What Is A Dairy Farms Value to the Community?
By J.W. Schroeder, Dairy Specialist NDSU Extension Service The value of agriculture to North Dakotas economy is huge. When agriculture does well, so do the multitude of other industries that support or depend on agriculture. None is more significant than the value of animal agriculture. From cows to crops, the demise of the farm and ranch has sent shock waves throughout rural North Dakota. When communities lose their farm families, they too lose in the long run. Just drive down Main Street in rural North Dakota. When plywood conceals what plate glass used to display, the sign of the times for rural America is bleak. Recent discussion has been about what the dairy industry has been, not where it is going. The North Dakota Dairy Task Force, however, has looked into the future of its industry and developed a vision of what it can be. To get people interested in investing in dairying, it is important for them to understand what it means to the local economy. The following facts, reported b
