Stutsman County to Elect Representative to North Dakota Wheat Commission

An election to seat a Stutsman County representative on the North Dakota Wheat Commission will take place at 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16, in the Jamestown Civic Center, 212 3rd Ave. NE, during the annual Winter Ag Show. Any farmer who is a resident of Stutsman County and is actively involved in the production of wheat is eligible both to vote and to run for the county seat.

Voting rules are specific: a wheat farmer must be present to cast a ballot, though a farmer does not need to be present to be elected. The election will be conducted under the supervision of Ashley Kjellberg, Extension agent with NDSU Extension in Stutsman County. A North Dakota Wheat Commission staff member may be on hand to explain Commission programs and to inform producers how their check-off investment is being used and the results of those expenditures.

The selected county representative will be one of the officials from District 3 who will later assemble to elect the district’s member of the seven-commissioner governing board. That board meets regularly to set policy and to plan programs intended to expand worldwide use of U.S. hard red spring and durum wheat through export development, domestic promotion, research, trade and public information initiatives. For Stutsman County producers, those decisions shape priorities for marketing, research funding and trade advocacy that can affect demand and price opportunities for locally grown wheat.

For local farmers, the election is an opportunity to influence how check-off funds are allocated. Those funds support efforts aimed at opening and expanding markets abroad, promoting domestic consumption, and supporting research that can improve yields, quality and disease resistance. The representative role offers a direct channel for county-level concerns to be raised at the state commission level, potentially affecting program emphasis that matters for planting decisions and long-term farm profitability.

Holding the vote during the Winter Ag Show places the election in a setting where many producers will already be gathered, increasing the chance of participation. Eligible voters should plan to attend in person if they wish to cast a ballot. With the wheat sector facing evolving international trade conditions and ongoing research needs, the selection of a county representative will have practical implications for how Stutsman County’s wheat producers are represented in decisions that touch market access, promotional priorities and research investments.