Constance “Connie” Bitz, an electric cooperative leader from LaMoure and champion of rural co-ops, was named the 2026 Gaylord Olson Cooperator by the Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives (QBCC). She is the first woman to win the award, which is the highest honor in the North Dakota cooperative community. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to ensure the continued success of cooperatives for generations to come.
Five cooperative leaders, two electric cooperatives and a state legislator were recognized for contributions to their cooperatives and communities Feb. 10 during the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC) annual meeting in Mandan. Honorees included:
• David Sigloh – Cooperative Leadership Award, Burke-Divide Electric Cooperative
• David Hagert – Cooperative Leadership Award, Nodak Electric Cooperative
• Dean Volk – Cooperative Leadership Award, Slope Electric Cooperative
Since taking over the Velva grocery store, Verendrye Electric Cooperative members Brenda and Matt McCasson have made it their own. They offer in-house smoked meats, homemade daily lunches and even their own line of homemade frozen pizzas. Read more about the McCassons here.
Brenda is a self-described meat-and-potatoes gal, who prefers the stick-to-your-ribs classics with a twist.
Forecasted rising electricity demand and a continued shift in the resource mix will affect the bulk power system (BPS) this winter, electric reliability watchdog the North American Reliability Corporation (NERC) states in its 2025-26 Winter Reliability Assessment.
While all areas have adequate resources for winter peak electric demand, extreme winter conditions extending over a wide area could result in electricity supply shortfalls, NERC says.
Capital Electric Cooperative director and rancher Sara Vollmer shares favorite family recipes from a cookbook she created for her daughters, “The Food that Grew Me.” Read more about Sara here.
Sara makes a huge batch of the Swedish meatball bake whenever she must feed a hungry ranch crew. She uses shell noodles in her preparation, but any egg noodle will do.
If you ask North Dakota Living Editor Cally Peterson, there are a few redeeming qualities of January in North Dakota: basketball and soup season. This month, soup and soupy dishes are leading ladies, and gravy is the knight in shining armor to save us from the depths of winter.
These recipes feature electric pressure cookers, but provide slow-cooker swaps. Learn more on page 27.
North Dakota Living was once again amazed by the photo entries for the second annual photo contest! There were 600 entries, double last year’s amount.
From North Dakota skies to North Dakota people and more, the photos captured North Dakota in all its beauty. The judges remarked how difficult it was to choose the winners.
Thank you to everyone who participated, and congratulations to the winners of the 2026 North Dakota Living Photo Contest!
During U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin’s visit to North Dakota in November, the agency announced its approval of North Dakota’s coal combustion residuals (CCR) permit program. The approval allows the state, instead of the federal government, to regulate the disposal of CCR in surface impoundments and landfills, making North Dakota the fourth state to have this oversight authority.
Zeldin says the move signals EPA’s commitment to permitting reform, which has become a policy priority for electric cooperatives.
Abby Finke, North Dakota’s Youth Leadership Council delegate, smashed her goal of collecting 50 pairs of shoes to benefit the Matthew 25 Project in Minot, which provides clothing and household donations to local community members. In August and September, Finke collected nearly 160 pairs of shoes.
Finke represented Verendrye Electric Cooperative (VEC) on the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., this summer and was chosen to represent North Dakota on the Youth Leadership Council (YLC).
Level up your holiday cooking with these recipes from Sheri Shockman, a professional chef who lives in rural LaMoure, but caters a multitude of private parties and events across the state. Shockman’s cooking style has evolved to “gourmet comfort food” since moving to North Dakota 13 years ago from New York City. Read more about Sheri here.
