North Dakota farmers are heading into harvest with diesel prices above $5 per gallon, fertilizer costs still elevated, and renewed trade tensions with Canada adding another layer of uncertainty.

In this episode of The Backstory, NDNC reporter Michael Standaert and host Sabrina Halvorson discuss how those pressures are affecting farmers and why the consequences extend beyond the farm.

North Dakota requires 60% voter approval for school bond measures. That threshold recently came into play in both Bismarck and Surrey, where bond proposals received more than 58% support but failed to reach the supermajority needed to pass. In Surrey, the measure fell short by just five votes.

In this episode of The Backstory, NDNC reporter Michael Standaert and host Sabrina Halvorson discuss why school bond measures can receive support from a majority of voters and still fail.

Standaert looked at school bond elections over the past decade and found 48 failed measures, including 13 that came within five percentage points of the 60% threshold. He also discusses what the requirement means for districts trying to address aging buildings, accessibility needs and other facility improvements, and how recent changes to when bond elections can be held affect districts that want to return to voters.

“In most voting, it would have passed, but with the 60% requirement, those still didn’t pass.” — Michael Standaert, North Dakota News Cooperative reporter

Read the full article here:

https://www.newscoopnd.org/school-districts-struggle-to-sell-bond-measures/

In part two of this Backstory interview, conservation photographer Mike Forsberg and Andrew Caven of the International Crane Foundation reflect on the North Dakota portion of their completed 2,500-mile bicycle journey from Texas to Canada.

Forsberg describes riding through the Missouri Coteau southeast of Bismarck as moving through a painting, with rolling hills, wildflowers, grazing cattle and calling birds. Caven says the area was among the most ecologically intact landscapes they encountered during the trip.

But elsewhere in the state, they saw the effects of continued grassland and wetland conversion. Caven says some birds and plants he expected to find in northwestern North Dakota did not appear until the cyclists reached Saskatchewan.

The conversation also examines the importance of restoring native plants. Caven explains how grasslands dominated by introduced species differ from native habitat and can affect the birds and other wildlife that depend on them.

A few weeks ago, the North Dakota News Cooperative reported on a 2,500-mile bicycle journey following the migration route of the endangered whooping crane. Now that the ride from Texas to Canada is complete, conservation photographer Mike Forsberg and Andrew Caven of the International Crane Foundation join The Backstory to reflect on what they saw, what they learned and what the journey revealed about the challenges facing whooping cranes and the landscapes they depend on.

Forsberg and Caven recently completed a 2,500-mile bicycle ride from Texas to Canada, following the migration route of the endangered whooping crane. They explain how traveling the route under their own power helped them better understand the daily challenges migratory birds face as they search for food, water and safe places to rest.

The journey also gave them a close look at habitat conditions throughout the Central Flyway. They describe long stretches where wetlands and grasslands have disappeared and discuss how the loss affects whooping cranes as well as monarch butterflies, shorebirds, grassland birds and other species that depend on the same landscape.

“Their story in the Great Plains in North America on migration is very much our story, too.” – Mike Forsberg, conservation photographer

The conversation also examines the connections among conservation, agriculture and rural economies, including the role sustainable ranching and working lands can play in protecting grasslands and wetlands.

Part two will focus on what Forsberg and Caven encountered while riding through North Dakota and how residents can support conservation close to home.

Changing the clocks twice a year can be disruptive. But would permanent daylight saving time actually be better for North Dakota?

In this episode of The Backstory, host Sabrina Halvorson talks with North Dakota News Cooperative reporter Michael Standaert about the Sunshine Protection Act and what year-round daylight saving time could mean for the state.

“I was a little bit surprised how dark it will be in some of the months if this does go through,” Standaert said. “In the darkest months, some of the sunrises could be closer to 9:30 or 9:45 in the morning. Kids will already be in school when the sun comes up.”

Permanent daylight saving time would affect the state differently than many parts of the country. Winter sunrises could come around 9 a.m. in Fargo, 9:30 a.m. in Bismarck and 9:45 a.m. in Williston.

Halvorson and Standaert discuss what those dark mornings could mean for students, schools and the body’s natural rhythms, as well as the benefits and complications of permanent standard time. They also look at whether continuing to change the clocks may still be the best option for North Dakota.

In this episode of The Backstory, Sabrina Halvorson talks with NDNC reporter Michael Standaert about Grand Farm, a 600-acre agricultural technology campus near Casselton where companies test new tools under real-world farming conditions.

Grand Farm is currently focused on technologies that could help farmers address herbicide-resistant weeds, including drones, satellite mapping, smart sprayers and small autonomous machines capable of targeting individual plants. The goal is to make the equipment reliable and easy to use before farmers are asked to adopt it.

“Most farmers don’t have the time to go try these things out themselves,” Standaert said. “A place like Grand Farm is good for getting those things tested and making sure they’re operable and easy to use.”

The work could also reduce the amount of herbicide and pesticide applied to fields by allowing farmers to target only the areas where treatment is needed. Beyond the farm, Grand Farm has helped bring agricultural technology companies to North Dakota and could contribute to new industries and career opportunities in the state.

Read more on the topic here.

In this episode of The Backstory, Sabrina Halvorson talks with North Dakota News Cooperative reporter Michael Standaert about a proposed pig iron processing facility in Minot and what it could mean for the region. The project would reclaim discarded iron ore from northern Minnesota, transport it by rail to North Dakota and process it into pig iron for steel manufacturers across the country.

“It’s just cool to see projects like this that will offer very good jobs to people. I think that’s important for communities.” — Michael Standaert, North Dakota News Cooperative reporter

Standaert explains why pig iron is important to producing high-quality steel, why Minot was selected for the facility and how the project could reduce the nation’s reliance on imported pig iron. He also discusses the estimated 650 permanent jobs in Minot, thousands of construction jobs and the additional economic activity the project could generate throughout the state.

Read more on the topic here: https://www.newscoopnd.org/project-to-position-minot-as-significant-cog-in-u-s-steel-supply-chain/

What was it like to cover one of the biggest events North Dakota has seen in years?

In this episode of Backstory, NDNC reporter Michael Standaert takes listeners behind the scenes of the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, including President Donald Trump's visit, the intense security, and the atmosphere throughout the community.

"I think Medora was a special place before for a lot of people, and I think it's accentuated." — Michael Standaert, NDNC reporter

Michael shares what it was like to report from the ground during three days of events, from watching the presidential motorcade and train arrival just yards away to talking with Medora residents about how the opening could shape the town's future.

He also discusses the realities of covering a major presidential event, spending long hours in the summer heat, navigating security checkpoints, and finding the stories beyond the headlines.