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Grow 21: Enhancing North Dakota's
Economy Through Agriculture
The Concept
North Dakota’s
agriculture is an amazing success story. Through the years,
the programs conducted by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment
Station and NDSU Extension Service at North Dakota State University
have provided technology and knowledge that have supported
the efforts of North Dakota’s farmers, ranchers, and
agribusinesses. NDSU is committed to continue these efforts.
In the coming years, agriculture and rural communities in
the United States and North Dakota face serious challenges.
Agriculture has become increasingly efficient and fewer farmers
are producing larger quantities of products. A recent study
by the American Farm Bureau Federation notes that, in the
nation, 143,000 farming operations produce more than 75% of
the value of all agricultural output, with 2 million operations
producing the remainder. This study also points out that 89%
of farm family income is derived from off-farm sources. The
report states, “Rural America, and agriculture’s
role in it, is evolving such that now, farming is more dependent
on rural communities than rural communities are dependent
on farming.”
Agriculture will
remain an important underpinning of North Dakota’s economy;
however, it is vital for the future of agriculture in this
state that we find and support additional economic opportunities
in rural areas that build on the great productivity of the
land and the creativity of our farmers and ranchers. The North
Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and the NDSU Extension
Service are well positioned to conduct research into additional
opportunities and to provide educational and other services
to citizens throughout the state.
A beginning question
that we have posed in rural areas is, “Do you want more
people here?” The answer over and over has been a resounding
“Yes.” Repeatedly, people talk about wanting thriving
communities comprised of citizens of all ages.
To address these
issues, we have met with numerous organizations and individuals
throughout North Dakota. Additionally, we have drawn on the
knowledge and expertise of the faculty and staff of the Experiment
Station and Extension Service who are located throughout the
state. We asked that participants in all of these discussions
imagine what they would desire for North Dakota in 2025.
Through these discussions,
we have begun to understand that the focus in the coming years
must be on communities and that a healthy community has three
essential attributes: a diverse and resilient economy, an
effective efficient infrastructure, and leadership. If a community
is missing any of these, it is in trouble.
Diverse, Resilient
Economy – A community must not “put all its eggs
in one basket.” Rather it needs multiple sources of
income that provide a buffer when one sector of the economy
may be down. As we look to the future, certainly enhancing
agricultural production will be essential, but not sufficient.
There are significant opportunities to add value to raw products;
new enterprises to explore; new markets to develop; renewable
energy and bioproducts to be developed; multiple uses for
land where, in addition to agricultural production, there
are tourism and recreational businesses; and potential to
enhance the manufacturing of devices developed for agricultural
applications. All of these hold significant promise for North
Dakota’s rural areas. Some of these efforts will be
developed through large-scale enterprises and some through
the activity of entrepreneurs.
Effective, Efficient
Infrastructure – Traditional infrastructure (roads,
water, electricity, phones, etc.) continue to be vital. In
the future, equally important will be: access to high speed
broad band digital communications, adequate health care, youth
and family development, local planning, and access to capital.
Through the dispersed system of the Extension Service, NDSU
can play catalytic roles in helping communities be positioned
for future success. Research and Extension activities also
are critical components of infrastructure throughout the state.
In order to improve our capacity to serve North Dakota, the
infrastructure capacity of the NDAES and the NDSU Extension
Service needs to be enhanced. Additional funding for support
staffing, equipment pools, operating funds, and information
specialists are needed. This investment will ensure that the
NDAES and the NDSU Extension Service remain a highly respected
source of technology, products, and information needed to
allow our producers to remain competitive in a global market.
Leadership –
Without local citizens who have skills and feel confident
that they can make a difference, a community will not be successful.
In many North Dakota communities, there is a desire to have
a bright future, but presently, there is not a cadre of citizens
who have the skills and feel empowered to effectively plan
and carry out programs and activities that will lead to future
success.
The North Dakota
Agricultural Experiment Station and the NDSU Extension Service,
with the support of SBARE, will be assertive in seeking ways
to enhance North Dakota’s economy, especially those
industries that are tied to agriculture and natural resources.
Essential to success are faculty and staff who are well trained,
feel they are making a difference, and who are recognized
for their outstanding work. Also essential are facilities
and equipment that allow the faculty and staff to excel in
their activities.
Our faculty and
staff have become increasingly successful in garnering grants
that support their activities on behalf of North Dakota’s
citizens – those efforts will continue aggressively.
We will continue to work with organizations in the state that
invest through the use of self-assessment (often called “check-off”
funds). We will seek gifts from organizations, foundations,
and individuals who share our commitment to be successful
in these endeavors. We will continue developing partnerships
with private and public sector organizations. We will be tireless
in all of these efforts.
We also seek investment
by the citizens of North Dakota to help assure that we have
and are able to retain faculty and staff of the highest caliber,
and that they have the necessary tools to serve the citizens
of the state. Such investments pay off handsomely and allow
us to speak from a position of strength in seeking the additional
support from many sources as noted above.
These initiatives
hold the potential for enhancing rural economies through continuing
the innovation that has made North Dakota’s agriculture
so successful while concurrently providing the information
and technologies for new rural enterprises and successful
rural communities.
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