Health and wellness are among the biggest challenges facing North Dakota, as well as the rest of the nation.

North Dakotans’ obesity rates doubled from 12 percent in 1990 to 25 percent in 2005 and rose to more than 27 percent in 2012 (the latest statistics available). More than one-third of North Dakotans have high cholesterol and 29 percent have high blood pressure. Also, more than 72 percent of North Dakotans do not eat fruits and vegetables at the levels health experts recommend, and nearly half don’t get enough physical activity.

The North Dakota State University Extension Service is working to reverse those trends with its family and consumer science (FCS) programs. Extension provides educational FCS programming in three areas - family economics, human development and family science, and nutrition, food safety and health - through Extension FCS agents in 32 counties across the state.

Statistics show Extension’s educational efforts such as the Family Nutrition Program (FNP) and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) are making a difference. These programs help low-resource families and youth make healthful food choices, increase their physical activity, get the most nutritious food for the money they spend on groceries and become savvier about food safety.

NDSU Extension's FCS programs are also making a difference in other areas. Read the full story on our Ag News site.

North Dakota State University Extension Service agronomist Hans Kandel, traveled to Ethiopia for 2 1/2 weeks in July to share his technical skills and expertise with local farmers.

“Local farmers are hardworking but lack knowledge about some of the essential principles of farming, for instance the utilization of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, recycling of nutrients and proper plant distribution,” Kandel says.

He represented the NDSU Plant Sciences Department and NDSU Extension Service during his teaching assignment, which was part of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Farmer-to-Farmer (FTF) program that promotes economic growth, food security and agricultural development in East Africa. This is the first time CRS has been involved in the 28-year-old FTF program.

Kandel was able to help up to 140 producers in seven villages. Farmers received training from Kandel on how to utilize manure and compost, and how to use legume inoculation with appropriate bacteria to increase dry bean production and quality.

Kandel also trained 15 agricultural development workers, who will follow up with the farmers who participated in the local training sessions.

To read more about Kandel's work, visit our Ag News site.

Grain can be stored in many types of containers, but all storage options should keep the grain dry and provide adequate aeration to control grain temperature.

“Grain must be dry and cool (near the average outdoor temperature) when placed in alternative storage facilities because providing adequate, uniform airflow to dry grain or cool grain coming from a dryer is not feasible in these facilities,” says Ken Hellevang, an NDSU Extension Service agricultural engineer.

With harvest in full swing across North Dakota, many producers should look carefully at the advantages and disadvantages of the nontraditional storage methods they are considering.

Read the full grain storage article on our Ag News site.

If your garden is producing a bountiful crop of vegetables, you may be thinking about canning some to eat later, such as this winter. You've probably found lots of recipes on the internet and in old cookbooks, and friends and family have offered you tons of advice on how to preserve those vegetables.

Did you know that canning guidelines have changed through the years as scientists learn what is and isn't safe? Visit our NDSU Extension Service Food and Nutrition - Food Preservation page for FREE canning information!

(NDSU photo)

Donnybrook-area producer David Miller has six children, but only one, a son, is interested in taking over the small-grains farm. The 68-year-old Miller wants to retire this year, and he’d like to find a way to transfer the farm to his son while being fair to the rest of his children.

He’d worked with a farm transfer professional in Bismarck and an attorney in Minot, but their recommendations didn’t quite fit with what he had in mind. Then two years ago, he attended one of the North Dakota State University Extension Service’s Design Your Succession Plan (DYSP) workshops.

“I felt this was what I really needed,” he says. “It gave me a road map to do what I want to do.”

To read more of David's story, visit our Ag News site. If you are ready to design your own succession plan, the NDSU Extension Service is ready to help!