Shana Forster, director for the North Central Research Extension Center, asked the commission for help toward attaining the final $300,000 for a grain dust collection system necessary to get the plant operating yet this year. NCREC has been working on building a new seed conditioning facility for several years, receiving $750,000 from the North Dakota Legislature in 2015. The Legislature authorized the center to raise another $1.5 million.

A fundraising campaign initiated in 2017 has generated about $700,000. NCREC also has put $400,000 to $500,000 of its resources into the project. About 50% of NCREC’s funding comes from the state and the remainder comes from seed sales, grants and research contracts.

The Ward County Commission gave preliminary agreement to contribute $250,000, using unallocated dollars available in 2020 and through budgeting in 2021.

“To me, it’s an investment. It’s helping the whole community,” Commissioner Alan Walter said.

Jill Schramm/MDN David Miller of Donnybrook addresses the Ward County Commission Tuesday regarding funding for North Central Research Extension Center’s proposed seed plant. Behind him are Mark Birdsall, left, and Troy Coons, who also spoke to support the seed facility.

Commissioners also indicated willingness to budget in 2022 if the full $250,000 isn’t available in the 2020 and 2021 budgets. However, after consulting with the state’s attorney, commissioners didn’t feel they have the authority to pledge money beyond 2021.

The commission asked the auditor’s office to provide information at a future meeting regarding funds that might be available in the existing budget. Commissioners expect to begin planning for the 2021 budget in a couple of weeks.

NCREC also will be approaching other area counties about contributing. NCREC serves a 12-county area. North Dakota State University would front pledged money to enable the seed facility to open this year.

“I am leaning heavily in favor of this because I think it would benefit the entire Minot area and area counties,” Commissioner Jim Rostad said. He suggested money set aside for weather modification – had voters in June approved continuing the program – could be redirected to NCREC. The county spent $112,000 on weather modification in 2019.

Commissioner John Pietsch said he supports using money saved, whether from weather modification or other budget cuts, but opposes increasing the budget.

Jill Schramm/MDN Seed conditioning equipment sits in a new building at North Central Research Extension Center Monday, waiting for installation.

“I wouldn’t have a problem with the commitment at this time, but not $250,000 without reaching out to the other counties to see what they’re willing to contribute,” Pietsch said.

He cast the only vote against contributing the money.

“It isn’t that I don’t support the project, but I don’t support funding it in this manner,” he said.

NCREC develops and releases seed for new and improved crop varieties.

Its new facility will be capable of handling pulse, oilseed and small grain crops. A former seed conditioning facility handled only small grains and was removed over safety concerns. With its removal, NCREC has contracted seed conditioning since 2009, spending more than $250,000 on those contracts since then, Forster said.

NCREC constructed the seed building last year and has the seed conditioning equipment on hand. However, Forster explained the plant cannot operate without dust control equipment due to proximity near Minot and a major highway. She said there are items NCREC would like to add in the future, such as seed treating and semi-truck filling equipment, but those are not required items to open.

“It is essential to rapidly produce certified seed of these newly released varieties and adequate amounts to supply the needs of North Dakota’s seed industry and North Dakota producers at a reasonable price. We are an essential link to these producers, providing them with adequate supplies of seed, with good varietal purity of the best adapted cultivars. We also maintain the seed for producers and the commercial seed industry in North Dakota,” Forster said.

NCREC produces and processes 12 different crops of more than 30 varieties annually, distributing seed to growers across the state. Growers produce certified and registered seed for other producers.

“We’re not in competition with local seed producers. We work closely with the Ward County Ag Improvement Association, who helps promote and increase seed of NDSU varieties,” Forster said.

David Miller, who grows NCREC’s foundation seed for distribution and operates a seed-cleaning business at Donnybrook, said the seed facility will benefit all area farmers. He said the operation will have the most advanced technology to clean seeds, remove diseased kernels and sort for purity.

Mark Birdsall, a producer and co-owner of Birdsall Grain and Seed of Berthold, said NCREC is a large seed producer and a major player in area agriculture. Public seed programs are often the main supplier of seed for crops such as peas or flax, which commercial seed companies may not supply because of the lesser demand, he said.

“The big companies, the private companies, don’t really want to mess with them. They can’t make enough money with them, but they’re very important to North Dakota agriculture because they provide a niche for us as producers to maybe make a little money here and there,” he said.

Birdsall also is a member of the State Board of Ag Research and Education, which oversees policymaking and budgeting for the research stations.

“One of the top things we’ve heard over the last couple sessions is the need to update seed conditioning plants throughout North Dakota,” he said.