Straight Talk with NDFB

The greatest threat to a family farm isn’t always markets, weather, or input costs. Sometimes, it’s family disagreement — and the emotions that come with it. In this episode of Straight Talk with NDFB, the Harvesting Legal Knowledge series continues with NDFB CEO Jeffrey Missling and attorneys from Ohnstad Twichell Law Firm. Part two of this two-part conversation focuses on what happens when farm...

The greatest threat to a family farm isn't always markets, weather, or input costs. Sometimes, it's family disagreement.  In this episode of Straight Talk with NDFB, the Harvesting Legal Knowledge series continues with NDFB Executive Vice President and CEO Jeffrey Missling and attorneys from Ohnstad Twichell Law Firm. Part one of this two-part conversation explores partition actions — th...

Setting up your farm entity can feel overwhelming. How do you navigate it all and make sure nothing falls through the cracks? In this episode of Straight Talk with NDFB , the Harvesting Legal Knowledge series continues with NDFB Executive Vice President and CEO Jeffrey Missling and attorneys from Ohnstad Twichell Law Firm. The conversation focuses on what it takes to properly set up and structure...

Straight Talk with NDFB , the Harvesting Legal Knowledge series with NDFB Executive Vice President and CEO Jeffrey Missling and attorneys from Ohnstad Twichell Law Firm addresses real-life situations you face on your farm or ranch.  Today's conversation features Casey Drege and Marshall McCullough of Ohnstad Twichell, and focuses on how to set your farm up for long-term success through a prop...

Your land is your life, but have you accounted for the risks? In this episode of Straight Talk with NDFB , NDFB CEO Jeff Missling and attorneys from Ohnstad Twichell Law Firm continue the Harvesting Legal Knowledge series. The discussion focuses on the real risks tied to land ownership in agriculture and why it’s critical for farmers and ranchers to understand how those risks can impact their farm...

What happens when the land you thought you owned is no longer your land? Farming and ranching are tough businesses — and legal issues can make them even more complicated. That’s why this season features Harvesting Legal Knowledge , a conversation between NDFB and the Ohnstad Twichell Law Firm. NDFB’s Executive Vice President and CEO Jeffrey Missling and the attorneys at Ohnstad Twichell break down...

Merry Christmas to all from Straight Talk with NDFB! Our final episode of our "Best Of" season was originally released on December 20, 2023. Hosts Emmery Mehlhoff and Alisha Nord visited with Courtney Lesmeister, part-owner of Wayne-N-Jean's Evergreens.  Courtney, a friend of Alisha's, married into a family-owned and operated tree farm when she married Lloyd Lesmeister, son of...

In this "Best Of" season of Straight Talk, we travel back to Season 3, episode 9, as our hosts, siblings Emmery and Ezra, drive to Carrington to visit with the van Bedaf siblings, Piet and Maartje, and learn more about the family's dairy farm and creamery. Tune in as they talk about: The history of the farm and why Carrington, N.D. The importance of animal agriculture to North Dakot...

In this "Best of" season of Straight Talk, we step back to Season 7, episode 15 as hosts Emmery Mehlhoff and Alisha Nord travel to Wimbledon, N.D., to visit with Matt and Bethany Peterson, owners of Aligned Ag.  Aligned Ag offers precision ag services, crop protection, soil sampling services and sells Pioneer seed to the Wimbledon and surrounding areas.  Matt and Bethany began growing th...

This Best of Straight Talk episode is from November 2021, when Emmery and her brother, Ezra, interviewed Dallas Mount, owner of Ranch Management Consultants, the company behind Ranching for Profit seminars. The episode focuses on what people who take the Ranching for Profit seminars learn, including why profit is more important than productivity. At the heart of the seminars are three strategies t...

This Best of Straight Talk excerpt is from Season 7 and was released on October 18, 2023. It features Doug Ferguson, who owns a stocker/backgrounding operation in SE Nebraska and is the author of Doug's Market Intel. Doug teaches a cattle marketing school focused on helping people become Master Marketers in the cattle industry.  He also writes a weekly blog about becoming a master cattle mark...

This Best of Straight Talk episode excerpt is from Season 7, which debuted on March 20, 2024, and features Dr. Amy Missling. Hosts Emmery Mehlhoff and Alisha Nord visit with Dr. Missling about stress on the farm and how it can turn from something seasonal to more permanent: chronic stress.  Dr. Missling is a licensed clinical psychologist who practices in rural Minnesota. She specializes in the tr...

In this episode of Straight Talk with NDFB, host Emmery Mehlhoff visits with NDFB lobbyist Rachel Grosz. Rachel is a rancher from Mott, and a homeschooling mom to 3 kids. She previously lobbied for NDFB in the 2017 session and has been an advocate for agriculture policy on the state and federal level.  We talk about some of the bills relating to property tax, agriculture chemicals, livestock initi...

In today’s episode, host Emmery Mehlhoff visits with Senator Greg Kessel from Belfield, North Dakota. Senator Kessel farms in Belfield with with his wife and four children. Along with farming, the family is involved in small businesses and recently opened Two Track Malting Company in Bismarck.  We visit about:  Farming in western North Dakota  Malting grains for beer Value-added agriculture  Verti...

In today’s episode, host Emmery Mehlhoff visits with Senator Randy Lemm from Hillsboro, North Dakota. A long-time Traill County Farm Bureau board member, Randy is a familiar name in Farm Bureau circles. He farms and ranches with his wife, Julie, and their daughter, Ellie, and her husband, Luke, and daughter, Reagan. Reagan is the 6th generation of the Lemm family on the farm. Randy visits with us...

In this episode, host Emmery Mehlhoff visits with Senator Janne Myrdal, who farms with her husband and children in Edinburg, North Dakota. She did not always call Pembina County her home, however. Senator Myrdal is originally from Norway and moved to North Dakota after she married a farm boy she met on a mission trip. Since then, North Dakota has been her home.  Senator Janne Myrdal talks about he...

The Legislative Session has reconvened after crossover and Straight Talk host Emmery Mehlhoff visits with Rep Mike Brandenburg from Edgeley, North Dakota. He is a farmer and serves on the LaMoure County Farm Bureau Board of Directors and has served in the North Dakota House of Representatives since 1997.  Emmery and Rep. Brandenburg have a laid-back conversation about hauling corn to the ethanol p...

In this episode of Straight Talk with NDFB, our host, Emmery Mehlhoff, continues the coverage of the 69th Legislative Assembly. The Legislature has just finished its crossover break where the bills “crossover.” During this break, our host visited with Rep. Robin Weisz from District 14.  Rep. Weisz is a farmer from Hurdsfield who, during his extended time in the Legislature, has served as chairman...

In this season we are covering the 69th Legislative Assembly and bringing you issues that are important to agriculture and rural North Dakota. Host Emmery Mehlhoff visits with Rep. Dori Hauck from District 36. Rep Hauck is a rancher from Hebron, North Dakota, and has served in the House of Representatives since 2021. We talk about her experience and service as the vice chair of the House Agricultu...

In this episode, Host Emmery Mehlhoff visits with Senator Paul Thomas from Velva, N.D. Senator Thomas served in the North Dakota House of Representatives from 2021 - 2024 and was elected to the N.D. Senate last election. They discuss Senator Thomas’ new role on the appropriations committee, property tax reform, and legislation sponsored by Senator Thomas, including value-added agriculture and live...

In this episode of Straight Talk with NDFB, we return to Bismarck for the 69th Legislative Assembly. Host Emmery Mehlhoff talks with Pete Hanebutt, NDFB Public Policy Director. They discuss the first week of the Legislative Assembly, Governor Armstrong's State-of-the-State Address, property tax reform, livestock issues and more. Join us for this episode. To follow the legislative session, vis...

In today’s episode, host Emmery Mehlhoff visits with Justin and Jenna Kyllo of McCanna, North Dakota. Justin and Jenna operate a multigenerational farm where they grow potatoes and several other crops. Emmery and the Kyllos visit about the ins and outs of growing and harvesting potatoes. Join us for the final episode of Harvesting with NDFB Thanks for joining our harvesting with NDFB podcast serie...

In this episode of Harvesting with NDFB, host Alisha Nord travels to Steele, N.D., to visit with Tim Schoenhard. Tim visits with Alisha about his operation where he ranches and raises Quarter Horses. Tim shares what it takes to raise horses and how this year’s horse sale went.  Join us for this episode! If you have questions or suggestions for the hosts, please contact emmery@ndfb.org .

In this episode, host Alisha Nord visits with Perry Moser, Baldwin, N.D. to talk about a different kind of “harvesting,” custom feeding calves! Perry Moser and his wife own Moser Simmental Ranch. Perry visits with Alisha about how he and his wife began their purebred herd of Simmentals from two cows and used custom feeding to grow their operation.  Perry shares the challenges and his tools for suc...

In this episode, Alisha checks in on corn harvest with Toby Olin from Morton County, N.D.  Toby shares more about his diversified operation and his strategies for soil health and passing the farm to the next generation.  Join us for this episode.