Area agriculturists were honored for their successes during the 47th annual Harvest Bowl program at North Dakota State University on Nov. 19.

The 2021 recipients from the Minot area included: Ward County, Jay and Laurie Johnson; McHenry County, Kelly and Pamela Volochenko; McKenzie County, brothers Robert, James and Rodney Cross and Rodney’s wife, Leah; Mountrail, Doug Kinnoin; Pierce County, Lonnie and Carolyn Anderson; Wells County, David and Chrissie Hager; Williams County, John and Debby Salvevold; Bottineau County, Patrick and Amy Artz; Renville County, Josh and Kari Cook; Burke County, Jerol Staael; Divide County, Andrew and Kirstie Grundstad; Rolette County, Scott and Kathy Bryant; McLean, Brent and Theresa Petersen; Eddy County, Todd and Karen Koepplin; and Foster County, Nathan and Emily Spickler.

Jay and Laurie Johnson raise wheat, soybeans and sunflowers on a farm started in 1913 near Burlington. They also have a cow-calf operation. The Johnsons have been farming for 35 years. Jay Johnson, a 1983 NDSU graduate, also is a crop adjuster for Nodak Insurance, a director of the Berthold Farmers Union Cooperative and a member of the Burlington Rural Fire District Board. Laurie Johnson is an elementary school teacher. Both have been involved in 4-H.

Kelly and Pamela Volochenko raise small grains, including barley, canola, corn, flax, spring wheat and soybeans on a third-generation farm near Kief. They also have a small cow-calf herd. They have been farming for 29 years. Kelly Volochenko also is a member of the McHenry County Ag Improvement Association and president of the Drake Rural Fire District. Pamela Volochenko is the auditor for Kief and a class II assessor. She also is clerk/treasurer for Land Township, secretary/treasurer for the Kief Community Cemetery Association, past vice president of the Drake School Board and president of Drake Dollars for Scholars.

The Cross family farms the Alexander area, including on land their grandmother homesteaded. Robert Cross has farmed and ranched for 35 years, raising wheat, barley, peas, corn, alfalfa and has a beef cattle operation. Rodney and Leah Cross, who have farmed for 30 years, raise wheat, barley, peas, lentils, corn and beef cattle. James Cross, in business for 33 years, raises spring wheat, silage corn, malt barley, green peas and lentils and has an Angus cow-calf operation.

Robert Cross also is a member of the McKenzie County Water Resource District Board. Rodney Cross is a member of the local school board and the Atmospheric Resource Board. Leah Cross is a basketball coach and substitute teacher.

Kinnoin runs a small-grains and row-crop operation near Stanley. He also has been involved with his nephews in their cattle, feed and hay production operation. Kinnoin has a community garden plot in which he plants corn and potatoes for people in the area to use. He has been farming for more than 30 years and received the 2019 Mountrail County Ag Improvement Distinguished Service Award. He also is involved with the Mountrail County Ag Improvement Association, Mountrail County Medical Foundation, hospital board, Stanley School Board and Mountrail County Farm Bureau and is a fire department volunteer.

The Andersons live on the original Anderson family farm at Wolford, where their son Joshua, is now the fourth-generation farmer. Using reduced tillage practices, they raise wheat, barley, canola and soybeans. They also have raised cattle since they began farming 40 years ago. In 2016 they received the Pierce County Conservation Achievement Award. Lonnie Anderson, a Vietnam veteran, has previously served on the Rugby Elevator Board and is currently serving on the Pierce County Planning and Zoning Board and the Wolford Rural Fire Protection District Board. Carolyn Anderson is a medical technologist and a licensed practical nurse.

The Hases raise wheat, corn, soybeans, canola and oil sunflowers with their sons on a fourth-generation farm near Anamoose. They have been farming for 44 years. Curtis Hase also is a rural fire district director and member of the Anamoose Wildlife Club and Drake Threshing Association Board. Donna Hase is a Soil Conservation Service director.

The Hagers raise wheat, corn and soybeans on a third-generation farm near Harvey. They have been farming for 27 years. They have been active in the Wells County 4-H program for the past 15 years and David Hager has volunteered through their church at the local food pantry. Chrissie Hager has worked as a cosmetologist and a dental assistant. She volunteers at their church as a song leader, circle leader and is a substitute teacher for religion classes.

John Salvevold, Williston, has worked for Farmers Union Oil Agronomy since 1996. He also has been a certified crop adviser with the American Society of Agronomy for 20 years. In addition, he has been a 4-H supporter and worked with Extension staff in the county on the annual National Hard Spring Wheat Show for many years. Debby Salvevold works for Edward Jones in Williston.

The Artzes raise hard red spring wheat and soybeans near Bottineau. Patrick Artz also does custom work. He and his brother Jim also custom combined in the southern states and Canada for four years and hauled sugar beets in the Red River Valley for 10 years.

In addition, Artz, a 1994 NDSU graduate, is president of the State Bank of Bottineau and a stockholder of State Bank of Bottineau Holding Company. He served on the North Dakota Bankers Association Board of Directors and its Ag Committee. He has been very active in the Bottineau community over the past 25 years. Amy Artz, a 2007 NDSU graduate, is president of the Bottineau Figure Skating Club and is the Bottineau Summer Recreation Coach/Pitch and T-Ball Program coordinator.

The Cooks raise corn, beans, spring wheat, canola and sunflowers near Kenmare and have a 200-head cow-calf operation, where they background the calves and operate a beef retail operation, selling their home-raised beef under the name of Sunset Meats. They have been farming for 18 years.

Josh Cook also is a member of the Renville County Ag Improvement Board and NDSU Extension Board of Visitors, a 4-H and FFA livestock coach, and a township supervisor and treasurer. Kari is a 4-H leader.

Staael raises small grains and cattle near Stanley using rotational grazing. He also plants trees. He has been farming for 49 years and received the Burke County Soil Conservation District’s Conservation Achievement Award. He also is a director for the Flaxton Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Co. and he has been a strong supporter of NDSU Extension, 4-H and other local youth and community groups.

Andrew Grundstad, a 2011 NDSU graduate, lives near Ambrose and is an agronomist with New Century Ag. He served on the local agricultural improvement board for six years. Kirstie Grundstad is a bank teller.

The Bryants have farmed for more than 50 years, raising cattle, wheat, canola, corn, oats and alfalfa near St. John. They also raised North American Spotted draft horses for 30 years. In 2008, they represented North Dakota at the Denver Stock Show with their black and white draft horse six-horse hitch. In 2009, they represented North Dakota in the Great Circus Parade in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Scott Bryant received the Roughriders Award in 2014. Kathy Bryant has worked with the Turtle Mountain Head Start program.

The Petersens raise hard red spring wheat, corn and edible beans on a fourth-generation farm near Washburn. They have been farming for 32 years and received the South McLean Soil Conservation Award in 1999. Brent Petersen, a 1988 NDSU graduate, also is a McLean County Ag Improvement Board member. Theresa Petersen, a 1987 NDSU graduate, is a church organist and taught Sunday school.

The Koepplins raise wheat, pinto beans, soybeans, corn and winter rye near New Rockford. They have been farming for more than 25 years. Karen Koepplin also is an accountant and receptionist for James River Ag, which their son, Taylor, owns and operates. She also was a 4-H leader for many years.

The Spicklers run a seedstock operation near Glenfield that consists of selling Angus bulls and heifers through an annual production sale. They also grow alfalfa, winter rye, oats, corn for silage and a variety of warm-season forage grasses. They have been ranching for 17 years and received the Foster County Soil Conservation District Achievement Award in 2019 and the North Dakota Angus Association President’s Award in 2017.

Nathan Spickler, a 2005 NDSU graduate, also is a member of the Foster County 4-H Livestock Committee. Emily Spickler, also a 2005 NDSU graduate, is a local 4-H leader and on the Foster County Advisory Committee. Both are active in committees and leadership roles within their church.