Straight Talk with NDFB hosts Emmery Mehlhoff and Alisha Nord talk to Matt Retka about ND Ag Wetland Trade, a program to give farmers an opportunity to buy and sell wetlands. 

Matt  works for Stantec, the engineering firm contracted to facilitate the development and establishment of bank sites and work with landowners through every step of the process.

In this episode, learn: 

• How ND Ag Wetland Trade gives a tool to farmers who are interested in field drainage.
• More about how the program works. 
• What it looks like to sell credits. 
• What it looks like to buy credits.
• How the program provides a work-around for the Swampbuster program in the 1985 Food Security Act that prevented farmers from draining their land. 
• More about NDAM, and the six agricultural groups in North Dakota overseeing ND Ag Wetland Trade.

 Interested in NDAM’s ND Ag Wetland Trade? Contact Matt Retka 701-893-2322 or email him at [email protected] to learn more.

Learn more about NDFB at ndfb.org.

Contact host Emmery Mehlhoff at [email protected]

In the first episode of Season 7 of Straight Talk with NDFB, hosts Emmery Mehlhoff and Alisha Nord-Donelly get down to the nitty-gritty of marketing with Progressive Ag’s owner and founder, Ray Grabanski. Ray has several degrees in economics and law and is a recognized industry leader in risk management methods. 

Progressive Ag pursues excellence in farm risk management specializing in wheat, corn, soybeans, sunflowers, dry beans, canola, potatoes, and livestock. Each year, Progressive Ag exceeds its goal of 10-20 cents per bushel more than the customer’s previous marketing plan.

In today’s episode we talk about: 

• The success or failure of a farm/ranch often comes down to how good the producer is at risk management . 
• Strategies to become a better risk manager in ten minutes or less. 
• The best time to sell grain. 
• The key to success is always found by asking the question, “How can I get better?”
• Futures price + basis price = cash price. 

A new member benefit with NDFB, Progressive Ag offers invaluable ten-minute-a-week videos created to improve your risk management in ten minutes or less. Check out this and many more of Progressive Ag’s services offered to NDFB members, visit https://www.ndfb.org/benefits/progressive-ag/

Contact your host, Emmery: [email protected]

In this promo episode for Season 7, Emmery introduces her new cohost, Alisha Nord-Donnelly.

Learn more about Alisha, in her own words, and find out how the communications landscape has changed for NDFB from a long-time employee, Dawn Smith-Pfeifer, who has been with the organization since before the internet.

Your also cohosts provide food for thought on the good, the bad and the ugly side of technology and how it relates to their jobs and their farms.

To learn more about NDFB staff, visit https://ndfb.org/aboutus/staff/

To contact host Emmery Mehlhoff, email her at [email protected]

Look for their Season 7, Episode 1 on Wednesday, Sept. 20.  

In the final episode of NDFB's Straight Talk legislative season, your host, Emmery Mehlhoff visits with N.D. Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring.

The 68th Legislative Assembly was a success for agriculture in North Dakota.

Landmark changes to the "corporate" farming structure in North Dakota will help expand animal agriculture and create partnerships that were unavailable before.

Zoning and infrastructure changes to help counties and townships come into compliance ag zoning ordinances and upgrade services were all passed by legislators and signed by the governor.

To learn more about how NDFB lobbyists viewed legislative outcomes this year, read the highlights from the last episode of Straight Talk here.

Contact Ag Commissioner Doug Goehring at [email protected]

Contact Straight Talk host Emmery Mehlhoff at [email protected]

To learn more about NDFB policy positions, visit ndfb.org/policy

North Dakota's 68th Legislative Assembly finished its work in late April. Overall, the session was very positive for agriculture in North Dakota.

Your host, Emmery Mehlhoff visits with NDFB's lobbyists, Pete Hanebutt and Meghan Estenson, about the significant wins and some disappointing losses during the session.

NDFB went into the session with a mission to move animal agriculture forward by supporting a bill that would allow for more capital investment in animal agriculture, as well as zoning bills requiring counties and townships to adhere to the state code. Those efforts were successful and should allow those wishing to grow animal agriculture to be more successful.

NDFB also weighed in on water bills, foreign ownership issues, extension budgeting, property rights and deer baiting, to name just few.

Contact Pete Hanebutt: [email protected]

Contact Emmery Mehlhoff: [email protected]

Learn more about NDFB's policy positions at: ndfb.org/policy

We might think the state of North Dakota spends way too much money, but there are leaders in the appropriations committee who are fiscally responsible and are looking for ways to give money back to the taxpayers of the state.

In this episode of Straight Talk, your host, Emmery Mehlhoff visits with the chairman of House Appropriations, Rep. Don Vigesaa, who has also been a strong friend of NDFB for many years.

Representative Vigesaa shares more about the appropriations process and some of the unique situations that legislators addressed this year due to the unrelenting winter weather and much more, and still balance the state's budget.

Reach Rep. Vigesaa: [email protected]

Read Emmery Mehlhoff: [email protected]

Learn more about NDFB's policy positions at ndfb.org/policy

Our polarized society makes assumptions that the people serving in our Legislature only want to win instead of doing the right thing. Learn why that's not true from two North Dakota legislators.

As the 68th Legislative Assembly draws to a close, your host, Emmery Mehlhoff, takes an opportunity to interview two freshman legislators and their thoughts going into the session and what they learned throughout it.

Rep. Karen Anderson of District 19 is a long-time Farm Bureau member and Walsh County commissioner. She also has experience in human service issues on the local level, which she used in her committee assisngment on the House Human Services Committee. View her N.D. Legislative branch bio page .

Senator Judy Estenson of District 15 is also a long-time Farm Bureau member. She is a retired registered nurse and farms with her family near Warwick. View her N.D. Legislative branch bio page .

To learn more about Farm Bureau's position on issues visit our policy page on the NDFB website.

Contact Senator Estenson: @[email protected] 

Contact Rep. Anderson: @[email protected] 

Contact Emmery Mehlhoff: @[email protected] 

In recent years, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards have become increasingly popular in the investment world. While these were supposed to encourage investments in companies that prioritize environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and good governance practices, as with anything, when you impose specific standards on society some necessary segments suffer.

Agriculture and energy are the pillars of North Dakota's economy. But ESG requirements target those very pillars. Are we being socially responsible when this  feel-good framework causes people to lose their jobs?

In this episode, your host, Emmery Mehlhoff visits with District 33 Representative Anna Novak (R), Hazen, about why ESG requirements are harming our state and what she hopes to accomplish with legislation, HB 1429, which would create a new section in North Dakota Century Code that would address unfair discrimination in the business of insurance and the investment and management of public funds that ESG requirements cause. In addition, the bill calls for a study during the interim to evaluate the level of involvement North Dakota has with companies using ESG criteria.

Contact Rep. Novak at [email protected]

Contact host Emmery Mehlhoff at [email protected]

Learn more about NDFB policy positions at ndfb.org/policy/

Cloud seeding and hail suppression sound great until you learn how the unintended consequences impact people who are not part of the program.

In this episode of Straight Talk, your host, Emmery Mehlhoff talks with Representative Matthew Ruby of Minot, representing District 40.

Rep. Ruby shares his concerns about weather modification and why he is sponsoring HB 1166 in the North Dakota 68th Legislative Assembly. The bill would scale back county cloud seeding efforts when nearing the border of a non-participating county.

NDFB has policy against state funding for weather modification programs and stands opposed to weather modficiation. (Under Section 500 in Fiscal Policy)

Emmery also speaks with Roger Neshem, a Berthold farmer who is also a self-confessed weather geek and understands the intricacies of weather modification. While Roger's grandfather helped organize the weather modification program many years ago in Ward County, Roger says he stepped away when he realized it was not living up to expectations.

Contact Rep. Ruby: [email protected]

Contact Roger Neshem: 701-720-7454

Contact Emmery Mehlhoff: [email protected]

Sign up for NDFB's Legislative Front (scroll to bottom of page).

Benjamin Franklin famously said, "in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes."

While death isn't discussed in this Straight Talk episode, your host, Emmery Mehlhoff does talk taxes with Representative Craig Headland, who serves as chairman of the House Finance and Taxation Committee.

Serving on the Finance and Taxation Committee wasn't his first choice, but Rep. Headland embraced the challenge and has become an expert on taxes and improving the tax climate for North Dakotans.

Learn why it has been Rep. Headland's mission to get rid of income tax in our state and learn more about the bills that are being heard in the 68th Legislative Assembly that pertain to income and property taxes.

Read more about Rep. Headland's income tax bill: House Bill 1158

Contact Rep. Headland: [email protected]

Contact Emmery Mehlhoff: [email protected]

Sign up for NDFB's Legislative Front (scroll to bottom of the page.)

Learn more about NDFB policy .