Sowing Success: Celebrating a Heritage That’s Homegrown!

Family-owned farms are the backbone of Jamestown-Stutsman County. With a heritage deeply rooted in agriculture, our economy is homegrown.

National Family Owned & Operated Business Day kicks off on June 23, and with it, no better time than now for the Jamestown/Stutsman County Development Corporation (JSDC) to give a huge shout-out to all of our farmers and ranchers, as well as the agricultural businesses that support their operations.

We’re proud of the massive impact these hard-working, family-owned businesses continue to have on our community and beyond.

Food for Thought 

As the county seat of Stutsman, Jamestown quickly became a hub for agriculture as farmers and ranchers both played critical roles in providing food for the community, state, and even the nation.

Over 39 million acres, nearly 90% of the total land in North Dakota, is in farms and ranches. From vast, rolling fields of wheat to the thriving livestock industry, the state’s farmers and ranchers lead the nation in the production of spring and durum wheat, canola and flaxseed, dry edible beans, and peas. They’re also a top producer of sunflowers, oats, rye, sugarbeets, potatoes, and… one more thing that will get you buzzing.

Sweet As Honey

Most people don’t realize that our agricultural roots go much deeper than conventional crops.

Did you know North Dakota has held the title of the top honey-producing state in America for 19 consecutive years? According to the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, in 2023, our 114,900-plus honeybee colonies produced a whopping 38.3 million pounds of honey valued at over $67.8 million. That’s sweet!

Sowing Success

Collectively, North Dakota’s 25,068 farms have grown over $10.6 billion worth of crops, with another $1.6 billion generated from the sale of livestock. And innovation continues to be at the forefront of their operations, whether in the cultivation of conventional crops or while exploring the potential of newer commodities such as industrial hemp, hops, fava beans, and carinata.

This deviation from the conventional also means they’re constantly improving and modernizing traditional farming methods. This includes an increased usage of organic farming, which favors natural alternatives like manure and compost over chemical fertilizers. It also means food is grown naturally on the state’s 137 USDA-certified organic farms, not by a boost from bioengineering.

And no-till farming, which reduces soil disturbances like erosion and enriches soil health by leaving the stubble from previous crops intact, has also been gaining traction in the fields of North Dakota.

Support Small!

Operating a family farm is not for the faint of heart. Whether it’s riding the waves of a turbulent economy or staying true to their ethos instead of sacrificing quality for quantity, our local farmers work overtime to ensure there’s plenty of top-quality food for the entire nation.

You can support our agricultural community year-round by buying locally sourced food whenever possible or by doing something as simple as engaging with their social media accounts, leaving a positive review on Google, Yelp, or Facebook, or simply spreading the word to family and friends.

There’s nothing “small” about the big impact your support has on the farmers and ranchers of Jamestown-Stutsman County!