North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension agents and specialists were honored for their work during the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) 2021 Virtual Conference.

Those recognized for their 2021 efforts were:

• Bill Hodous, agriculture and natural resources agent in Ramsey County (retired) - National Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes recipients for Extension careers of 10 years or more for long-term effectiveness of Extension programming. Hodous started his NDSU Extension career in 2001, taking great pride in his accomplishments that included the Lake Region Extension Roundup, Problem Based Learning approaches to educational transformation, a saline/sodic tiling project and horticulture education for urban and rural communities. Hodous was instrumental in developing a Nebraska trip to educate North Dakota agents about Palmar amaranth.
• Paige Brummund, agriculture and natural resources agent in Ward County - National Achievement Award, which recognizes outstanding educational efforts by a person with less than 10 years of experience with Extension. Brummund’s programming focuses on topics ranging from horticulture to agronomy to farm business management. Brummund works on a variety of project teams; her favorites include Annie’s Project, Design Your Succession Plan, and the 4-H Animal Science and Equine committees. Her passions include sharing production agriculture with urban stakeholders and coaching 4-H youth.
• Rick Schmidt, agriculture and natural resources agent in Oliver County - State winner in the category of educational video recordings for his video on face masks and respirators and their use in agriculture.
• Ashley Ueckert, agriculture and natural resources agent in Golden Valley County - State winner for a fact sheet on alternative forages.
• Renae Gress, agriculture and natural resources agent in Morton County- State winner for her quarterly online e-newsletter to keep farmers and ranchers informed and educated on important topics and upcoming events.
• Gregory Endres, Extension cropping systems specialist, Carrington Research Extension Center - National finalist for his publication titled, “Soybean response to planting rates and row spacings in North Dakota.” Others involved in the publication are Hans Kandel, Extension agronomist; Peder Schmitz, graduate research assistant; Eric Eriksmoen, North Central Research Extension Center research agronomist; Gautam Pradhan, Williston Research Extension Center dryland research agronomist; and John Rickertsen, Hettinger Research Extension Center specialist.

 Honored for their efforts at the 2020 NACAA virtual conference were:

• Ron Wiederholt, NDSU Extension southwest district director (retired) - National Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes recipients for Extension careers of 10 years or more for long-term effectiveness of Extension programming. Wiederholt started his Extension career in 1995 as a University of Wisconsin Extension agent in Clark County focusing on crop and horticulture educational programs. In 2004, he accepted a position as nutrient management state specialist with NDSU Extension. He led nutrient management educational program development across the state and implemented multiple research projects. In 2013, he accepted a position as district director with NDSU Extension serving up to 21 counties in North Dakota.
• Katelyn Hain, agriculture and natural resources agent in Grand Forks County- National Achievement Award, which recognizes outstanding educational efforts by a person with less than 10 years of experience with Extension. Hain’s Extension programming focuses on soil and natural resource management. She believes in boots-on-the-ground education, exhibited through local saline/sodic management demonstrations, her involvement with the North Dakota Soil and Water Conservation Leadership Academy, and coaching 4-Hers competing in state and national land judging contests. Additional programming areas include general agronomy, and pasture and livestock management.
• Mohamed Khan, Extension sugarbeet specialist - State winner in the category of audio recording for the Sugarbeet Report, a recorded radio program that provides information on a weekly basis, from early April to early September, to sugarbeet farmers and allied agriculture representatives.
• Lindy Berg, agriculture and natural resources agent in Towner County- Winner of third place in the category of applied research posters for her poster titled, “Soybean response to fungicide after simulated hail damage.” Others involved in the research were Lesley Lubenow Extension east district director; Endres; and Kelly Bjerke, NDSU research technician.
• Renae Gress, agriculture and natural resources agent in Morton County- State winner for her quarterly online e-newsletter to keep farmers and ranchers informed and educated on important topics and upcoming events.
• Gregory Endres, Extension cropping systems specialist, CREC - State winner for his publication titled, “Black and navy bean - response to row spacing and plant population in eastern North Dakota.” Others involved in the publication are Kandel; Mike Ostlie, CREC research agronomist; Blaine Schatz, former CREC director and current North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station assistant director; and Ryan Buetow, Extension cropping systems specialist at the Dickinson Research Extension Center

NDSU Agriculture Communication, Nov. 3, 2021

Source: Anitha Chirumamilla, 701-256-2582, anitha.chirumamilla@ndsu.edu

Editor: Kelli Anderson, 701-231-6136, kelli.c.anderson@ndsu.edu