In the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, ...

, the Agriculture Commissioner, formerly known as the Commissioner, is an elected official who heads the

North Dakota Department of Agriculture The North Dakota Department of Agriculture is a part of the government of the U.S. state of North Dakota. The department fosters a healthy economic, environmental, and social climate for agriculture and the rural community through leadership, advo ...

. The present commissioner is Doug Goehring, a Republican. The office is a high-profile position, as agriculture is key to the state economy. The Commissioner of Agriculture is also a member of the

North Dakota Industrial Commission The North Dakota Industrial Commission is the body that oversees the management of several separate programs and resources, including the Bank of North Dakota, North Dakota Mill and Elevator, and the Department of Mineral Resources. By law, it has ...

, a three-member panel that oversees North Dakota's

state-owned enterprise A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the governmen ...

s and also includes the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

and

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

. The Agriculture Commissioner also sits alongside the Governor and seven other members on the State Water Commission.

History

Originally, the Department of Agriculture was combined with the North Dakota Department of Labor and was collectively called the

North Dakota Department of Agriculture and Labor North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north' ...

until 1966 when the two agencies split. The Agriculture Commissioner's term was then extended from two years to four, and was placed on a party affiliated ballot, while the Commissioner of Labor was placed on a no party ballot. The title of the office was changed in 1996 from Commissioner of Agriculture to Agriculture Commissioner.

Notes

External links

Commissioner Biography page - North Dakota Department of Agriculture
North Dakota Commissioners of Agriculture {{NorthDakota-stub

History

See also

Notes

External links