Kansas State University Master of Agribusiness

10/26/2026

| Meet the Curriculum: AGEC 713: Agribusiness Financial Management

Behind every successful agribusiness are important financial decisions from managing day-to-day operations to evaluating long-term investments.

In AGEC 713, MAB students explore the financial tools and strategies businesses use to evaluate performance, manage resources and make informed decisions.

Taught by Dr. Allen Featherstone, the course covers financial analysis, budgeting, investment evaluation and capital budgeting, with applications to real-world agribusiness decisions and projects.

Dr. Featherstone brings extensive expertise in finance and international teaching experience, helping students understand financial management across different economic and political environments
💡 The takeaway? Understanding the numbers is important. Knowing how to use them to make business decisions is where the real value lies.

10/23/2026

Meet Dr. Vincent Amanor-Boadu, who teaches AGEC 890: Advanced Food and Agribusiness Management, the MAB capstone course that brings together concepts students have developed throughout the program.

Vincent brings an unusual combination of academic and business experience to the classroom. His career has included leading research at an agri-food think tank, helping build Farms.com, advising CEOs and serving on company boards.

Today, his work focuses on entrepreneurship, business development and identifying profitable opportunities for food and agribusiness firms in rapidly changing and uncertain environments — including how businesses can leverage AI while managing its risks.

His approach is decidedly practical. The question behind his work is simple: How do we translate what we're learning into the next market opportunity?

That real-world perspective is a natural fit for a capstone course designed to help MAB students bring finance, economics, marketing, management and strategy together to address the business of agriculture.

10/21/2026

What's Your Agribusiness Superpower? Every agribusiness team has its superheroes.

The Spreadsheet Wizard — can make sense of just about any set of numbers.

The Problem Solver — always has a Plan B (and C).

The Big-Picture Thinker — sees how everything connects.

The Relationship Builder — knows exactly who to call.

Which one sounds most like you? Or are we missing a superpower?

10/19/2026

| Learn From Your Classmates

One of the best parts of MAB isn't a course. It's the people taking it with you.
MAB students come from across food, agriculture, and animal health and bring their own professional experiences into class discussions.

A conversation about strategy, finance or markets becomes even more valuable when you're hearing perspectives from different roles and parts of the industry.

That's learning that goes well beyond the textbook.

10/16/2026

What does the future of agribusiness leadership look like? That's one of the important questions we explored with our MAB Industry Advisory Board this week!

From AI and emerging workforce skills to professional development and industry partnerships, our board members help us look ahead and ensure the K-State Master of Agribusiness program continues to meet the needs of today's agricultural professionals.

We're grateful for the industry leaders who take time out of their busy schedules to share their perspectives, challenge our thinking and help shape the future of MAB.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to the program!

Learn more about our Industry Advisory Board at https://mab.k-state.edu/about/people/advisory-board.html

10/14/2026

You know your job. You understand your industry. But how comfortable are you when the conversation turns to financial statements, budgets, or financial performance?

As you grow in your career, understanding the financial side of business becomes increasingly valuable. Whether you're evaluating performance, contributing to budget discussions, or preparing for your next leadership opportunity, financial knowledge can help you make more informed decisions.

That's why we're excited to offer Foundations of Finance, a 2.5-day, in-person training through the K-State Department of Agricultural Economics and Master of Agribusiness.

This program is designed for professionals who want to build their financial knowledge and develop practical skills they can immediately apply in the workplace.

No finance degree required. Just an opportunity to strengthen your understanding of financial statements, build confidence working with financial information, and become a more effective decision-maker.

📅 January 12–14, 2027
📍 Manhattan, Kansas
💲 $1,750 per participant

Learn more and register:
https://mab.k-state.edu/about/events/executive-education/financial-management.html

Foundations of Financial Management for Agribusiness is a hands-on education program designed to help managers better understand financial information and use it to make stronger business decisions.

10/13/2026

Helping the next generation of farmers get started!

MAB alumnus Jon LaPorte ('22) has been busy helping beginning farmers navigate the many decisions that come with starting an agricultural operation.

As a Farm Business Management Educator with Michigan State University Extension, Jon recently co-led a two-year effort with USDA, MSU Extension and industry partners to develop the Beginning Farmer Resource and Decision-Making Guide.

The guide brings together more than 600 educational resources to help new farmers find information and make informed decisions.

What an incredible resource for beginning farmers and a great example of Extension professionals working together to support agriculture!

Way to go, Jon! 💜

Find the Guide: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/beginning-farmer-resource-and-decision-making-guide

10/09/2026

Meet Dr. Terry Griffin, who teaches AGEC 760: Applied Econometric Analysis in the K-State Master of Agribusiness program.

Griffin's research explores the economics of agricultural technology and how producers make decisions under uncertainty. With experience spanning agronomy, agricultural economics, precision agriculture, Extension and the private sector, he brings an interdisciplinary — and highly applied — perspective to the MAB classroom.

In AGEC 760, that real-world perspective helps students learn how to use data and economic analysis to better understand business problems and inform decision-making.

One skill Griffin especially wants MAB students to develop is the ability to take a complicated, real-world problem, identify the economics behind it and clearly communicate what it means to someone who isn't an economist.
And MAB students bring plenty of real-world problems to the table.

"I enjoy helping students take a problem from their own professional experience and turn it into a question that can actually be analyzed."

That's the kind of learning that happens when business education is built around the industry you work in.

10/07/2026

💜 MAB in the wild! 🚜

When three MAB alumni + one current MAB student all work for CNH, you know an MAB photo has to happen at the Farm Progress Show!

Great to see Joshua Moore ('27), Kendal Quandahl ('17), Scott Schadler ('21) and Jake Maurer ('15) representing both CNH and MAB out in the industry with a pretty fitting backdrop. And apparently the photo was good enough to make the CNH socials, too!

We love seeing the MAB network at work connecting professionals across cohorts, careers and throughout the agriculture industry.

The MAB network goes wherever the business of agriculture takes you.

10/05/2026

| Why a Thesis?

Yes, MAB students complete a thesis but it's probably not the kind you're picturing. It's more of a capstone like a business plan or company-related project.

The MAB professional thesis gives students the opportunity to investigate a real business issue, often connected to their company, career or area of interest.

It's a chance to bring together what you've learned throughout the program and use it to answer a question that matters in the real world.

Practical research. Real-world application.

You can see previous thesis projects at https://mab.k-state.edu/research/theses.html