June 17, 2025

North Dakota Ag Commissioner lauds resilience of Bakken area farmers

Steve Hallstrom
Special to The Farmer

North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring says the region’s farmers and ranchers deserve siginficant credit for navigating this spring’s unpredictable weather, fluctuating cattle numbers, and economic pressures.
In an exclusive interview with the Farmer, Goehring shared his cautious optimism, tempered by the realities of farming in a challenging environment.


Drought Conditions and
Crop Progress

North Dakota’s growing season has been a mixed bag in 2025, with drought conditions easing in some areas but persisting in others.
“Things have changed significantly. Although in Western North Dakota, some recent conversations - they said, ‘Yeah, we got four inches, and it sure helped, but it disappeared.’ We can use a little bit more, and they said, ‘Well, you never know what’s around the corner.’ You know, they didn’t want another four inches, but they’d sure like something to just kind of keep priming the pump and keep it going.”


Goehring added that central North Dakota faced severe flooding, with some areas, including his own farm, receiving over seven inches of rain, causing fields to overflow and roads to flood - an unprecedented event for many. The variability in soil types and slopes has influenced how these rains impacted planting, with some farmers nearly finished with others having caught up during drier spells.


According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, as of June 10, North Dakota’s drought conditions are varied. Approximately 20 percent of the state is under moderate drought (D1), primarily in western regions, while 10 percent faces severe drought (D2). However, recent precipitation has improved soil moisture in central and eastern areas, with 60 percent of the state classified as abnormally dry (D0) or better, a significant improvement from earlier in the year. These conditions have allowed most farmers to complete planting, though grazing lands in the west still need consistent moisture to fully recover.


Cattle Numbers:
A Slow Rebound

The cattle industry, a foundational piece of North Dakota’s ag economy, has faced significant challenges due to past droughts, particularly in 2021, which forced many ranchers to sell off herds due to lack of grazing forage.

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WATFORD CITY WEATHER