundation announced Alejandro Plastina, Associate Professor of Economics at the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University, as its first Agricultural Economics Fellow.

The Agricultural Economics Fellowship is a new program designed to nurture a promising leader in the field. Plastina will be engaged with Farm Foundation for one year, during which he will have the opportunity to provide thought leadership through publications and speaking appearances, expand his professional network and manage high-visibility projects. He will participate in Farm Foundation programs and events, network with and be mentored by staff in the USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist, and mentor and meet with participants in Farm Foundation’s suite of next generation development programs.
Plastina’s area of specialization is agricultural production and technology, with an emphasis on farm business and financial management. His recent publications have addressed the economics of conservation practices such as cover crops and subfield land-use change from corn-soybean rotations into switchgrass, as well as agricultural productivity analyses.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Plastina as our first Agricultural Economics Fellow,” said Shari Rogge-Fidler, President and CEO at Farm Foundation. “We have a long history with agricultural economists, on our board and in our programming, so this is an exciting extension for us. Dr. Plastina’s academic and practical experience brings great value to Farm Foundation’s programs for stakeholders throughout the food and ag value chain to advance their understanding of the economic issues surrounding critical topics such as sustainable agriculture.”

The Agricultural Economics Fellowship is the latest recognition for Plastina, who also received the ISU Office of the President Excellence in Remote Instruction Award in 2021; the ISU Extension and Outreach Creativity in Service to All Iowans Award in 2020; the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association Distinguished Extension Program Award in 2019; the ISU ANR Programming Innovation Award in 2018; and the ISU Extension and Outreach Impacting Iowa Award in 2014. He holds a Master of Science in Statistics and a doctorate in Agricultural Economics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.