Land Meeting - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

For more than 20 years an organization has been working to ensure landowners' rights aren't being violated.

The North Dakota Landowners Association hosts meetings across the state sticking up for those who own the land.

Past President Dennis Miller says there is a misperception about how the land is being care for and many don't understand the importance of food production.

(Dennis Miller / Past LAND President) "They want to give the public the impression that farmers are not good conservationists, we are not producing healthy food, we are not sustainable in our activities. Yet, in farming we have to continually educate the public, we are good conservationists, we are producing healthy food and we are good for society."

State Conservationist Mary Podoll (po-doll) with the The Natural Resources Conservation Service says you can see the improvements producers are making to the land.

She says tiling is becoming very poplar to remove water from fields, while others are adding water to their crops.

(Mary Podoll / State Conservationist) "Irrigation is very important to them so being able to help them with irrigation practices and management helps them manage their prediction, but also in a sustainable manner for the future." 

Podoll says the NRCS is also working with the health department on improving the quality of the water.