Advocacy Guides for 2023-2025 Biennium

• North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station (NDAES) produces trusted research with over 24% return on investment back into Ag research.
• The research of the NDAES is essential to the state’s prosperity, with 90% of the state’s land dedicated to agriculture and 1 in 5 people working in agriculture.
• Each year, our researchers invest over $65 million in new grant funds for advancing agriculture through science and saving 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. Enhancing land stewardship and animal welfare contributes to ecological abundance and disease resistance leading to a healthier habitat for all.
  • Reducing risk through informed decisions with new weather and economics models.

Critical Priority

• Hiring and retaining diverse candidates strengthens our ability to expand on critical needs in research, teaching, and extension. Building attractive compensation packages for employees will be crucial in the recruitment and retainment of top talent.

Additional Programmatic Priority

• Plant Production and Protection Initiative – Over 20 new plant pathogens have arrived in the state in just the last 20 years. Prompt hiring of researchers to address emerging diseases is essential to halt profit loss. Research into various issues in cropping systems generates almost immediate return on investment.
• Requests: 1 agronomist / 1 bacteriologist and 1 tech / 1 virologist and 1 tech / 1 pulse crop tech / 1 clubroot tech, and operating expenses - $1,580,000

Capital Improvement Request

• Field Lab Facilities – Current field facilities are extensively pre-dating modern computers and equipment that are necessary in agriculture today. To meet the technological advances and higher yields, new field facilities are required to ensure a successful future for North Dakota agriculture. - $97,000,000

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’s statewide network 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 1,309 volunteers. More than 21,000 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.
• NDSU Extension provides resources that assist farmers and ranchers during drought, floods, blizzards and other natural disasters. During the 2021 drought, Extension facilitated 22 state level disaster calls, wrote 25 press releases reaching 116,000 individuals, and conducted 37 media interview reaching more than 3.2 million individuals.
• More than 5,000 program sessions were held in the first three quarters of 2022.

Critical Priority

• Hiring and retaining diverse candidates strengthens our ability to expand on critical needs in research, teaching, and extension. Building attractive compensation packages for employees will be crucial in the recruitment and retainment of top talent.

Additional Priorities

• Cropping Systems Initiative – To help maximize the financial impact for North Dakota farmers, additional expertise and educational programs are needed in response to the rapid expansion of soybean and corn acreage, new and emerging plant diseases and pathogens that limit crop yields, controlling the spread of noxious weeds, and advancing cropping systems that sequester soil carbon, increase plant growth, retain water and build soil health. Request: 5 specialists and operating support - $1,400,000
• Livestock Development Initiative – Livestock production in North Dakota accounts for approx. $1.5 billion in gross revenue annually, and there is 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: 3 specialists and operating support - $770,000
• Farm and Ranch Safety and Health Initiative – Farmers and ranchers regularly experience uncertainties throughout the year and because of their statewide network, Extension is uniquely positioned to coordinate additional efforts and critical resources related to farm and ranch health and safety. Request: operating support - $250,000