October 11, 2001

NDSU Harvest Bowl to Honor Michael Warner

Michael Warner, Hillsboro, N.D., a fourth-generation farmer and leader in value-added agriculture, has been selected to receive the 2001 Agri-business Award as part of annual Harvest Bowl activities at North Dakota State University Nov. 2 and 3.

After receiving a degree in pharmacy from NDSU in 1972, Warner actively farmed 4300 acres near Hillsboro, raising wheat, barley, soybeans, dry beans, sunflower and sugarbeets.

His involvement in value-added agriculture started early in his farming career. He was one of the original stockholders of American Crystal Sugar Company when it was formed as a farmer cooperative in 1972 and has held several elected positions. He helped start and serves as a director of Dakota Growers Pasta Company and served on the steering committee of the Progold corn wet milling project. He also chaired the formation of Spring Wheat Bakers Cooperative and currently serves as chairman of the board of directors.

Warner’s experience in agricultural policy includes service with the American Sugarbeet Growers Association, the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association and the North Dakota Ag Coalition. In the area of research and development he has worked with the Sugarbeet Research and Education Committee, North Dakota Ag Product Utilization Commission, North Dakota Committee of 100, Northern Plains Consortium and the Future of Ag Extension National Task Force.

He also serves with the NDSU Development Foundation board of trustees, Meritcare Health Services board of directors and the NDSU President’s Ag Club.

In other Harvest Bowl activities, outstanding agriculturists from all North Dakota counties and five counties in northwestern Minnesota will be recognized. NDSU student-athlete recipients of the 2001 Harvest Bowl scholarships and the Robert Lauf Memorial Scholarship will be recognized. Harvest Bowl scholarship winners are Leah Klabo, Mayville, N.D., a member of the women’s basketball team, and Andrew Leclair, also Mayville, a Bison football player. The Robert Lauf scholarship goes to Mark Bratton, Stanley, N.D., of the Bison football team.

All honorees and scholarship winners will be recognized at the annual Harvest Bowl social and dinner starting at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, at the Fargo Holiday Inn. Honorees will also take part in campus tours on Saturday and will be presented at the Harvest Bowl football game between the NDSU Bison and the University of Nebraska-Omaha Saturday afternoon at the Fargodome.

For information about Harvest Bowl activities or tickets to the Friday night social, contact the NDSU Alumni Association at (800) 279-8971 or (701) 231-6800.

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Source: NDSU Alumni Association, (701) 231-6800
Editor: Gary Moran, (701) 231-7865, gmoran@ndsuext.nodak.edu