CORRECTION: Extension Agronomist Named by NDSU (7/1/02) Joel K. Ransom will be joining NDSU as extension agronomist in small grains and corn.  MORE

Viatical Settlements Can Give You Peace of Mind (7/1/02) Individuals with life-threatening illnesses may be able to sell their life insurance policies for a percentage of the death benefit of the policy. Buying a viatical settlement may or may not be the right choice for you.  MORE

Assess Value and Added Costs in Decision to Harvest Poor Crops, Economist Says (6/27/02) While there may be some fields with so little yield potential that harvest is economically infeasible, in most situations there will be enough revenue generated to more than cover the cost of harvesting, says Dwight Aakre. Deciding whether or not to harvest a field hinges on the value of the crop that can be recovered versus the additional costs that will be necessary to recover the crop.  MORE

ND State Board of Agricultural Research and Education Appoints Two New Members (6/27/02) Two new board members were approved by the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education to oversee agricultural research and extension at North Dakota State University.  MORE

Service Industry Claims Growing Share of North Dakota Economy (6/25/02) North Dakota’s gross state product totaled $18.3 billion in 2000, a 0.2 percent share of the U.S. total. North Dakota’s share is one of the lowest in the nation. The service industry now represents nearly one-fifth of the state’s total production income.  MORE

Sun Screen Should Be Farm Safety Equipment Too (6/25/02) More than 600,000 new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed this year specialist says and will become the most common form of cancer in humans. According to a North Dakota State University agriculture safety specialist, more than 80 percent of this over-exposure to the sun occurs before the age of 18.  MORE

Tax Prepares Enjoying the Boon of Earned Income Tax Credit (6/25/02) 68 percent of tax filers who receive Earned Income Credit Tax Credit (EITC) spend about 10 percent of their return when hiring someone or a tax service to prepare their taxes.  MORE

BeefTalk: Produce Six More Bags of Cow Cake By Harvesting Forage at the Optimum Time (6/27/02) Beef specialist Kris Ringwall notes that if producers understand the different stages of forage growth they’ll be better able to harvest at the peak balance of quantity and quality.  MORE

Prairie Fare: Watermelon is Healthier than Ever (6/27/02) Food and nutrition specialist Julie Garden-Robinson praises the nutritional benefits of watermelon, offers tips for purchasing, storing and handling them, and suggests a recipe for Watermelon and Spinach Salad with Sweet and Sour Dressing.  MORE

Plains Folk: Jack’s Cafe (6/27/02) A small-town café in Saskatchewan is decorated with murals depicting the region’s history, the gift of an immigrant to her adopted country.  MORE

Hortiscope (6/27/02) Ron Smith answers readers' questions about the world of plants and gardening.  MORE

Market Advisor: Record Meat Production Tallied in May (6/27/02) Livestock economist Tim Petry reviews meat production over the past several months and discusses implications on markets for the coming months.  MORE

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Ag Webmaster: Dave Rice, Morrill 12D NDSU, Fargo ND 58105-5655
or call (701) 231-7381 drice@ndsuext.nodak.edu