Williston is getting ready for the 70th annual National Hard Spring Wheat Show. This premiere event for the area kicks off on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, and will be held at the newly renovated Grand Williston Hotel & Convention Center. If you plan to attend, please pre-register here.

Here are the speakers presenting at this year's National Hard Spring Wheat Show.

Even Shout - Keynote Speaker

Anual Hard Spring Sheat Show - Williston, ND /Facebook
Anual Hard Spring Sheat Show - Williston, ND /Facebook
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Evan Shout

Evan Shout is the president and co-founder of Maverick Ag, a business consulting and risk management firm in Western Canada. He also sits as president, co-founder, and lead coach at Farmer Coach, an education and coaching program for primary producers in both Canada and the US. These organizations fall under the Hebert Group of Companies, which also includes Hebert Grain Ventures, a 30,000-acre grain and oilseed operation in southeast Saskatchewan, where Evan sits as Chief Financial Officer. In his past career, Evan worked as a CPA with MNP, an agriculture accounting firm in Canada, specializing in large-scale primary producer grain operations. He is passionate about improving farm business with a focus on human resources management, technology, data analysis, and financial and operational risk practices. The legacy of the Hebert Group is to leave the dirt, financial statements, community, and industry in a better state generation after generation. His presentations include The 6% Rule - How Technology, Humans and Agronomy have changed the 5% rule.

Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show- Williston, ND/Facebook
Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show- Williston, ND/Facebook
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Daryl Ritchison

Daryl Ritchison

Daryl Ritchison is the Director of the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN). He spends his time on research, public outreach and development and enhancement of tools for NDAWN, a network of 175 weather stations in North Dakota, Minnesota and Montana. He is a well known public speaker on various topics including, short and long term weather forecasts, NDAWN usage, weather risk management and climate.

Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show- Williston, ND/Facebook
Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show- Williston, ND/Facebook
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Jeannie Rude

Jeannie Rude

Jeannie Rude is an agronomist at Pro Co-op in Antelope, Montana. She has been involved in the business of dryland farming for 15 years, first as an Extension agent, then working for a crop protection company and, for the past seven seasons as an
agronomist, helping farmers in northeast Montana succeed regardless of whether it rains or not. She grew up on a dryland hay operation in eastern Washington and also ranches with her husband and two young sons.

Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show- Williston, ND/Facebook
Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show- Williston, ND/Facebook
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Joelle VanderLinden

Joelle VanderLinden

Joelle VanderLinden is the owner and operator of H&M TeamWorks Consulting, Inc. Joelle and her staff conduct the day-to-day operations for the LoadPass Permits system on behalf of Western Dakota Energy Association. Joelle grew up in Watford City, and after graduating high school she attended Bismarck State College, where she achieved her business degree. She and her husband Jason live in Bismarck where they are raising their two teenage daughters.

Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
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Matt Keller

Matt Keller

Matt Keller has worked as a Precision Technology Specialist and Precision Agronomist with Farmers Edge over the last six years. His current roles as an agronomist include creating zone maps based on high resolution imagery, analyzing soil test results, and creating variable rate fertility recommendations. Matt graduated with a BA in both GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and Environmental Science from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN. He currently resides in Bismarck, ND with his wife and daughter.

Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
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Charlie Lim

Charlie Lim

Charlie Lim is an Extension Weed Specialist based at the NDSU - Williston Research Extension Center. He obtained his PhD from Montana State University and has worked mainly on weed research and weed control of economically important weeds including
herbicide-resistant biotypes in major and minor crops. His current role involves outreach and research programs designed to address and tackle pertinent weed problems and weed issues in Western North Dakota.

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Audrey Kalil

Dr. Audrey Kalil is the Plant Pathologist at the NDSU Williston Research Extension Center. Audrey obtained her B.S. in biology from the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities in 2007 and worked in the commercial inoculant industry for three years prior to entering her graduate program. Audrey obtained her Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she studied beneficial root associated microbes. Since she began her position at NDSU in 2015, Audrey has led an applied research programs focused on management of plant disease in durum, peas, lentils, chickpeas and sugar beet, as well as nodulation and nitrogen fixation in pulse crops.

Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
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Ben Larson

Ben Larson

Ben Larson is the manager of the new seed licensing company Premier Genetics, LLC. Formed in 2021 by Birdsall Grain & Seed and Cahill Seeds, Premiere Genetics sources new crop varieties to the growers in the northern plains. Ben received his bachelors and masters degrees from Montana State University before working as an MSU Extension agent. After five years with MSU, he worked as a sales agronomist for Safflower Technologies International. Ben then took his knowledge of a broad array of specialty crops to his current position with Premier Genetics.

Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
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Chad Anderson

Chad Anderson

Chad Anderson is the Executive Director of the North Dakota Crop Improvement & Seed Association (NDCISA). Chad and his staff conduct the day-to-day operations for the organization that actively promotes and markets certified seed through its 330 grower members. As a non-profit organization the NDCISA works closely with a number of genetic providers including NDSU, SeCan, Anheuser Busch, FP Genetics, and others to bring growers in the region the best seed varieties available for their farm. Chad has been involved in the agricultural industry for nearly 26 years. He is a native of Williston ND, and after high school he completed a bachelors and master’s degrees from North Dakota State University. He began his career with NDSU working in Agricultural Research and later Foundation seed production for 21 years prior to working with NDCISA. Chad, his wife Ninette, and their two children reside in Minot ND.

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Charlie Cahill

Charlie Cahill is the owner/operator of Cahill Seeds in Flaxville, MT. Since its inception in 1996 Cahill Seeds has become one of the largest seed growers in Montana. This modern facility provides many varieties of certified seed, professional cleaning, and chemical treatment services to producers in a large region that includes several states and Canada. Charlie’s knowledge of the seed industry has grown along with his company over these many years and he enjoys sharing what he has learned. Charlie and his wife Tammy have four children that add interest and adventure to his free time.

Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
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Dr. Brian Jenks

Dr. Brian Jenks

Dr. Brian Jenks is the weed scientist for the NDSU North Central Research
Extension Center in Minot. He has been with the NCREC since 1997 and is
widely respected throughout the MonDak. He earned his Ph.D. from the
University of Nebraska.

Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
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Dustin Johnsrud

Dustin Johnsrud

Dustin Johnsrud is serving his third four-year term on the North Dakota Wheat Commission, representing wheat growers in the northwest portion of the state. He serves as the commission's representative on the National Pasta Association, and the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative. He graduated from Ray High School and attended Williston State College and obtained a Crop and Weed Science degree (minor in Ag Econ) from North Dakota State University. He is also on the Epping City Council, Ray School Board, and has been the NDWC Williams county representative since 2009. Johnsrud and his wife Megan produce durum, winter wheat, spring wheat and canola. The couple has four children.

Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
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Jack Pieper

Jack Pieper

Jack Pieper is a Precision Agronomy Specialist with Vision Research Park based
out of Berthold, North Dakota. Prior to joining Vision Research Park in 2016, he
attended Bismarck State College and North Dakota State University. His primary
roles as a precision ag specialist are creating zone maps from satellite imagery
databases, collecting and analyzing soil samples, and creating prescription map
products for growers across NW North Dakota. Over the past 7 years, Jack has
also worked closely with Vision Research Park’s contract research division where
he cultivated a passion for assisting area growers in reaching their productivity
goals. In his free time, Jack enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter,
working on his home, and hunting.

Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
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Sara Schillo Erickson

Sara Schillo Erickson

Sara Schillo Erickson - Prior to returning to my hometown of Williston, she worked in SW ND where she managed an agronomy location that sold feed as well. She began her career in Grand Forks county where she worked at Agvise Laboratories then Centrol Crop Consulting. She has been at Horizon Resources for almost a year.
She is able to out in the field for scouting and soil sampling again which, next to riding
horses is her happy place. Sara believes communication between the grower and agronomist regarding what is happening in the field is important to best maximize success for each year.

Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show - Williston, ND/Facebook
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Steven Edwardson

Steven Edwardson

Steven Edwardson has served as Executive Administrator of the North Dakota Barley Council since April 2004. Steve and the North Dakota Barley Council directors work together in developing markets for barley in malting, human food, pet food, and livestock applications. Alliances with U.S. Grains Council, universities, and barley suppliers collectively assist ina balanced market development program. Steve has experience in international trade and has conducted business in Japan, Taiwan, Argentina, Germany, and the United Kingdom. He has implemented educational programs in specialty crop contracting and supply chain management, crop enterprise selection, and market intelligence. Steve served for 12 years as vice president of research and development for Minn-Dak Growers Ltd., a specialty crop company in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He also served as a Commercial Manager for Kings Inc. (formerly a division of Associated British Foods), and as a farm management specialist for the North Dakota State University Extension Service. Steve holds Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in agricultural mechanization from the department of agricultural engineering at North Dakota State University. Steve was raised on a small grains farm near Carrington, North Dakota.

There is no question that organizers have gone all out for the 70th annual event. If you're able to attend the wheat show portion on February 1, or the Mondak Pulse Day events on February 2, pre-registration is required. Register by clicking this link.

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