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North Dakota Pastureland Values and Rental Rates Continue Upward Trend

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North Dakota Pastureland Values and Rental Rates Continue Upward Trend


From 2023 to 2024, statewide average pastureland values increased 6.63% from $1,273 per acre to $1,355 per acre. This marks the fourth consecutive year that pastureland values have increased since 2021 averaging an annual increase of 6.9% per year during that span. (Photo: USFWS Midwest Region, Public Domain)

FARGO, N.D. — 2024 marks the fourth year in a row that pastureland values in North Dakota have increased, says Bryon Parman, North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension agricultural finance specialist.

From 2023 to 2024, statewide average pastureland values increased 6.63% from $1,273 per acre to $1,355 per acre. This marks the fourth consecutive year that pastureland values have increased since 2021 averaging an annual increase of 6.9% per year during that span.

Pastureland cash rental rates edged up in 2024 as well increasing just over 4% to a statewide average of just over $23 per acre. This is according to the North Dakota Department of Trust Lands Annual Land Survey data which has been weighted for this article by county acreage count and put into NDSU Extension regions. The original survey data can be found at: https://www.land.nd.gov/resources/north-dakota-county-rents-prices-annual-survey. The NDSU regions do not include values for the southern Red River Valley, northern Red River Valley, or Northeast regions due to very low numbers of reported pastureland rental rates or sales values. Also, single year variation may not reflect actual conditions. It is more useful to look at trends or multi-year movements.

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Much like cropland prices in North Dakota, pastureland values have grown significantly faster than cash rental rates for pastureland. From 2014 through 2024, statewide pastureland prices increased at an annual rate of approximately 5%. However, during that same time pastureland interest rates increased at around 2.2% per year or less than half that of pastureland values.

“As of 2024, the rent-to-value rate for pastureland, where the cash rental rate is divided by the land value to estimate a rate of return, was down to 1.7%,” says Parman. “That is essentially saying that, before accounting for management fees or property taxes, the return to pastureland in North Dakota is 1.7%.  When those factors are also considered, the return is significantly lower. To put that into historical perspective, as of 1990, the rent-to-value for pastureland was approximately 7% showing that over the last 35 years, pastureland values have greatly outpaced rental rates.”

Parman adds, “Like cropland prices responding to crop commodity prices, pastureland prices, and rental rates do respond to cattle prices as well. However, there are nuances and variables that impact pastureland prices differently. For one thing, with crops, a multi-year drought can be overcome more quickly than pasture, as it can take years of additional rainfall to repair damaged rangeland, especially if it was overgrazed during the drought period. Also, following years of drought, cattle may be sold off such that when pastureland has recovered, there are fewer beef cattle inventories and therefore less grazing land needed in the short run. Pastureland can also be highly regionalized such that in areas there are more cattle, those areas command relatively higher rents than areas with fewer cattle, even if areas with fewer cattle would be more productive. Pastureland is also tied to cropland prices in that, even if livestock prices aren’t all that favorable, rising cropland prices can pull pastureland prices up with them.”

“Moving forward, with this spring looking favorable for forage production on range land in North Dakota, and strong beef cattle prices, it is reasonable to expect pastureland values to continue the trend of increasing in value into next year,” Parman says. “Additionally, if strong beef cattle prices continue and inventories increase from their historical low to start 2024, pastureland rental rate increases could pick up over the next few years.”

— NDSU Extension

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Could a Bismarck woman become North Dakota's 1st saint?

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Could a Bismarck woman become North Dakota's 1st saint?


BISMARCK — Christmas Day marks the ninth anniversary of 31-year-old Michelle Duppong’s death. While her family and friends will feel her absence on this day, they also feel the love, kindness and faith she demonstrated during her short life, along with abundant hope that she not only shared while alive but continues to share in death, which is one of the reasons she is slated to become the first person from North Dakota to become a Catholic saint.

Michelle Duppong

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In June 2022, Bismarck Bishop David D. Kagan announced the opening of a diocesan investigation into Duppong’s “holiness of life and love for God,” officially starting the long and arduous process of canonization to a saint. On Nov. 1, 2022, Kagan deemed Duppong a servant of god.

Duppong is on track to be the first North Dakotan and one of few around the world to be canonized, said Father Tom Grafsgaard, of Hazen, North Dakota. According to Catholic publications, only 11 people from the U.S. have become canonized saints.

“It’s never happened in the history of North Dakota in either (the Bismarck or Fargo) Diocese,” Grafsgaard said. “It’s quite exceedingly rare for this to be happening.”

In the process of canonization, the Catholic Church declares people “saints.” There are three paths to sainthood: to have died as a martyr for Catholicism; if one lived an expression of love and died a rather quick and unexpected death; or if they gave a heroic example of living all the Christian virtues.

The process of canonization is governed by a strict canonical or juridical procedure established by St. John Paul II in 1983.

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After Kagan began the process, Duppong’s cause entered the diocesan phase of investigation into her life. The Michelle Duppong Guild was created — a group tasked with promoting an awareness of her life. Officials are poring over Duppong’s writings, work, demonstrations of faith and the great number of lives she touched while alive, which are illustrated through interviews with those who knew her, Grafsgaard said.

Her case will be built up and eventually sent to the Dicastery for the Causes of the Saints in Rome for the Roman Phase of canonization. A Vatican panel will also investigate and determine if Duppong lived a heroically virtuous life. The Dicastery can then issue a “decree of heroic virtue” in which Duppong would be given the new title of “Venerable Servant of God.”

The third step, beatification, then begins. During this phase, it must be proven that one miracle has been granted by God through Duppong’s intercession. If the Pope declares a true miracle occurred, then Duppong would be declared “Blessed.” Last, a ceremony of canonization would take place where the church declares her a Saint in heaven with God.

“The process is very long,” Grafsgaard said. “I often say, ‘It takes as long as it takes.’ ”

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Michelle Duppong overlooking Jerusalem-2013.jpg

Michelle Duppong overlooking Jerusalem in 2013.

Contributed by michelleduppong.org

Michelle Christine Duppong was born Jan. 25, 1984, the fourth of six children to parents Ken and Mary Ann Duppong. She grew up on the family farm in Haymarsh, North Dakota, where her parents said she loved to help with chores, including caring for sheep but especially gardening, mowing, pruning, weeding, harvesting and canning, according to her mother.

Duppong was named valedictorian and president of her senior class and later attended North Dakota State University, where she earned a degree in horticulture.

After earning her degree, she became a FOCUS missionary at four college campuses, including the inaugural year at the University of Mary, mentoring college students to draw them deeper into the faith. FOCUS is an apostolate dedicated to evangelizing college and university students.

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In 2012, she became the director of faith formation for the Bismarck Diocese, where she led parish missions, launched a podcast and spearheaded a three-day Eucharistic conference that drew thousands to the Bismarck Civic Center in 2013.

In the fall of 2014, Duppong was experiencing sharp abdominal pains that doctors initially thought were ovarian cysts, a common but painful issue for women that will sometimes dissolve and go away without major medical treatment. But by December, the pain was unrelenting, and an outpatient surgery was scheduled that month to remove the cysts.

According to Mary Ann Duppong, surgeons were “shocked to find” Michelle Duppong’s abdomen was “full of stage four cancer.”

Doctors expected the young woman to die within months, and hospice care was recommended.

“Michelle was not one to blame anyone for anything,” Mary Ann Duppong said. “Her attitude was, ‘If God wants me to go through this, I will go through this.’ “

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Despite the diagnosis, Michelle Duppong continued her life for nearly a full year.

According to the website that outlines the canonization process for Michelle Duppong and its status, she told one of the sisters providing hospice care that she believed she would pass on Christmas Day. Michelle Duppong died at 11:23 p.m. on Dec. 25, 2015.

Shortly after Bishop Kagan initiated the process for Michelle Duppong’s canonization, U.S. bishops affirmed their support for the cause’s advancement.

In this first stage, the primary focus is to raise awareness of Michelle Duppong and the push for her sainthood by spreading as much information about her and her life as possible, which is done through the creation of a guild and much of which can be found at

www.michelleduppongcause.org.

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Michelle Duppong2.jpg

An undated photo of Michelle Duppong at the Duppong farm.

Contributed.

In January, a FOCUS-produced documentary titled “Thirst for Souls: The Michelle Duppong Story,” was screened at a FOCUS convention in St. Louis. Afterward, Michelle Duppong’s parents were inundated for hours with comments about how much the movie and Michelle had influenced viewers.

While one cannot necessarily predict when or if Michelle Duppong will become a saint, Grafsgaard said a bishop must believe canonization is likely to begin the process.

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“For a bishop to initiate a cause, there should be a well-founded hope for its success,” he said. “There certainly was reputation in her life, and she continues to have it in her death.”





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Obituary for Grace Mary Kegler at Gregory J. Norman Funeral Chapel

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Obituary for Grace Mary Kegler at Gregory J. Norman Funeral Chapel


Grace M. Kegler, 94, of Grand Forks, ND passed away Monday, December 23, 2024, at Edgewood Vista in East Grand Forks, MN. Memorial Liturgy 1100 a.m. Saturday, December 28, 2024, with a 1030 a.m. Rosary Service in the Historic Norman Funeral Home Chapel. Family Greeting 1000 a.m. to 1100 a.m.



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Alabama's AP Poll ranking revealed after wins vs. North Dakota, Kent State

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Alabama's AP Poll ranking revealed after wins vs. North Dakota, Kent State


Coming out of a difficult non-conference span of games, this past week was likely a step down in competition for the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team.

Beginning on Wednesday night, the Crimson Tide did what most programs do not often do, traveling across the country mid-week for a true road game against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Alabama would however win that contest in a closer game than most expected, 97-90, and then returned home Sunday for a showdown with the Kent State Golden Flashes in which they were victorious, 81-54.

Because of these results, Alabama now sits at 10-2 overall for the 2024-25 season with the Crimson Tide’s non-conference schedule winding down, and the start of SEC play looming in early-January.

However, just how much did these results affect Alabama’s AP Poll Top 25 ranking, if at all?

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After carrying a ranking of No. 6 last week, Alabama rose one spot up to No. 5 in the latest AP Poll released Monday afternoon. The Crimson Tide were also the third highest-ranked SEC team, trailing only No. 1 Tennessee and No. 2 Auburn.

Riding a four-game winning streak, the Crimson Tide will officially be back in action this upcoming Sunday, Dec. 29 at home against South Dakota State, with tipoff set for 3 p.m. ET on either SEC Network+ or ESPN+.



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