Mark Birdsall of Berthold is the new chair of North Dakota’s State Board of Agricultural Research and Education, and Sarah Lovas of Hillsboro is the board’s new vice chair.

They were elected at the board’s recent meeting in Fargo.

SBARE also has one new member and one who is returning for another term. Jim Bahm of New Salem has joined the board, and Dean Wehri of Mott will serve a second term.

SBARE works with the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and North Dakota State University Extension to identify needs, establish funding priorities and set policies.

Birdsall was appointed to the board in 2014 and is in his second term.