AgCountry FCS elects board members

05/10/2008 12:00 AM
Shareholders of Ag-Country Farm Credit Services have elected the following members to serve on its board of directors. All are farmers. They are: Roger Weinlaeder, Drayton, N.D., has served on the board since 2002. He was elected to serve a four-year term. Mike Elliott, Clifford, N.D., has served on the board since 1990. He will serve a three- year term.

Jay Pickthorn / The Forum
Two different kind of ewes stand in the pasture of the North Dakota State University sheep research facilities Wednesday in Fargo. A North Dakota group, hoping to bolster the next generation of shepherds, plans to give away sheep. The state Lamb and Wool Producers Association has launched the "perpetual starter flock program" for teens.

State group giving away sheep to find shepherds

05/05/2008 12:00 AM
A North Dakota group, hoping to bolster the next generation of shepherds, plans to give away sheep. The state Lamb and Wool Producers Association has launched the “perpetual starter flock program” for teens. “We want to encourage young people to become active in our industry,” said Lyle Warner, association president and a Baldwin sheep producer. Each teen selected for the program will receive 10 ewes, or female sheep, from the association.

Farmers getting late start due to spring snows

04/30/2008 12:00 AM
Lingering winter weather is giving Minnesota and North Dakota farmers a slow start to planting what could be one the most profitable corn crops in recent years, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

AP photo
The Eaton Irrigation Project in northern North Dakota is bringing relief to drought-stricken hay meadows. In this undated photo, water flows through a control valve and follows a ditch just west of Towner, N.D.

Irrigation project seeks to save hay meadows

04/30/2008 12:00 AM
An irrigation project is bringing relief to hay meadows and to farmers in the heart of the state’s cattle country. The Eaton Irrigation Project was built in the 1930s, when ranchers struggled to provide hay for their livestock. Today, 67,000 acres of land benefit from the project. Each spring, water is directed onto the hay land.

Farmers can save on crop insurance with modified corn

04/28/2008 12:00 AM
Corn gets a lot of attention from biotechnology companies and as a result, has had a number of genetic modifications which make corn plants resistant to insects, disease and specific herbicides.

Upper Midwest small dairy farms disappearing

04/28/2008 12:00 AM
Small dairy farms that once dotted the North Dakota and western Minnesota countryside are disappearing. North Dakota has lost about 85 percent of its dairy farms in the past 20 years; Minnesota about 72 percent. Minnesota is the nation’s sixth-largest milk state, producing milk valued at $1.1 billion in 2006.

Karen Jensen

Bowwow bling catches on

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Pets stylish in unique collars
Tina Hallada and Karen Jensen were tired of plain, boring dog collars. “We like to keep our dogs stylish,” said Jensen of West Fargo.

Seek nutrition information from qualified sources

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“The doctor will see you now. I’m a nurse,” my 4-year-old daughter said as I walked by her bedroom.

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Ag ‘bubble’ may burst Minn.’s economy

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Minnesota farmers face a “bubble” that potentially could devastate the state’s economy, a new report says.

Congress still struggling to finish farm bill

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WASHINGTON – Struggling lawmakers had hoped to finish farm bill legislation this week so a final version could be debated on the House and Senate floor next week. But following a meeting that lasted until early Friday morning, some key issues, including the size of payments to wealthy farmers, remained unresolved.

Ron Williams

Bowls crafted with hope

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Artist crafts vessels for faith show
When thousands gathered in Fort Worth, Texas, for the opening communion service at the 2008 United Methodist general conference, a little piece of Moorhead was also present.

Square dancing

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Don’t let spoiled food ruin a party

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“I’d like to make an egg bake for a brunch, but I won’t have time the night before the event. Can I make it a couple days ahead of time?” my friend asked.

This July 2007 photo shows corn growing on a farm near Worthington, Minn. Corn gets a lot of attention from biotechnology companies and as a result, has had a number of genetic modifications which make corn plants resistant to insects, disease and specific herbicides, thus cheaper to insure, which can save farmers and taxpayers money.

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Modified corn may save money

Associated Press
Use of genetically altered crop may result in lower costs for farmers, taxpayers
MOORHEAD – Corn gets a lot of attention from biotechnology companies and as a result, has had a number of genetic modifications which make corn plants resistant to insects, disease and specific herbicides.

Jake Thompson

Dairy decline

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Region’s dairy industry loses ground, hopes to rebound
The region’s dairy industry isn’t what it used to be. Whether that’s good or bad, or somewhere in between, depends on who you talk to.

Barnesville farmers grapple with tough decisions on horizon

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BARNESVILLE, Minn. – Jake Thompson has been milking cows since he was a boy. The 26-year-old Barnesville farmer would love to continue milking them for the rest of his working life. That’s probably not going to happen.

Dusty Willow Dairy

Prominence of bigger dairy operations grows

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LAKOTA, N.D. – Kent Swenson knew he wanted to keep milking cows. He also knew that meant getting bigger. “That’s the way our industry has been going,” he said.