Speakers

Kim Bremmer

Kim Bremmer is a mother of two, graduate of UW-Madison and was a dairy nutrition consultant for almost 15 years. She started Ag Inspirations in 2015 and has been advocating for farmers as a professional speaker, traveling across the country as well as internationally. She is passionate about protecting the use of science, technology and innovation in how we grow and raise food. Her mission is to inspire farmers to speak up, connect people to where their food comes from, and represent the great success of American agriculture today. Kim is also the Executive Director of Venture Dairy Cooperative, a new third-party milk verification co-op, where she advocates on policy to help protect farmers and promote the future of dairy in Wisconsin. She serves on the Executive Advisory Counsel for the American Dairy Coalition, is the President of Wisconsin Women for Agriculture, Secretary of American Agri-Women and a regular contributor on Rural Route Radio. She is on the board of directors for her county Farm Bureau and her latest adventure is her recent election to the local school board. Kim is a vocal champion of agriculture everywhere she goes...from the grocery store to the airport. 

Richard Brock

Richard Brock is Owner and President of Brock Associates, an agricultural marketing advisory service, and publisher of The Brock Report, a 20-page weekly fundamental and technical newsletter. Brock's firm, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, now has seven offices, manages grain sales on more than 800,000 acres throughout the U.S. and is an advisor on purchasing strategies for many large poultry, pork, dairy and food companies. Brock is on retainer with several agri-business firms for his input on strategic planning. Brock writes a monthly column for Delta Farm Press and Feedstuffs magazines and speaks at more than 50 conventions and conferences per year. Brock grew up on the family grain and pork farm in central Indiana. Brock received his bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University and his master’s degree from Cornell University. Brock and his wife, Cathy, have three grown children and eight grandchildren.

Gregg Doud 

Gregg Doud is the Vice President of Global Situational Awareness & Chief Economist for Aimport Research. Prior to joining Aimpoint Research, Doud served in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative as Chief Agricultural Negotiator with the rank of U.S. Ambassador. He was one of the primary architects of the U.S.-China "Phase One" trade agreement. Doud has previously served as President of the Commodity Markets Council. As a senior staff member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Doud helped craft the 2012 Senate Farm Bill working on international trade, food aid, livestock, and oversight of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Doud served as Chief Economist for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association for eight years and is a former market analyst for the U.S. Wheat Associates. Raised on a dry-land wheat, grain sorghum, soybean, swine, and cow-calf operation near Mankato in North-Central Kansas, Doud continues to be involved in his family’s 100-year-old farm and is a partner in a commercial cow-calf operation. He received a B.S. in Agriculture with an emphasis in animal science, as well as a M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Kansas State University. He currently resides with his family on their horse farm in Lothian, Maryland.

Temple Grandin 

Dr. Grandin is a designer of livestock handling facilities and a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. Facilities she has designed are located in the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries. In North America, almost half of the cattle are handled in a center track restrainer system that she designed for meat plants. Curved chute and race systems she has designed for cattle are used worldwide and her writings on the flight zone and other principles of grazing animal behavior have helped many people to reduce stress on their animals during handling. She has also developed an objective scoring system for assessing handling of cattle and pigs at meat plants. This scoring system is being used by many large corporations to improve animal welfare. Other areas of research are: cattle temperament, environmental enrichment for pigs, reducing dark cutters and bruises, bull fertility, training procedures, and effective stunning methods for cattle and pigs at meat plants. She obtained her B.A. at Franklin Pierce College and her M.S. in Animal Science at Arizona State University. Dr. Grandin received her Ph.D in Animal Science from the University of Illinois in 1989. 

Cassandra Jones

Dr. Cassandra (Cassie) Jones is the Undergraduate Research Coordinator in the Department of Animal Sciences & Industry at Kansas State University. Jones coordinates undergraduate students interested in research projects across disciplines and species. Dr. Jones teaches ASI 561: Undergraduate Research in Animal Sciences & Industry and ASI 318: Fundamentals of Nutrition. Jones' research efforts include evaluating the effects of ingredients or feed processing technologies on feed safety and animal nutrition. Jones is originally from Beulah, N.D., where her family raised Rambouillet sheep. Jones is formally trained as an applied swine nutritionist. Jones and her husband, Spencer, have three children, Ty, Hayden, and Hadley, and raise Angus cattle near Wamego.

Joseph Kerns

Joseph Kerns, President of Kerns and Associates, has 25 years’ experience working with producers, suppliers and mills to support agricultural operations. Kerns and his team assist clients with procurement and risk management activities related to hedging, ingredient purchase, optimizing relationships with mills, developing programs to assist in feed quality control, cost effective diet formulation, operational benchmarking, livestock marketing, generational transition and business development. In his current enterprise as a risk management consultant, Kerns and his team work with livestock producers and suppliers in 13 states. Clients include packers, producers, veterinarians, researchers, mill operators and feed ingredient suppliers. Team members have also served as keynote speakers for international agricultural agencies and suppliers, providing context about commodity markets, nutritional factors impacting production, and operational sustainability, leadership and ownership. Prior to this consulting venture, Kerns directed risk management activities for industry leaders such as ADM, Premium Standard Farms, Continental Grain and Iowa Select Farms.

Eric Mittenthal

Eric Mittenthal is the chief strategy officer at the North American Meat Institute (NAMI), previously serving as the organization’s vice president of public affairs since 2012. Mittenthal leads the Meat Institute’s sustainability initiatives and also focuses on developing communications to bust myths on the role of meat in the diet and how meat is produced. Mittenthal joined NAMI from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) where he worked closely with dietitians and led IFIC’s efforts in communicating with journalists and influencers. Mittenthal moved to Washington D.C. following a career as a television reporter and producer in several markets around the country including Atlanta, Jacksonville, NC and Idaho Falls, ID. Mittenthal graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and also received a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, VA.

 Dan Rooney 

Dan Rooney is a Major in the Air Force Reserve and a decorated military aviator, two-time recipient of the Top Gun award and was honored with the Spirit of Attack award as a top graduate of F-16 training. Maj. Rooney has received many decorations to include the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Medal, Anti-terrorism Medal, Combat Readiness Medal and Air Expeditionary Medal. Maj. Rooney continues to fly fighters as an aggressor pilot in the 301st Fighter Squadron at Eglin AFB in Destin Florida. Maj. Rooney is the founder of the Folds of Honor, a F-16 Fighter Pilot with 3 combat tours in Iraq, and a PGA Golf Professional. He founded The Patriot Golf Club, American Dunes Golf Club, and is the author of A Patriot’s Calling—Living Life between Fear and Faith. Maj. Rooney was the motivational team speaker for two US Ryder Cup teams. This is an honor often reserved for U.S. Presidents. From humble beginnings above his garage, Maj. Rooney started the non-profit Folds of Honor. Its singular mission is to provide educational scholarships to the spouses and children of wounded or killed military service members.