Union Farmer - October 2022

Rail part of discussion at fly-in

In the middle of September, we had our annual National Farmers Union fly-in. This year was especially important, as we have been working on a Fairness for Farmers campaign to lower the impact of monopolistic practices. This is a huge challenge. Farmers, ranchers and consumers are being impacted by record profits in integrated systems owned by only a few companies.

The fly-in was also a time to begin dialogue on the 2023 Farm Bill and work to expand the use of renewable fuels, including ethanol, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel. The importance of tying renewable fuels dialogue to the farm bill is necessary. We can lower the cost of the farm bill by creating real demand for our commodities, raise prices and lower the cost of farm programs. Farms would get their income from the market.

I could spend all day talking about all the concerns we addressed at the fly-in, but there is one area that needs continued focus. That is dealing with aspects surrounding transportation, specifically related to rail. We are all aware of the high rates and the lack of cars and shipping containers we face in North Dakota. We are also aware we are captive shippers. Many times, to ship a pound of product from North Dakota to the coast, compared to an equal distance in areas where they have many shippers, costs us substantially more per pound.

The challenge exists because of market concentration. We basically are down to four

shippers that ship 95% of all commodities in the U.S. They do not overlap territory in very many locations and certainly not in North Dakota.

The rail industry is regulated by the Surface Transportation Board (STB). The STB reviews cases and complaints to determine the impact on captive shippers and if the rail system is treating all shippers fairly and equitably. We also have antitrust laws that if held to the standards of their intent would have limited railroad buyouts and takeovers many years ago. We are faced with challenges today due to decades of ignoring the impact of fewer and fewer rail companies.

Our efforts to draw attention to rail issues appears to be bearing more fruit. The STB has been using outdated matrixes to make determinations and when they make determinations, their solution to allow other rail companies to access lines to create competition have not been effective.

In meeting with the STB, they indicated they are developing a new matrix that will compare shipping rates from across the nation. The current matrices only look at shipping rates within the region where a railroad may service the same accounts. The new matrix will determine the variances due to captive shippers compared to locations where there are competitive markets with many railroads. If they discover abuse, they can then allow other railroads to access lines or fine the current rail at levels to force them into compliance.

NDFU members meet with officials in Washington D.C.

WASHINGTON — Over 250 Farmers Union members including 20 from North Dakota traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for family farmers and ranchers Sept. 12-14.

North Dakota Farmers Union brought producers face to face with officials from USDA and other departments. In his introductory remarks to Farmers Union members, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said, “In many respects, National Farmers Union has been the architect and the designer of the work we are doing in this administration in terms of farm country and in terms of agriculture.”

NDFU also met with the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division to address lack of competition in agriculture.

“Competition in agriculture is critical. Too often, farmers and livestock producers have too few suppliers to buy from and too few buyers to sell to. Farmers and their families work incredibly hard and deserve to see the fruits of their labor and the American dream,” said

Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division in an official press release. “Protecting competition and the rule of law in agricultural markets is core to the work of the Antitrust Division, and we will vigorously enforce the antitrust laws in this area.”

NDFU members also took part in a congressional briefing that involved the House Agriculture Committee’s staff and leadership, and a meeting with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

NDFU members addressed rail rates, shipping concerns and labor issues with the Surface Transportation Board and met with Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer, and Rep. Kelly Armstrong to discuss ag concentration in the marketplace and biofuels.

A long tradition of NFU fly-ins, NDFU members also went office to office to meet with congressional members and staff to discuss issues in agriculture.

NDFU members Shelly Ziesch of Pettibone (left) and Shane Sickler of Gladstone (middle) listen to a question about conservation from Nadia Cortez of Rep. Elaine Luria’s office (Va.) during the National Farmers Union fly-in to Washington, D.C.

FROM LEFT: NDFU members Don, Sheila and Mary Rude of Tolna, and Crystal and Jim Hotovec of Pettibone participated in the fly-in as part of NDFU’s Farmers Union Enterprises Leadership program.

Sen. John Hoeven meets with NDFU members in the prestigious Senate Ag Committee room, where farm bills are often debated.

USDA Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack addresses Farmers Union members during the first day of the NFU fly-in in the USDA auditorium.

Sen. Kevin Cramer talks about rail issues with NDFU members in his senate office at the NFU fly-in.

Rep. Kelly Armstrong (right) takes a question from NDFU President Mark Watne (middle) while David Kuntz of Elgin looks on.

TURNING 30

Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives celebrates 30 years of training North Dakota’s cooperative workforce

In the early 1990s, the cooperative community recognized the need to make sure the important work done by North Dakota State University agriculture economics professor David Cobia carried on through generations.

At the time, Cobia had already authored a book, “Cooperatives in Agriculture.” And with the significant

role that cooperatives play in North Dakota’s agriculture sector, making sure college students had an option to keep that tradition going was integral.

In October 1992, the Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives (QBCC) was born, named after North Dakota’s longtime senator and advocate for agriculture who had passed the month prior at 84.

Story by Chris Aarhus, NDFU

QUENTIN BURDICK, U.S. SENATOR

The center is named for Quentin Burdick, one of the longest serving senators in American history. Burdick, who served North Dakotans for a year in the House of Representatives before a 32-year tenure in the Senate, was an advocate for the cooperative movement and for agriculture. Former NDFU President Alan Bergman said Burdick knew about the center. He died in September 1992 at age 84, one month prior to the center’s official announcement.

The center is housed on the campus of North Dakota State University in Fargo. QBCC Director Frayne Olson said the goal of the center was to ensure North Dakota was making an investment in the future of its more-than 500 cooperatives.

“The original idea was to make sure that university level education on cooperatives was maintained,” Olson said. “They also wanted to make sure there was a research program focused on cooperatives.”

The center is turning 30 this month — Co-op Month — and a celebration is being held Oct. 22 at the North Dakota Farmers Union state office in Jamestown. The event is free, but registration is required.

NDFU President Mark Watne serves as chair of the QBCC’s advisory board, a 15-member committee that also includes cooperative heavy-hitters CHS, CoBank, American Crystal Sugar, Land O’ Lakes and the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives.

Watne said the center is driven by the commitment to cooperatives from these organizations.

“Farmers Union and a number of organizations saw that we had a system already to train employees on cooperatives, but we didn’t have a system that fully trained college students on the cooperative business model,” Watne said. “We wanted to provide an option to those students getting a business degree. It’s really a way to help our cooperative system and get people to understand that model.”

North Dakota Farmers Union was on the

ground floor, contributing $10,000 to the startup.

Former NDFU President Alan Bergman said attempts to shift it away from North Dakota were met with resistance by NDFU and other stakeholders, though he added everyone was mostly on the same page regarding its mission.

“The governance of this needed to reside in North Dakota,” he said. “College students going out into the business world are going to be faced with a lot of choices. And if they’re going to work for our cooperatives, it would be best if they were already trained for it. The Burdick Center was formed at the right time.”

The establishment of the center put North Dakota on par with cooperative development in other states. The Missouri Institute of Cooperatives (University of Missouri), Iowa Institute for Co-ops (Iowa State) and the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives were already doing work in this area for their respective states. The Nebraska Cooperative Development Center (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) followed suit in the late 1990s. The QBCC covers co-ops in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota.

“There were already similar centers in other states,” Olson said. “So the idea was that these states are such a hotbed for co-ops, we really needed to maintain that information and education.”

Cobia served as the center’s first director, with Olson as his assistant.

COVER PHOTO

A commercial hauler is loading out while four farm trucks wait in the background to unload at the Urbana Farmers Union Elevator in the spring of 1977.

TOP LEFT

Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives Director Frayne Olson discusses growth strategies at the center’s capstone training July 27 in Medora.

CONTINUED

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After leaving NDSU to get his doctorate, Olson eventually returned to the center as its director in 2016, taking over for Greg McKee, who is now at the University of Nebraska.

Raising the profile of the center and improving education have been two of Olson’s priorities.

The center has an executive education committee made up of NDFU and other likeminded organizations and cooperatives to help plan events that include director training. Among those events are cooperative executive trainings.

“So in trying to raise the visibility of the center by talking to co-op leaders in the area, one of the things that came up pretty loud and clear was what I’m calling, ‘executive education,’” Olson said. “It started as director trainings, but we take a little broader approach.”

The foundation level is entry-level training that focuses on the duties of directors.

“These are the core things you need to understand to do your job as a director,’” Olson said. “It’s about roles and responsibilities.”

The second tier, or enhanced-level training, focuses on problems that often plague

cooperatives.

“Some of it’s about core financial issues like income allocation decisions or equity redemption decisions,” Olson said. “The board has to make these decisions as a whole, so they need to understand the implications.”

For more experienced directors and managers looking to dive deeper into complex problems, the center has a capstone training, which is limited in attendance to encourage a more engaging experience among smaller groups. The topic for 2022’s capstone training was growth strategies, but Olson said it changes each year.

“For that, we encourage managers to come with,” he said. “That’s the one everybody seems to have the most interest in, because we do try and tackle those really tough things that are going on right now. There’s peer-to-peer learning where two participants exchange ideas about how they’ve each dealt with a particular problem. We try to provide that framework, but we don’t have all the answers. So, it’s the exchange of perspectives that’s really where the education occurs.”

The center also hosts a conference every two years that brings together cooperative leaders

NDFU President Alan Bergman (second from right) presents a $10,000 check to Dr. David Cobia of the Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives (second from left) in August of 1993 at the NDFU state office in Jamestown. Also pictured is NDSU Assistant Dean of Agriculture Don Anderson (left), Farmers Union Insurance General Manager Odean Olson (middle) and NDFU District Director Ron Dahlen (right).

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30th Anniversary Celebration!

Join the Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives for our 30th Anniversary!! We will be having Too Old to Stand and a Dinner celebrating the work of the Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives and all of those who have helped us along the way!

October 22, 2022

5 pm Social • 6 pm Dinner

North Dakota Farmers Union Headquarters Conference Room 1415 12th Ave SE Jamestown, ND 58401

This event is FREE. Registration is required for the food count. REGISTRATION LINK: https://agext-northdakotastate-ndus. nbsstore.net/quentin-burdick-center-forcooperatives-30th-anniversary

from across the country to speak about common issues among all cooperatives.

“It’s not industry-specific,” Olson said. “It’s people from the farm credit system, rural electrics, broadband and ag community all in the same room because they share a lot of common members and common problems.”

Keeping cooperatives strong in the Upper Midwest is a primary goal for the center. And it’s

accomplishing that by educating their governance and future workforce.

“Nobody’s born with this knowledge,” Olson said. “It all has to be learned. … The world is getting more complex. The co-ops are getting larger. The decisions made now have bigger implications. There might be less people serving on co-op boards now, but the weight of their decisions is 10 times larger.”

OCTOBER IS CO-OP MONTH!

North Dakota Farmers Union wants to say thank you to the following cooperatives for checking dues and supporting cooperative learning by paying educational funds. We appreciate your support!

Allied Energy of Edgeley

Arrowwood Prairie Co-op of Wimbledon

Central Dakota Frontier Co-op of Napoleon

CHS Sunprairie of Minot

Enerbase Cooperative of Minot

Farmers Union Oil of Berthold

Farmers Union Oil of Beulah

Farmers Union Oil of Devils Lake

Farmers Union Oil of Ellendale

Farmers Union Oil of Embden

Farmers Union Oil of Garrison

Farmers Union Oil of Glen Ullin

Farmers Union Oil of Hazen

Farmers Union Oil of Hope

Farmers Union Oil of Jamestown

Farmers Union Oil of Kenmare

Farmers Union Oil of Pettibone

Farmers Union Oil of Portland

Farmers Union Oil of Selfridge

Farmers Union Oil of S. Valley in Fairmount

Farmers Union Oil of Tolna

Farmers Union Oil of Watford City

Farmers Union Oil of Willow City

Farmers Union Oil of Wilton

Farmers Union Oil of York

Fessenden Co-op Association

Horizon Resources of Williston

Legacy Cooperative of Bisbee

Mott Equity Exchange

North Star Cooperative of Cavalier

Petro Serve USA of West Fargo

Pinnacle of Stanley

ProPoint Cooperative of Bowman

Ray Farmers Union Elevator

Tri-Energy of Bismarck

Walhalla Oil Co-op Company

Western Choice Cooperative of Killdeer

NOTE: Co-ops listed have paid educational funds or checked dues at least once in the past two years.

ENERBASE CO-OP IN MINOT

VOTER GUIDE

Both rural and urban North Dakotans overwhelmingly agree that farming is central to the North Dakota way of life. Family farmers are essential to North Dakota’s economy and communities.

As the largest grassroots organization that represents family farmers and ranchers, North Dakota Farmers Union urges its members to ask their candidates about their views of family farm agriculture, and to support family farms with their vote in November.

This year, the general election is Nov. 8. All North Dakota voting information may be accessed through vote.nd.gov. Valid identification is required at voting time.

North Dakota does not have voter registration. However, in order to vote in North Dakota, you must be:

• A U.S. citizen

• At least 18 years old on the day of election

• A North Dakota resident

• A precinct resident for 30 days preceding the election

Many counties also allow for early voting. Dates and availability differ by county. To find your local voting place and times, go to vote.nd.gov and click on where to vote or contact your local county courthouse.

All eligible North Dakotans have the option to request a ballot before the day of an election in a process known as absentee voting. An application is required to be submitted anytime within the calendar year of an election. For more information or to access the application, go to vote.nd.gov and click on Absentee/Mail Ballot Application.

BALLOT MEASURES

In the November election, North Dakotans will also be voting on recreational measure and term limits. Below is the recommendations from North Dakota Farmers Union:

RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA*

Would allow for the production, processing, and sale of cannabis and the possession and use of various forms of cannabis by individuals who are 21 years of age and older, within limitations as to location; direct a state entity to regulate and register adult-use cannabis production businesses, dispensaries, and their agents; permit an individual to possess a limited amount of cannabis product; provide protections, limitations, penalties, and employer rights relating to use of cannabis products; and provide that fees are to be appropriated for administration of the chapter.

Vote NO8

TERM LIMITS**

Would limit the governor to serving two terms. It would limit state legislators to serving eight years in the state House and eight years in the state Senate. A member of the state House or state Senate could not serve a term or remaining portion of a term if it would cause the legislator to have served a cumulative time of more than eight years in the chamber. The measure would only apply to individuals elected after approval of the amendment, if it is approved by voters. The measure would provide that the provisions of the amendment can only be amended by citizen initiative petitions and not by the state legislature.

*Per NDFU Policy: “We oppose term limitations because they are a limitation on the rights of citizens to choose and elect their public officials.” (Page 77, Lines w1-2)

NO

NDFU recommendation

**Per NDFU Policy, “We oppose legalization of recreational marijuana.” (Page 82, Line 7)

U.S. SENATE

JOHN HOEVEN Republican

The existing farm safety net has proven inadequate in the face of extreme market volatility over the last few years. As a result, farmers have been forced to rely on ad hoc relief. As the 2023 Farm Bill debate gets underway, what are your priorities for strengthening the farm safety net?

HOEVEN: Every American, every single day, benefits from good farm policy. That’s why as a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, crafting a robust, longterm farm bill is a top priority of mine.

Getting the next farm bill right is more important than ever. Events in recent years, including Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, have reminded us that food security is national security. The farm bill isn’t just about supporting farmers and ranchers – it’s about ensuring our domestic food supply remains resilient, affordable and safe.

A key part of the farm bill is a strong farm safety net, which provides a foundation for our farmers and ranchers to confidently produce the food, fuel and fiber our nation depends on. Programs like Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) provide support to farmers when prices fall and pull back that support when prices rise. This model provides the assistance farmers need during tough times while spending taxpayer dollars responsibly.

Unfortunately, the prices these programs are based on – known as reference prices – have not kept pace with today’s cost of production. I believe reference prices should be raised to keep these programs relevant and ensure they effectively fulfill their role as the foundation of the safety net.

At the same time, I remain committed to protecting and improving crop insurance – the number one risk management tool for producers. This includes improvements to livestock risk management products to make them more affordable and accessible for ranchers.

CHRISTIANSEN: The extreme market volatility is due in part to controllable and uncontrollable events. We need to reduce the impact of avoidable events like Trade Wars. We also need to address the uncontrollable like the impacts of extreme weather events that affect calving and planting and harvesting. The tools I would support employing are modernizing subsidies and indemnity programs. The Farm Bill’s Livestock Indemnity Program can be updated to provide for faster relief and update calculations to account for extreme weather events that can cripple operations. We also need to fund breeding

programs that lead to more sustainable and robust crop varieties that can use water more efficiently as water availability becomes an issue for growers.

We need to modernize CRP payments and grazing rules to be in line with new knowledge about CRP productivity, carbon sequestration and grazing. We also need to pay farmers for experimentally adopting new cropping techniques like co-cropping as that will serve to conserve topsoil and increase organic material in the soil which is good for plants and the planet.

BECKER: As the 2023 Farm Bill shapes up over the next many months, it’s important to balance a variety of concerns. We must resist climate change policies that the Biden administration is keen to add, which will inevitably hurt farmers. Instead, food security must be at the forefront of any broader policy discussion. This is also a good time to get back to reforming the nutrition programs in Title IV, such as reducing fraud and increasing work requirements for SNAP benefits. Finally, I would like to see policies that reduce barriers to entry for young and new farmers. I believe we can achieve a better distribution of USDA farm subsidies than the current situation of the wealthiest 10% of farmers receiving 66% of all subsidies. Agriculture supply chain issues are a tremendous concern. The largest supply chain constraint has been labor, whether in the transportation, equipment manufacturing, or other input production industries. We can greatly improve this through various policies such as removing onerous trucking and CDL requirements, and avoiding a repeat of the failed policy of giving American citizens a monthly stipend to stay at home, rather than go to work. There are innumerable opportunities to mitigate other supply chain issues, ranging from lifting EPA restrictions on pesticide availability, to clamping down on cyber attacks on grain elevators from China and other bad actors.

KATRINA CHRISTIANSEN Democrat-NPL

RICK BECKER Independent

Supply chain issues, market concentration and global conflicts have all contributed to skyrocketing input costs for producers. What will you do to address the rising cost of fertilizer and other key inputs?

CHRISTIANSEN: We need to address the harmful volatility of farm input costs through litigation against price fixing inputs and price fixing by buyers, funding innovation to replace costly fertilizers or pesticides, and breeding to increase nitrogen use efficiency in corn and wheat. CRISPR technology has been employed widely in biomedical research to improve human life, we should work to use CRISPR to improve plant genetics so crops are more resistant to disease and drought and require fewer inputs during the growing season. The breeding needs to occur so that technology and seeds are in the public domain and not one or two companies make loads of money at the expense of everyone else. We also need to look at diversifying the energy production sector. Diesel is a valuable fuel for farmers and so we need to focus on innovating and supporting energy sector transformations that keep diesel costs low for farmers. We should also use Extension service and USDA producer grants to help reduce the energy and water intensive unit operations on a farm to lower input costs and help the producer capture a larger margin.

HOEVEN: Rising input costs present a real challenge for our farmers. First and foremost, the Biden Administration must remove the handcuffs on our domestic energy producers and allow them to harness our abundant energy reserves.

In the Senate, I’ve worked to push back on the Administration’s burdensome regulations. This includes introducing legislation to increase domestic production by permitting important infrastructure projects, like the Keystone XL Pipeline, along with removing regulatory barriers and red tape. Increasing our domestic energy production would lower the costs of energy-intensive inputs, like fertilizer and diesel fuel, that our farmers rely on.

BECKER: The skyrocketing cost of fertilizer is a major concern. It has been coming down the last couple months, and I hope that trend will continue, however, there are many things that can be done to help now, and to prevent a repeat situation in the future. The most obvious is to reduce the cost of energy. We know that natural gas, electricity, and other energy factors represent a significant cost in the production of fertilizer. The global warming, ESG policies imposed by the Biden administration have absolutely hamstrung our domestic energy producers, forcing energy costs to be needlessly high. We must fight back against these crippling policies. Other things that can be done include efforts to modify sanctions on Belarus to allow an increase in potash supply, to move away from anti-dumping lawsuit-derived tariffs on phosphate imports to lower those prices, and to increase fertilizer production in the U.S., reversing the trend of fewer and bigger merged production facilities.

Finally, we need to stop spending money we don’t have, because it hurts ALL Americans, including farmers.

TAX COMMISSIONER

Brian Kroshus is the Republican nominee for North Dakota tax commissioner. He is running unopposed. Prior to being appointed tax commissioner by Gov. Doug Burgum in January 2022, he served as a North Dakota Public Service Commissioner. He was appointed to the Public Service Commission in March 2017 by Burgum, elected by the voters in 2018 and reelected in 2020. Brian has an extensive background in business, agriculture, and energy.

BRIAN KROSHUS Republican

U.S. HOUSE

The existing farm safety net has proven inadequate in the face of extreme market volatility over the last few years. As a result, farmers have been forced to rely on ad hoc relief. As the 2023 Farm Bill debate gets underway, what are your priorities for strengthening the farm safety net?

ARMSTRONG: In the upcoming Farm Bill, we need to protect commodity programs and ensure crop insurance remains strong. Producers deserve programs that provide certainty when times are tough and accurately reflect the market. Programs must be responsive to producers’ needs and not just reactive. The pandemic and recent marketplace volatility have taught us that producers need flexibility to help meet their needs.

MUND: The 2023 Farm Bill comes at a time of major challenges for North Dakota farmers and ranchers, many of whom have faced supply chain disruptions and experienced an increased surge in production costs, including the increase for fuel, transportation, and production materials. As the 2023 Farm Bill debate gets underway, it is essential that we protect our North Dakota farmers and ranchers by strengthening the farm safety net.

As your sole representative in the U.S. House, I will strengthen the farm safety net in three ways. First, I will work to reauthorize and reinforce the various 2018 Farm Bill programs that compose of our already existing food production safety nets, including commodity support programs, the federal crop insurance program, and permanent disaster assistance programs. Second, I will support protecting and strengthening crop insurance and will oppose cuts that could jeopardize the capability of the federal government and the private insurance industry to deliver effective risk protection to our North Dakota farmers and ranchers. Third, I will advocate for enhanced assistance for small and medium-sized farms, specialty crops, conservation, and rural development. As an Independent, I will put the needs of our North Dakota farmers and ranchers above the agenda of a political party.

Supply chain issues, market concentration and global conflicts have all contributed to skyrocketing input costs for producers. What will you do to address the rising cost of fertilizer and other key inputs?

MUND: Since 2018, our North Dakota farmers and ranchers have experienced the economic impacts of a trade war with China, marketing and supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic, the effects of the war in Ukraine, historic weather events, and now extreme volatility in commodity and input markets. Although the 2018 Farm Bill included crop insurance and farm commodity programs, these programs did not account for the immense strain from sky-high input prices, including fertilizer, seed, and fuel.

As an Independent eager to ground the rising costs of key inputs, I will address the issue in two ways. First, I will advocate for two changes to two USDA safety nets: the Price Loss Coverage and Agriculture Risk Incentive programs. Both programs need to increase their reference prices to adjust for inflation. Second, I will advocate for investing more in domestic fertilizer production and other key inputs to lower costs and boost availability for our North Dakota farmers so they can obtain the inputs they need at prices they can afford to maximize yields. It’s time we have a representative that puts party politics aside and upholds and supports the hard work of our North Dakota farmers and ranchers.

ARMSTRONG: Global demand for commodities is rising. So is the price of everything from fertilizer to fuel. The first thing we need to do is untangle complicated supply chains. We must increase access by removing barriers to investment and bringing the supply chains closer to producers. Doing this will help control soaring costs and give farmers and ranchers more certainty in the marketplace.

Another action is tile back unfriendly regulatory actions in which federal agencies make it harder for producers to feed and fuel the world. As an example, the EPA has long worked to limit critical and safely used agricultural chemicals. Its latest effort is to stop the herbicide Atrazine, which is important for corn production. Reducing or limiting access to proven and safe products will do nothing to help the producer or the consumer.

The world is going to need more calories in the future and North Dakota is well positioned to provide them. Our producers have the knowledge and dedication required to meet these demands, and we should empower them to do so.

KELLY ARMSTRONG Republican

CARA MUND Independent

AG COMMISSIONER

One of North Dakota Farmers Union’s top priorities is supporting value-added opportunities for family farmers and ranchers. As agriculture commissioner, what will you do to promote expansion of meat processing, renewable fuels, fertilizer production and other value-added projects?

GOEHRING: I believe developing tools or supporting infrastructure projects that can assist the industry in a specific way can facilitate the creation or expansion of value added operations.

At the beginning of the pandemic we were able to utilize federal funds and create the meat processing grant program. It provided up to 75% cost share for equipment that could help increase efficiencies and create more capacity for a processor to better serve the consumer. We documented an improvement of efficiency by 230% in North Dakota’s facilities. The program was such a success that federal government took the program and implemented it nationally. The same thing has happened with our charitable food organization grant and the emergency feed transportation, both have been adopted and implemented at the national level. What a great testament to North Dakota.

DOOLEY: A. The expansion of meat processing. More grain-processing endeavors, like that proposed by Fufeng, are needed. Wet milling North Dakota corn is a value-add proposition as it creates the opportunity for more livestock.

Assuming our nation’s intelligence services determine there is zero risk of foreign interference in our nation’s security, I firmly believe North Dakota ought to encourage foreign investments like that proposed by Fufeng.

Nobody should confuse foreign investment in grain processing (or auto factories) with the purchase of North Dakota farmland by foreigners.

The proposed processing plant, or other enterprises like it, could be a valuable break-thru. The production of Dry Residual Grains (DRGs) will open opportunities for additional and larger Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). I support carefully designed, and properly located CAFOs for in-state meat processing.

I am confident our next generation CAFOs will, if aided by comprehensive planning and state-of-the-art controls, be as free of noxious odors and other potential environmental problems, as are our coal-fired power plants.

Department of Environmental Quality and our universities both are needed, backed by the financial resources of the Bank of North Dakota.

B. Expansion of use of renewable fuels: Our Universities and the Bank of North Dakota must be engaged.

C. Expansion of fertilizer production: I support farm management plans to

entrain carbon in soils and reduced uses of fertilizers.

D. Expansion of other value-added projects: North Dakota ought to again, as it was in the homesteading era, be more engaged in recruiting workers and immigrant families from other nations’ farm and ranch communities. Expansion of many programs will be more likely to succeed if we recruit not only workers but whole families of multiple backgrounds.

I support a Restoration Economy utilizing the best available technology and modern soil science to revive North Dakota’s Dead Lands. See http://www. revivethedeadlands.org.

Remediation takes time, as experts estimate that restoring maximum soil productivity will take 5 to 10 years with jobs lasting at least until after the last oil well is plugged.

After accumulating 70 years of Salt Contaminated Lands, the value of the estates of thousands of ND surface owners have been destroyed, no longer worthy of ag credit.

North Dakota’s rural grocery stores are going out of business at an alarming rate. In the last year, many North Dakota schools have faced food and milk shortages. What more should the state do to improve food distribution in rural communities?

DOOLEY: We ought to exempt them from taxes as if non-profits and allow local sales of unpasteurized milk to willing rural buyers. Small specialty dairies should be allowed to sell to buyers who are allowed to pick up or receive daily deliveries of unpasteurized milk. The buyers would be required to sign waivers. Food distribution to customers in rural communities would be improved under this plan.

Also, grants and low-interest loans to grocery cooperatives.

GOEHRING: Steps have been taken to rearrange distribution for milk to our schools. We can still consider regional hubs for distribution of milk and other grocery items for small town restaurants, grocery stores, nursing homes and long-term care facilities. This may help alleviate some concerns for distribution. Product could be picked up by businesses and organizations as well as encouraging use of food lockers and delivery services in some smaller rural communities. At the beginning of the pandemic we did develop the Charitable Food Organization Grant program (CFOG). It helped add refrigeration and freezer capacity as well as dehydrators that could be purchased by grocery stores, senior citizen centers and churches providing services to the elderly and socially disadvantaged in our small communities. Our grocers and organizations were able to stock more food and provide better services. The federal government adopted our program and is running but many have told us that it is very complicated and burdensome for grocers and organizations to apply.

DOUG GOEHRING Republican

FINTAN DOOLEY Democrat-NPL

ATTORNEY GENERAL

DREW WRIGLEY Republican

The Attorney General is the state’s top law enforcement officer. How will you ensure that the AG’s office is enforcing the law in a fair and transparent manner?

WRIGLEY: Equality under the law is a central pillar of our justice system, a guiding principle throughout my many years as a prosecutor in state and federal courts. As Attorney General of North Dakota, I serve as the chief law enforcement officer for the state. I have continued my decades-long practice of remaining accessible, transparent, and accountable. Law enforcement work is scrutinized by courts as well as by the public and the media. That scrutiny helps serve as a “check and balance” against improper actions of those who enforce our laws. However, that system only works if prosecutors and law enforcement officials embrace public scrutiny of their work, and that has been my unwavering practice.

In addition to being accessible, transparent, and accountable, it is also critically important to work collaboratively with a diverse array of stakeholders throughout the criminal justice system. This collaboration helps to ensure that the decision making process includes multiple perspectives and views. I critically test all assumptions, thoroughly scrutinize all information and evidence available, while applying the objective decision making skills honed across the thousands of investigations and prosecutions I have undertaken and overseen. Fairness and equality under the law will always guide my work, and I will remain a tireless advocate for justice.

LAMB: The Attorney General’s duties and responsibilities are set by statutory law. Among the duties, the AG oversees consumer protection, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, open records laws, and antitrust laws. I view the job as non-partisan, not political.

As a 20-year Army officer veteran, 15-year member of the Grand Forks School Board, with a law degree and Master’s in business, I understand what fair and transparent means. It means being open and honest with enforcing the laws of the state. The AG should not bend to the whims of political clout. Rather, the AG must fully investigate the facts, research the law, and apply the law to the given set of facts regarding the issue.

I will apply this standard if elected as your Attorney General. That means a special prosecutor would be appointed to investigate the deleted e-mails in the AG’s office, the issue of Bill Gates buying huge amounts of farmland would be turned over to the courts to ascertain whether the state’s anti-corporation law was violated, and land owners’ rights would be protected against big oil exploitation in any form. That’s being fair and transparent.

North Dakota Farmers Union is concerned by growing market concentration in food and agribusiness sectors. The Attorney General oversees the state’s antitrust laws. What will you do to protect North Dakotans from monopolistic practices?

LAMB: In these times, our country, along with the rest of the world, is experiencing an inflationary period. Inflation has not been a concern for many years. Yet, corporate profits are at an all-time high. This begs the question whether big business is using the market climate to artificially inflate food prices higher than the production costs. Thus, leaving farmers and ranchers behind.

Under Century Code sect. 54-12-17, the Attorney General’s office is mandated to maintain a consumer protection and antitrust division. The director of this division is charged with the responsibility of fully investigating any activity that may violate consumer fraud and/or antitrust laws (or monopolistic practices).

If, for example, there is evidence of corporate monopolies – who control the meat industry –manipulating of the market causing higher prices for consumers and disadvantaging farmers, this should be investigated. I will do that.

The goal is for increased competition in the meatprocessing industry. We need transparency and competition in livestock markets. Consolidation of the industry has had a negative impact on rural farmers and ranchers by reducing market options and shrinking power in the marketplace.

As your Attorney General, I will focus my attention on ensuring that the AG’s office is protecting the marketplace to ensure economic opportunity and fairness for farmers and ranchers.

WRIGLEY: North Dakota is a world leader in production agriculture, research, and innovation. The wide diversity of our producers and innovators has predominantly fueled the robust advancements that North Dakota proudly leads, decade after decade. I have been honored to lead agriculture trade missions all over the globe, with family farm representatives seeking overseas markets for our homegrown commodities. The world markets are hungry for the high quality, dependable, safe, and nutritious products our private farm and ranch operations produce in North Dakota. Our laws wisely protect against undue concentration, and I will work to ensure that we provide the protections that our Legislature has enacted. North Dakota’s productivity, community strength, and agricultural leadership are no accident, and I will work to maintain the even playing field for our producers.

TIMOTHY LAMB Dem-NPL

SECRETARY OF STATE

North Dakota’s election process has recently been under a microscope. What will you do to reassure North Dakotans that our elections are secure, while protecting all citizens’ right to vote?

POWELL: I would argue it’s not North Dakota’s election process that is being scrutinized, it’s other states’. We don’t have voter registration in North Dakota –Republicans in other states have selectively purged voting rolls to advantage themselves. We have non-partisan auditors leading bipartisan canvassing boards in each of our 53 counties, and while Republicans in other states are trying to do away with those, no serious proposal here has been made to take electoral power from the people. The advantage to electing a voting official – the key voting official in the state – from ‘the other party’ is I won’t be influenced by Burgum’s money or the power of the leaders in the legislature and other parts of the government.

I did my doctoral dissertation on voting rights and political participation and ensuring a working democracy is something I can stand on for thirty years. I stand alone as a Secretary of State candidate in espousing the value of democracy so clearly and as consistently. If you can vote for the person, rather than the party, and if you want to preserve democracy, it’s pretty clear I am the only reasonable choice for Secretary of State.

HOWE: In North Dakota we have seen very little in the way of voter fraud. That’s a credit to the citizens in each county that run our elections and a credit to the legislature for enacting safeguards that ensure the integrity of our elections, such as our voter ID law. In today’s political climate there are questions abound about the election process all over the United States. Some of that is a result of not being familiar with North Dakota’s election process. North Dakota’s election laws and processes differ from the other 49 states. Working alongside our counties, the Secretary of State’s Office will be open and transparent as to how we conduct our state’s elections. Online education seminars, public service announcements, engaging voters to view election machines and demonstrating in public the behind-thescenes process of vote counting will reassure North Dakotans that your vote is being counted accurately, securely, and in a fair manner.

If you are a United States citizen, a resident of the state of North Dakota, and are 18 years of age or older, I contend that North Dakota is the easiest place in the country to cast your vote.

You have said one of your priorities is to modernize the secretary of state’s office. What will you do to streamline processes, and how will those changes benefit farmers, ranchers and small businesses?

HOWE: Farmers and ranchers were our state’s first entrepreneurs and have always led the way with innovation and technology. In 2022 our ag producers are more tech savvy than ever, and they expect to utilize those advancements with their interactions with government. Improving on a mobile friendly and user-friendly website and application to file, register, and renew their business license is one way the office can help. The business of farming is often conducted on the go and having the ability to easily conduct licensing and registration on their mobile devices from the tractor, pickup, or car is expected of state government.

POWELL: There are three questions here, and there’s one thing I want to add first. Being a part of a union – and I am – preserves one’s individual power to call upon your sisters and brothers when you need support. Farmers Union or a professional or labor union – same protection. I’m running against a guy who is too, too wrapped up in the MAGA stuff to think about your individual rights. I’m running against a guy who represents the corporate side of farming. I will see things through your eyes in a way my competitors will not.

I am frequently told the FirstStop changes to the Secretary of State website have made the site better but the rest of the website is cumbersome and antiquated. I work with software and implement software in my current role and it makes no sense to vote for someone who doesn’t work with software platforms before they become Secretary of State. I’m running against two guys who … struggle with Facebook, let alone have a map to improving the state government’s web presence. Better access to information is better for farmers, for ranchers, for all citizens, and my skill set is significantly better than the other two guys.

JEFFREY POWELL Dem-NPL

MICHAEL HOWE Republican

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER

SHERI HAUGEN-HOFFART Republican

North Dakota has an extensive network of pipelines to transport oil, gas and other hazardous liquids. That authority also includes carbon dioxide pipelines. What will you do to ensure that all pipelines within the state are operated safely?

HAUGEN-HOFFART: As for direct safety oversite, this would be the Commission’s Pipeline Safety Program. First thing to note about the program is that the Commission does not ensure ALL pipelines within the state are operated safely. We have assumed safety responsibility from PHMSA for intrastate transmission, gathering, and distribution pipelines for natural gas, propane, other gases, and liquified natural gas. The program does not have safety oversite over pipelines which transport any other commodities (i.e. ammonia, crude oil, gasoline, petroleum products, and CO2) at this point. The Commission employs three Pipeline Safety Inspectors who are tasked with conducting inspections in accordance with various parts of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). These inspections, audits, and investigations are conducted in-person and remotely and at various time intervals and focus on different CFR areas that pipeline operators must adhere to for the safety and integrity of the public, their own employees, and their facilities.

Also, through the One-Call Damage prevention program, the Commission responds to complaints of potential violations of the North Dakota One-Call Notification System Law and if a violation is found, levies a penalty against the offending party. One-Call law not only protects all pipelines, but all underground/ buried facilities. The Commission does education and outreach of the One-Call/Damage Prevention program through billboard campaigns, 811 day at the state fair, and participates in the One-Call Board meetings to strongly encourage, call before you dig.

HAMMER: The first thing I would do to ensure safe operation of pipelines within North Dakota is vote “No” on any application for the Summit Carbon Solutions Midwest Carbon Express pipeline to operate as a common carrier/public utility with the power to take land by eminent domain. I would continue to be a “no” until the North Dakota State Legislature acts to take that option off the table for projects such as this that are so obviously not public utilities and have no public use.

In traveling around the state, and particularly in those places where the pipeline would run, most residents I have talked to are either against the project entirely or are dissatisfied with Summit Carbon Solutions’ treatment of landowners. Rural North Dakotans in the pipeline’s path report deception regarding the status of leases on their neighbors’ land, unwillingness on Summit Carbon Solutions’ part to adjust the pipeline’s route to make it less disruptive or destructive to incomeproducing agricultural land, and insinuations that the

company expects to be able to exercise eminent domain in the future. To me, this indicates a level of institutional hubris incompatible with a strong safety culture.

North Dakotans opposed to the project are not antiethanol or anti-agriculture. Some grow corn that would likely make its way to one of the ethanol plants. They are citizens who need the Public Service Commission to look out for their interests.

Of course, the Midwest Carbon Express would be one of many pipelines in North Dakota. As a Public Service Commissioner, I would work to ensure a robust safety audit and inspection program and would vote for meaningful consequences for pipeline safety violations.

North Dakota is currently experiencing a rail car shortage. As a Public Service Commissioner, how will you ensure that farmers and ranchers have access to affordable and reliable rail service?

HAMMER: In conjunction with the Federal Rail Administration, the Public Service Commission implements a Railroad Safety Program to help ensure safe operation and prevent accidents, injuries, and equipment failures on more than 3,000 miles of railway within the state. In the short term, the current rail car and railroad workforce shortages and the beginning of the harvest season make an effective rail safety program even more critical for North Dakota agriculture.

Without the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, many of these difficulties would not exist, but we cannot operate as if it were a once-in-a-lifetime event. Longterm, more value-added ag processing in North Dakota would insulate us from the effects of future supply chain shortages and fluctuating energy industry demand for rail service.

HAUGEN-HOFFART: Currently, there is no rail car shortage. As harvest ramps up it will be important to monitor service metrics and performance. Through the annual rail stakeholder meeting the PSC helps hold railroads of all sizes accountable for their service, bringing the operating railroads, commodity groups and customers together. Additionally, the PSC’s Railroad Safety Program helps provide reliable rail service to farmers and ranchers through cooperating with the FRA to conduct mechanical and track inspections for safety and reliability of operations in the state. I support the continuation of these efforts that ultimately benefit farmers and ranchers and will continue to work with railroads and all transportation partners to get the state’s agricultural commodities to markets.

TRYGVE HAMMER Democrat-NPL

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER

JULIE FEDORCHAK Republican

North Dakota has an extensive network of pipelines to transport oil, gas and other hazardous liquids. That authority also includes carbon dioxide pipelines. What will you do to ensure that all pipelines within the state are operated safely?

FEDORCHAK: Safe pipelines are a shared responsibility between industry as well as several state and federal agencies. Most importantly, it begins with proper planning, permitting and construction. The PSC oversees that process on transmission pipelines through our site permitting. We thoroughly review company plans, consult with two dozen state, federal and tribal agencies, hold public hearings and ultimately seek to designate a site that minimizes public impact. After permitting, we oversee the construction process through third party inspectors. Our oversight primarily focuses on minimizing environmental impacts, good construction and effective reclamation. PHMSA is responsible for ongoing safety oversight of interstate hazardous liquid transmission lines. Pipelines are essential to our modern life and are the best, most effective, most environmentally sound way to transport liquids. In my role as a Public Service Commissioner I work to hold companies to high standards for treating the land through which pipelines travel and the landowners who own it with great respect.

North Dakota is currently experiencing a rail car shortage. As a Public Service Commissioner, how will you ensure that farmers and ranchers have access to affordable and reliable rail service?

FEDORCHAK: The PSC was originally created as the Railroad Commission with the expressed purpose of regulating railroads. Overtime, that responsibility has been transferred by law to the FRA in the name of interstate commerce. We do have some remaining tools to leverage for the benefit of citizens. I helped create and oversee a state rail safety program aimed at reducing derailments that endanger the public and slow down traffic. We also have the ability to intervene on behalf of aggrieved producers with the STB. We have pursued that angle on occasion when other efforts fail. Most frequently we leverage our contacts and relationships with the railroads to solve congestion and service issues and implore them to provide quality service. We hold an annual stakeholder meeting between producer groups, elevators and railroads to discuss service and safety issues, and work with stakeholders throughout the year to address additional problems.

MELANIE MONIZ Democrat-NPL

NOTE: Melanie Moniz did not respond to Farmers Union’s questionaire.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza returns to ND

With a recent positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in North Dakota, North Dakota State University Extension specialists continue to encourage biosecurity practices for bird owners of all sizes and around wild birds.

“While we hoped there would not be a resurgence of HPAI this fall, we knew this was a possibility,” said Gerald Stokka, NDSU Extension veterinarian and livestock stewardship specialist. “We encourage poultry owners of all sizes to continue biosecurity measures to protect your birds.”

“HPAI is not a food safety concern for consumers,” said Miranda Meehan, NDSU Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist. “Poultry testing positive for HPAI are

prohibited by law from entering the marketplace.”

One of the first clinical signs for a bird is sudden, unexplained death. Most HPAI cases are reporting a decline in water consumption up to 72 hours prior to the unexplained death. Decreased egg production and depression in layers may be another sign that birds are not feeling well. Purple or dry combs, being quieter than normal, frequent laying down and swelling around eyes are other symptoms birds may experience. Chickens and turkeys are most susceptible to HPAI. Waterfowl such as geese and ducks carry the virus and spread it to other birds.

“The best defense against HPAI is having a biosecurity plan in place,” said Mary Keena, NDSU Extension livestock environmental management specialist. “A biosecurity plan is

critical in protecting your birds. It is your job as a flock owner to create a line of separation between your clean flock and the potential unclean issues that wildlife or visitors may bring.”

NDSU Extension specialists have developed tips for reducing transmission of HPAI.

To reduce transmission between wild and domestic birds:

• If possible, keep poultry housed until the risk for transmission has decreased. Non-lethal methods to deter wild birds are available on the USDA wildlife damage at aphis.usda.gov.

• Reduce the attractiveness for wild birds to stop at your place by cleaning up litter and spilled feed around your domestic poultry housing.

• If you come in contact with or handle wild birds, change into clean clothes, wash your hands and disinfect your footwear prior to contact with domestic birds.

• Report sick or deceased wild birds.

In the event you need to handle or dispose of carcasses to reduce potential interactions, be sure to follow the appropriate procedures: ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-hub/ highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza.

To reduce transmission between domestic

flocks:

• Keep your distance. Restrict access to your property and your birds. Allow contact from people who care for your birds but minimize visitors.

• Do not haul disease home. If you have been near other poultry or poultry owners, such as at feed stores, clean and disinfect car and truck tires. New birds should be kept separate from your flock for at least 30 days.

• Do not borrow disease from your neighbor. Do not share lawn and garden equipment, tools or poultry supplies with your neighbor or other poultry owners.

To reduce transmission within wild birds, you may consider pausing the use of bird feeders and baths which encourage birds to gather together.

Report sick or deceased wild birds to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department at https:// gf.nd.gov/wildlife/diseases/mortality-report. Wild bird avian influenza questions can be directed to 701-328-6300. Report sick domestic birds to your local veterinarian or the North Dakota State Board of Animal Health at 701-328-2655.

Article courtesy of NDSU Ag Communications

What’s happening around the state

Emmons County Farmers Union’s Acacia Stuckle, right, and a few helping hands are all smiles during the Sept. 9 Farmer Share tailgating event in Linton.

LaMoure County Farmers Union President Ron Van Bruggen with his wife Gayann of Litchville hold their granddaughter at the grand opening of the Butcher’s Edge on Sept. 7. LCFU served burgers, potato salad and beans to attendees. Ron announced his retirement as board president during their board meeting.

NDFU’s children’s book was featured in the Minot Library’s Stroll through the Park display in Oak Park.

Eddy County Farmers Union donated $500 to the Community Ambulance Service of New Rockford through NDFU’s Community Stewards program, which was used for their Lifesavers in the Park event. The event featured food, booths, ambulance tours and a dunking booth for kids.

County events calendar

OCT. 19

Williams County Fall Festival Festival at the Williston Eleven restaurant meeting room. 5:30 p.m. registration with 6 p.m. meal.

OCT. 20

Grant County Fall Festival

OCT. 21

CLARIFICATION

The ice cream social at the Morton County Fairgrounds in the September issue was co-sponsored by Morton County and Sioux County Farmers Unions.

Grant County Farmers Union President Ryan Petrick stands next to a gate, which GFCU donated to the Grant County Fair.

ABOVE: Richland County Farmers Union hosted a Hops ‘n Brats member ship event this summer at the Black Pelican in Wyndmere. Admission was a donation to the Richland-Wilkin Emergency Food Pantry building fund. After sampling several varieties of brats, members enjoyed a brat meal and bever age. The event was co-hosted by FUI agent Kyle DeVries of Wahpeton.

BELOW: Richland County Farmers Union President Carmen Mahler presents a $500 NDFU Community Stewards donation to Sharon Bladow, the manager of the Richland Wilkin Emergency Food pantry. RCFU matched it with a $500 donation.

Sioux County Fall Festival

OCT. 24

Burleigh County Fall Festival Festival at the Tumbleweed Bar and Grill in Lincoln. Registration at 5:30 p.m. with supper and meeting to start at 6 p.m.

OCT. 25

Logan County Fall Festival Festival at the Downtowner in Napoleon.

Emmons County Fall Festival Festival at Linton Community Center at 7 p.m. Appetizers will be served.

OCT. 30

Dunn County Farmers Union Fall Festival Festival at New Hradec

NOV. 6

Towner County Fall Festival

NOV. 6

McLean County Fall Festival Festival in Turtle Lake. Details TBA.

NOV. 14

Dickey County Fall Festival Festival at Dickey County Fairgrounds. A German supper is being served at 5:30 p.m. with meeting at 6:30 p.m.

Oliver County Fall Festival Festival at Center Senior Center.

NOV. 15

Mercer County Fall Festival Festival at Beulah Civic Center.

NOV. 20

LaMoure County Fall Festival Festival at LaMoure Omega Room at 6 p.m.

Founding Farmers employees fill backpacks

BY FARMERS RESTAURANT GROUP

It’s that magical time of year across the Washington, D.C., area, Maryland and Virginia for children and their parents: back-to-school. With it, comes the rush to gather all the necessary school supplies.

Back to school shopping can get expensive very quickly, and it can be a struggle to get kids all the supplies they need, which is why Farmers Restaurant Group has been working to help provide school supplies for children of our fellow team members.

It all started at MoCo’s Founding Farmers. Five years ago, Assistant General Manager Maddie Valenzuela wanted to help her team members by providing school essentials for their kids.

“We try to do fun and supportive stuff for our team throughout the year,” said Maddie. “The backpacks are an exciting initiative for everybody. The kids love it, their parents are beyond appreciative, and the backpack team loves helping with the gathering and the packing. It’s my absolute favorite time of year for our team.”

In recent years, Maddie has been helping to expand this program to more of our restaurants, including Founding Farmers DC, Founding Farmers Tysons, and Farmers Fishers Bakers. With parentapproved packing lists in hand, team members spend the weeks leading up to the first day of classes shopping for everything from pencils to water bottles. After gathering all the materials, we form assembly lines to fill backpacks to the brim with hopefully all the school supplies needed to get off to a great start.

Across our company, our purpose every day is to grow and sustain our team with safe and supportive work environments, as well as opportunities for continued growth and learning. For us, job satisfaction and mental wellness are essential to success for the individual employee and the entire company. Our backpack program is one way to show our gratitude for our team and our support for their families.

Farmers Restaurant Group is the company that manages the seven restaurants owned by North Dakota Farmers Union.

CLASSIFIEDS

Ads must be submitted through the online form at www.ndfu.org. Click “Classifieds” at the very bottom of ndfu.org and fill out the online form. Ads must be re-submitted each month. No exceptions! Deadline is the 15th of every month. Limit 75 words.

MEMBERSHIP DUES MUST BE CURRENT!

FARM EQUIPMENT

FOR SALE

BALE STACKER, New Holland 1002 square bale stacker, for parts or fixer upper $900; Double 9 ft. Rowse mower, new Holland heads, reconditioned $8900; 6 wheel Vicon rake, all new wheels reconditioned $1900; 1 ton tote bags, $12 each; New Holland 456 9 ft. mower reconditioned $3500. Can deliver any of these items. Neurro grain vac 1000 PTO, works great $2900; Laymen chain mover ready to go $1900. 701-400-5742, Gerald Miller, Mandan.

ROCK PICKER, Haybuster L-106. Updated reel, stored inside. Could send pictures. $7,500 obo. 701-640-8675, Dennis Foertsch, Wyndmere.

TRACTOR, M IH with 250 dual loader bucket ext and grapple; 60’ Doepker drag with kovar sec; 5-14 JD plow; 10’ side delivery rake; 16’ JD CC cult; 16’ JD chisel plow; small bale loader. 701-968-3786, Bryan Knutt, Rocklake.

TANKS, 550 gallon fuel tank w/ stand; 400 gal fuel tank with stand, price negotiable; 40 bushel metal creep feeder, $200; Horse evener; Neck yoke; Grain wagon 90 bushel, wheels in good condition. 701-3664605, Arlen Larson, Willow City.

44 MASSEY-HARRIS tractor, 1951. 701741-9656, Leland Ophaug, Grand Forks.

15-30 MCCORMICK TRACTOR, new tire LT245-75R-Load Range E., David Bradley metal grain box, like new. 2 pair of cowboy boots, size 6 ½ to small, like new $40. 1905 JD Metal corn sheller, 4-wheel steel running gear, 1 covered wagon running gear, saddle and 2 bridles. Email: larryn@ westriv.com. 701-548-8020, Larry Nagel, Shields.

TIRES, two 8.25x20 truck tires. Great condition. 701-771-8653, Kenny Heilman, Rugby.

JOHN DEERE DRILL, two 8 foot sections. Fertilizer attachment; John Deere 5010 complete with cab, chains, and snow plow. 1963 Mercury Body, good glass and sliding back window. Also 1975 Dodge truck with grain box and hoist. A 2010 Dodge Ram in excellent condition, low mileage. Mary Knutson, 701-263-4345. 701-263-4345, Mary Knutson, Dunseith.

BALER, JD 510 for parts or repair, $300; 5 rolls plastic twine, 15 each. 701-852-1150, Arthur Oen, Minot.

ENGINE PARTS for L/LA Case tractor. Set of sleeves and pistons with good rods and new rings $200, cylinder heads. DC Case parts tractor and engine parts. Farmall H parts tractor, runs but smokes. Good magneto, manifold, carb and starter, no tires. $250. Super H combine engine complete but stuck $100, or reasonable offers. 218-779-2274, James Tangen, Northwood.

SNOW BLOWER, 8 ft, 3pt hitch, tractor mount; Wire winder; Side mirrors from a junked truck or pickup. 701-483-4825, Richard Jablonsky, Dickinson.

CULTIVATOR, used Koehn 8 row 30” adjustable Danish tine row crop cultivator, depth wheels, 3 pt. hitch, sway discs, stand. $300 or OBO, extra tines available. 701-659-8238, Glen Nagel, Jamestown.

DRILL, 42 foot John Deere 1060 air disc drill with 787 cart. Works well to spread fertilizer. $4000; Have a new air fan - 1/2 price; 12 foot rock rake; Sized rocks for give away for landscape. 701-983-4445, John Flemmer, Golden Valley.

DISCS, 12 ft tandem, 12 ft single discs; 220 welder; fishing motor electric. 701270-0184, Harold Severson, Lakota.

TRACTORS, D17 Allis Chalmers, Allis WD45, have not been run for two years; C-600 tilt-cab Ford truck, runs. 701-8784994, Denis Tibor, Hebron.

AUGER, Farm King 60 ft side delivery; Macdon pulltype swather, needs a little work; Blumhart sprayer for parts; Cenex 2200 bushel bin, would have to move; Brandt auger with gas engine. 701-2631206, Lathan Romsos, Bottineau.

BOURGAULT knock on cultivator sweeps & spikes; Used Case IH 8230 feeder chain; combine pickup guards/lifters; 2 steel bins on cones w/aeration fans; 3 triangular grain auger hoppers w/straps/ chains to fasten onto grain auger; old front tine rototiller; Simer water pump; farm scale/steel wheels; used 16” JD cultivator shovels/spikes; wooden dog house on skids; John Blue anhydrous nitrolator w/ hyd shut off/hoses. 701-629-9003, Doug Halden, Stanley.

TRACTOR/MOWER, H International Tractor with Woods 306 belly mower: 582 special International Cub Cadet with mower. 701-587-5091, Virgil Sheggerud, Northwood.

IH TRACTOR, 1941 International H Schwartz wide front axle with Dual loader good condition. Gasoline tank cleaned; new carburetor kit with pet cock repaired, distributor repaired, ignition redone. 701663-7973, Chris Heim, Mandan.

JOHN DEERE DRILL, two 8 foot press drills with hitch and grass seeder boxes, model LL166. $400. Call or text. 701-3513305, Arne Berg, Devils Lake.

WANTED

FENCE HELP, want to hire somebody to build a 3-barb wire fence with steel posts immediately. Email: larryn@westriv.com. 701-548-8020, Larry Nagel, Shields.

AUTO FOLD, for a 70 ft Summers drag. 701-771-8653, Kenny Heilman, Rugby.

CHICKEN COOP. Prefer one that’s usable and/or repairable. Will pick up if located in ND. 701-974-3644, Loren Myran, Taylor.

TRACTORS, IH 806 on up; JDs 5010, 5020, 6030; MM 950s on up. Olivers 1964 on up. AC 200, 210, 220, D-19, others. Will buy running or not. 701-628-2130, Jerry Lumley, Stanley.

PLOW, Ford 154 or White 598 plow with 6 or 7 bottoms; Leon chisel plow; Morris M10 grain drill or drills; 10 ft. Melroe solid spoke gang packer. Lloyd Giese, Steele, ND. 701-226-4055, Lloyd Giese, Steele.

MISCELLANEOUS

FOR SALE

BUDWEISER COLLECTION. Limited edition beer cans. Seal unbroken. Mugs, vest, signs, etc. Other collectibles available also including Stihl calendars, hub caps and numerous other items. 701-263-4345, Mary Knutson, Dunseith.

TELEPHONE BOOTH, 1950’s style, rare pre-aluminum style, steel and glass construction with rare gable roof. Restored dual traffic signal light, three colored lights have glass lens, not plastic, pole has been cut down so this free standing dual traffic control unit will fit in a regular height garage. Pennzoil cast iron base for a lollipop sign that would have been used at a gas station. 701-220-5746, Val Ganje, Bismarck.

LUND BOAT, 14 ft with floor in it, 15 hp motor, electric start, with heavy duty trailer with spare tire, Stored inside, very nice. 701-246-3469/701-720-1483, Vernon Hochstetler, Rolette.

WANTED

PRAIRIE DOG HUNTERS to come & hunt on my land. Make reservations now. Email: larryn@westriv.com. 701-548-8020, Larry Nagel, Shields.

OLD STUFF, advertising signs GAS, OIL, SODA, TRACTORS, or ND license plates, ND Indian head road signs. Crocks, Jugs, Bean pots that have small town store names advertising on them. ND picked arrowheads, ND small town metal trade tokens. Anything else that’s old and interesting like thermometers or clocks that have advertising on them. Old gas pumps, old animal traps. 701-220-5746, Val Ganje Bismarck.

FOR SALE

TEFF GRASS, wrapped round bales, put up with no rain, 1300 to 1400 pounds per bale, $80. 701-430-0197/701-430-1139, Ronnie Braaten, Hatton.

HAY BALES, 100 round bales, 1,200 pounds. $55 each, price negotiable. 701320-6019, David Mutschler, Wimbledon.

UPLAND HAY, 100 plus bales, baled with 569 JD baler, net wrap. 701-720-1483, Randy Hochstetler, Rolette.

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION

of

mortgages or other securities.

11. Known bondholders, mortgages and other security holders owning or holding one percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None

Tax status has not changed during preceding 12 months.

title:

Union Union

1, 2022

CONVENTION NOTICE FOR NORTH DAKOTA FARMERS UNION

To All Members: Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union of America, North Dakota Division.

Pursuant to Article III. Section 2, of the Bylaws of this Association, you are hereby notified that the 96th annual State Convention of the Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union of America, North Dakota Division, is being held at the Bismarck Event Center, Bismarck, North Dakota, Dec. 9-10, 2022. Official business at 9:30 a.m., Dec. 9, 2022

Mark Watne, President

ATTEST: Wes Niederman, Secretary

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF AGRARIA MUTUAL GROUP

Policyholders of Farmers Union Insurance Company are members of Agraria Mutual Group and are hereby notified that the annual meeting is being held at the Bismarck Event Center, Bismarck, ND, Dec. 9-10, 2022. Official business begins at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 9.

Mark Watne, President

ATTEST: Kristi Schlosser Carlson, Secretary

1415 12th Ave SE PO Box 2136 Jamestown, ND 58402

Collette Tours Presents Christmas on the Danube Nov. 27 - Dec. 5, 2022

Take a timeless trip down the Danube and experience holiday cheer in Vienna, Passau, Regensburg, Nuremberg and more. Go to gateway.gocollette.com/link/1086453 for trip details. This is a travel opportunity offered through Farmers Union Travel.

Educational and Cooperative Union of America, ND Division

Trip powered by Farmers Union Travel