An active and ardent alum

Talk about a “Golden” (and very, very busy) Gopher! When it comes to supporting the U of M, CFANS alumnus Pat Duncanson, BA ‘83 agricultural business administration, certainly merits a gold medal. Over the four decades since he graduated from CFANS (where he was a part of FarmHouse Fraternity and the Agricultural Business Club) Duncanson has shared countless hours of time, talent, and treasure with his beloved alma mater.

Currently the chair of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association (UMAA) Board of Directors (and UMAA life member), he previously served as president of the CFANS Alumni Society Board of Directors. Duncanson grew up as a Minnesota farm kid and today is the CEO, CFO, and a partner at Highland Family Farms, a diversified farming operation headquartered in Mapleton, Minnesota. “I’ve spent most of my career as a partner at our fifth generation family farm, which has grown quality grains, vegetables, and meat for more than 30 years,” he said. The business has a triple bottom line approach to managing production that includes economic, community, and environmental sustainability.

Most recently, Duncanson served on the search committee for the new U of M President, Rebecca Cunningham, who begins on July 1. His role in selecting University leadership also includes serving as past chair of the Regent Candidate Advisory Council, and he is a past chair of Minnesota 201, UMAA’s advocacy network that strives to strengthen the U of M’s relationship with the 201 legislators that represent districts across Minnesota. He also represents the U of M with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities as a delegate on the Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET).

Duncanson is an avid Gopher fan whose hobbies include winemaking and travel, and his favorite U of M memory is the Greek Week Olympics. Thank you Pat, for being the consummate U of M and CFANS leader and champion!

Interested in a career using economic concepts and management tools to effectively identify, analyze, and solve management problems for both small and large companies? Learn more about studying agricultural and food business management.