Goodrich, North Dakota Golden Flax 4U, Inc. is increasing the value of golden flaxseed, a familiar North Dakota crop, and reaching new markets through innovative packaging, marketing, and distribution.

Wales, North Dakota Early visionaries in the sustainable agriculture movement, the Jacobsons operate a diversified organic farm and ranch operation including a wool shearing, processing, and marketing business.

Medina, North Dakota The first in the nation to certify for organic export to Europe, the Kirschenmanns have been instrumental in the creation of a service that helps organic producers reach markets for their high-value products.

Challenges Met and More to Come in Grafton

Grafton, North Dakota, sits in the far northeast corner of the state, 45 miles south of Canada and in the flood plain of the Red River. One town leader expresses a vision for Grafton: "My vision for this town is that I'd like a place that is civically engaged, where it's part of my children's duty to participate and help make it a better place. The most local dollars are the most flexible ones, and we need creativity for that flexibility."

Embracing the Past, Making Our Future

The older residents of Ashley, North Dakota, a community of about 820 people, refuse to slow down with age. Their dogged enthusiasm, matched by a commitment to nurture new leadership and to sustain economic growth through investments, infrastructure and education, makes Ashley a community with a bright future.

Just east of Hatton, North Dakota, the Enger family has made a name for themselves, transforming neglected farm equipment into props and stages and farmland into intricate mazes. 

In July 2000, The Oregon-based Food Alliance and Food Alliance Midwest forged an alliance to work together in promoting regionally produced foods.

The everchanging Maah Daah Hey Trail winds its way through North Dakota's picturesque Badlands, affording outdoor enthusiasts a thrilling, visceral experience of some of the most spectacular terrain in America. In a region beset by a struggling ranch economy, out-migration, and the booms and busts of the oil and gas industry, the 97-mile Maah Daah Hey Trail capitalizes on western North Dakota's strengths-scenic landscapes, a rich variety of flora and fauna, and a living western heritage.

Beach, North Dakota

Like other farmers in North Dakota, Mike Zook battled with wind and water erosion, losing inches of precious topsoil. His conversion to a no-till operation has revitalized his farm, and he is spreading the word about soil conservation to producers across the state.

Success is about balance and interreliance when diversifying into aquaculture in North Dakota, as these farmers of the Fish Farmers Cooperative can attest to.