NDFU President working to expand grassroots ag organization

North Dakota Farmers Union (NDFU) President Mark Watne wants to see new blood emerging in the organization to take over when he retires in a few months. Watne announced at the organization's annual meeting in December that he wouldn't be seeking a 13th term as president.

"I'm really here to harp on making sure this organization continues into the future working for agriculture and the success of family farms and ranches," Watne said this summer.

"I truly believe that strong leaders must develop new leaders, and then you need to know when it's time to let those new leaders take over and put trust in the system to develop those people who have the skills and new ideas to take us into future of agriculture. That's what I believe, and that's why I am not running again."

Watne has been passionate about NDFU, serving in various positions for nearly 30 years. In addition to being president of the organization that boasts 70,000 members, Watne was one of the youngest farmers ever to serve at the county level, as a state board member, the treasurer and staff executive director.

"With 70,000 members, NDFU is the largest membership organization within the National Farmers Union at this moment in time," Watne said.

As president of NDFU, Watne also leads the Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Company and Farmers Union Service Association.

"Farmers Union is an organization really has have the same philosophical view that I have on a personal level, so I stayed in the organization for nearly 30 years to be able to do something that has had the capacity to get stuff done for farmers," he said. "I do believe the farm organization has been successful in representing family farmers and ranchers."

In addition, the president of NDFU also ends up on multiple boards that the Farmers Union Agency is associated with. Watne said he currently serves on around 15 boards, including Grand Farm's board of directors.

Watne also manages a "fairly large staff" and more under the insurance umbrella of the organization.

"I'm overseeing maybe 100 people and then there are 100 and some agents across the state that you are primarily in charge of. You have people hired to do management level stuff, and we always have two or three people at our State Legislature all the time," he said.

Watne grew up on his family's farm near Velva, N.D., and he still owns the farm with his brother and other close relatives. His parents, Gene and Janice, still live on the farm and his dad still helps out with farming activities. He is married to Michelle, and they share three adult children.

"I grew up wanting to farm and I actually did, and the rules of North Dakota Farmer Union specify you need to be a farmer before you can be president of the NDFU," Watne said.

The current farm economy is challenging, with low commodity prices, weather-related losses, and uncertainty around trade and policy – issues that Watne, as a farmer, can empathize with. He has been part of a team that continues to campaign at the State Legislature and Congress for policies favorable to family farmers.

Watne speaks passionately about the need for a new farm bill – one where there is debate and consent on both sides of the farm and food programs.

"We've campaigned for the farm bill, some disaster assistance, crop insurance, conservation programs, food programs for needy people and value-added agriculture – all those things and more," he said. "We need a farm bill, and we need it to be bipartisan."

The current BBB bill (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) included several items for crop insurance and disaster assistance that farmers and ranchers needed, but he believes there still needs to be a replacement for the 2018 Farm Bill and that it needs to be bipartisan, so all farmers have input.

"We have an extremely good food system in this country, where consumers generally pay less than any place in the world for their food, and farm programs are an investment into maintaining this food system," Watne said.

In his position as president, Watne has traveled and continues to travel extensively for boards, meetings, and campaigning on behalf of farmers. He notes similarities and differences in agriculture practices globally.

"I drive around North Dakota a lot, but I fly everywhere – to the World Farm Organization, Europe, Africa, Germany and South America," he said.

Watne has found that while farming and agriculture are different in other countries, the problems faced by farmers growing food for low prices are similar.

"You learn a lot. Agriculture is different, but they face similar challenges. Weather challenges are the same. The world likes inexpensive food, so commodity prices tend to be low worldwide," Watne said.

Some of the technologies developed in the U.S. are used in other countries, and some countries have more advanced technologies than can be found here.

"It's quite a learning curve. I understand that a lot of people here like to think we've got it all figured out, but there are a lot of good ideas around the rest of the world, too," he said.

Watne noted that in European countries, food appears to be valued more because they suffered through famine due to world wars going on in their countries.

"They have a technological focus on a lower level of production – meaning they focus on the square foot more than we focus on an acre," Watne said. "They have maximized production per foot probably more than we do per acre, so their inputs are a little more 'intensified' than in the U.S. They have less land, and they actually were hungry once, so the value of food there means more to them than it does here."

When Watne was in southern South America, he and other members took an extended trip down to the Patagonia area.

"We stayed in a bed and breakfast, and we went going to go to the grocery store to get some food and stuff. In the U.S., you go to your grocery store and have probably 100 or so choices of cookies, but in Patagonia, Argentina, which is a fairly developed country, you had one choice of cookie. There were plenty of food choices but there was only one choice of a particular food."

With farming, farm infrastructure similarities and differences in other countries are based "on the ability for capital and the ability of knowledge and research." While the U.S. was once a leader in infrastructure, the country seems to not be as focused on infrastructure now. What does that mean for the future, Watne asks.

"The thing that the U.S. got so right is we led the world in infrastructure development – from bridges and roads to delivery systems and the ability to get products out to the farm," he said. "I'm actually concerned about that now."

When Watne travelled to Africa and South America, he noticed limitations in agriculture because of a lack of access to farming technologies in seed, products, and infrastructure.

"Their limitation, often, is infrastructure, and they don't get to start with high quality seed, necessarily. They don't have access to as much fertilizer or products that would help with fertility, as much as we do," Watne said. "I think we may be on the edge of a mistake of making infrastructure not as much of a priority, and then that will make us less competitive in the world when it comes to pricing. We'd be silly not to spend some money to make sure that we have that capacity to be very competitive in the world market."

Watne noticed that currently, Brazil and Africa are building new infrastructure and improving infrastructure.

"These countries are bringing irrigation and new modern technology into Africa. So, there are going to be other countries that are going to zip ahead in irrigation technology, for example," he said.

During Watne's years with NDFU, there have been countless successes, but there are a few that he is especially proud of, including NDFU's farmer-owned restaurants in the Washington, D.C. area that he helped develop; the campaign for farm programs; and the organization's extensive youth program, including summer camps.

"We run a tremendous youth program for kids," he said.

Watne spends about 70 percent of his time maintaining the financial ability for the organization to function.

"It's really about spending a lot of time on the business and economic side to ensure that we have capital and the financial ability to do what we need to do," he said.

NDFU is part of a network of organizations that own business entities, such as pork processing plants and pet food plants.

"We've really been aggressive on the side of maintaining it. It has more than doubled the assets of the organization in the 12 years I've been president, so I feel really good about that," he said.

Their membership dues have stayed very low, and NDFU offers benefits for members. Companies like Best Buy often offer deals to members.

"Our dues are $30, and we haven't raised them for a long time. And for the $30, we have a member benefit program where we do rates on trips, hotel rooms, and restaurants. I probably save $30 to $40 on every room I stay in."

Agriculture is the leading industry in the state, which means NDFU is one of the most important organizations in the state.

"The state of our organization is strong and effective," he added. "I believe we have made a huge difference in the lives of family farmers and ranchers in this country. I have no doubt we will be effective well into the future, thanks to the continued strength of our members."

The reason membership is so strong in NDFU is all the "good things" the organization does for its members, farmers and ranchers, and others associated.

"We are doing a lot of good things. We have a huge reason for people to be part of us. We've just created all these tools and we've been expanding those tools. We strive really hard to maintain our grassroots process so the folks that are members have a lot of input in what we represent," he said. "People like being part of an organization where they see it to be a little bit more bottom up than top down."

In retirement, Watne plans to stay as busy as he has been as president of NDFU. He will continue to help on the family farm and has projects planned. He may do consulting work.

At the NDFU State Convention in mid-December, a new president will be elected. Shelly Ziesch, who farms near Pettibone and is an NDFU board member, is the first person to announce she will run. Ziesch and her husband, Robin, operate a commercial cow/calf operation and raise corn, soybeans, wheat, oats and alfalfa hay.