By: Erica Olson
Posted: Jan 10 2025
The North Dakota Wheat Commission consists of seven producer board members, six of which are producer elected and one appointed by the Governor. Elections are held every four years within each of the six districts, with the At-Large position selected in the off year. The process to elect a producer to the board starts at the county level, where a producer is elected to represent the county. The county representatives then meet at the district level to elect a member to the board.
The Commission board is responsible for setting the budget and developing policy and programs, and representing the Commission at the state and national level, as well as liaisons with other organizations. County representatives usually only meet once per year at an annual meeting, but serve a vital role in ensuring local issues are included in statewide discussions, and being a resource in helping to establish priorities for investment of the wheat check-off. County level producer involvement in the Commission is extremely important to ensure check-off funded programs and priorities align with producer’s wishes.
In 2025, elections will be held in Districts 2 and 5. District 2 encompasses seven counties in the northwest part of the state: Burke, Divide, McKenzie, Mountrail, Renville, Ward and Williams. District 5 consists of ten counties in the southeast part of the state: Barnes, Cass, Dickey, Griggs, LaMoure, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele and Traill. All active wheat producers in the county, who have not requested a refund in the past 12 months are eligible to participate in their county’s election. Producers must be present to vote, but need not be present to be elected.
Dustin Johnsrud, NDWC representative from District 2, says that while producers are sometimes hesitant to take on the county rep position, everyone comes away with a great experience and expanded knowledge of the industry, and the Commission benefits from grass roots input. “Not every county representative has a goal to become a board member, but serving as a county representative still brings tremendous value to them and the Commission. Producers have an opportunity to see the end-products of their check-off contribution, gain valuable information on the latest industry issues, and have the opportunity to provide feedback to the board on issues pertinent to their respective area,” says Johnsrud. Johnsrud is in the final year of his third, four-year term on the Commission board and says it has provided him a wide range of experiences. “I have represented the board on the National Pasta Association, traveled overseas to present at Crop Quality seminars and serve on the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative, among others. While my involvement has provided me with a wider knowledge base, more importantly it has allowed me to educate the industry on production agriculture and give them a clearer perspective of producer needs and priorities. I would encourage anyone to become a county representative,” he concluded.
Election dates and locations for counties scheduled at time of publication are listed below and will be updated on the website – www.ndwheat.com. If you have any questions about the county representative position or Board position, please contact the NDWC at 701-328-5111. You may also contact your local extension agent for more information on election times.
Williams – Jan 28, 2025, 10:00, Grand Hotel & Conf Center, Williston
Barnes – Jan 29, 2025, 9:00, Ag Country, Valley City
Ward - Jan 29, 2025, 3:30, Grand Hotel, Minot
Cass – Feb 3, 2025, 1:00, Cass Cty Annex Bldg, Fargo
Renville – Feb 5, 2025, 9:00, MLS Public School, Mohall
McKenzie - Feb 5, 2025, 10:30, McKenzie County Ag Expo, Watford City
Traill - Feb 7, 2025, 9:00, Traill County Courthouse, Hillsboro
Richland – Feb 11, 2025, 11:45, Community Center, Hankinson
Mountrail - Feb 12, 2025, 9:30, Mountrail County South Complex, Stanley
Sargent - Feb 19, 2025, 9:30, Sargent County Extension office, Forman
Ransom - Feb 25, 2025, Noon, Ransom County Fairgrounds, Lisbon
Steele - Feb 25, 2025, 1:00, American Legion, Finley
Griggs - Feb 27, 2025, 2:00, County Courthouse, Cooperstown
Comments