About Us

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About the Center

The Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF) at the University of Missouri launched in March 2022. We at RaFF are closely aligned with our sister organization, the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri (FAPRI-MU).

We provide objective policy analysis and inform decision-makers on issues affecting farm and rural finances. To do this work, we produce farm income projections for states and regions that are consistent with each other. Cooperation with participating states brings local expertise to enhance model design and estimates.

The resulting structural economic models can estimate the financial implications of weather events, proposed legislation, technological change and other shocks that make a difference in regional financial outcomes. Decision-makers then use our analysis as they form policies meant to support farm and rural economies throughout the U.S.

Contributors

Our contributors dedicate time to the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center because they are passionate about economic modeling, objective policy analysis and rural and farm well-being.

Many RaFF contributors are located at the University of Missouri — and tied closely to FAPRI-MU. We also seek collaboration from farm and rural finance experts in other states and regions. The coordinated multistate effort allows RaFF to collect the localized perspective it needs to customize economic models and policy analysis to states and regions across the U.S.

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Alejandro Plastina

Director

aplastina@missouri.edu 

Dr. Plastina is the director of the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF) at the University of Missouri. Plastina joined the Division of Applied Social Sciences (DASS) faculty as an associate professor within the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) at the University of Missouri.

Plastina was an extension economist in the Department of Economics at Iowa State University for a decade. He is a senior fellow at the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy, and a Gamma Sigma Delta (the Honor Society of Agriculture) faculty member. His specialization is on agricultural production and technology, emphasizing farm business and financial management.

He was voted as chair-elect of the Agricultural and Finance Management (AFM) Section of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association for 2024-25.

Before joining Iowa State University, Plastina was a senior economist at the International Cotton Advisory Committee in Washington, D.C. He completed his graduate education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with an M.S. in Statistics (2005) and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics (2007).

“Dr. Plastina will strengthen DASS in the area of agricultural finance and will provide leadership to one of the important centers in the division,” said Harvey James, DASS division director.

“I am excited about Dr. Plastina’s arrival as he will lead and grow RaFF into a nationally recognized center in the area of agricultural finance and will provide Congress with a new focus on the regional effects of agricultural policy,” said CAFNR Vice Chancellor and Dean Christopher Daubert.

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Kyra Palange

Senior Research Associate

kpalange@missouri.edu

Kyra Palange is a part-time Senior Research Associate with the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF), where she conducts research in agricultural economics, leads data visualization efforts on State Farm Income Outlooks, and partners with collaborating institutions.

Prior to joining RaFF in 2023, Kyra spent several years in the Farm Credit system, where she conducted a variety of analytical work on topics including portfolio risk, credit concentration, and market research. She also brings considerable experience in data visualization as a business intelligence developer.

She has a B.S. in Economics and an M.S. in Applied Economics and Statistics, both from Clemson University. Her master’s research focused on the socioeconomic impact of broadband in rural Appalachia. Her research interests include farm finance, farm policy analysis, and the relationship between agriculture and rural community and economic development.

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Danyelle Chinn

Research Analyst

danyellehigh@missouri.edu

Danyelle is a Research Analyst at the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF), where she leads the annual Outlook on Agriculture report. She conducts research in agricultural economics, focusing on livestock programs, and contributes to various other research projects and outreach activities.

Danyelle began her career at the Missouri Department of Agriculture, where she served as the Legislative Director and worked to pass various pieces of legislation for Missouri’s agricultural industry. Danyelle joined the RaFF team as a Research Analyst in June 2023, conducting research on agricultural data, evaluating how it affects the economy and agricultural industry, communicating with stakeholders, and developing agricultural reports.   

Danyelle holds a BS in Agribusiness Management – Public Policy and is currently working on a MS in Agricultural and Applied Economics, both from the University of Missouri.

Danyelle has several years of experience in agricultural policy, working within the Missouri State Capitol for over 3 years and continues to work with Missouri’s stakeholders and producers on key agricultural issues and current economic situations. Raised on a cow-calf operation, Danyelle remains involved in production agriculture, as she farms alongside her husband on the family’s cow-calf, hog, and row crop operation. Danyelle received the Missouri 30 under 30 Award, served as the Missouri Representative for the National Governor’s Association Agriculture Advisor’s Policy Network, and served on the Missouri Agriculture, Food and Forestry Innovation Center’s Board of Directors.

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Oranuch Wongpiyabovorn

Senior Research Associate

owongpiyabovorn@missouri.edu

Oranuch is a Senior Research Associate with the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF) at the University of Missouri. Her main research areas are related to farm management and conservation practices.

Prior to joining the RaFF team in January 2025, Oranuch was a postdoctoral research associate in the Ness School of Management and Economics at South Dakota State University, where she conducted research on the adoption of conservation practices in crop and livestock production. Before working at South Dakota State University, she was a postdoctoral research associate in the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University. She earned a Ph.D. In Economics from Iowa State University in 2023. In addition, she holds a B. Econ and M.A. in Economics from Thammasat University in Thailand.

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Tayatorn Pongspikul

Postdoctoral Fellow

tkpongspikul@missouri.edu

Tayatorn is a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF) at the University of Missouri. Her work focuses primarily on agricultural policies and farm programs pertaining to crop production.

Tayatorn joined the RaFF team in January 2025. Previously, she was an instructor at the University of Missouri’s Division of Applied Social Sciences, where she taught the Environmental Economics and Policy course. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in economics, both from the University of Missouri. In 2024, she earned a PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri, where her research focused on water resources and technology adoption.

FAPRI-MU & RaFF contributors:

RaFF would like to acknowledge the integral modeling work completed by Dr. John Kruse and Dr. Bob Maltsbarger, and the leadership of the center’s first director, Dr. Sarah Low.

We are supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Chief Economist, under Agreement #58-0111-21-009. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in RaFF materials and publications are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.