Newsletter June 2000
Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department
North Dakota State University

CONTENTS:

Department Chair's Comments	1999-2000 Graduates	No-Till Grain Production in Mongolia
Dealer Management Specialization	Dept Advisory Committee	Extension Program Highlights Faculty/Staff Recognition
Research Highlights	Alumni Profile/Alumni Notes Student News	Calendar Contribution Form

Department Chair's Comments

I would like to begin by thanking the many departmental alumni that have responded to the NDSU Development Foundation with gifts they have earmarked to the department’s development fund or to a specified scholarship fund. Your support is greatly appreciated. These funds particularly help us provide scholarships to several outstanding students each year.
Maintaining and/or building funding support for programs continues to be our number one challenge. We are, I believe, achieving successes in a number of ways. In the area of budgets from legislative appropriations, our faculty and I have worked hard to further our participation in the interdisciplinary initiatives of the Experiment Station and Extension Service. These efforts have resulted in the addition of two new research technicians and support for several graduate students. As a result we are increasing our programs in priority research and extension areas.

With Experiment Station funding support we were able to remodel a laboratory room which is providing much needed space for our expanding bio-imaging and sensing program. In this last year our sensing systems research has resulted in two patent applications.

Additional remodeling has improved our teaching resources in two areas. Laboratory 210C is a much improved electronics and instrumentation facility. College teaching equipment and program fee funds have added 8 computer stations, new oscillicisopes, and other teaching supplies.

The original laboratory 210 was somewhat reduced in size, but reconfigured with new welding facilities to improve our ASM course on construction and fabrication technologies.

Also in our teaching programs, we are excited about a new partnership with John Deere to offer a Dealer Management Specialization within the business option of the ASM major. More information is given later in this newsletter.

On December 8^th, Dr. Joseph Chapman, our new NDSU president, paid us a visit. We took this opportunity to better acquaint the President with our Department’s mission and programs. We also toured department facilities and several faculty & students gave brief summaries of their work.

As always we are very interested in hearing from you. Please consider taking a few minutes to complete the attached form to update us about yourself. You can also choose to do this via our website. If you have occasion to be in Fargo, please consider visiting us.

Earl Stegman

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Graduates: 1999-2000 (December 1999 through May 2000)

BS Degree in Agricultural Systems Management	BS Degree in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering	MS Degree in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Shane Adrian - Gandy Co Mark Berlinger - Cargill Seed Division Dan Bjur Brian Danner Thomas Fagerholt Barry Fiedler - Harvey Bank Jeremy Grove - Cenex Harvest States Paul Gunderson - Self Employed - Farming David Hehr - Vermeer Manufacturing Chris Henderson Pierre Jensen - Wheels Inc. Lynn Kadlec Paul Kroening - New Holland N.A. Matthew Laubach - NDSU Grad School-ARS James Lund - Farming Scott McDonald - Farming Robert Meyer - Farming Robert Miller - Cass County Electric Co-op Cody Saunders Matthew Schultz - Hormel Foods Corporation Gregory Selzer - Farming Bradley Sletten Preston Stelter - Andersen Farms Jarvis York - Black Gold Farms	Michael Berg - Bobcat Ingersoll-Rand Rebecca Browning - Phoenix International Bryan Buerkle - John Deere Kelly Carpenter - Bobcat Ingersoll-Rand Erica Disrud - USDA-NRCS Matthew Hagen - John Deere Eric Halvorson - Black Gold Farms Jeremy House - Caterpillar David Lehman - Bobcat Ingersoll-Rand Brian Markegard - Self-employed Musician Carson McIntyre - John Deere Collin Miller - Amity Technology, Fargo, ND Shane Rustin - Hodgens Engineering Lance Tuhy - Applied Engineering Jacob Velde - Iowa State U. Grad School	Jason Walter - CNH (Case)

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No-Till Grain Production in Mongolia

Vern Hofman served as a consultant in Mongolia on a project to set up a no-till spring wheat project in April and May 1999. It was quite an adventure. Mongolia has extreme soil erosion problems as their spring wheat is grown on summer fallow. The soil is tilled excessively to control weeds, so when it blows or rains, the soil starts moving. One evening, 50 to 60 mph winds caused the blowing dust to reduce visibility to near zero. No-till practices would reduce the amount of soil erosion.
Mongolia is located between China and Siberia. The grain production area is in northern Mongolia at a similar latitude as northern North Dakota. The rainfall is about 12 to 14 inches a year with a climate similar to western North Dakota and eastern Montana. The grain producing area is about 0.8 million acres. The remaining acreage is used for livestock grazing.

Mongolia was under the influence of the Soviet Union until about 1991. The Mongolian government is trying to privatize the Soviet commune farms but it is difficult because of the lack of money to buy fertilizer, pesticides or machinery. Demonstration fields are being used to show farm managers the importance of using fertilizer, burn down herbicides, new grain varieties, crop rotations, and no-till drills.

Vern spent three weeks in Mongolia helping set up demonstration no-till fields and assembling four John Deere 1560 single disc drills and four Blumhardt sprayers. Two varieties of wheat were imported (Pioneer 2375 and Kulm) from North Dakota, and were planted on 50 hectare demonstration plots on 4 different farms.

The demonstrations used practices similar to that used by North American no-till producers except for rotating the wheat onto a different stubble. That will come in the future. It is planned to introduce other crops such as peas, lentils, chickpeas, sunflower, and canola. The nitrogen fixing crops are extremely important as nitrogen fertilizer has not been applied to Mongolian fields for at least four years and maybe longer. Wheat yields are very poor, usually averaging about 10 to 12 bushels per acre, on summer fallow. Wheat is also planted very deep (3-4 inches) to find moisture. This usually gives a poor stand. The four demonstration fields were set up to conserve moisture, reduce erosion and to get them into a continuous cropping sequence.

A field day was held at one of the farms to demonstrate the calibration and operation of the drills and sprayers to all the farm managers and equipment operators. The demonstration was a slow process as everything went through an interpreter and all dimensions were converted to metric. Representatives from the agricultural college and department of agriculture were also in attendance. Their involvement in this cooperative venture is vital.

Farmers in Mongolia are using extremely old (25 to 30 years) and poorly maintained seeding equipment. All this equipment was built in Russia and brought to Mongolia during Russian occupation. Vern made suggestions on converting their seeding equipment to operate as a no-till seeder. They currently use two types of seeding equipment - hoe and disc drills. The hoe drills have been used occasionally for direct seeding into stubble. But the farmers have never had a burn down herbicide to kill weeds before seeding. The disc drills are similar to our double disc press drills that do not have any depth control. So, they may operate to the disc hub at times and almost out of the soil at other times. A suggestion was made to move the press wheels back so a gage wheel could be added behind the opener to maintain a uniform seeding depth or to add a depth band on the disc opener. Also, more down pressure would be needed with no-till to push the opener to the proper operating depth and hold it there.

Their combines are also old. The biggest problem is straw collectors mounted on combines to catch straw and bunch it in fields. Cattle are allowed to graze the piles over winter but do not consume all the straw. A pile, therefore, remains in the spring and is burned, wasting good material that can improve soil organic matter. It was suggested to remove the straw catchers and enclose the rear of the combines so a straw chopper or straw spreader could be added. This would allow chopping and spreading residue to help build soil organic matter. The addition of chaff spreaders could also eliminate thick chaff mats in the fields.

Mongolian farmers have a tremendous potential to grow grain and no-till production could be a major contributing factor. The farmers are eager to learn and make changes. They are in a position where North American farmers were 20-25 years ago; starting no-till by converting existing equipment to direct seeding. By their willingness to make changes, their economy can prosper and they can become an importer of North American agricultural equipment.

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Dealer Management Specialization

In May, 1999, the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department was approached by John Deere representatives concerning a looming problem for the agricultural equipment industry. Fewer and larger farms have resulted in fewer but larger farm equipment dealerships that provide a broader range of products and services than older small dealerships. The larger dealerships are requiring more management expertise. A high level of expertise in the areas of technology, computer use, communications, accounting, and business is now required of dealership managers. Finding qualified managers for dealerships is becoming much more difficult.
In response to industry needs, a proposal was developed to partner with John Deere. The partnership is patterned after similar partnerships at the University of Missouri, Kansas State University, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, University of Tennessee, and Ohio State University. We believe this partnership will be a win-win situation for everyone involved; the farm equipment industry, the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department, NDSU, and most importantly, our students.

The Dealer Management Specialization will be a part of the Business option in both the Agricultural Systems Management (ASM) and Agricultural Economics (AEC) majors. The specialization requires no new courses and does not alter the basic requirements of either major. It simply requires a slight increase in the number of credits in communications and accounting. The specialization is satisfied with the appropriate selection of electives and a minor in either ASM or AEC, depending on the major course of study, and two required internships with a dealer.

Benefits to NDSU and our department include the potential to recruit high quality students from a wider area as well as more transfer students from North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) at Wahpeton. NDSCS is a partner with John Deere in several related programs. John Deere will provide scholarship funding for students, internship opportunities through participating dealers, specialized instructor training, access to "state of the art" agricultural equipment, components and software, and excellent employment opportunities for graduates. The farm equipment industry will benefit by having students with dealer management training and a BS degree. And, students will benefit through financial support, opportunities for high quality internship experiences, exposure to modern equipment in an educational setting, and the opportunity to compete for jobs in the farm equipment industry. Although our department is partnering with John Deere, students have no obligation to John Deere. Students graduating with this specialization have the opportunity to pursue any career of their choosing. And, the faculty determine the curriculum requirements for the specialization.

The past year has been spent getting necessary approvals to develop the partnership from John Deere representatives and the University administration. A "roll out" event is being planned for early next fall to kick off the partnership. Leslie Backer is serving as the NDSU Coordinator.

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Department Advisory Committee

In response to accreditation and other needs, the department has re-initiated an advisory committee. The committee’s role has been defined as follows: 1) to provide external perspectives and serve as a sounding board for departmental programs and planning; 2) to strengthen programs by advising the department and helping gain access to appropriate resources; 3) to help facilitate the department’s interaction and communication with its constituencies, the profession, and the public; and 4) to support, as appropriate, the department’s position when approaching decision makers on issues or specific requests. The composition of the committee was set at a core membership of five members to serve for a term of three years. The current Advisory Committee members, their affiliation, and location are listed as follows.

- Glenn Hoffman, Chair, Biosystems Engineering Dept., University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
- Michael Beaver, Plant Manager, Cargill Nutri-Products, Eddyville, IA
- Mark Craig, Chief Engineer, Engine Division, Caterpillar, Mossville, IL
- Wesley Wiedenmeyer, State Engineer, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bismarck, ND
- Maynard Helgaas, CEO, Midwest Agri-Development Corporation, Jamestown, ND

The first meeting of the advisory committee was held on October 27, 1999. Primary agenda items were to: 1) acquaint the committee with the department’s programs, focusing mostly on the ABEN teaching program and its educational objectives; 2) obtain input and views regarding educational needs of ABEN students; 3) obtain committee member views and visioning on suggested topics; and 4) obtain initial views of strengths and weaknesses of the ABEN teaching program.

Feedback on the department’s ABEN program, educational objectives, and its methods for outcomes assessment was very positive. The advisory committee also met with ABEN students. Resulting perceptions of student quality were very complimentary. The next formal meeting with the advisory committee is scheduled for fall 2000 in conjunction with a faculty retreat.

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Research Highlights

Processing Flaxseed for Functional Food Use - Dennis Wiesenborn
Flaxseed is an excellent source of lignans, soluble fiber, and linolenic acid. Compelling evidence is mounting for the healthful properties of these constituents. Human food use of flaxseed is growing, and one project in the ABEN department seeks to increase the options for incorporating healthful flaxseed components into foods. For example, a mechanical process is under development that will provide cancer-preventing lignans with much less fat compared to whole flaxseed.
Processing of Niche Oilseeds - Dennis Wiesenborn
A variety of niche oilseed crops such as crambe and borage, identity preserved, and organic oilseeds are being grown under contract in the North Plains. Expellers are an attractive process option for many of these, given the logistics of processing a multitude of seed types in relatively limited quantities. But, the use of expellers with unfamiliar crops poses many challenges. ABEN researchers are seeking to develop tools to optimize the preparation of such crops, to assist an expeller-based facility in North Dakota.

Ground Water Quality Research near Oakes, ND - Dean Steele

The Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and the Department of Soil Science at NDSU have conducted over ten years of ground water quality research near Oakes, ND. One of the objectives of the research, initially sponsored by the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, was to "determine the impacts of best management practices (for irrigation and fertilizer nitrogen management) on crop responses and on leachate losses (quality/quantity) at major points (root zone, ground water, and subdrains) in an irrigated hydrologic system."
Average nitrate-N concentration in 4 subsurface drains

An irrigated, quarter section sized field was selected near Oakes, ND for the research. In 1989, buried tanks (called lysimeters) were installed to sample water leaving the root zone, wells were installed to sample the ground water, and manholes were installed for sampling water from subsurface drains.

For the 1990-1995 period, irrigation scheduling and nitrogen fertility for continuous corn were managed intensively by the researchers and compared to results from other commercial corn farmers in the area. The researchers achieved savings of approximately 22% in nitrogen fertilizer and 30% in irrigation amounts, while maintaining yields 3% above their commercial counterparts. From 1996 to the present, corn and potato producers have scheduled the irrigations and managed the fertilizer nitrogen at the site. The graph above shows that average nitrate-nitrogen concentrations measured in the subsurface drains have generally remained in the range of 2 to 6 mg/L. Macropore flow and/or depression- focused recharge appears to have overloaded the denitrification capabilities of the drains on at least two occasions. The spike of 13 mg/L on 8 May 1991 followed approximately 3.5 " of rain in the previous week, while the spike of 9 mg/L on 8 July 1994 was preceded by nearly 5" of rain in the previous week. For further information, contact Dean Steele at 701-231-7268 or at steele@plains.nodak.edu.

Pinto Bean Storage - Ken Hellevang
Pinto bean darkening reduces the market value of the beans. Northarvest Bean Growers Association provided funding to determine the effect of selected storage parameters. A survey of bean processors, marketers and handlers found that 42% expected that light caused bean darkening, 34% indicated bean moisture content was a factor, and only 10% indicated that temperature and age were factors. Pinto beans exposed to ultraviolet light in the laboratory darkened dramatically within a few weeks. Storing pinto beans at cool temperature is very important for maintaining bean color quality. Beans at 18% moisture content stored at 40°F are lighter in color than 14% beans stored at 80°F.

Moisture Absorption by Foamed-in-Place Polyurethane Insulation - Ken Hellevang
Foamed-in-place polyurethane insulation is used extensively in vegetable storages. Limited information has been available on the amount of moisture absorbed by this insulation when applied to wood and steel in a humid environment such as a potato storage. An apparatus has been built to expose the insulation to a humid environment and measure the weight gain due to moisture absorption. Initial observations are that the insulation is absorbing moisture and that the amount of absorption varies depending on the type of building material to which the insulation is attached.

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Extension Program Highlights

Scott Birchall conducted ten 4-hour Manure Application Planning Workshops for more than 120 producers, along with local extension and NRCS/SCD staff around the state. The objective of the workshop was to give producers the planning and record keeping skills necessary to make better use of their manure as well as meet ND Department of Health requirements. Seventy-six percent of those producers who participated said that they were going to implement changes in their manure management practices. The most common intended changes were to test manure nutrient concentrations, to give credits for the manure nutrients applied, and to keep records.

Scott is investigating the use of coal combustion byproducts (fly ash, bottom ash) for providing a more durable feedlot surface. Using a coal ash stabilized surface is expected to improve animal welfare and performance, as well as provide opportunities for reducing some of the environmental impacts from feeding areas.

The Water Quality specialists of the NDSU Ag & Biosystems Engineering Department have developed an interactive web site to assist North Dakota pesticide users to check the potential for groundwater contamination before applying the pesticide. The web address is: http://www.ageng.ndsu.nodak.edu:83/. The maps included on this site have been developed using the Assessment System for Potential Groundwater Contamination from Agricultural Pesticide Use in North Dakota developed by Bruce Seelig. The system uses North Dakota Geological Survey information and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) county soil surveys to help identify areas of potential groundwater contamination. The computerized application of the assessment system was developed by John Nowatzki, using the Geographic Information System (GIs) software, ArcView. This interactive system allows users to select a specific field in North Dakota and a specific pesticide, then the computer prepares a map for that field showing the various categories of groundwater sensitivity to the selected pesticide in different colors. For example a user can view a map of a field showing the groundwater sensitivity to 2,4-D herbicide.

Vern Hofman is involved in a study to trace the movement of nitrates through the soil to a depth of 6 feet in a field with variable rate fertilizer application. Nitrates have been found in some shallow wells in North Dakota. Previous work has found less nitrates in the upper 2 feet of the soil profile when nitrogen is variably applied as compared to conventional application.

Last year it was found that angle mounted nozzles improved fungicide application over vertical nozzles. Vern Hofman is working on a forward and backward mounted air-assist method, which is showing a significant improvement in coverage over the forward and backward mounted spray nozzles.

Vern Hofman helped develop a 2 level plow to bury sclerotinia, a major disease problem on sunflower in the eastern part of North Dakota this past fall. The plow skims off the top 4 to 6 inches of soil and places it in the previous furrow. Another bottom, following directly behind, brings up another 6 inches of soil placing it on top of the first layer, burying the sclerotia 8 to 10 inches deep. Multiple strips, 40 to 50 feet wide and 200 to 300 feet long, were completed last fall for some research plots. Sunflower will be planted into the plowed and unplowed strips this year and the amount of infection through the root of the plants will be measured.

Tom Scherer served as the lead author of the book "Sprinkler Irrigation Systems" MWPS-30 and Ken Hellevang revised MWPS-29 "Dry Grain Aeration Systems Design Handbook."

Ken developed a Postharvest Resource web site that includes about 100 publications, links to numerous sites, and a fan selection program. This site was accessed 918 times during Jul-Dec 1999. It was featured in the Spring 2000 issue of Agriculture. com, Successful Farming's Internet guide for farmers and ranchers. Approximately 1,000 plans were scanned and made accessible on the Web. This is the most popular part of our Extension site with over 4,000 requests during September-December 1999. About 750 publication links on agricultural engineering topics were identified, categorized, and placed on the Web. The site address is http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/

Ken is electronically distributing Indoor Air Quality information to about 140 health professionals, home builders, engineers and architects, realtors, and extension agents using an email distribution list. He has also developed an Indoor Air Quality Resource (IAQ) web site that includes several publications and links. A Fargo allergist has a link from his web site to the IAQ site.

Ken assisted American Crystal Sugar Company with the design of a system to keep the sugar beets frozen in their storage buildings until June 1999. This effort aided them in storing beets valued at about $19 million.

Aung Hla developed agricultural water conservation plans for the US Bureau of Reclamation Western Heart and Lower Heart irrigation districts. He has also established an NDSU-USBR agreement for conducting a pilot field assessment for irrigation system performance. He is working with micro-irrigation for high value crops, and will be demonstrating micro-irrigation technologies at the Carrington Research & Extension Center.

George Maher is writing a textbook titled 'Tractor and Agricultural Machinery Safety For The Northern Great Plains' to be used in Tractor Safety Schools. The material will also be included in the development of an interactive teaching web site for tractor safety training which will meet the requirements of the U.S. Department of Labor Hazardous Occupations for Youth in Agriculture program.

George designed and fabricated a tractor step assembly for Ken Welken of Valley City, ND as part of his involvement with AgrAbility In Dakota, a program that provides assistance to farmers with disabilities. Ken had both hips replaced recently and is recovering. The step assembly reaches to within 8 inches of the ground to permit access and is folded to provide ground clearance. Ken is happy with the new steps which allow him to continue farming.

George taught four Tractor Safety Schools in Barnes, Kidder, Walsh, and Steele counties. Forty four demonstrations of PTO Entanglement and 36 Hazards of Caught In The Grain demonstrations were presented to groups of mixed adults and youth.

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Alumni Profile and Notes

Mike Gustafson
BS Agricultural Mechanization 1970
MS Agricultural Mechanization 1972

Many people characterize Mike Gustafson as a "shaker and doer." He is general manager and CEO of one of the most progressive rural electric cooperatives in the nation -- Cass County Electric Cooperative (CCEC) in Kindred, North Dakota. Often characterized as a visionary, Gustafson is continually looking for opportunities to improve the well-being of the individuals and communities he serves. His eye is always toward the future and what could be.

Last fall, Gustafson announced that the innovative and aggressive cooperative was leaping into the telecommunications business in partnership with a consortium owned by three telephone cooperatives in northeastern North Dakota. The for-profit business will offer a competitive local exchange service designed to bring high-tech voice and data communications to individual homes and business.

"Diversification of our electric utility portfolio is something we’ve been considering for years," says Gustafson. "This new venture will strategically position our cooperative for the 21^st century. The cooperative way of doing business is to do together what individuals or organizations cannot do alone."

It all started with a degree
Gustafson received his bachelor of science degree in Agricultural Mechanization (now Agricultural Systems Management) from North Dakota State University in 1970. He earned a master of science degree in Agricultural Mechanization and a teaching certificate in Vocational Agriculture from North Dakota State University in 1972.

Gustafson’s career began in the electric service industry at Sheyenne Valley Electric Cooperative in Finley, ND in 1973. In that job, he strongly influenced many of the first study projects involving the development of an electric load control program now recognized as "world-class." In 1977, he assumed responsibilities for the energy management program for CCEC as director of member & public relations. After only seven years, he was named General Manager of CCEC. He oversees 94 people who serve nearly 19,500 accounts through 5300 miles of overhead and underground lines. Nearly 7000 of these accounts are involved in electric load management and/or dual heat programs. Although CCEC is a rural electric cooperative, recent urban growth in the CCEC service area has resulted in the majority of accounts served being urban rather than rural. Gustafson’s 26 years of experience in the rural electric industry provide him with the unique ability to focus on the future and create results from employee teamwork. He is a firm believer that the strength of an organization is its people. His educational background in agricultural systems has served him well. His staff includes two other agricultural systems graduates from NDSU. These include a senior vice president for development and energy services and a full-time economic development specialist.

The future looks bright
Gustafson has dedicated his career to the electric service industry. But perhaps even more importantly, he has improved the quality of life of the people he serves as well as the people of the region and the state of North Dakota. His success can be attributed, at least in part, to his education in agricultural systems management.

Alumni Notes

John Andvik (AE, BS ‘68) has retired from farming at Kindred, ND.

Kelley Artz (ABEN BS’ 97) has accepted a Territory After Market Manager position with John Deere in Mankato, MN. Kelley was formerly with JD in Ankeny, IA.

Terry Burchill (ASM, BS ‘95) is working as a Territory After Market Manager for John Deere in Sioux Falls, SD.

Scott Handy (Ag Mech, BS ‘80) is now Senior Vice President of Development and Energy Services for Cass County Electric Cooperative, Inc.

David Held (ABEN, BS ‘85) has moved from Cummins Engines in Columbus, IN to a Cummins subsidiary (Onan) in the Twin Cities.

Rocky Hizer (ASM, BS ‘97) is a service/warranty manager for Vermeer Manufacturing in Pella, IA. He manages six people and his primary duties are to assist dealers with machine repair problems and makes determinations on warranty claims. He very much enjoys his work.

Matt Johnson (ABEN, BS ‘95) has moved from designing engine components for Caterpillar at Peoria, IL to designing paving equipment for Cat Paving in Maple Grove, MN.

Geremy Larson (ASM, BS ‘97) is Territory After Market Manager for the Reno Division of John Deere and is located in Fort Collins, CO. He serves as the liaison between the company and the Parts and Service Managers of 11 dealerships in northeast Colorado.

Steve Larson (AE, BS ‘81, MS ‘85) has started to visit campus on recruiting trips for Cummins Engine Co. It is good to have him drop in several times a year.

Michael Lynnes (ASM, BS ‘97) is farming about 2500 acres near Leonard, ND. His operation includes about 200 head of Bison.

James Ostlie (Ag Mech, BS ‘69; Ag Mech, MS ‘71) is president of the new Dakota Lamb Growers Cooperative. Jim farms and produces sheep at Northwood, ND.

Clint Paulson (ABEN, BS ‘95) has transferred to the Ag Division of Caterpillar at DeKalb, IL. Clint previously worked for Cat in North Carolina.

Trail Price (ABEN, BS ‘97), Duane Norby (ABEN, BS ‘98), and Louis Hartke (ABEN, BS ‘99) are all engineers for Vermeer Manufacturing, Pella, IA. Either together or individually, they have made several trips back to Fargo on recruiting trips.

Aaron Siegfried (ASM, BS ‘95) now works for Woods Mfg out of Ames, IA. Aaron previously was employed by New Holland.

David Straley (ABEN BS ‘97) is working on an MBA degree while working for John Deere in Ankeny, IA.

Mark Walter (ABEN, BS ‘94, MS ‘96) has left the Ag Division of Vermeer Mfg to return to the family farm. He wants to give farming a try while he has the opportunity.

Cecil Watson (AE, BS ‘59, MS ‘61) has retired from farming.

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Faculty/Staff Recognition and Honors

Ken Hellevang
Promoted to the academic rank of Professor in the College of Agriculture and the College of Engineering and Architecture

Vern Hofman
    Zero Till Non-Farmer of the Year 2000; Manitoba-North Dakota Zero Till Farmers Association
    Visionary Leadership Recognition Award for work with crop spraying & site specific farming
    Epsilon Sigma Phi

Jim Moos
    Rick and Jody Burgum Technical Staff Award for Excellence Vice President for Agricultural Affairs

Suranjan Panigrahi
    Promoted to the academic rank of Associate Professor and granted tenure in the College of Agriculture and the College of Engineering and Architecture

Tom Scherer
    Blue Ribbon Award, "Sprinkler Irrigation Systems" ASAE
    Blue Ribbon Award, "Growing Irrigated Potatoes" ASAE

Jurgen Schwarz
    Promoted to the academic rank of Associate Professor and granted tenure in the College of Agriculture

Elton Solseng
    1999 Region III FFA Honorary Degree

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Student News

In May, 1999, four students and Elton Solseng traveled to Moline, IL to participate in the ASAE sponsored Quarter Scale Tractor Pull and Design national competition. Students participating in the pull were Bryan Buerkle, Dustin Hase, Karl Rockeman, and Hector Matthys. Participation in the national competition was the culmination of several months of design and construction of a tractor. The only components provided to the student teams was a 16 hp Briggs and Stratton engine and the rear tires. The NDSU team didn’t finish first, but it also didn’t finish last. It was an exciting and educational experience for those involved. In May, the team will compete again; with an all new tractor. After last year’s experience and with the knowledge gained at the pull, the team decided to start from scratch. With some experience under their belt, the design and construction are going much better and the team is finding that gaining sponsor support has been much easier. Win or lose, it is a great educational and social experience for those involved.

Twenty undergraduate students represented the NDSU Student Engineering Branch of ASAE at the Inter-sectional ASAE meeting held in Winnipeg, Manitoba on September 23-24, 1999. Students attended technical paper sessions, participated in industry tours, and attended an awards banquet. Several student teams represented NDSU in a student design contest.

The members of the Student Engineering Branch of ASAE and the ASM Club continue to hold lawn mower/snowblower tune-up/cleanup clinics as fund raisers both in the fall and spring. This is a great opportunity for the students to get to know each other while getting their hands dirty to earn some money for the clubs and provide a service for people in the community.

Once again the NDSU Student Engineering Branch of ASAE earned recognition in national EMI Trophy competition at the ASAE International meeting last July. This year they earned the first runner-up award. This years winning report was prepared by Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering sophomores Dustin Hase from Martin, ND and Karl Rockeman from Donnybrook, ND. Lorri Loh, a senior from Manning, ND served as president of the NDSU Student Engineering Branch of ASAE which is advised by Les Backer, Associate Professor and Tom Bon, Senior Lecturer. This marks the eleventh consecutive year the NDSU Student Engineering Branch of ASAE has taken honors in this competition; eight first place honors and three first runner-up awards.

The 52^nd Annual Agricultural Engineering Show was held on February 19, 2000. As usual, this valuable learning experience for students in the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and Agricultural Systems Management students was a resounding success. The Show was followed by an awards banquet for participants, families, and faculty.

The National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) conference was held on April 29, 2000. A team of students from NDSU received top honors in the "Mechanized Agricultural" division. The four-person team took first place overall, first place in the written contest, and first place in the power and machinery contest. Students participating from our department were Tobin Lorch, ASM senior, and Karl Rockeman, ABEN sophomore.

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Calendar of Events

ACADEMIC	OTHER
June 27 Orientation and Registration for New Transfer Students June 29-30; July 11-14 Orientation and Registration for New Freshman Students August 28 New Student Registration August 29 Fall Semester Classes Begin	July 9-12 ASAE Meeting in Milwaukee, WI September 12-14 Big Iron Farm Show and Exposition, West Fargo September 29-30 ASAE Intersectional Meeting in Fargo

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Newsletter Committee

Ken Hellevang, Chair

Les Backer

Earl Stegman

Janelle Ensrud - Layout/Copy Editor

Contribution Form

click here for printable page

Please take this opportunity to show your support of our programs. Make a tax deductible check payable to: North Dakota State University, Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering Department in the amount of:

[ ] $ 25 [ ] $ 50 [ ] $100 [ ] $ 500 [ ] $1000 [ ] Other $________

If you wish to designate your contribution to a particular use, please feel free do so here:

I/We would like to help NDSU students majoring in Agricultural and Biosystems and Agricultural Systems Management with financial support with a contribution of $________ to go towards the scholarship fund indicated below. (please be sure to check to see if your employer has a program to match your contribution)

______ Ernie French Memorial Scholarship

______ Holman-Breuer Memorial Scholarship

______Un-designated

Mail contribution to:
Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering Department PO Box 5626 Fargo ND 58105-5626

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Alumni Notes
	John Andvik (AE, BS ‘68) has retired from farming at Kindred, ND. Kelley Artz (ABEN BS’ 97) has accepted a Territory After Market Manager position with John Deere in Mankato, MN. Kelley was formerly with JD in Ankeny, IA. Terry Burchill (ASM, BS ‘95) is working as a Territory After Market Manager for John Deere in Sioux Falls, SD. Scott Handy (Ag Mech, BS ‘80) is now Senior Vice President of Development and Energy Services for Cass County Electric Cooperative, Inc. David Held (ABEN, BS ‘85) has moved from Cummins Engines in Columbus, IN to a Cummins subsidiary (Onan) in the Twin Cities. Rocky Hizer (ASM, BS ‘97) is a service/warranty manager for Vermeer Manufacturing in Pella, IA. He manages six people and his primary duties are to assist dealers with machine repair problems and makes determinations on warranty claims. He very much enjoys his work. Matt Johnson (ABEN, BS ‘95) has moved from designing engine components for Caterpillar at Peoria, IL to designing paving equipment for Cat Paving in Maple Grove, MN. Geremy Larson (ASM, BS ‘97) is Territory After Market Manager for the Reno Division of John Deere and is located in Fort Collins, CO. He serves as the liaison between the company and the Parts and Service Managers of 11 dealerships in northeast Colorado. Steve Larson (AE, BS ‘81, MS ‘85) has started to visit campus on recruiting trips for Cummins Engine Co. It is good to have him drop in several times a year. Michael Lynnes (ASM, BS ‘97) is farming about 2500 acres near Leonard, ND. His operation includes about 200 head of Bison. James Ostlie (Ag Mech, BS ‘69; Ag Mech, MS ‘71) is president of the new Dakota Lamb Growers Cooperative. Jim farms and produces sheep at Northwood, ND. Clint Paulson (ABEN, BS ‘95) has transferred to the Ag Division of Caterpillar at DeKalb, IL. Clint previously worked for Cat in North Carolina. Trail Price (ABEN, BS ‘97), Duane Norby (ABEN, BS ‘98), and Louis Hartke (ABEN, BS ‘99) are all engineers for Vermeer Manufacturing, Pella, IA. Either together or individually, they have made several trips back to Fargo on recruiting trips. Aaron Siegfried (ASM, BS ‘95) now works for Woods Mfg out of Ames, IA. Aaron previously was employed by New Holland. David Straley (ABEN BS ‘97) is working on an MBA degree while working for John Deere in Ankeny, IA. Mark Walter (ABEN, BS ‘94, MS ‘96) has left the Ag Division of Vermeer Mfg to return to the family farm. He wants to give farming a try while he has the opportunity. Cecil Watson (AE, BS ‘59, MS ‘61) has retired from farming.

Alumni Notes

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