NDSU Animal Sciences

Co-hosting Film Screenings

North Dakota State University’s Animal Sciences Department and the Riding on Angels’ Wings Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program are hosting two screenings of “Riding My Way Back,” an award-winning documentary about the healing of therapeutic riding for a veteran with posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.

The film will be screened at the Fargo Theater on Monday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. and the NDSU Memorial Union Century Theater on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at noon. Admission to both screenings is free. A panel discussion will follow the Fargo Theater screening.

“Riding My Way Back” chronicles one soldier’s journey back from the brink of suicide. In 2010, Staff Sgt. Aaron Heliker returned from multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with a traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder. When he felt the most desperate and isolated, and was on 42 medications and suicidal, Heliker was introduced to the unlikeliest of saviors: a horse named Fred. Through caring for Fred, Heliker began the difficult process of reconnecting to the world around him and healing the invisible wounds of war that nearly defeated him.

The film’s producers and directors, Oscar nominee Robin Fryday, Peter Rosenbaum and Richie Goldman, have launched the Riding My Way Back Film Project to promote awareness of the healing that therapeutic riding can provide military veterans. The film will be screened at riding centers, universities and mental health centers during Veterans Week, Nov. 9-15.

Riding My Way Back premiered at the GI Film Festival 2014 in May and won the Founders’ Choice Award.

For more information on therapeutic horseback riding, contact Erika Berg, an associate professor in the NDSU Equine Science Program, at (701) 231-9611 or erika.berg@ndsu.edu, or Riding on Angels’ Wings near Felton, Minn., at (218) 359-0007 or execdirectorROAW@aol.com. Visit http://www.ridingmywayback.com to learn more about the film.

First ND

commodities

shipped under new pact reaches West Coast

BISMARCK – Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring says the first railcars filled with North Dakota commodities have been transported to the West Coast under a new agreement between North Dakota and the Port of Vancouver USA. The shipment arrived in the Washington state port on Nov. 3.

“AGT Food & Ingredients loaded a test shipment of 60 totes of Pride of North Dakota split green peas at North Dakota Port Services in Minot,” Goehring said. . “This is the next step in delivering on our agreement with the Port of Vancouver and helping North Dakota farmers and ranchers find new ways of accessing our Pacific Northwest trade partners.”

Goehring and Port of Vancouver CEO Todd Coleman signed a memorandum of agreement in August, uniting the state and the port in a collaborative rail service program that supports both the agricultural and energy industries.”

“This unique service is possible because of the connections and creativity of everyone involved, and our ability to look at the supply chain and identify opportunities to fill the gaps between producers and consumers,” said Coleman. “It’s great to see this program coming together,” said Coleman. “We appretciate the tremendous effort that’s going into making this happen.”

Murad Al-Katib, CEO of Regina-based AGT Food & Ingredients, said the first shipment was a collaborative effort of his company, the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, the BNSF Railway, Port of North Dakota, North Dakota Port Services and Magnum Logistics.

“Participating in these first shipments, AGT Food & Ingredients is leading the way in pioneering new shipping lanes to move our products to the global marketplace” said Al-Katib. “AGT is excited to be a part of this opportunity.”

Goehring said a second shipment left Minot on Oct. 22 and is expected to arrive later this week or early next week.

“When fully implemented, this agreement will provide more marketing opportunities for our identity-preserved and specialty crop products, such as peas, lentils, dry beans and other commodities, to be transloaded and containerized,” Goehring said. “It also enables North Dakota commodity handlers, especially smaller and mid-sized companies, to access rail facilities on the same basis as larger companies.”

NDSU Sets

Conference on Ag

Product Handling and Transportation

A conference, Post-harvest Handling and Transportation for Agricultural Products: Issues and Alternatives, will be held Dec. 8-9 at the Ramada Plaza Suites in Fargo.

The purpose of the conference is to identify important and emerging issues related to transporting agricultural products from North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota and Montana to final domestic and international markets and to discuss alternative solutions.

Hosting the event are North Dakota U.S. Sens. Heidi Heitkamp and John Hoeven, along with Won Koo, North Dakota State University Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies director.

“This conference is the first forum to bring together decision makers from the public sector, railroad industry executives, leaders of commodity groups and farm organizations, agricultural producers and academics to discuss the needs of an efficient agricultural transportation system in the northern Plains,” says Koo.

The main topics to be discussed in the conference include:

* Problems and issues in transporting agricultural products from the producing regions to domestic and foreign markets

* Transporting and handling grains, minor crops and processed food

* Emerging issues with shipping crude oil, ethanol and coal

* Implications of agricultural transportation on farm income

* How to improve the agricultural transportation system

In addition, a panel will discuss unique issues and challenges northern Plains agriculture could face in the near future and solutions for those involved in the complex agricultural transportation system.

Along with Sens. Hoeven and Heitkamp, other invited speakers include:

* Daniel Elliott, Surface Transportation Board chairman

* Edward Avalos, U.S. Department of Agriculture Marketing and Regulatory Programs undersecretary

* Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Canadian Pacific railroad executives

* Bruce Blanton, USDA Agricultural Transportation Service director

* Commodity group and farm organization leaders

* Kevin Cramer, U.S. House of Representatives

The conference registration fee is $125 until Nov. 15 and $150 after that date. The registration includes meals, breaks and conference materials. For more information or to register, go to http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/capts.