BISMARCK — April 17 was a historic day for the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association (NDSA), the North Dakota Stockmen’s Foundation (NDSF) and the state’s cattle producers. The first ground was broken for the organizations’ new headquarters building in north Bismarck.

There was a mix of cowboy hats and hard hats at an earlier informal gathering as organizational leaders, Building Committee members and contractors celebrated the milestone.

The NDSA and NDSF have been working together on the building project for several years, following a directive passed by NDSA members at their annual convention in 2015. The NDSA purchased the lot at 4520 Ottawa Street in September 2021. The site is north of Interstate 94 and just a block west of U.S. Highway 83. The NDSF is building the new industry headquarters on that site with a lease-to-own agreement with the NDSA.

“It is exciting to see this project come together after all the work by so many in planning and vetting various sites,” said Jeff Schafer, NDSF president and New Rockford cattleman. “I cannot think of a greater compliment to our nearly 100-year-old organization than to have outgrown our current building.”

Dan Rorvig, a McVille cow-calf producer and the Building Committee chairman, echoed the remark. “We are very proud of the history of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association and very excited about its future.”

NDSA President and Arnegard cattleman Jason Leiseth added, “The headquarters building will be a tribute to those who have gone before us and the generations of North Dakota cattle producers yet to come.”

The new headquarters will be approximately 10,000 square feet. In addition to its modern and ADA-compliant features, the building will include, for the first time, professional space for its law enforcement team and brand renewal staff, ground-level storage and a spacious board room and attached kitchen that will accommodate the groups’ business meetings and other functions. The parking lot will facilitate those traveling with pickups and trailers. Northwest Contracting is overseeing the work. Completion is expected in eight months to a year.

“The NDSA’s strength lies in its members, whose unity and collaboration give the North Dakota cattle industry a stronger and more effective voice,” said Julie Ellingson, NDSA executive vice president.

She said NDSA members were proud to erect the current building (and first owned headquarters) in 1974, and the facility has served the organization very well over those nearly 50 years.

Over that time, the organization has grown not only in members, but in responsibilities and services. Additionally, the NDSF was launched and maintains a significant charitable portfolio, which augments the NDSA’s work and helps provide hope and opportunity for the state’s cattle industry through projects such as scholarships, research and disaster relief.