Brad Brummond, the North Dakota State University Extension Service's agriculture and natural resources agent for Walsh County, is a sustainable agriculture hero.
He was one of two people named the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) program's 2016 NCR-SARE Hero.
NCR-SARE is one of four regional offices that run the nationwide SARE program, which provides grants and educational opportunities for producers, scientists, educators, institutions, organizations and others to explore sustainable agriculture.
The NCR-SARE Hero award recognizes leadership, vision, contributions and impact in sustainable agriculture in the north-central region, which consists of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Brummond specializes in organic production and is the primary contact for organic issues at NDSU Extension.
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"I have dedicated my professional career to the cause of making the lives of people better, particularly children and underserved audiences," he says. "I also believe that we can and need to protect our environment while maintaining profitability for the producers of our food both big and small. I feel that this honor is affirmation that my efforts to some small degree have been successful on a local, state and nationwide basis, and it is a truly humbling thought."
He has worked with organic and sustainable producers in North Dakota and South Dakota since joining the NDSU Extension Service as a county agent in 1982 after graduating from NDSU with degrees in Agricultural Education and Agricultural Extension. He also has served on the North Dakota State SARE Advisory Committee for more than 25 years.
In addition, he served two terms as an Administrative Council member for NCR-SARE between 1993 and 2008. During that time, he helped form NCR-SARE's Circle of Sustainability committee, which conducted several listening sessions throughout the region to bring together people with differing viewpoints as a way for them to share their perspectives on sustainability and agriculture. He also helped organize NCR-SARE's first listening session with Native Americans in North Dakota and South Dakota.
As an Extension agent, Brummond also has been involved with 4-H youth and is a strong advocate for youth in agriculture. He helped develop NCR-SARE's youth educator grant program.
His other activities include serving as chair of the North Dakota Organic Advisory Board. He also has served as president of the Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society and North Dakota Association of Extension Agents.
"The NDSU Extension Service is incredibly proud that Brad Brummond has received the Hero award," NDSU Extension Director Chris Boerboom says. "It validates his years of commitment to serving sustainable agriculture, not only in Walsh County, but to producers and youth across the state."
This year's other NCR-SARE Hero is Linda Kleinschmit, who, along with her husband, Martin, operates a 365-acre certified organic rotational grazing, grass-fed beef operation near Hartington, Neb.
Brummond and Kleinschmit will be honored at the NCR-SARE summer meeting in Columbus, Ohio, on July 12.
