NDFB petitions for Constitutional Amendment

Created: 8/02/11 (Tue) | Topic: Issues

North Dakota Farm Bureau has submitted language to the North Dakota Secretary of State for an initiated measure to place a Constitutional Amendment on the ballot safeguarding farming and ranching in the state.

“This initiated measure is designed to insure North Dakota farmers and ranchers the right to farm, and safeguard North Dakota consumers’ right to a variety of safe, wholesome food choices,” said North Dakota Farm Bureau President Eric Aasmundstad.

“Life’s necessities include food, shelter and clothing. North Dakota agriculture specializes in providing one of those three necessities – food. Yet, there are forces out there that want to control agriculture and legislate us out of business,” Aasmundstad said. “Some want to severely limit what we produce, while others want to control how we farm and ranch.”

Over the next year, volunteers will be carrying petitions to acquire the necessary signatures to get the measure on the ballot. Aasmundstad said it will require 26,904 qualified signatures to get on the ballot in November 2012. He hopes that people understand how important agriculture is to our economy and will be willing to sign the petition when asked.

“Agriculture is the backbone of North Dakota’s economy. It means business, literally, representing 36 percent of the state’s economy,” Aasmundstad said. “It is a wealth generator. For every dollar a farmer receives from selling his products, the positive return to the state is multiplied 4.49 times for livestock and 3.68 times for crops. That is worth safeguarding.”

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