BISMARCK, N.D. — The North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition (NDGLC) elected officers and directors to its board of directors and approved a mentor at its annual meeting in January. Officers re-elected to another three-year term are Chairman Jerry Doan, Vice-Chairman Jay Reiser and Secretary/Treasurer Jed Rider.
Chairman Jerry Doan of McKenzie, N.D., along with his wife and family, raises cattle and bison on the Black Leg Ranch. He practices holistic management through planned rotational grazing, regenerating soil health and wildlife. He and his family have also stacked complementary enterprises including a hunting/outfitting business, an agritourism operation, Black Leg Brewery, and Black Leg Ranch Meats.
Vice-Chairman Jay Reiser of Washburn, N.D., began ranching in 2010 and calves about 180 cows from May to late June. He practices holistic management through bale grazing, winter grazing, high stock density grazing, and rotational grazing to improve soil health on his ranch. Reiser was also re-elected to a three-year term as a director.
Secretary/Treasurer Jed Rider of Alexander, N.D., and his wife manage a 250 cow/calf operation as a soil regeneration tool. He practices holistic management through a planned grazing system that consists of tame and native pastures, upper river breaks, rangeland, and bale grazing.
New directors elected to the NDGLC board are Derrick Dukart and David Bauer. Dukart of Manning, N.D., along with his family and parents, runs a full-scale cattle operation and has also implemented a cropping system. The Dukarts use a variety of methods of holistic management practices and regenerative agriculture, which includes utilizing soil health practices that includes 100% no-till cropping, cover crops and managing pastures with a twice over management system.
Bauer of Regan, N.D., runs an operation that includes 270 head of cattle on 2,550 acres of rented and owned land. He and his family believe in regenerative practices and the five soil health principles, and include regenerative practices such as calving in May, watching grasses and trying to get cattle to fit the land and the environment in their operation.
Jayce Doan was also approved as mentor in the NDGLC mentorship network. Doan of Hazelton, N.D., works with his parents, brothers and wife to raise cattle and bison, as well as cover crops and other crops, on Black Leg Ranch near McKenzie, N.D. The family embraces the principles of holistic management across all of their enterprises. NDGLC mentors are a grassroots-based network of North Dakota grazing land managers, who have agreed to provide guidance and counsel on grassland management to interested ranchers and agency personnel.
The North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition (NDGLC) was organized by a grassroots group in 1996 to improve stewardship through regenerative and profitable grazing management for promoting the health and regeneration of North Dakota’s grasslands. For more information on NDGLC visit www.ndglc.com.
— NDGLC