He grew up on a crop and livestock farm in northeastern Iowa and received his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Iowa State University. His research is primarily in commodity marketing and information systems, including assessing the economic impacts of traceability in supply chains, and the development and use of contracts in supply chain management, in addition to other areas. Recent scholarly achievements involved a multi-year project with the National Pork Board to evaluate the value of the Latino pork market and to create case-study examples of value added enterprises in pork production.

Buhr has been recognized for his work with key agri-business leaders to evaluate the economic value of animal agriculture in Minnesota. As a result of his research findings, a statewide task force headed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture was commissioned to improve the economic potential for animal agriculture in Minnesota.  

He's also known for his role as the undergraduate major coordinator for the Agricultural and Food Business Management major. In 2007, he was recognized with the CFANS Distinguished Teaching Award.

Buhr succeeds Robert King as department head. In that role, King has been a promoter of excellence in research, innovator of interdisciplinary graduate programs, recruiter of high-quality students, and champion of public engagement. He will continue to teach and conduct research in the department.