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Private Sector Initiatives to Guarantee Food Safety and Environmental Standards
2007-11-04
One of the strongest forces impacting global food trade is widespread consumer demand for assurance that their food is safe. Over the past few years an extended series of incidents in the food sector, especially in Europe, has created public uncertainty and discomfort. Because of these potential assaults on the personal health of consumers and the immense cost to producers and grocers once consumers lose confidence in the food system, the issue of food safety has risen to the top of the global food industry agenda. The questions are: Who is responsible for guaranteeing safe food? and, What is the best way to guarantee that the food supply is safe?
Agriculture and Natural Resource Activities
2007-11-04
Our natural resources and agricuture sector are key elements of the Region’s economic foundation. Northern Great Plains’ work in this area is targeted at developing strategies for the highest and best use of the Region’s natural resources. Much of this work is focused on developing farming or other land use programs that help producers be profitable while being good stewards of the land.
An Overview of Transportation Infrastructure and Services in the Northern Great Plains
2007-11-04
This project, called “Transportation, Trade, and Economic Development: Maximizing Future Opportunities in the Northern Great Plains,” is a multistage study. The first stage involves the creation of two baseline pictures: one for the region’s transportation infrastructure and a second for its current production and trade. These baselines are presented in separate reports. This document is the executive summary of the NGP transportation baseline picture. It outlines the highway, rail, maritime, and air networks, presents the key issues for each mode, and forms the basis for the future phases of the project.
Challenges and Opportunities in the Grain and Food Sectors
2007-11-04
Ron Olson, VP for Grain Operations, General Mills
We believe
strongly that there's a power shift going on with consolidation. When that happens, the dollars
are going to shift more towards the front end of the supply chain in the future. That doesn't mean
that the food manufacturers and retailers aren't going to make their fair share of the market. But
if we create an added value, which we do over time, it's who gets the benefit of that.
Changing Dynamics in Surface Transportation
2007-11-04
Chip Smith, President and CEO, Twin Modal, Inc.
You can't look at just these regional trends and you can't look at just our
intermediary activities without understanding the trends that are going on outside
of this region. Then you have to come back and say, Okay, if this is what's going
on in the rest of the world, let's look at our region again at these issues and how
do these impact what we can do, should do, and should not do.
Changing Roles of European Producers
2007-11-04
Cees D. Roele, Consultant on Sustainable Rural Development
Throughout Europe we are seeing an evolution in the roles agricultural producers are expected to play. Many of these changes revolve around an intense, on-going discussion of the need for “sustainable agriculture.” However, the meaning of sustainability differs in different countries. In northwestern Europe, talking about “sustainability” is commonly considered as being a discussion about environmental affairs. In southern Europe, more attention is paid to social aspects.
December 2006 plainsspeaking
2007-11-04
In this issue...
EurepGAP’s Emerging Dominance in Pre-Farmgate Protocols: Implications for Regional Farmers
Meadowlark Soars
19th & 20th century Immigration
Meadowlark and Good to Great
American Indians on the NGP
“New Immigrants” in the Midwest
Distress Criteria for the Northern Great Plains Authority
2007-11-04
These maps of the five state region of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota identify, on a county by county basis, the counties that meet the criteria as specified. Guests are consented to used these map images for presentations and publications without express permission of the Northern Great Plains Inc. The images are high resolution 816 x 1026 pixel JPG ranging in size from 250 - 400 Kilobytes.
Economic & Policy Analysis Activities
2007-11-04
As the world continues to establish multi-national trading blocks and global trade rules, states, regions, provinces, cities, and communities are joining together in regional associations to address common economic and environmental interests. NGP is working with many of these groups to share knowledge, cooperate on issues of common interest and strengthen economic relationships.
EUREPGAP - Private Sector Food Safety and Environmental Standards
2007-11-04
One of the strongest forces shaping new ways of thinking about the role of producers in Europe is widespread consumer demand for assurance that their food is safe. Over the past few years an extended series of incidents in the European food business has created public uncertainty and discomfort. The list includes such widely reported crises as mad cow disease (BSE), dioxin, diesel fuel in palm oil, sewage waste in feed, listeria in cheese, salmonella and antibiotics in poultry, and E-coli in animal meat. Because of these potential assaults on the personal health of consumers and the immense cost to European producers and grocers once consumers lose confidence in the food system, the issue of food safety has risen to the top of the European food agenda.Food Production for the Global Consumer
2007-11-04
Chris Wolf, VP & Managing Director, Strategic Food Resources, Noble & Associates
How do we track consumer trends? How do we know wraps are coming
up? I'm going to have to look back at the issues of the Food Channel. I've never
looked back to see if what we were saying actually ever comes true, but we try.
We look at the world in a lot of different kind of boxes, and what you see here are
some kinds of paraphrased titles from magazines and newspapers and the
Internet and papers from the government. We break them into areas like politics,
technology, economy, demography, socioculture, and environment. By keeping
in touch with all those different areas and obviously having a focus, which is on
the consumer and their needs as they relate to food, we are able to find the
patterns and trends I want to talk about today.
Global Competition: Opportunities and Challenges for Manufacturers
2007-11-04
Egils Milbergs, Executive VP of the National Coalition for Advanced Manufacturing
Think back to the mid '80s. This was a time our productivity growth
rates were approaching zero in the manufacturing sector. We talked about the
Rust Belt. I grew up in Illinois so that was the term. We talked about deindustrialization.
We talked about the hollowing out of America. We talked about
losing huge markets to Japan and Europe. We had the twin deficits -- the trade
deficit and budget deficit -- that were intertwined with our loss of competitiveness. And where are we today? We bounced back. We've come back out on
top. We did not go into this slough of despond, but we ended up fighting back.
And today we are unquestionably the economic leader of the world.
Global Trends in Agriculture: A Farm Machinery Manufacturer’s Perspective
2007-11-04
Gary Frazier, John Deere & Co.
Today I'd like to talk just a little bit about some of the major trends
that are shaping agriculture as it moves through this century and on into
the next millennium. I think it's particularly important to this region since
such a large component of your economy is agriculturally based --
upwards of 20 percent of all of the jobs in the region that this group is
focusing on are related to agriculture. In states such as Iowa, Nebraska,
North and South Dakota, over 90 percent of the land use is devoted to
agriculture.
I-29 Corridor Plan
2007-11-04
Interstate 29 (I-29) is the core of a north-south transportation corridor that moves people and goods between Kansas City, Missouri and the Canadian border just south of Winnipeg. Its defining feature is an interstate highway designated as a Congressional High Priority Corridor under the 1998 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA21). However, it includes air, rail, waterway, and intermodal facilities in its transportation system, and rural and urban areas in its affected economies. The I-29 corridor has been described by other reports as a prominent part of a Mexico-Canada (Central) corridor, a Mid-Continent Corridor, and a “NAFTA Superhighway.” By whatever name, it is an important throughway for cargo and passenger movement in the heart of the nation.
Jerry Nagel Remarks at April 26, 2005 Rural Advocacy Meeting
2007-11-04
We can work together to develop a common, shared language or message about what rural is and can be – a message that we can use in our daily lives, in our work and in our political efforts – a message of values and principles that can translate into policies that are good for rural America. And we think a rural policy agenda that represents a shared set of values can have an impact at the local, regional, national and international levels.
July 2002 - NGP launches eBusiness Workforce Training
2007-11-04
- Northern Great Plains (NGP) has launched a pilot project entitled “Building an eBusiness Ready Rural Workforce in the Northern Great Plains: Developing a Model Program for eBusiness Training”. Funded by a $468,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, the project seeks to address growing concerns in the Region’s rural economy regarding workforce skills to serve the developing eCommerce needs of rural businesses. NGP will work with ten communities of interest (geographic or industry group) and at least five companies in each community to provide eBusiness training to 200 incumbent or underemployed workers.
Knowledge for the Next Millenium
2007-11-04
Speaker Transcripts from the NGP Trade and Transportation Conference.
Knowledge for the Next Millenium
2007-11-04
Speaker Transcripts from the NGP Trade and Transportation Conference.
Laying the Foundation for a Prosperous Agriculture in the New Millenium
2007-11-04
Jim Prokopanko
VP & Retail Crop Inputs Manager, North American Cargill Grain Division
History has shown that companies that can't change quickly don't last. Of the 12 largest companies that existed in the United States in 1900, only one exists today and that's General Electric. Of the 25 biggest companies in 1960, only six are around today. The real question for all of us is, can we change fast enough to survive? It's the “dinosaur's dilemma”: evolve or die, adapt or die. A few years ago, a researcher at Cargill said, If we don't figure out this biotechnology thing, we're going to be like the vacuum tube companies. Of the six leading vacuum tube companies that existed in 1955, there's only one left today that successfully transferred into the transistor business, and they're a minor niche player in the transistor business.
Manufacturing in the 21st Century—A Time for Innovation
2007-11-04
Ned Ellington, Director, Manufacturing Systems & Technologies,
National Institute of Standards & Technology
Manufacturing is a change in landscape.
We can easily count how many we have because we have old rules on what is a
manufacturer and what's not a manufacturer. The Census Bureau does that.
But it's changing dramatically. For example, we were talking just a few minutes
ago, a software manufacturer, somebody producing software, he's a
manufacturer, and we would say yes. We're very liberal in our definition. Food
processing, is that manufacturing? To us it is. It's manufacturing. It's converting
something -- products, services, raw materials -- into something that has a higher
value. And that's as simple a definition as I'd like to stick with in manufacturing.
Manufacturing in the 21st Century—A Time for Innovation
2007-11-04
Ned Ellington, Director, Manufacturing Systems & Technologies,
National Institute of Standards & Technology
Manufacturing is a change in landscape.
We can easily count how many we have because we have old rules on what is a
manufacturer and what's not a manufacturer. The Census Bureau does that.
But it's changing dramatically. For example, we were talking just a few minutes
ago, a software manufacturer, somebody producing software, he's a
manufacturer, and we would say yes. We're very liberal in our definition. Food
processing, is that manufacturing? To us it is. It's manufacturing. It's converting
something -- products, services, raw materials -- into something that has a higher
value. And that's as simple a definition as I'd like to stick with in manufacturing.
Meadowlark Scenarios Show Different Futures for the Region
2007-11-04
Have you ever wondered what your community might look like in the future? Ever wondered what your kids or grandkids might be doing 40 years from now? A group based in Fargo, North Dakota has taken on the challenge of envisioning our region’s future two generations out. Northern Great Plains Inc. and a group of 25 rural leaders have convened the Meadowlark Project Leadership Laboratory to look at the future of our region and find innovative ways to make sure it is a positive one for everyone living here. One way they are doing that is to get the entire region talking about its future using scenarios. The Leadership group has written four scenarios that outline what’s could be store for us in 2050, and how the decisions we make today will inevitably impact our future.
Native Flora and Fauna Research
2007-11-04
Further research in the comparative economic and ecological advantage of increasing the amount of species native to this Region may provide new economic opportunities to producers, landowners, and rural communities. This could lead to increased habitat and greater diversity in our prairie lands. It could provide new food and nonfood crop production processing opportunities, new tourism and recreation development, reduced energy usage or production of energy through other sources such as wind and bio-fuels, and encourage communities to begin building a stronger association with the landscape around them.
Native Species - Opportunities for the Northern Great Plains
2007-11-04
A variety of factors—increasing global competition in bulk commodities; growing consumer fears about food safety; increasing concerns in suburban areas about the environmental impacts of agriculture practices on wildlife health and water quality; growing interest among consumers in natural products; and, certainly, the impact of continued low commodity prices while input costs increase—all combine to create a complex and challenging future for northern Great Plains agriculture. In response, a growing number of regional producers are developing multiple sources of income to maintain their agricultural base and link production strategies with survival of the Region’s businesses and communities.
NGPRDC - Transportation
2007-11-04
Increasing globalization of the world's economy, opportunities for expanded export of food products, and Congressional passage and approval of the North American Free Trade Agreement place the heartland of North America within a new era as a geographic crossroads for international trade. In order to fully participate in a growing and changing global economy the Northern Great Plains region will need to do more than just identify and develop new export markets for its manufactured goods, shift its agricultural export focus from export of bulk commodities toward export of food products, and provide expanded trade development services for rural businesses. The region will need to actively work to ensure that its transportation infrastructure is capable of serving the international trade and transportation needs of the region.
NGPRDC - Business Development
2007-11-04
The Northern Great Plains Rural Development Commission was established by the United States Congress in August 1994 to prepare a 10-year rural development strategy for the Northern Great Plains region of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. This is the Business Development Work Group's final report.
NGPRDC - Civic and Social Capacity
2007-11-04
What is meant by civic and social capacity? These terms have come to mean the combination of citizens' skills, commitment to community, and resources (both internal and external) that are the foundation of survival and prosperity. These capacities enhance the chance that economic development will be successful. For example, citizen groups that use a strategic planning process for guiding the future of their community are applying the same skills needed for good business management and entrepreneurial expansion. Civic and social capacity is the necessary foundation for community and economic development at all levels.
NGPRDC - Health Care
2007-11-04
Health care is experiencing dramatic policy and market driven changes. Even so, it continues to be a growth industry. Its growth over the next several decades will be due largely to the nation's aging population and will create many opportunities for rural communities. Rural areas must think creatively about how to produce business possibilities from this growth, and simultaneously recognize that these opportunities will develop within a remarkably different type of health care industry.
NGPRDC - International Trade
2007-11-04
Research on the economy of the Northern Great Plains by state land grant universities, USDA, state agencies, and the Federal Reserve system is remarkably consistent and the conclusions are stark. The region is one of the most productive in the world for several agricultural commodities. That is both its great strength and its great weakness. The combination of technological improvements in agriculture and an historical dependence upon commodity production has had sweeping impacts on the region's employment and income prospects, the structure and even future of its rural communities.
NGPRDC - Telecommunications
2007-11-04
The information superhighway has the potential to make our lives easier and more satisfying, even profitable. An advanced telecommunications infrastructure can serve a wide range of human needs. It can bring people together, help them become more productive and sustain or build communities to ensure continuity of the rural way of life.
What if, for the Northern Great Plains, the promise does not materialize? Should choices of rural place and quality of life be allowed to penalize our residents? To some extent, they already have. The isolation of rural businesses, which used to afford some protection from outside competition, is a handicap without the telecommunications access integral to business operations.
NGPRDC - Value Added Agriculture
2007-11-04
The Northern Great Plains Rural Development Commission was established by the United States Congress in August 1994 to prepare a 10-year rural development strategy for the Northern Great Plains region of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Early in its work, the Commission decided to focus on nine priority areas and formed work groups to address seven of them: business development, civic capacity, transportation infrastructure, international trade, value-added agriculture, telecommunications, and health care. This is the Value-Added Agriculture Work Group's final report.
Non-Profit Research Facilities
2007-11-04
This publication contains information about non-profit research and development facilities in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Manitoba & Saskatchewan. It is categorized by 23 areas of study.
Northern Great Plains Leaders Sign Historic Collaboration Agreement
2007-11-04
MINNEAPOLIS—Representatives of five states and two Canadian provinces on the Northern Great Plains have signed a letter of intent to collaborate on transportation and economic issues. On behalf of departments of transportation and economic development agencies of Iowa, Manitoba, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Saskatchewan and South Dakota, department heads or their designees met today in Minneapolis to sign the letter of intent to collaborate and to begin planning the next steps.
Northern Great Plains Regional Development Commission Narrative
2007-11-04
As the region approaches the 21st century, it is essential that each of us recognize and accept many changes taking place in the world and find new opportunities for the region within these shifts in global economic trading structures, advancing agricultural production technologies, emerging global identities among young people, and highly interactive communications technologies. We must position ourselves now to take advantage of existing and emerging opportunities that can build a strong, stable regional economy, dependent more upon our own personal dreams and initiative than upon a reliance on governments.
Northern Great Plains Rural Development Commission Priority Recommendations
2007-11-04
Twenty Priority Recommendations of the 1997 Northern Great Plains Rural Development Commission.
Overview - Northern Great Plains Regional Authority
2007-11-04
Under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (the farm bill), Congress established the Northern Great Plains Regional Authority to provide assistance in implementing the recommendations of the Northern Great Plains Rural Development Commission; acquire and develop land; construct or equip a highway, road, bridge or facility; carry out other economic development activities; and conduct research activities.
The PDF document contains the full text of the legislation.
Prairie Cafe 2002
2007-11-04
“Quality of Place—What is Essential for Vibrant Community Life in the 21st Century?” This was the issue discussed during the 2nd Annual Prairie Café, held July 29-30, 2002 at the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge Prairie Learning Center Prairie City Iowa. Prairie Café is an open, yet informed discussion among selected invitees on a current or timely topic regarding the economic, social, or environmental future of the Northern Great Plains region.
Prairie Cafe 2003
2007-11-04
The primary objective of Prairie Café is to stimulate innovative thinking among the participants on a specific topic. Each year a new topic is discussed. A second objective is to encourage Prairie Café participants to continue the discussion within their organizations and among their friends, peers, civic leaders and colleagues in their home communities and throughout the NGP region. It is not the intent of Prairie Café to move the discussion toward specific conclusions or outcomes.
Prairie Cafe 2004
2007-11-04
The primary objective of Prairie Cafe is to stimulate innovative thinking among the participants about the topic. It is important to note, however, that it is not the intent of Prairie Cafe to move the discussions toward specific conclusions or outcomes. A secondary objective is to encourage Prairie Cafe participants to continue the discussion within their organizations and among their friends and colleagues in the Region.
The 2004 Prairie
Cafe will be held July 26th, 2004 in the River Bluff Meeting Room at Ponca State
Park, Ponca, Nebraska. Ponca State Park is located approximately 20 miles
northwest of South Sioux City, Nebraska. The day will begin at 8:30 a.m. and
conclude by 3:00 p.m. The 2004 Prairie Cafe will be modeled upon the World Cafe
format.
2007-11-04 On April 26, 2005, over 75 people concerned about the future of rural America came together in Minneapolis to explore how they might work build a powerful movement that would reverse the decline of rural communities, re-invigorate the rural political voice and develop the inherent assets and natural resources to build strong rural economies. It was agreed that work needed to happen at the local, regional and national level for this movement to succeed. To guide us in our various efforts we said we would adopt a set of principles against which we could check all our activities to ensure concurrence of purpose. 2007-11-04 The independent yeoman farmer celebrated by Thomas Jefferson as the foundation of democracy has for some time been more a honorable ideal than an actual reality. The current reality is that the farmer is now one part of an elaborate system of food production, processing, distribution and retailing. The road towards accepting this reality has not been without pain. One stream of farming still flows from the traditional sense of independence praised by Jefferson. Throughout the country smaller sized farms are engaged in direct sales to consumers at farmers markets and home delivery to urban households, as well as selling their produce to nearby supermarkets. A step away, many farmers retain some control over product and price by participating in farmer-owned producer and/or processing cooperatives. But many other farmers and farm families, though operating as independent small businesses, have seen their production practices more and more constrained by the mass markets they serve. 2007-11-04 Dr. Barry Prentice, Director of Transport Institute, and Associate
Professor, University of Manitoba 2007-11-04 As the websites of organizations grow in size and complexity the
management of these sites becomes challenging. It is not unusual for an organization to have a website that has grown in a few short years from its original “home page” to several thousand pages. This publication provides general advice for organizations planning the redesign of a large website. 2007-11-04 The purpose of the Meadowlark Project Leadership Laboratory is to build demonstrated examples of the northern Great Plains as a place of opportunity. The Meadowlark Project will do this by bringing together committed, influential leaders who care deeply about the economic, social and environmental future of the northern Great Plains and want to work together to cause longterm systemic change in the region. These representatives of business, government, and
NGOs all have a stake in the future of the region and are coming together to address opportunities and challenges that are more complex than they can address alone. 2007-11-04 Farmers and ranchers around the world are struggling with the balance between profitability and production of commodities. They are also struggling with the growing disconnection between the farmer and the consumer. In addition, there is growing concern in the general public about the environmental consequences of larger-scale agriculture practices. Because of these concerns, American and European producers have begun exploring a variety of strategies to improve profitability, establish a stronger link with the consumer—especially those living in urban areas—and strengthen the link between agriculture practices and environmental sensitivity. 2007-11-04 Traditionally it was often the case that communities relied heavily on an external approach to development and so courted firms outside of their jurisdictions which would come in to manufacture goods that in turn were exported. Today it is felt that communities should first consider internal community development, motivated by local initiatives. An approach to development, designed by local initiative and meant to develop community resources, is seen as the most likely way to attain long term success. Good projects come out of communities that know their resources and can judge their potential, and then, and only then, seek external cooperation. 2007-11-04 The economy of the Northern Great Plains region of the United States and Canada is strongly linked to its primary natural resource assets —land and water. Settlement came to the northern prairies based first upon the fur trade, but development of the land for agriculture production quickly became the driving force behind the Region’s population growth and economic development. It is important to recognize that settlement and development patterns in the Region were linked to the transportation systems of the day. The Region saw rapid growth in the fur trade when trade shifted from canoes to Red River ox carts, which made possible the regular movement of raw materials (furs) out of the Region to the cities of the two nations and to the world. Agriculture development in the Region came with the railroads, which provided an efficient method of shipping grain and cattle to growing urban populations. 2007-11-04 To address issues such as environmental protection, economic development, education and training, labor qualifications and mobility, cultural diversity and preservation, and community and social stability, multi-jurisdictional or organizational collaboration–often across state, provincial and national borders–has become increasingly necessary. This often requires new institutional structures and responses. It requires changing definitions of community. And it requires the kind of vision that understands recent shifts in the global economy and how to take advantage of the opportunities that this time of change offers. 2007-11-04 2007-11-04 Today’s energy and environmental challenges are driving fundamental
changes within our transportation and economic systems. Key
challenges include the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to terrorism
and other threats, our dependence on fossil fuels, and the long-term
risks posed by climate change and other environmental problems. However,
these same challenges present enormous opportunities if the region
adopts a proactive, strategic approach to planning and decision-making. 2007-11-04 Information technologies are both a means and an end. IT is a powerful
tool that enables us to accomplish old tasks in new ways and to invent new
tasks. IT is also the apparent moving force of 21st century civilization,
relentlessly inserting its methods in all sectors of our economic life as well
as in our private lives. In each of the chapters that follow—transportation,
agriculture, manufacturing and energy and environment—we will see how
important information technologies are to crafting a response to the trends
that are shaping the future of our regional economy. A broad look at the
trends within the IT sector itself will serve as an introduction to the influence
of IT on each of the other sectors.
2007-11-04 Increasing globalization of the world’s economy, opportunities for expanded
export of food products, the North American Free Trade Agreement,
and ongoing discussion regarding a Free Trade Agreement of the
Americas place the heartland of North America within a new era as a geographic
crossroads for international trade. In the next decade, the Northern
Great Plains region will certainly need to identify and develop new
export markets for its manufactured goods, shift its agricultural export focus
from bulk commodities to export of food products, biofuels, or other
biologically based industrial products, and provide expanded trade development
services for rural businesses. But to fully participate in a growing
and changing global economy, it will have to do more. In order to meet the
challenges of a 21st century global economy, the Region will need to actively
work to ensure that its transportation and information technologies
infrastructure is capable of serving the international trade and transportation
needs of the Region. And, it will need to build on its strength as a
cross-border Region comprised of five states and two provinces with shared
economic interests. 2007-11-04 The development of the manufacturing base in the Northern
Great Plains has historically benefited from a number of
factors, including an abundance of water power, proximity to various
natural and mineral resources, an influx of settlers, a strong education
system, and connections to multiple avenues of water and rail transportation.
Today, manufacturing is a primary sector in the Northern Great Plains
and underlies much of the Region’s recent economic growth. 2007-11-04 2007-11-04 Transportation has long played an important role in the economic
development of the Northern Great Plains. Indeed, transportation
connections were a key element in the settlement of the Region.
Natural transportation assets like the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, the
Great Lakes, and Hudson Bay carried many of the first settlers to the NGP
region and moved furs, minerals, and agricultural products to market. Later,
construction of the railroads across North America enhanced the Region’s
connectivity and market access, aiding the growth of the agricultural sector
in particular. Today, the Northern Great Plains’ transportation system
remains a significant factor in the Region’s economic development and
quality of life.
2007-11-04 The changes we have seen during the last decade of the 20th century and ones we are likely to see during the
first decade of the 21st century do not merely require us to do more of the same faster. The changes made
possible by information technologies have been incremental, but cumulatively they amount to a revolution
in the way we must act in the world to be successful. The transformation of every institution—transportation
departments, university systems, business relationships, agricultural methods and products, international
trade—is serious and ongoing. 2007-11-04 The welfare of individual farmers is becoming less and less of an important consideration in the "New Agriculture." Budget constraints, conservation, and public opinion are having increased influence. Those farmers who grow "bulk" commodities (i.e. corn, soybeans and wheat) are facing the greatest risk with reduced government subsidies, and need to consider what alternatives are in their future. But, how does a farmer control his own destiny? This report compares and contrasts Identity Preservation and Traceability of agricultural products and offers farmer's an insight into a potential value-added market for commodity production. 2007-11-04 The "Trade and Transportation Infrastructure Investment Strategy Project" will examine in detail the current and future opportunities for regional and international trade development and correlate these opportunities with specific transportation infrastructure needs that must be met to insure that these trade opportunities can happen. This project will, in essence, provide the Northern Great Plains region (Region) with the opportunity to proactively think about its economic future and then recommend strategic actions the Region can take to ensure that healthy economic future. 2007-11-04 In 1994, the U.S. Congress established the Northern Great Plains Rural Development Commission to prepare a rural development strategy for the Northern Great Plains (NGP) region of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The Commission focused its efforts on several common issue areas including transportation infrastructure, international trade, value-added agriculture, telecommunications, and healthcare. The Commission’s work concluded in 1997 with recommendations in each of these areas, and included a call for further examination of the region’s long-term trade and transportation infrastructure strategy. 2007-11-04 What does the Northern Great Plains Regional trade picture look like? Who are the Region’s major trading partners?
Historically, NGP-based commerce has been concentrated within the Region and adjacent areas
of the U.S. and Canada. Today, the majority of trade associated with the Northern Great Plains
still takes place among the continental trading partners—the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. In fact,
even with today’s emphasis on global trade, interregional continental trade continues to dominate
both in weight and value. Manufactured goods such as automotive parts, electronic equipment,
and processed foods are leading exports from the Region. The NGP region’s agricultural
commodities comprise major portions of total
U.S. and Canadian commodity production. 2007-11-04 This database contains the names and addresses of nearly 2000 transportation companies in the states of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The database is searchable by City, State, Zip Code, and Area Code. 2007-11-04 Dick Dawson, President, Fulcrum AssociatesPrinciples for a Rural Movement
Private Sector Protocols: Threats and Opportunities for American Farmers
Re-engineering Grain Logistics: Bulk Handling vs. Containerization
Let me start by saying how pleased I am to have my first two speakers
precede me because some of the things that they have said are things that I
would like to have you think about. One is this whole notion of identity-preserved
grains and GMOs and how we're going to deal with the aspect of small orders.
And the second talk which dealt with those issues of change and that question
about the evolution of change and do you see evolutionary change or do you
simply see quantum leaps, and I'm with the former speaker. I think you see
quantum leaps. These are the factors that lead business to change and to adopt
new structures. One of the ways that we speak of this is called reengineering a
logistical system or a marketing system. And if you think about it, there are some
things that have changed.Strategic Goals for Website Design
The Meadowlark Project
The New Marketplace in European Agriculture
The Plan that Transformed Brittany, France
Toward New Horizons - Agriculture and Natural Resources
Toward New Horizons - Conclusions
Toward New Horizons - Endnotes
Toward New Horizons - Energy and Environmental
Toward New Horizons - Information Technology
Toward New Horizons - Introduction
Toward New Horizons - Manufacturing
Toward New Horizons - Priority Recommendations Appendix
Toward New Horizons - Transportation
Toward New Horizons: Trends in Transportation and Trade
Traceability of Agricultural Products
Trade and Transportation Reports
Trade Patterns and the Economy of the Northern Great Plains - Executive Summary
Trade Patterns and the Economy of the Northern Great Plains - Full Report
Transportation Facilities Database
Worldwide Trends in Sustainable Development
What does sustainability mean to the Plains farmers? What does it
mean to our communities? And we spent a little time on the shift from the accent
on agriculture per se to the shift on our communities. And then how do we learn
to think in terms of modern sustainability, and what is modern sustainability?
Well, I recorded my own learning curve on that game, and it was extraordinary
because I really didn't have one. It all happened sort of by osmosis. Here we
are trying to redesign a future society in a sustainable language, and yet there
isn't a degree that I know of in sustainability as such. A lot of campuses are
teaching sustainability principles, but nowhere do you go and get a degree in
sustainability as you might in business administration or management. Not yet
anyway. And yet it forces us to move in tune with the information age, the
knowledge economy, whatever you like, into the language of collaborative
thinking and networking thinking. We're learning that we're not very good at it.
We like the old pyramids and we like the old established patterns
