We are experiencing the worst farm crisis in 40 years. As Ag Commissioner, Vern will fight for fair commodity and input prices so that hard working people can pass on their land to the next generation. Struggling farmers must be offered answers to their financial concerns, so we need to bolster the North Dakota Mediation Service with more ag credit counselors.

To respond to the last farm crisis in 1988, the Ag Department hired and trained 80 credit counselors. The current Ag Department, working for 26,000 farmers and ranchers, only has one. This is unacceptable.

JBS, Tyson, Cargill, and National Beef control over 80% of America's beef processing. They set the prices. Farmers take what they're given. That's a monopoly! Vern will champion a meatpacking co-op to bring fair prices for producers, quality local meat to consumers, and a more vibrant rural economy.

American consumers deserve to know where their food is coming from. Right now, voluntary labeling lets the big meatpackers hide that information. Restoring mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL) for beef and pork will help North Dakota producers get the price they deserve for their superior products.

Managing your mental health during the best of times is difficult enough. During times of unstable markets, low crop prices, and high input costs, producers are under an incredible amount of stress. Vern's Ag Department staff will focus on conducting surveys, researching solutions, and working with policymakers and organizations to address the current crisis.

We need a comprehensive, permanent Farm Bill that includes funding for crop insurance, conservation, nutrition and agricultural research.

Tariffs are hurting farmers and consumers. Since tariffs are a tax on American consumers, they never should have been enacted without authorization from Congress. We lost global markets — China used to buy 70% of our soybeans. Now Brazil and Argentina have taken over.

The result for consumers has been higher grocery prices. We are supposed to have a free market. Tariffs should be used sparingly and only after negotiations are in place.

Agriculture and hunting are rich generational traditions that support rural communities and need to be preserved. How can landowners balance agricultural production with healthy land and wildlife habitats? 

The Agriculture Commissioner does not directly control hunting and conservation policy. However, as the #1 advocate for North Dakota farmers and landowners, Vern will work closely with ND Game and Fish to help landowners, the state, and hunters work together to sustain our essential traditions. He recognizes that hunting access has become a major issue because 93% of the state's land is privately owned and landowners can now post their land digitally.

Vern will:

• Push to expand the Governor's Legacy Soil Health and Habitat program to offer cost sharing for agriculture practices such as shelterbelt tree planting in addition to grass seeding.

• Explore other avenues for soil health initiatives that also support wildlife

• Recognize that farmers and landowners bear financial risk from hunting policy, and make sure that their voices are heard, every single day.

The ND Legislature, supported by Ag Commissioner Goehring’s testimony, weakened North Dakota's anti‑corporate farming laws in 2023 (HB 1371).

HB 1371 opened the door for corporate owners to operate 160 acres for dairy, cattle finishing, poultry, and swine. Now the 25,000‑head Herberg Dairy (the largest in state history, doubling the number of dairy cows in the state) is permitted to be built in Traill County. Common sense says that deserves scrutiny. Why are we so quick to bargain away our natural resources: water, land, minerals, crops, and animals to billionaires? We only get one North Dakota. We should manage it for future generations, not for short‑term gains. 

The loss of family farms hurts local economies and communities. With CAFOs, local businesses (such as local hardware stores) aren’t used and profits are given to investors. On the other hand, family farmers frequent every local business, hire local, and reinvest in their community.

A former dairy operator told me he quit milking because of the regulations he had to follow. Today, regulations have been reduced and these CAFOs are allowed to have many times more cows in one concentrated site. North Dakota producers have had no choice but to operate in a system that rewards economies of scale. 

I support agricultural development. But it has to be done right, with corporate accountability. CAFOs that cut corners and take opportunity away from family operations are not the answer.