North Dakota State University
NDSU Extension Service
Farm and Ranch Recreation Resource Directory
Updated February 2004
Harry & Maureen Olson
HC0 1 Box 32
Killdeer, ND 58640 Phone: 701-863-6911 or toll free: 1-800-511-0434
E-mail: lolson@pop.ctctel.com
website: http://www.naardcreek.com
Harry and Maureen Olson enlisted the help of their family in expanding
their cattle ranch into a guest ranch also. In 1997, their son Kirk put the
business plan together, and then in May of 1999, they decided to put the
plan into action.
They wanted to share the beauty, but they also wanted to share the rich history
of their ranch, which was the original Olson Family homestead.
Naard Creek Ranch opened for business September of 1999. The ranch has something
for everyone giving guests the option to design their vacation package tailored
to their interests.
Naard Creek Ranch's beautiful badlands are a site to behold - not only the
actual geological beauty but also the abundance of wildlife. For this reason
the Olson family talked for years about trying to find a way to share this
beauty. The first thoughts were to make it into a hunting service, but this
restricted our projected guest lists. We wanted to share our badlands with
everyone during all seasons of the year.
Fall Family Fun On The Farm
Steve, Dorothy and Jennie Enger
S&D FARMS
RR 2 Box 68A
Hatton, North Dakota 58240 Phone:701-543-3955
Web Site: http://www.engerfarm.com
The Enger family has been involved in production agriculture since 1978 and in agri-entertainment for the past three years. Our farm is located one mile from Hatton, North Dakota, which is 35 miles from Grand Forks and 75 miles from Fargo. Conventional farming includes growing wheat and beans on 1450 acres of owned and rented land. The activities for agri-entertainment change each year as we learn and grow this new enterprise.
We initially became involved in agri-entertainment because we wanted to earn money for a church project. The idea of sharing our farm with others has been tucked in the back of our minds for years but how to approach it was in question. We knew we wanted to provide a memorable place to visit at an affordable price. We stress good, clean entertainment that is safe, fun and appropriate for all ages from tiny children to older adults.
Now that fewer families are making a living from the farm and the farm economy
is depressed, our goal this year was to increase awareness of the farm and
provide education to non-farm families in a fun way. In the process of education,
we educated ourselves!
Patrie's Raspberries on the Prairie
Loren & Patti Patrie
4250 2nd Street NE
Bowdon, North Dakota 58418; Phone: 701-962-3355
www.patriesraspberries.com
Loren and Patti Patrie are grain, livestock, and raspberry farmers from Bowdon, North Dakota. Loren grew up on the family farm and graduated from Fessenden High School and NDSU. Patti grew up on a fruit farm in Southwest Michigan, came to North Dakota through internships sponsored by Anderson University where she graduated, and married Loren in 1975. They have 3 children: Clayton, 20 attending Anderson University, Miles, 18 a senior, and Anne, 15 a freshman; both attending Fessenden High School.
Patrie's Raspberries on the Prairie is a seven acre U-Pick raspberry farm located SE of Bowdon, North Dakota, in Southern Wells County (1 mile south, 1/2 mile West of Highways 52 & 200 Intersection). The Patries started the business after attending Marketplace '89 in Minot, in which a Canadian farmer shared about his raspberry enterprise. In the spring of 1990 the Patries planted 1 1/2 acres of summer fruiting Boyne raspberries as a college Fund project for their three children. In 1994 they planted 1/2 acre of the fall bearing "Autumn Bliss". Five more acres of summer and fall berries were added in 1996.
In 1995 Patries joined the Pride of Dakota program with the North Dakota Department of Agriculture and began marketing raspberry freezer spread. The spread was first produced in a local pizza restaurant and is presently produced in a commercial kitchen at the Patrie farm. The spread and a new raspberry syrup are sold at various gift and trade shows throughout the state as well as in restaurants, specialty shops, and a few grocery stores. The Patries also operate a highway fruit stand and an on farm gift shop in which they sell their fresh berries and value-added products.
The Parties success in this farm diversification project can be attributed
to:
1. location to 2 major two-lane highways
2. good organic soil (site selection)
3. lots of advertising
a. Excellent product - sells itself
b. Word of mouth
c. Ads, brochures, coupons, recipes, signs
d. Pride of Dakota Program and Tourism publications and centers
(Fargo Tourism did a display of ND farm product including our berries)
e. Value-added products sold all year
f. Selling fresh raspberry sundaes at street fairs.
4. willingness of North Dakota people to drive long distances and support
one another
5. 10 week picking season with "eat all you can eat while picking
Cannonball Company
Patrick Candrian
PO Box 163
Regent, ND 58650; Phone: 701-563-4411 or toll free: 1-800-920-4910
Fax: 701-563-4497
Website: www.cannonballcompany.com
Patrick Candrian has served as Hettinger County Commissioner for 13
years and Manager of the Cannonball Company for 2 years. Pat has served
as the North Dakota Association of Counties board member and past president,
and also on the Southwest Multi County correctional Center, Hettinger County
Job Development Authority and Roosevelt Custer Regional Council.
Cannonball Company would be classified by many as a fee hunting company. I prefer that we look at it as a service agency. The clientele that we have had from 28 different states don't want to worry about where they are going to stay, where they are going to hunt or about getting lost. They demand the same from us that they would from a travel agent - to see that their hunting experience is all planned and without incident.
Any farmer, who has wildlife, whether it is deer, grouse, ducks, pheasants, prairie dogs, etc., has a resource that, if well planned, is marketable. If you have a home with extra rooms and enjoy meeting people from all over, the costs involved in becoming licensed by the State as a bed and breakfast provider, are minimal with financial gains.
If you have hunting knowledge, no game and fish violations, enjoy being out of doors, and a pleasant personality, guiding is a fun and enjoyable way to earn money. The only other costs involved, other than the $100 for the license, would probably be for appropriate and professional clothing.
Every aspect of Cannonball Company can be applied as an avenue by which a farmer may increase his revenue. When we start the motto was, "Start small, think big, stay solvent". We have grown from 54 hunts the first year to over 800 this year, have met our goals and will continue to prosper.
Cannonball Company was organized in 1991 by a number of local farmers and individuals concerned about the survival of the family farm and small towns. The initial money was minimal for advertising and donated by a couple individuals.
Cannonball Company is a for-profit corporation consisting of landowners, bed and breakfasts, guides and members originally responsible for the start up of the company. The landowners provide habitat to be hunted and are paid for game harvested from their land. Bed and breakfast people are reimbursed for the lodging they provide for the various hunters. Guides are considered contract labor and paid a daily fee for their work. Management is the only full time position with the company and is paid on commission for the hunt that is sold and completed.
Logging Camp Ranch
John Hanson
5705 - 101st Ave SW
Bowman, ND 58623
701-279-5501
www.loggingcampranch.com
Four generations of our family have owned and operated the Logging Camp Ranch. It isn’t a “dude” ranch or a refurbished historical site. It’s a live, working ranch, from the 1880's to the present.
What it offers is as simple and as complex as the nature around it. We invite you to share in the beauty of the Little Missouri River Valley, the cedars and pines, the abundant wildlife, and the rugged buttes and canyons of the Badlands.
The mission statement of the Logging Camp Ranch is to live, work, and play in the North Dakota Badlands, and in doing so to improve the prosperity and stability of our home, community and state.
Rock Creek Outdoor Adventures
Ron Hartman & Nevin Dahl
HC 4 Box 9
Grassy Butte, ND 58634; Phone: 701-863-6768
E-mail: rcoa@pop.ctctel.com
Website: rockcreekoutdoors.com
Rock Creek Outdoor Adventures was started in 1997. It was a plan that
Ron Hartman & Nevin Dahl came up with to try and diversify their Farm
and Ranch.
Rock Creeks main business is hunting, with summer tourism as a secondary
business. We offer Pheasant and Sharptail Grouse hunting along with Deer
and Antelope rifle and archery hunts plus spring and fall Turkey hunting.
We are located in the beautiful Badlands of western North Dakota in southern
McKenzie County. Once people have visited Rock Creek, the beauty of the Badlands
and the abundance of wildlife keep them coming back for more.
We can tailor a summer vacation or hunting package to fit any need. Stop
and see us or give us a call and let us help.
Little Knife Outfitters
Glendon (Swede) Nelson
PO Box 82
Watford City, ND 58584; Phone: 701-842-2631 or 701-628-2747
E-mail:
swede@4u.net
www.littleknifeoutfitters.com/knife
Little Knife Outfitters was started in 1991. We began as one and two-day
rides in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Later we received
a permit from the US Forest Service to ride on certain trails in the National
Grasslands. Today, we are now permitted to guide trail rides on the 100 mile
Maah Daah Hey Trail that connects the North and South Units of Theodore Roosevelt
National Park.
I guide big game and upland bird hunters and this year I am expanding to
include canoe rental, mountain bike rental and shuttle service for bikers,
hikers and canoers.
I have worked closely with the US Forest Service, McKenzie County Tourism
and North Dakota Department of Tourism. I have been actively involved with
the planning committee for the Maah Daah Hey Trail for 9 years. I am president
of the board of directors of the newly formed Maah Daah Trail Association.
Almost all of my business is repeat and referral. I have entertained guest
from almost all stated and many oversea countries. I believe tourism is an
answer but not for everyone. I suggest people start small and do a good job
at what they start. Expand as the need arises. Make a good first impression
and you need to enjoy what you do in order to make an enjoyable experience
for your guests!
Lone Butte Ranch
Holly & Lynn Dewhirst
HC 4 Box 19
Grassy Butte, ND 58634; Phone: 701-863-6864
Website: www.4eyes.net/lonebutte
E-mail: lonebute@pop.ctctel.com
Our cattle ranch located on the edge of the badlands has always fascinated
visitors with its scenic location, quiet solitude, and abundant wildlife.
Over the years we had occasionally thought about diversifying our cattle
operation to include a hunting camp, but we never got beyond the 'idea stage'.
Until the fall of 1997, when an opportunity to buy a handcrafted log cabin
came to us and we knew the time was right to launch the business. The cattle
market had been depressed, we both had jobs off the ranch, and we were looking
for a way to utilize the assets we already had to create additional income.
We set the log cabin on a ridge with a grand view of the badlands, and
immediately knew this would be more than just a hunting camp. The view, the
history of the area, and the solitude were all things I would personally
appreciate in a vacation spot. We awkwardly plunged into the tourism industry.
Our first tourist season was about what we expected - which was not a lot,
but it was a hopeful start with a lot of 'learn-as-you-go' moments. We had
no one to guide us, and we were pretty much unheard of. But word of mouth
and a few lucky breaks made our second year much busier. I anticipated it
would take us three years to become established, and I believe that will
hold true.
As we approach our third year in the tourism industry, we are completing
our second log cabin and are responding to requests for information on a
regular basis.
We do not provide any services; we still both work off the ranch at our 'day
jobs' while our guests are free to explore the ranch as they please. We provide
a fully furnished cabin in a unique location for a wonderful private vacation.
We do take in a few non-resident bow hunters in the fall, but primarily target
the vacationers. With Mother Nature as a partner, our guests have all been
very pleased with our services.
The 49'er
Dennis & Pat Peterson
HCR 63, PO Box 305
9795 Hwy 49
Lemmon, SD 57638; Phone: 701-376-3280
The 49'er Cabin was built and opened for business in the fall of 1989 (North Dakota's Centennial Year) as a licensed Bed & Breakfast, licensed North Dakota Guide and Outfitter and caters to family ranch vacations. We've been know to help with wagon train rides across country, bob sled rides, etc.
In developing a year round program of meetings, honeymoon couples, graduation and birthday open houses, family vacations, hunts and more. We've had guests from Germany, Russia, South Africa, Japan and Italy. Hunters from across United States have also stayed with us.
We look forward to serving our clients with the best our area has to offer, relation and quietness and of course good food.
It has been rewarding to visit with people from different walks of life.
The following individuals provided expertise information on procedures
that related to marketing strategies, ND marketing, facilities, feasibility,
insurance needs, legal considerations, and business assistance for those
individuals already established in an working farm & ranch business,
u-picks, outfitters guide service, etc., or those interested in starting
a recreation business.
Kathleen Tweeten, Director
Center for Community Vitality
Community Economic Development Specialist
North Dakota State University
NDSU Extension Service
ktweeten@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Kathleen is the NDSU Extension Specialist in Community Economic Development.
Her areas of interest include business retention and expansion, community
strategic planning, the creation of rural business opportunities, youth
entrepreneurship and leadership development.
Kathleen is the state coordinator for BR&E (Business Retention and Expansion)
and a Business Retention and Expansion international Instructor. She has
been a co-instructor in national and international training and has assisted
several North Dakota counties/communities through the BR&E visitation
program. Kathy is very involved in extension program planning team for community
strategic planning curriculum for the state and is co-chair of the extension
program planning team for community, economic and leadership development.
She is also the state coordinator for a youth entrepreneurship program for
3-7 grade teachers and 4-H leaders called "Mini-Society". Other areas of
work include group facilitation and public issues education. Kathleen received
both her B.S. and M.B.A. from the University of North Dakota.
Mark D. Schaar
Rural Development Specialist
United States Department of Agriculture
2001 6th Street SE
Minot, ND 58701-6700
701-852-1754 or 1-800-765-9476; Fax: 701-839-8317
Mark worked for the Farmers Home Administration from 1990 to 1992 as Assistant County Supervisor in Divide County and as County Supervisor from 1992 to 1995 in Divide and Western Burke Counties. In 1995, Mark transferred to the Rural Development Agency as the Community Development Manager in the Williston, North Dakota office serving the Tri-County area of McKenzie, Williams and Divide Counties. Since 1998, Mark has been the Rural Development Specialist in the Minot Area II Office, serving the Northwest quarter of the state.
Michael L. Wagner, J.D.
Wagner Law Firm
1533 North 12th Street
PO Box 639
Bismarck, ND 58502
701-530-9410; Fax: 701-530-9415
Michael L. Wagner, J.D., received an A.A. degree from the UND-Williston Center
in 1983, a B.B.P.A. degree in accounting from the University of North Dakota
in 1985, and a J.D. degree, with distinction, from the University of North
Dakota Law School in 1988. He is a former law clerk to the Supreme Court
of North Dakota.
Business
Michael is an attorney and has been in private practice for 11 years. He
practices primarily business/estate planning, taxation, and bankruptcy.
Licensures
Wagner is licensed to practice before the Supreme Court of North Dakota,
United States District Court for the District of North Dakota, the Eighth
Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Tax Court.
Mr. Wagner provided legal information that can be viewed in Section 7 Legal Considerations.
Myles Vosberg
Sales Tax Compliance Supervisor
North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner
State Capitol
600 E Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58505-0599
701-328-3011; Fax: 701-328-3700
msvosber@state.nd.us
Myles received his Bachelors degree in Accounting and Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of North Dakota. He is a Certified Public Accountant and has worked in public accounting and as a controller of a construction company for 7 years.
Myles has been employed with the North Dakota State Tax Commissioner's Office since September of 1985 and is presently serving as the Sales Tax Compliance Supervisor since July 1992.
Mike Walton
Inspector, Division of Food and Lodging
North Dakota Department of Health
State Capitol
600 E Boulevard Avenue, 2nd Floor
Bismarck, ND 58505-0200; Phone: 701-328-6150
Mike Walton has been an inspector for the Division of Food and Lodging with the Department of Health for 11 years. Mike attended the University of Colorado at Boulder and graduated in 1982.
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North Dakota State University
NDSU Extension Service