NDFB members gathered to celebrate the 75th Annual Meeting and form policy that will guide the organization into the next year, Nov. 17-18 at the Holiday Inn, Fargo.

 

The annual meeting kicked off Friday afternoon with NDFB President Daryl Lies speaking about the importance of supporting and empowering county Farm Bureaus in their work and messaging for agriculture.

 

“The power of NDFB is in the strength of our counties,” Lies said. “This organization takes care of the issues that are important to you.”

 

He cited several examples of those issues, including addressing the backlog of wetland delineations at Natural Resources Conservation Service at the federal level. On the state level, NDFB was instrumental in expediting the water management permitting process, clarifying rules and bringing uniformity to water districts, and fending off several Humane Society of the United States legislative initiatives in the 2017 Legislative Assembly.

 

“We promote our principled beliefs and advocate for farmers and ranchers, and all self-reliant people, who are the backbone of our great state,” Lies said. “Our focus is farming and ranching. We’re never going to apologize for it.”

 

Lies has been president of NDFB since 2015. He is from Douglas, N.D. and raises hogs, sheep, and goats with an emphasis in show animals.

 

“We don’t sell widgets. We sell a philosophy. Messaging is our product. We must remember to never lose focus on getting our story out, that is what and who we are,” Lies said. “In fact, that is who we need to be. If we don’t tell our story, those who are continually against us will do it for us and then agriculture loses.”

 

The annual meeting will continue through Saturday, with an evening banquet and entertainment. During Saturday night, members will hear from past leaders and see highlights from the last 75 years of NDFB.