The Backstory from the North Dakota News Cooperative

Rising fertilizer and fuel costs are creating ripple effects across North Dakota’s economy, reaching far beyond the farm.

In this episode of The Backstory, reporter Michael Standaert’s latest story looks at how global disruptions, tariffs, and supply chain uncertainty are driving up agricultural costs at a critical time in the planting season.

Sabrina Halvorson speaks with economist John Bitzan of the Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth at North Dakota State University about what those pressures mean beyond the farm. He explains how reduced farm spending can ripple through equipment dealers, retailers, and local businesses, ultimately affecting workers and families across the state.

"The farm economy is so intertwined in our entire North Dakota economy that it's going to have an impact on the state when farmers struggle," Bitzan says.

Bitzan also points to rising uncertainty as one of the biggest challenges facing producers. With fertilizer prices increasing sharply and equipment purchases declining nationwide, farmers are making cautious decisions that can slow economic activity across multiple industries.

Those ripple effects can influence everything from local employment to state tax revenue, making agricultural stability a statewide concern.

Family caregiving across North Dakota often happens quietly, but its impact is anything but small.

In this episode of The Backstory, Michael Standaert discusses his reporting on family caregivers and the enormous role they play in helping loved ones remain at home.

The conversation centers on new data that puts a dollar value on work that many families simply consider part of daily life, even as it consumes time, energy, and emotional reserves.

“They estimated it's about $1.27 billion annually, the amount of work that family caregivers put in in North Dakota… It's a tremendous amount of work and stress… It's often hard to see, and it's not often thought of as work.” – Michael Standaert, NDNC

The episode also explores how caregiving responsibilities extend far beyond basic daily tasks. Caregivers may help manage finances, attend medical appointments, and navigate complex healthcare systems, often taking notes and researching conditions so their loved ones can better understand what doctors are saying.

Michael also discusses the need for stronger community awareness and support systems, noting that caregivers can easily find their time fully consumed by responsibilities.

Resources for Family Caregivers: 

North Dakota Aging & Disability Resource Link

North Dakota Family Caregiver Support Program

Powerful Tools for Caregivers — North Dakota State University Extension

Legal Services of North Dakota

The Bakken oil boom reshaped western North Dakota in ways that are still unfolding today, from strained housing and schools to long-term questions about water safety and community stability.

In this episode of The Backstory, Michael Standaert discusses his reporting on a new book by Sebastian Braun, Bearing the Burden of the Booms: Energy Extraction, Communities and Landscapes on the Plains. Drawing on years of research, the book examines how rapid development affected small towns, tribal communities, and public infrastructure and what North Dakota communities can learn before the next boom arrives.

“I think with any kind of boom or bust cycle, it's hard to prepare for what comes down the road when you're trying to catch up with what's happening now,” Standaert said.

The discussion explores how sudden population growth created housing shortages, rising rental costs, and pressure on schools that struggled to find both space and teachers. It also highlights the impacts on the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, where the boom created uneven financial outcomes and added to a long history of disruption tied to earlier events such as the construction of the Garrison Dam.

The episode also examines long-term environmental concerns raised in Braun’s research, particularly the potential for lasting water impacts from deep injection tied to hydraulic fracturing, an issue that may take decades to fully understand.

Read the full article here.

What happens when you put farmers, ranchers, and ag leaders in a room and just listen?

In this episode of The Backstory, North Dakota News Cooperative CEO Sabrina Halvorson shares what she heard after organizing a four-hour agricultural roundtable at NDSU’s Peltier Center, where producers spoke candidly about the pressures shaping their work and way of life. Reporter Michael Standaert documented the discussion and the broader themes that emerged.

From trade uncertainty to generational transition, the conversation revealed both the complexity of modern agriculture and the shared concerns across the industry.

Read Michael's article here.

New diversion and reentry programs aimed at steering some low-level cases away from the courts are beginning to take shape in North Dakota after a slow rollout.

In this episode of The Backstory, reporter Michael Standaert discusses his reporting on two bills passed during the last legislative session. One created pilot diversion programs designed to steer some low-level cases away from the traditional court process, while another provides grants to counties to strengthen programs that help people reenter society after serving time in jail or prison.

“What happens when somebody is arrested for or cited for a low-level violation, something where there’s no violence involved, that can be remedied without going through the full judicial process?” Standaert said.

The diversion program, created through House Bill 1425, provides funding to Cass, Grand Forks and Stark counties to test different approaches. In some cases, people cited for minor offenses such as a suspended license or low-level possession may be connected with services, such as substance-use treatment or help resolving licensing issues, instead of moving through the full judicial process. If participants complete the required steps, the citation or arrest may ultimately be cleared.

The rollout has taken time as counties work to find organizations that can serve as navigators for the programs and coordinate between law enforcement, prosecutors and service providers. Officials say the goal is to intervene early, connect people with help, and prevent minor violations from turning into a cycle of repeated offenses that can carry higher costs for individuals and communities.

The programs are still in their early stages, with only a handful of cases beginning to move through the system. Standaert said it will likely take time before lawmakers and local officials can evaluate whether the pilot efforts are reducing repeat offenses and improving outcomes.

In this episode of The Backstory, North Dakota News Cooperative CEO Sabrina Halvorson speaks with Allison Olimb, editor of the Walsh County Press in Park River. Olimb discusses how she first became interested in journalism, the influence of mentors who helped shape her career, and what it means to report on the people and issues in a small rural community where the stories you cover involve neighbors, friends and local leaders.

One of the most difficult parts of community journalism, Olimb says, is maintaining fairness while reporting on sensitive issues that directly affect the people around you.

“I've had stories before where I've had people from both sides of the topic come up to me and say, you did a good job on this… the one side is thinking you're taking their side, and the other side is thinking you took their side, so I kind of feel like I did okay. But it's always in the back of your head like, I'm going to screw this up and they're going to be talking about me at the bar.” – Allison Olimb, Editor, Walsh County Press

The conversation also highlights the realities of running a small-town newsroom, where limited staff means editors often juggle multiple roles — reporter, editor and community liaison — while trying to make sure important stories are still covered.

Despite the challenges, Olimb says local newspapers remain essential gathering places for community conversations and shared information. Even when coverage can be uncomfortable, providing accurate and fair reporting helps ensure residents stay informed about the issues shaping their towns.

New national nutrition guidelines are pushing schools to serve healthier meals, but the changes require more than simply updating a menu.

In this episode of The Backstory, reporter Michael Standaert explains how new federal school meal standards are affecting districts across North Dakota. The updated rules emphasize reducing sodium and sugar while increasing the use of whole and minimally processed foods. For many schools, that would mean shifting from prepackaged items to more “from-scratch” cooking, and that can mean higher costs.

“Cooking from scratch is definitely labor-intensive… you’ll need to beef up staff, you’ll need to beef up equipment, and have bigger kitchens in your schools.” – Michael Standaert, NDNC

School nutrition directors and administrators say the changes are intended to improve student health, especially for children who rely on school meals as a primary source of nutrition. However, meeting the new standards can be difficult, particularly in rural districts where budgets are tight and facilities were not designed for large-scale scratch cooking.

In this episode of The Backstory, NDNC reporter Michael Standaert tells us how a long-lost World War II sailor from North Dakota may finally be identified and returned home more than 80 years after his death.

 the work of retired Marine Ted Darcy, who has dedicated years to identifying unknown World War II service members. Darcy reached out to NDNC with information suggesting that the remains of Orlan Robert Cool may be buried in Long Island National Cemetery. Cool is a sailor from Newburg who died when the USS Pollux sank off Newfoundland in a February 1942 winter storm.

Through outreach to local newspapers and collaboration with cemetery researcher Murray Sagsveen, Michael helped locate Cool's gravesite in Newburg and connect with his niece, Gayle Peterson, who now lives in St. Paul.

The renewed interest also surfaced an earlier DNA submission from another family member that had not previously resulted in a confirmed identification.

Read the full story.

Many of North Dakota’s longtime newspaper publishers are turning a page as they prepare for what comes next. In this episode of The Backstory, NDNA Executive Director Cecile Wehrman joins us to talk about ownership transitions, workforce challenges and what it will take to sustain strong local newspapers across the state.

Wehrman shares what she’s hearing from publishers across the state, including concerns about succession and the search for the next generation of leadership. She also reflects on the continued impact community newspapers have in rural towns, where they often serve as both watchdog and gathering place for local life.

“The biggest thing overall that came out was the realization that we really are facing a generational shift in ownership.” - Cecile Wehrman, NDNA

As longtime publishers near retirement, the study recommends building stronger succession planning efforts to help position newspapers for sale and connect current owners with journalists interested in stepping into leadership roles. About 25 percent of journalists surveyed said they would consider becoming owners, offering a potential path forward.

The conversation also underscores why local newspapers matter. From saving a small-town movie theater to mobilizing support for community institutions, newspapers often serve as the connective tissue that keeps rural communities vibrant and informed.

A new statewide study offers a rare, data-driven look at the health of North Dakota’s local newspapers and what may be required to keep them alive.

In this episode of The Backstory, NDNC reporter Michael Standaert discusses his reporting on a two-year research project examining the state’s newspaper ecosystem. The study surveyed publishers, journalists, and news consumers, and took a close look at communities that no longer have a local paper. The findings highlight growing pressure on small, independent newspapers, while also revealing how readers perceive — and value — local news when it disappears.

“I think they see the value of those…of having a paper now that they’re gone.” – Michael Standaert, North Dakota News Cooperative

Michael explains how North Dakota’s effort has drawn national attention, what the data shows about consumer habits and expectations, and why the study points toward the need for newspapers to clearly communicate their value to the communities they serve. The conversation also explores how this research fits into broader efforts to stabilize and strengthen local journalism across the state.