Governor Doug Burgum, fresh off a White House meeting with Donald Trump on trade issues, said on my radio show today that he likes what the President is doing. “This administration, they’re listening to the people,” he said. “They’re listening to the plain states.” “We’ve got a White House that’s pro-agriculture,” he added. Asked specifically…
Thank the Government for Protecting You From Low Milk Prices
A reader recently sent me a picture of this sign posted on the glass door of a refrigerated display at a convenience store in Bismarck. It warns customers that a coupon for milk won’t be honored because it lowered the price below what state regulations allow. That’s right. The state government is literally protecting you…
"We Need To Stand Up For Coal Country" Says Noted Hillary Clinton Supporter
Back in March Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said her policies would “put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.” That comment has come to haunt Clinton. In West Virginia it lost her the backing of an influential organization of coal miners. But Clinton doesn’t seem to have lost the support…
Oil Pipelines Help Resolve Lack Of Rail Capacity For Farmers
Here’s some good news. After a couple of years of problems with farmers unable to put their crops on overcrowded rail lines it seems problems have eased, just in time for harvest: Just in time for what the U.S. Agriculture Department expects to be near-record corn and soybean harvests, grain train cars are in abundance.…
North Dakota Is Creating A Special Fund For Suing The Federal Government
North Dakota is a state where the economy is dominated by industry. Agriculture and energy, specifically. As such, there is always a lot of tension between the state and the federal government when it comes to regulating those industries. Generally, the State of North Dakota and its industries would just as soon the federal government…
Legislature Sends Corporate Farming Ban Rollback To Governor For Signature
With little fanfare today the Senate concurred to and then passed the House version of a rollback to the state’s corporate farming ban. Dairy and swine farms, both in heavy decline in the state, will now be able to incorporate and enjoy capital from investors who aren’t necessarily related by blood (the state’s current ban…
Why Not Just End North Dakota's Corporate Farming Law?
Today the state House will finally take up SB2351 which would ease the state’s restrictions on corporate farming for swine and dairy farms (Senator Joe Miller had a guest post here on SAB about the bill last week). Currently North Dakota does not allow a corporation to own farm land unless it is a corporate…
Joe Miller: Corporate Farming Ban Reforms Would Save Swine, Dairy Farms
North Dakota agriculture is an industry of prosperity in our state. It can and does feed the businesses of our region and the people of the world. North Dakota leads the nation in the production of several different crops; we now have the opportunity to take a lead position in the production of livestock and…
David Flynn: Federal "Beige Book" Shows Problems In The Agriculture Sector
For those that do not know, “beige book” is the name of the Fed’s regional condition summary (available here). The Ninth District summary (which includes North Dakota) concludes that economic performance is mixed. Strength came from manufacturing, energy and mining, consumers, and a few others. The weaker sectors included construction, farming and real estate. Now that summary…
Joe Miller Column: North Dakota Opportunists Seek To Divide Oil, Agriculture
North Dakota is blessed with great fortune and opportunity. Our state, like our nation was founded on a vision of hope, but not without out hard work. North Dakotans know well the virtues of hard work and steadfast determination that yield results such as those that we can benefit from today. The last several years have been…