VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The former president of the North Dakota Farmers Union and the first president of the World Farmers Organization Robert Carlson is now a member of the ND Agriculture Hall of Fame. He worked tirelessly to improve economic conditions of farmers in the state and around the world.
He pioneered the Carbon Credit Program to put millions of dollars into the pockets of farmers in exchange for sequestering carbon in their soil to limit greenhouse gas emissions; helped establish Dakota Pride Cooperative, which markets identity-preserved crops globally; and launched a farmer-owned restaurant in Washington, D.C. – now a chain of Founding Farmer restaurants – for farmers to earn a greater share of the consumer’s food dollar.

Robert Carlson.

Carlson was instrumental in passing the first-ever disaster assistance program for U.S. livestock producers in 1997, after blizzards and flooding claimed the lives of 110,000 head of cattle in our region. He also spearheaded the Rally for Rural America in 2000, the largest gathering of farmers ever in our nation’s capital (more than 4,000), to draw attention to the economic crisis gripping farm and rural economies.
As a global thinker, Robert implemented a number of humanitarian efforts beyond North Dakota’s borders, including on-the-ground rebuilding in rural Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, and delivery of North Dakota wheat to starving widows and children in Afghanistan.
Robert Carlson and family during the 2019 ND Agriculture Hall of Fame ceremony.

Carlson served as the United Nations Special Ambassador of the International Year of Family Farming in 2014, and also was appointed to USDA’s Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee for Grains and Oilseeds.
L to R: NDWS Board Director Tim Ost presents the award to Dr. Marcia McMullen on March 6th during the 82nd Annual NDWS.

And Dr. Marcia McMullen a retired NDSU Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist who served as a faculty member of the Plant Pathology Department at NDSU for nearly 30 years is also the newest member into the ND Agriculture Hall of Fame. The two were recognized for their work during a ceremony at the 82nd annual North Dakota Winter Show on Tuesday, March 6th.
During her career at NDSU, Dr. McMullen’s research and the information she provided on disease management in wheat and barley was instrumental to the success of farmers in North Dakota and throughout the region. Dr. McMullen was involved in numerous professional state, regional, and national organizations; including being a member of the Northcentral IPM Stakeholder Committee, the Executive Committee of the US Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative, the Northcentral Wheat Pathologist’s Committee, the Advanced Crop Advisors Committee, and the Policy Committee of Northland Federal Educator’s Credit Union. Additionally, she was the Chair of the Promotion, Tenure, and Evaluation Committee for the NDSU College of Agriculture.
She has authored or co-authored 10 Book Chapters and Reviews, 25 publications in Refereed Journals, and numerous Extension Publications and Surveys. Dr. McMullen continues to be engaged in agriculture by editing journal manuscripts for researchers that are attempting to publish their research.
Dr. Marcia McMullen and family during the 2019 ND Agriculture Hall of Fame ceremony at the NDWS in Valley City.