Issue 23
Marketing Guide
1999

Prairie Grains is the official publication of the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, North Dakota Grain Growers Association, South Dakota Wheat, Inc. and the Minnesota Barley Growers Assocation.

Copyright Prairie
Grains Marketing Guide
Summer 1999

Effort to organize marketing clubs in ND underway

North Dakota lawmakers during the 1999 Legislative Session approved $50,000 over two years to establish marketing clubs across the state.  Officials of the state's Farm Business Management program are involved in planning the effort, as well as the North Dakota State University Extension Service.

Officials hope to start up to 20 clubs across the state, each with 10 to 20 members.  To affirm commitment to the effort, there will likely be a fee for producers to participate.  The clubs would meet at least once monthly. 

Training for marketing club facilitators (who may be farm business management instructors or extension educators) will take place in September. 

Organizational meetings will be held for producers in December.  NDSU extension crops economist George Flaskerud will lead workshops to educate producers on how to establish a grain marketing plan, and how they may become involved in marketing clubs.

The workshop schedule: Dec. 7, Travel Lodge, Dickinson; Dec. 8, Best Western Doublewood Inn, Bismarck; Dec. 9, Holiday Inn, Fargo; Dec. 14, International Inn, Williston; Dec. 15, Holiday Inn, Minot; and Dec. 16, Ramada Inn, Grand Forks.  Registration for all workshops will begin at 8:30 a.m., with workshops running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The North Dakota Grain Growers Association will be involved in promoting the marketing club organizational effort.