$2.00 Single Copy
Theborderlandpress.com
Friday, October 28, 2022
PICTURE PERFECT:
In this Issue:
Helicopter landing zone and safety course held Page 2 Langdon Research Extension Center explores new crops Page 3 It’s Sara Goodman’s birthday month! Page 4 Community band plans holiday concert Page 5 Hoople holds first Tater Town Days Page 7 Legislative reports Page 11 State cross country Page B15 Langdon’s Duke Klein has ticket booth named in his honor Page B16 Views from the Borderland Page B20
Index:
News Agriculture Opinion Community Education Region Church/Obituaries Classifieds Public Notices & Meeting Minutes Sports
Page A2 Page A3 Page A4 Page A5 Page A6 Page A7 Page A8 Page A9 Pages A10-A13 Pages B1-B6
Volume 1, Number 42
Langdon photographer wins honor in Governor’s Photo Contest by Borderland Press Staff
Wildlife photographer Lisa Buchweitz of Langdon was recently honored with a win in the Governor’s Photo Contest. Buchweitz has entered the contest in years past, but this year she took home top honors in the wildlife category with her entry titled “Catch of the Day.” Buchweitz captured her award-winning photo at the end of April when North Dakota’s northeastern counties had plenty of excess water due to spring flooding. “The picture that they chose was a blue heron that had nabbed a northern pike, and it was something that I’m sure will never happen again in my life. I had seen this blue heron, and I love those birds; they’re a great, big, beautiful bird,” Buchweitz said. “I was just watching him, and all of a sudden, he nabbed that pike, and it was just amazing, and he struggled with it. It was a lot larger than what they normally would catch. And so I happened to be at the right spot at the right time.” The winning photograph Buchweitz entered will be used in promotional materials by North Dakota Tourism. It will be on display in Bismarck and may be displayed in different areas. Buchweitz estimates she took 80 shots of the bird in order to capture such a moment. She said that’s not unusual. If she goes out to gather photos, she may shoot 500-600 photos in a three to four hour timeframe. In 2017 Buchweitz was a wildlife category runner up in the Governor’s Photo Contest and in 2019 she won the wildlife category and also runner up with two different photos, and she won best of show for a photo of an eagle.
Her dedication to documenting the beauty that nature has to offer started a year after her husband passed away.
from that day on, I just went for more drives, and you notice more things the more you drive around, and that’s how it started.”
“He liked to go for drives, so in memory of him, on the one year anniversary of his passing, I spent the day driving around and decided I was going to take sunset pictures through the wheat and canola crops,” Buchweitz said. “It was very impactful to me, and
One of the things Buchweitz is most proud of is that all of her photos are taken mostly in Cavalier County with others in Walsh County and Pembina County. She admires the diversity of wildlife in our little neck of the woods, something she said most people may
A fourth generation of shepherds continues a By Hilary Nowatzki
Kelly and Lance Myrvik met eight years ago, not long after they had graduated college. Kelly had acquired an early childhood education degree from St. Cloud State University and was working in the field as a paraprofessional. Lance, who had acquired his history degree, was working as a field and turf specialist at his alma mater, Bethel University. Three beautiful children and a 300 mile transition later, the family is now living the idyllic American dream on their family farmstead in Edmore, N.D. Founded in 1896, Myrvik Family Farm is run with pride by its fourth generation of ranchers. Thomas Thompson was Lance's great-grandfather and the original farm owner. He built the home they live in today in 1924 and constructed the barn they use in 1918. The family had visited Edmore, Lance's hometown, throughout the years in summer and fall to assist with the cattle operation, but after the birth of their first child, they began to question where they would like to permanently call home. "We had our first boy, and within six months of having him, we were like, ‘yikes, I don’t know if this city is good for us.’ I just feel like he needs more space; we wanted for him to be able to run and play. We wanted to teach him and other children the value of hard work. So we thought - well, what better way than to come up here and continue the family legacy of ranching.” Five years later, the family is secure in their decision. As it turns out, the child that made them decide to leave the cities is already a natural born rancher himself. The couple also has a lovely three-year-old, who Kelly says is a young yet, but he definitely loves the tractors and the skid steer, baling hay and that type of thing. Their youngest
child is an 11-month-old girl, and Kelly says it will be fun to see what she will love and grow into as she is raised on the soil of her ancestors. The farmstead has hosted an array of agriculture throughout the last century that started with grain and cattle. A dairy operation was added after World War II as well as raising hogs for a time. Grain production continued through the 80's and 90's and into the early 2000’s as well as various ranching endeavors with cattle, sheep and emus and 4-H involvement. Kelly and Lance's goals are focused on growing and building the ranching business. Three years ago the family kicked off their operation with 21 Katahdin hair sheep. Presently, they have over 100 sheep, and the family and livestock are thriving. Although 'hair' is in this breed's name, don't be fooled. Katahdin hair sheep actually get their name because of the thick winter coats they are able to grow. In springtime, the sheep will shed this protective and much needed coat; it will almost appear to peel off in large chunks, meaning they won't need to be sheared. Kelly stated that this specific breed is perfect for their location and farming purposes as they are, "hardy, adaptable and low maintenance’. A common misconception about lamb meat is that it all tastes the same. Gamey and lamby are the words Kelly used to describe the negative connotation, but she stated, "I feel like that is more mutton, which is an older sheep - at least one year old. We usually butcher at 6 to 8 months old, so they’re younger and around 100 pounds. Once they hit 100 lbs., that's when we send them to the butcher. Therefore, they do not have the gamey or lamby taste that people are ac-
not notice. With all she has observed, what is her favorite animal to photograph? “Oh, hands down, the elk,” she said. “I follow the elk herds 365 days a year basically. Sometimes I think some of them even know me. They are the most regal animals that I’ve ever encountered, and they are one of my obsessions.” cont’d. on page A13
family legacy
customed to. We also try to band all of our sheep so all of the testosterone is out, which is also another factor which helps the meat not have that gamey taste." On Myrvik Family Farm's Facebook page, readers will see the hashtag #knowyourmeat used frequently. This is a motto Kelly and Lance live by. They firmly believe that consumers should be able to know where their food comes from and be ensured it is sourced ethically and locally. “We are very much supportive of eating local and staying local," she stated. They go to great lengths to ensure the flock's happiness and safety by integrating modern technology into their century old barn. "It’s an old barn, but we try as much as we can to deal with what we have and make it as comfortable and nice for the animals as possible. It’s in great shape for how old it is; it’s not ideal, but it’s our history and we are so appreciative for what we do have.” Cameras, which are synched with their cell phones, are installed throughout the barn, and they watch them like hawks throughout lambing season in March and April. They also utilize their computer for rigorous charting purposes. "We use a program on the computer called 'Ranch Manager' to document and keep records of birth weight, vaccines, and average daily weight gain." They also document which of their ewe lambs, or female lambs, throw twins or triplets, as this is a highly desired trait in their breeding stock. cont’d. on page A14
The photo was taken soon after the barn was built in 1918. On the back is written: Right to left: Mrs. Thomas P. Thompson, Arnold(Lance’s grandpa), Theresa, Melford, Mr. Thomas P. Thompson, Melvin Woldy of Woldy Implement Co. of Edmore who just installed lightning rods, man by horse unknown.