North Dakota

North Dakota FFA Foundation to make plans for record donations

Published

1 year ago

February 27, 2025

North Dakota FFA Foundation to make plans for record donations

BISMARCK, N.D. — The North Dakota FFA Foundation has had a big start to 2025, beginning on Jan. 18, when the Governor’s Heritage Foundation announced during Gov. Kelly Armstrong’s inaugural ball a $200,000 donation to the FFA Foundation. That’s the largest single monetary donation the foundation has ever received.

“As you can imagine, it was incredibly overwhelming,” said

Laiken DeMorrett, executive director of the North Dakota FFA Foundation

. The Governor’s Heritage Foundation also gave $200,000 to Great Plains Food Bank.

The donation to the North Dakota FFA Foundation was followed by more than $73,000 in donations during Giving Hearts Day, a one-day online fundraising drive for charities in North Dakota in February. That was about $5,000 less than the foundation’s goal but still more than raised in previous years at the event, which launched in 2008. Giving Hearts Day has become a major fundraiser for the foundation and even has inspired a similar effort for National FFA — Give FFA Day.

Laiken DeMorrett, executive director of the North Dakota FFA Foundation.

Contributed

DeMorrett said the board is meeting soon to begin making plans for the $200,000 donation from the Governor’s Heritage Foundation, but it’s uncharted territory.

“We’ve never gotten to deal with so much at once,” DeMorrett said.

The Governor’s Heritage Foundation did not put any restrictions on how the money needed to be used.

“It’s completely unrestricted funding, which is huge for a nonprofit organization when there are no strings attached. So we can use it exactly how we need it, and we can have some fun with it, too,” DeMorrett said.

She anticipates a portion will be used on existing programs supporting FFA and agriculture education in the state.

“But it’s going to give us an opportunity to dream a little bit and maybe kick off something that is unique to North Dakota FFA that we can maybe borrow from some other states who are doing some really cool things,” she said.

What is the North Dakota FFA Foundation?

The North Dakota FFA Foundation was established in 1980 to support agriculture education in the state. DeMorrett said that encompasses more than just supporting FFA and extends to things like the North Dakota Association of Agricultural Educators, North Dakota Farm Management Education Program, state FFA alumni and some collegiate agriculture education programs.

When it comes to supporting FFA, DeMorrett said one of the foundation’s “hallmark programs” is “Blue Jackets, Bright Futures,” which provides new students with a blue FFA jacket. The jackets cost $85, and National FFA kicks in $5, leaving $80 to be covered by members. Blue Jackets, Bright Futures picks up the remaining $80 for students who qualify, which gives them a jacket and a tie or scarf.

“The jacket’s kind of the equalizer, so regardless of financial position at home, or anything else in that student’s life, when they put that jacket on, they’re an FFA member, and they can focus on being an FFA member,” DeMorrett said.

The program has provided almost 4,000 jackets to students so far.

The foundation also provides college scholarships, funds for supervised agriculture experiences, stipends for travel to the Washington Leadership Conference or the National FFA Convention, funds for awards and sponsorships to reduce costs of events and other things that can reduce barriers to participation.

“Something that might not be known is FFA members in North Dakota actually only pay to attend two of the events that are available to them every year, and that’d be the State FFA Convention, and then the Leadership Convention,” DeMorrett said.

Removing financial barriers to participation means more students can learn skills that may lead to future employment or get to use their unique skills outside of the classroom. And DeMorrett said it also can help them find their place to belong.

“Everybody wants to fit in. Everybody wants to find a place, find a home where they belong,” she said.

She remembers a memorable FFA bus trip of her own, where the wheels fell off the bus, leading to her chapter spending eight hours together waiting for a replacement bus. She got to know fellow members who weren’t in the same social circles or the same FFA contests with her on a different level. That’s how she got to know her best friend, who later would officiate her wedding.

“It puts you in a different environment, where you can really allow yourself to be kind of more authentic and explore what those friendships could look like with somebody outside of your of your circle,” she said of her FFA experience.

DeMorrett emphasizes that the foundation team works closely with the North Dakota FFA Association to provide opportunities to students. She recently took a statewide trip with Nikki Fideldy-Doll, North Dakota state agriculture education supervisor and FFA advisor, and a National FFA officer. Seeing the passion Fideldy-Doll and others in the association, including Darin Spelhaug, agriculture education supervisor and executive secretary, and Breanna Mueller, agriculture education assistant supervisor, have for agriculture education and FFA was inspiring, she said.

“I’m lucky to be in this position and be able to support them in this way,” she said.

The North Dakota FFA Foundation has other long-standing sources of funding, notably including

the Bakk Farm, a large North Dakota farm that was willed to North Dakota FFA by farmer Fridtjov “Fred” Bakk.

Anyone who wants to donate toward the foundation’s goals should reach out to foundation staff. But DeMorrett said needs exist beyond finances, including volunteers to help judge contests or mentor students.

Source link

Click to comment

North Dakota

ND State Fair completes 2026 grandstand lineup with EDM artist Zedd, ‘Turn Up ND!’

Published

6 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

ND State Fair completes 2026 grandstand lineup with EDM artist Zedd, ‘Turn Up ND!’

MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) – We now know the entertainers who will round out this year’s North Dakota State Fair grandstand lineup.

In what is a first for the state fair, Zedd will put on an EDM show at the grandstand on Friday, July 24. He’s an award-winning artist and DJ, known for hits like ‘Clarity’ and ‘The Middle.’

The show will feature immersive production, sound and visuals. Tickets will be just over $58, including fees.

The fair wraps up on Saturday, July 25, with this year’s ‘Turn Up ND’ show. It features TI, Da-Baby and Waka Flocka Flame.

All three have made a name for themselves in the trap and hip-hop music genres.

Tickets for this show are just over $78, including fees.

So here’s a look at the full lineup, which is packed with some major stars, featuring Alex Warren, Jon Pardi, Jessie Murph, Niko Moon and Zach Top.

The fair will hold two days of the popular MHA Indian Horse Relays on July 20 and 21.

For information on tickets, dates and more, go to ndstatefair.com.

Source link

North Dakota

Darlene Struble

Published

18 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Darlene Kay Struble was born April 11, 1946 in Valley City, ND to Frank and Ruby (Satreaas) Klima. She grew up in LaMoure, ND and graduated from LaMoure High School 1964. After graduation, Darlene continued her education at North Dakota State School of Science in Wahpeton before completing her LPN training in Grand Forks.

Darlene married the love of her life, Charles Struble, on October 25, 1969 at Trinity Lutheran Church. Together, they made their home in Jamestown where she began her career in the OB department at Jamestown Hospital. Her dedication to caring for others continued throughout her professional life, later leading her to Dakota Clinic in Jamestown. Her work was an extension of her compassionate spirit, and she touched many lives until her retirement in 2009.

She filled her days with many loves; her family above all, but also the quiet joys of gardening, flowers, sewing, crafts, and scrap booking. She had a special gift of preserving memories, and spent countless hours gathering family history. Darlene started her day at the Depot Cafe nearly every morning. It was a simple tradition, but one she shared with her children, friends, and eventually grandchildren. Not only were Depot mornings filled with love and laughter, but an abundance of Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes.

Darlene passed away peacefully on March 23rd 2026 at Eventide in Jamestown, surrounded by the love of her family. She leaves behind her husband Chuck, her sons; Cory (Deb) Struble and Dave (Leslie) Struble, two sisters; Linda (Gary) Kraft and Roberta (Karl) Wilhelm, six grandchildren; Jayden (Darsh), Allie, Jonah, Grace, Evyn, and Owen, and seven nieces and nephews. She has been reunited with her parents, her daughter, Tiffiney Dick, and her sister, Mary Lee Guffy.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Jamestown Regional Medical Center Foundations, specifically to the OB ward.

Memorial Service- 3:30 PM Saturday, March 28, 2026 at Haut Funeral Home in Jamestown, ND, with Pastor Kristi Weber, officiating.

Interment- Highland Home Cemetery, Jamestown, ND (at a later date).

Source link

North Dakota

Hope’s Corner: Hope Springs Eternal

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

I spent the first day of spring, last Friday, weeding my back yard flower beds. Let that sink in, because this is North Dakota. We have April showers in May, and May flowers in June. We sometimes have snow in June, too. Weeding my tulips in March is a first.

The tulips have been up for a couple of weeks in my south-facing gardens. The six inches of snow last weekend did not deter their enthusiasm. According to the South Dakota State University Extension Service, tulips close to our shared border usually begin to appear in late March and early April. Mine are early risers this year. I blame the switch to Daylight Saving Time.

My yarrow and hollyhocks have been green and growing for four weeks. The yarrow was a little miffed at the one subzero night a week or so ago, but the hollyhocks merely flattened out and took it in stride. Our friends at the South Dakota Extension Service assure me both of those plant varieties normally sprout in mid-May. Maybe the frequent solar storms and northern lights displays have affected them.

Shortly after that subzero stretch in February, which Katie the Wonder Puppy and I called The Degrees of Despair, the pussywillow began to bud. I cut my first bouquet this past Friday the 13th. And did you know the blossoms are called catkins?

That shrub is only a couple weeks early in blooming. Obviously, like all cats, my pussywillow is indifferent to solar storms, the northern lights, and Daylight Saving Time. When its feet get warm enough, it stretches out and basks in the sun. Wild catnip has, however, sprouted near the pussywillow’s trunk. I suspect some deep-rooted drug dependency at work there.

But, weeds? There is wild horseradish marching across my tastefully scattered scoria chips. There is quackgrass strangling daylilies and yarrow. There are weeds of unknown name towering over my tulips. Actually, I have a name for those weeds, but that name is best kept to myself.

I pulled out one quackgrass clump, and I am pretty sure its far end stretched all the way to Gladstone. It was like pulling one of those string strips from the top of a fifty-pound sack of sunflower seeds. Not that I regularly buy fifty-pound bags of sunflower seeds for the neighborhood birds, or anything.

I was feeling pretty smug last Saturday after I finished all my weeding. I figured I would need to start mowing in a few more days. I began looking at seed catalogs and dreaming of Big Boy tomato plants.

Late Saturday evening Katie and I went outside to take in the fresh air. It was snowing. Gotta love North Dakota.

Jackie Hope is the longest running Dickinson Press contributor and columnist. Hope’s Corner is a weekly humorous column with a message of hope.

Source link