Rodney Howe of Hettinger recently was elected chairman of North Dakota’s State Board of Agricultural Research and Education (SBARE). Paul Langseth of Barney was elected vice chair. State Sen. Jerry Klein of Fessenden was appointed to SBARE by the Legislative Council on July 1, replacing Sen. Randy Christmann.

The North Dakota Legislature established the 17-member SBARE organization in 1997 with responsibilities to oversee agricultural research and Extension at North Dakota State University.

Howe has been active in farming and ranching for more than 40 years. He also is employed as an agricultural lending officer for Dakota Plains Federal Credit Union. He has served as a 4-H leader and a member of the Hettinger Research and Extension Advisory Board, Rural Economic Area Partnership Board, North Dakota EMT Association Board and many other local and statewide organizations. Howe has a long affiliation with NDSU research and Extension.

Because SBARE is responsible for establishing the priorities for research and Extension Service efforts, relationships developed among agricultural producers, commodity organizations and SBARE is of great significance, Howe says.

Langseth operates a cattle, small-grains, corn and soybean farm and ranch near Barney. He has served on numerous local and state boards, including the Corn Granting Committee in conjunction with SBARE, Farm Bureau, Golden Growers Cooperative, ProGold LLC and Board of Higher Education’s Agriculture Consultation Board.

Klein has been in the North Dakota state Senate since 1997. He serves on the Agriculture Committee and is Industry, Business and Labor Committee chair. He serves and has served on numerous organizations, including as North Dakota Grocers Association past chair, and was the 2005 North Dakota grocer of the year.

NDSU Agriculture Communication