Cooperatives

Bill Butterfield is good at a lot of things.

The Lodgepole, S.D., native is in the Hettinger High School hall of fame. He got his PGA card two years after picking up a golf club. His Black Angus cows and calves eat out of the palm of his hand.

“I have to be competing in anything I do,” Butterfield says.

Four years ago, the self-taught pitmaster took home the People’s Choice award at his first competition barbecue event in Taylor.

Butterfield didn’t just bring the smoke that day: He brought his homemade seasonings.

“Cooperatives were born in politics and will die in politics.”

This oft-used phrase in the cooperative world both recognizes the circumstances through which most cooperatives emerge – in response to political and economic conditions, often as an alternative to traditional business models or power structures, seeking to empower individuals and communities – and acknowledges a critical function for their survival – advocacy.

Whether two legs or four, the big kids and the little ones, everyone is welcome at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. The same can be said for Hondo’s Hideaway restaurant on the Jamestown Reservoir.

“I wanted to keep (the ambiance) more of what you’re maybe used to if you visited Grandma and Grandpa’s house, a little bit of a homey feel,” says Lucas Dockter, Hondo’s Hideaway owner and chief grunt worker. “It pairs well with the food we serve. It’s stuff you would find at Grandma’s house or what you grew up with.”

North Dakota electric cooperative leaders have been monitoring bills, testifying on proposed legislation and engaging with policymakers during the 2025 legislative session.

“We’ve had many co-op folks from across the state in Bismarck already this session. They’ve provided expert testimony on large electric load siting and wildfire mitigation and have truly starred in their efforts to advocate on behalf of North Dakota’s electric cooperatives,” says Zac Smith, North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC) communications and government relations director.

There is a place in western North Dakota where you can experience a rodeo on Saturday night and a church service on Sunday morning.

Or a monster truck show one day and goat yoga the next.

Nearly five years ago, two North Dakota farmers had an idea to market their barley crop to beer brewers. A local surplus of barley and shortage of malt presented favorable market dynamics, and the pair were willing to bet on themselves, their barley and beer.

The world changed five years ago when the coronavirus pandemic entered our lives. It disrupted everything, from the way we learn and work to the price of groceries and gasoline. While many facets of our lives have returned to normal (or a “new normal”), the American pocketbook is still wishing and waiting for the return of pre-pandemic pricing.

With technological advancements shaping the present and future, the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara (MHA) Nation in Fort Berthold is welcoming innovation and utilizing the tools it offers in a unique way.