Advocacy Guides for 2021-2023 Biennium

• North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station (NDAES) produces trusted research with over 40% return on investment (ROI).
• The research of the NDAES is essential to the state’s prosperity, with 90% of state’s land dedicate to agriculture and 1 in 4 people working in agriculture.
• Each year, state appropriations coupled with a variety of grant funds advance agriculture and save our producers hundreds of millions of dollars by:
  • Improving crop systems through better management of disease, pests and weeds; improved rotations and varieties; and increased soil health, nutrient use and land management.
  • Advancing livestock and rangeland management through science that helps ranchers improve the way they produce and market cattle and provides insight into human health, while increasing animal welfare and enhancing land stewardship.
  • Reducing risk through informed decisions about weather and economics.

Critical Priority

• Restoration of of ND Agricultural Experiment Station’s budget. Elimination of governor’s 15% budget cut – $7 million. Restoration of 100% funding (a hold-even budget) is vital for essential research to continue. A 15% budget reduction would eliminate ~33 researcher positions, devastating our ability to serve the state’s agriculture with our science.

Additional Priority

• Big Data Initiative - Advances in agricultural technology is producing large volumes of data for every conceivable field of agricultural research from cropping systems to livestock science. Big data management is necessary for researchers to make greater and more impactful breakthroughs in all areas of agriculture. Request: 5 Data Scientist/ Programmers, 1 technician, and operating/equipment – $1,660,000

NDSU Extension’s goal is to empower North Dakotans to improve their lives and communities, and its educational efforts have an emphasis on strengthening agriculture and developing the potential of youth, families and communities.

• Extension is the front door to the land-grant university system and provides unbiased, science-based information to all North Dakotans.
• NDSU Extension helps farmers and ranchers improve their farm productivity, protect the nation’s food supply and strengthen the local economy.
• NDSU Extension strengthens communities through engagement in 4-H, North Dakota’s largest youth organization. The 4-H program provides hands-on, real-life experiences to more than 6,300 youth in clubs assisted by 2,183 volunteers. More than 30,000 youth are reached on an annual basis through 4-H activities. 4-H youth are four times more likely to contribute to their communities.
• NDSU Extension empowers citizens to be healthy and safe through education on ag safety, collaborating to distribute mental health resources to farmers and ranchers, and ensuring safe and healthy food for consumers.
• During COVID-19, NDSU Extension personnel continued to provide exceptional service and information to clientele in person, and pivoted quickly to offer programs virtually as needed. In 2019, 92.3% of programs were delivered face-to-face, while in 2020, 62.5% of programs were delivered face-to-face, with the remainder delivered online or in a combination of online and face-to-face.
• More than 4,600 program sessions were held in 2020, reaching in excess of 304,000 participants, an increase of more than 34,000 from 2019.

Critical Priority

• Restoration of NDSU Extension's budget. Elimination of the governor’s 15% budget cut – $4.1 million. Restoration of 100% funding (a hold-even budget) is vital for Extension work to continue. A 15% budget reduction would eliminate ~20 Extension positions, devastating our ability to serve the people and the state’s agriculture with our science and services.

Additional Priorities

• Livestock Initiative – North Dakota’s livestock industry accounts for 16% of gross agricultural receipts and offers ample opportunity for growth. By providing technical knowledge needed to grow the industry, North Dakota can be on par with neighboring states with a larger and more vibrant livestock industry. Request: 4 specialists and operating support – $1,010,000
• Agricultural Health and Safety – Educating our agriculture community on how to prevent dangerous situations from occurring is needed. The workforce of today is less experienced and may not have grown up on farms or ranches, making the need for safety training more important. Request: 3 specialists and operating support - $720,000