An inaugural lecture series in tribute to former United States Secretary of Agriculture and Minnesota House of Representatives member Robert ‘Bob’ Bergland commences with an event at the University of Minnesota Crookston on December 5, 2024, encouraging co-creation of new ideas to advance agriculture and rural communities. The first session, called “The Changing Geopolitical Landscape and Opportunities for Agriculture,” will be held from 9-11:30 a.m. in Bede Ballroom, followed by lunch in Brown Dining Hall.
“The Bergland Lecture Series was created to ensure ongoing interaction with all the members of the agriculture ecosystem, and its future-oriented presentations were designed to spark thinking and collaboration,” says U of M Crookston Chancellor Mary Holz-Clause. “While the event is open to the public, individuals are requested to RSVP by December 2 to Chris Winjum at cwinjum@crk.umn.edu.”
At the first event, there will be a tribute to Bob Bergland via video by USDA Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack, followed by a lecture provided by speaker Jacob Shapiro, who is head of Geopolitics and Macro Research at Bespoke and host of “The Jacob Shapiro Podcast.” Shapiro is a consultant to Fortune 500 companies and focuses on how political events affect the American economy with a focus on agriculture and rural economics. Later that morning of the event, a break-out discussion will be held around the future of the agriculture ecosystem.
“The Bergland family is very honored and proud to have this lecture series named after him,” says Bob’s daughter, Diane Dahl.
About Bob Bergland
Bob Bergland was born in Roseau, Minn., and studied agriculture at the University of Minnesota in a two-year program. As a farmer, he became an Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Science official for the Department of Agriculture from 1963-1968. Bergland served as a member of the House of Representatives for Minnesota’s seventh congressional district from 1971 to 1977 and appeared on subcommittees for conservation and credit, and livestock, grains, dairy, and poultry. He served as the United States Secretary of Agriculture from 1977 to 1981 and then became the chairman of Farmland World Trade before serving in roles for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. After retiring in 1994, Bergland was elected by the Minnesota State Legislature to a term on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. Bergland passed away in 2018 at the age of 90.
U of M Crookston’s laboratory building is named after Bergland and was a collaborative effort among U of M Crookston, the Northwest Research and Outreach Center (NWROC), and the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI).
