Abundant resources

USDA Rural Development - Committed to the future of rural communities

Building North Dakota

State Director Jasper Schneider

I recently had the opportunity to spend time at Basin Electric Power Cooperative with officials from USDA and EPA. The purpose of the meeting was to show Washington, DC officials firsthand the strong energy production in North Dakota.

We spent the day visiting Prairie Winds, a wind farm near Wilton. We were then shown the Leland Olds Station near Stanton and the Dakota Gasification Company Synfuels Plant near Beulah. Our group also viewed operations at the Freedom Mine which is tapping into North Dakota's lignite resources.

While these facilities were not new to me or to many of you, it was important to showcase North Dakota's energy successes to other officials not from here. We are fortunate to have such diverse natural resources in our own backyard.

Jasper Sign

Jasper Schneider

USDA Rural Development State Director Jasper Schneider was featured in the April edition of City Magazine. Read the article to learn more about USDA and Jasper!

JAMESTOWN

USDA Under Secretary Tonsager celebrates the largest fiber-to-the-home network

Dallas Tonsager, USDA Rural Development Under Secretary visits Jamestown

Agriculture Under Secretary Dallas Tonsager was in Jamestown to celebrate the announcement of the largest fiber-to-the-home network in North America. Gathering at Jamestown State College, Dakota Central Telecommunications and Dickey Rural Networks announced that every home and business in south central North Dakota now has a fiber-optic connection. USDA Rural Development partnered with the two cooperatives to make this investment in rural North Dakota.

DCT and DRN service area

The two cooperatives have worked over the last ten years to upgrade their service areas by laying 6,000 miles of fiber optic cable to serve over 18,000 customers. There contiguous territories cover 10,000 square miles - an area the size of New Jersey. By upgrading the broadband technology, rural communities become a more attractive place to live and work. Fiber technology offers several benefits such as unlimited bandwidth, reliability, and security. To learn more about the project, visit www.ThisIsLivingWellConnected.com.

BISMARCK

Basin Electric Power Cooperative Tour

Joan Dietz (second from left), Dakota Gasification
Company communications specialist, gives a tour
in the model room at the Great Plains Synfuels Plant
to (from left) Jasper Schneider, Larry Elworth, Tim
Bohan and Dallas Tonsager.

Dallas Tonsager, under secretary, USDA Rural Development, and Larry Elworth, chief agricultural counselor, Environmental Protection Agency, traveled to North Dakota to visit Basin Electric Power Cooperative.

The day began with presentations about Basin Electric and the challenges the cooperative is facing and will face in the coming years. Officials then were taken on a tour of the several Basin Electric facilities around North Dakota. During the site visits, Basin Electric representatives explained operations and provided details about projects underway. Read more.

BUFFALO

UND Community Connect Forum

Jasper Schneider had the privilege of speaking to group of people who gathered in Buffalo for a community forum. Schneider spoke about how USDA Rural Development plays a role in North Dakota communities and shared project success stories.

The annual "Community Connect Forum," was hosted this year by the city of Buffalo and will be in Warren, MN next year. Community Connect is a project of the Center for Community Engagement at the University of North Dakota. The project was created to provide opportunities for conversation and interaction between members of communities and UND to draw on collective knowledge to address community issues and concerns. Click here, to learn more.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Upcoming Meetings - Strasburg, Linton, and Hazelton

USDA Rural Development will be visiting with community development corporations and other entities interested in the agency's programs. The public is welcome to attend. On May 9th, State Director Jasper Schneider will lead the meetings listed below.

Wednesday, May 9th

Strasburg: 10:15 - 11:00 a.m. at Mary's Corner on Main Street
Linton: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Webo's Restuarant (Linton Industrial Dev. Corp. meeting)
Hazelton: 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. at Main Street Coffee Shop

LaMoure receives funding to improve wastewater system

Since 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated annually on April 22 to bring awareness to our natural resources and safeguarding our environment. As part of the celebration, Jasper Schneider announced that the City of LaMoure will receive financial support that will improve wastewater services and the environment. Upgrading the essential infrastructure is critical to the community's health and safety. The city is located to the east of the James River. The project will also improve water quality in the river and provide environmental benefits to this important watershed and surrounding communities. Read more.

PROGRAM UPDATE

Small Business and Cooperative Grant

USDA is accepting grant applications to assist small, socially disadvantaged agricultural producers and cooperatives in rural areas to spur job creation. The funding is aimed at helping small business owners/producers add profit and efficiency to their operations so they can grow, thrive and create economic opportunities for residents. For fiscal year 2012, approximately $3 million in grants are available through USDA Rural Development's Small, Socially Disadvantaged Producer Grant Program (SSDPG). Funding is available to cooperatives or associations of cooperatives where at least 75 percent of the governing board or membership are small, socially disadvantaged producers. Grants can be used for product improvements, business plan development or economic development activities. For more information, please contact Dennis Rodin at (701) 530-2068, dennis.rodin@nd.usda.gov or visit the federal register.

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