What can Farm Bureau do for you? A conversation with Dahltin Pahl

Our Straight Talk hosts, Emmery Mehlhoff and Alisha Nord, were live and in person at NDFB’s 2024 Young Farmers and Ranchers conference., February 2-3 and spoke with Dahltin Pahl.

Dahltin is a farmer from Ellendale and active NDFB member, who joined our hosts to talk about his experience with NDFB. Dahltin is an ag lender for Ag Country and has been involved with NDFB for several years. He has served on the NDSU Collegiate board to as well as the NDFB’s Board of Directors as the chair of the NDFB Young Farmer and Rancher Committee.

 Join us as Dahltin shares his:

• Experience coming back to the family farm 
• Experience as a bank lender and farmer
• Insights on why you should be involved in NDFB 
• Favorite memory from Farm Bureau 

To get in touch with Dahltin Pahl, contact him on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dahltin-pahl-7828b5123

To learn more about YF&R, visit https://www.ndfb.org/aboutus/yfrcommittee/program/

To contact our hosts, email emmery@ndfb.org or visit ndfb.org

Transcript

[Straight Talk theme]

[00:09] Emmery: Welcome to Straight Talk with NDFB. I am your host, Emmery Mehlhoff

[00:13]Alisha: And Alisha Nord. 

[00:14] Emmery: We are your Farm Bureau duo bringing you your competitive edge in today's episode. We are live and in person at North Dakota Farm Bureau's Young Farm and Ranch conference and we are visiting with Dahltin Pahl, farmer from the Ellendale area and ag lender for Ag Country.

[00:31] Alisha: In today's episode with Dahltin, we talk about his first involvement with Collegiate Farm Bureau and how he is active on his current county board. We also talk about his involvement at the county level and how it's vital to keep communities thriving and the different advancements taking place in the transition of family farms. Join us for today's episode.

[Straight Talk stinger]

[00:55] Emmery: Welcome to Straight Talk with NDFB. Today is a special day because we are recording our podcast in the hotel where we're hosting the conference for the Young Farmer and Rancher Convention for the North Dakota Farm Bureau. This is an annual conference that we have every year, which I guess is the definition of annual, now that I think about it. And then we're talking to Dahltin Pahl, who is a long-time North Dakota Farm Bureau member, active member, and also now works for Ag Country as a lender. And is a farmer as well?

[01:31] Dahltin: Yep, I farm on the side as well. So, yeah, a little bit about myself. I'm originally from the Ellendale, North Dakota area, born and raised there. I went to NDSU for agribusiness. I really wanted to get involved with the marketing side of the crops, and I'm kind of getting more involved with the hedging and aspects like that. I went through the Ag Fellows program that NDSU put on, and that actually kind of piqued my interest into the financial side and the lending and being involved to actually help farmers. When I graduated NDSU in 2018, I accepted a job offer back close to home to work for Ag Country as a loan officer, and I jumped right into that and started helping farmers develop plans and make the best capabilities for them to be successful on their operations moving forward.

[02:31] Emmery: Where is home?

[02:32] Dahltin: Yep, home is in Ellendale. I still live there now today, and we farm corn and soybeans, and then we also have a small cow calf operation.

[02:42] Emmery: And you do that with your family? Parents?

[02:44] Dahltin: Yep. My parents still farm. My grandpa, my dad love the cows, so they'll continue on with that. And I take time off work, especially in the spring and fall, to really be helping out in the field and raise good crop.

[02:57] Alisha: So going back, I have to applaud you for being an NDSU alum. So go Bison because we just love Bison people on this podcast. But as far as collegiate, were you active in the Collegiate Farm Bureau, and if so, what roles did you play and what did you participate in?

[03:15] Dahltin: Yeah, so at the collegiate level, that was actually when I really got more involved with Farm Bureau. I had some friends that encouraged me to come to a meeting, and I came and got to meet Alisha, and she was a great person that kind of fulfilled the needs on, okay, this is what this farm organization and how it helps people, it kind of piqued my interest about the policy side a little bit. It's not something I was ever really accustomed to or knew a whole lot about. And this organization was a good way for me to start learning that you can make a difference, and you can start with policy, even at a local level, to make a difference in your agricultural community. And NDFB does a great job at the state, can even help push stuff at the national level to be working with that. So while I was in college, right away I was just a member, and I eventually moved into a board position in my junior and senior year. At that point, I got very involved with the Farm and Ranch Conference and started making some friends, people who were on the boards. My senior year at college, I got asked if I could be a sit in member for the Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee at the state level. And then after that, I decided to run for my own term as the district three YF&R rep.

[04:33] Alisha: So that's one thing that's really fun for Haley and I, as the collegiate advisors, is seeing students become really involved and active and really grow as a person in the collegiate clubs, and then to see them also be on committees later on. But then, like Dahltin is, to be active actually in your own home county and sit on a county board. So, Dahltin, tell us what county board you're on and kind of why you decided to stay involved in Farm Bureau after your collegiate experience.

[05:05] Dahltin: Yeah, so post college, I accepted a job and moved back home, and I got involved with Dickey County Farm Bureau, currently serve as secretary. It's a great opportunity for me to get involved at the local level. Local boards are just so important because something that's happening down in Dickey county, they're having different problems I would say in Ward county up in the northwest, or Pembina up in the northeast. But if we're a group working together to solve issues within our own region, we can propel agriculture to the future that we expect it to be.

[05:40] Alisha: And that's what's so exciting to see people grow in those positions and take on different roles is because it really does open your eyes. In college, you can be a part of a million different clubs, but then when you're actually truly active in a community, on a board, and seeing those local issues and then coming together, like you had mentioned at YF&R and state convention, to see us as an entire group striving for the same goal, even though we're on opposite ends of the state and we all come from different backgrounds and all have different job roles, it's really neat to come together and have one goal at the end of the day, and that's to further agriculture.

[06:19] Dahltin: For sure. There's plenty of times where I don't agree with some of my counterparts, even within Farm Bureau ourselves, but I love having that discussion and coming together as one to figure out the solution to better agriculture as a whole.

[06:32] Emmery: So let's talk a little bit about that end goal. So obviously, you mentioned the policy side of the Farm Bureau and just the general direction that counties, the local people, they are the ones that adopt the policy and then Farm Bureau implements it. And there might be differences across the state of opinion or differences of things that are important because our state is so varied. What are some of the things that you've seen policy wise? What are some of the successes that you've been involved in over your years as a Farm Bureau member?

[07:03] Dahltin: So the push, especially when I was in the collegiate, and it's going to continue to be something at top priorities too, for Farm Bureau is the educational aspect and the helping to bring young farmers and ranchers back. So we've seen a lot of push for that and talk about it all the time at Farm Bureau meetings, and there never is a right answer. But I like to hear all the different opportunities and things people bring up. I actually learned at a Farm Bureau conference what some challenges were for some young farmers and ranchers. And with them getting started farming, I was actually able to take that back to my existing job as a lender with Ag Country. We redeveloped our young and beginning farmer program this last year, so we came out with a starting gate program that allowed us to help farmers and ranchers really get going and give them the opportunity that maybe some other people wouldn't have just because it is so hard, especially on the financial side, to be getting involved in today's day and age.

[08:07] Emmery: Well, that's interesting because that's not even a political issue. And I think a lot of times policy gets equated with politics, maybe because they're similar words. I guess politics and policy can go together, but it's interesting to hear how Farm Bureau policy or the policy process can have nothing to do with anything politica.

[08:28] Dahltin: Correct. Yep. And it can help in so many different ways. I mean, even if we're not pushing something necessarily politically, we know that it's making a difference for people, and it gives people hope, too, that this is what we're driving for. This is what we're going to strive for, to become the best that we can be.

[08:44] Alisha: Yeah, that's a really interesting concept because I didn't even think about something like that. We obviously put on this conference hoping that people are coming to learn and to do our breakout sessions and listen to our speakers and gain something from it. But actually, the point you hit on is just the networking, and you were listening to other people talk and you were able to take that back. So just coming here and networking is such a huge opportunity that our members maybe sometimes don't always see. They might not think that they need to come learn anything or they don't have the time, but just that networking and the amount of exposure that they can get to the different people that are here, that are listening to them and their concerns. And here, this person that you talked to might not even know that you went back and made a change because of a conversation that you had with them.

[09:30] Dahltin: For sure. And that's why it's so important for young people to get engaged in things like the young Farm and Ranch Conference here at NDFB. It's a great opportunity for you to surround yourself with experts, people who are just starting to get into farming, or even people who've been farming for a long time. If you surround yourself with those experts and voice your opinion, can really help you drive your operation into the way you want.

[09:53] Alisha: So you've attended both annual meeting and YF&R multiple times. So what is your favorite about each convention? And if there's new people listening, newcomers to Farm Bureau, what's kind of your advice on maybe which one they should attend first or just kind of your opinion on each of those?

[10:11] Emmery: And your answer can't be the alcoholic beverages.

[10:16] Alisha: After hours socializing.

[10:19] Dahltin: Well, I will say there are fun parts like that at both conferences. The networking opportunities are great. But I think my first Farm Bureau meeting was actually annual meeting because I was curious as to how the policy process worked. And it was very interesting and informative to me, coming into a room and we had farm members that were debating against each other on decisions, and they wanted to come to a unique decision to help better their area and their farm. So I encourage people if they're interested in the policy side at all or they're interested in having... seeing any way that they can help develop their area if there's problems, especially when it comes to the political side, that can be developed at the annual meeting. Looking at the Farm and Ranch Conference, that's a big educational opportunity for young farmers and ranchers. They gear definitely more towards the aspect of the breakout sessions, the keynote speakers. I always take something away from a speaker and know that it's something that I might be able to use someday that can either better our farm, or I might be able to use it to help my neighbor better theirs as well.

[11:33] Emmery: So let's go into talking about you as a farmer, et cetera. So you said you farm corn soybeans down in Ellendale with your family?

[11:41] Dahltin: Yep, my parents.

[11:42] Emmery: And you also are an ag lender with Ag Country. How did that come about? Did you say? Okay, I'm a little bit bored just watching corn soybeans grow all summer and all winter I'm just going on vacations. I'm not busy enough.

[11:56] Dahltin: Yeah, I kind of knew when I was in high school, I would say that I wanted to do something else right away. And my dad is pretty young, so he's got a lot of years left in farming, and I didn't feel like it was my time to come back, and I wanted to be able to bring something back that I could help the farm with. So when I jumped into the financial side, I've learned so much that's been able to help me get to a point where, okay, now I'm having conversations with my dad on, "Hey, have you looked at this? Or have we worked on this type of break even? What does this look like?" And I know now that I'm bringing value to him, and I'll be able to bring value when I completely take over the farm someday.

[12:39] Alisha: So one question that comes to mind is, so you're an ag lender, which can be a very personal job. You get to know your customers on a more personal level than other jobs. So what was that like coming back into your home community, knowing that you were going to have to kind of dive into that? And of course, everybody has their own personality. So how did you decide to come back to your home community versus going somewhere else where you didn't know anybody and they didn't know you? How did you make that decision?

[13:08] Dahltin: So, to be honest, I did not want to go back right away. I wanted to stay maybe in the Fargo area for a little bit and kind of get my wings a little wet and figure out what I wanted to do, but I just had a great opportunity come up. It is really hard working with people that, especially some people who...that you've known your whole life or they knew you when you were born. And now I'm helping make decisions for them and make recommendations to them on how to better their operation. It was definitely a learning curve right away, but I've been with Ag Country now coming up on six years, and people come to me quickly now, and it's nice to know that I have the knowledge now that I can help them and they can trust in what I can provide for them.

[13:55] Alisha: We talk about this a lot, too, with just succession planning in general. So is your dad open to your views and opinions and what you have to share coming from the ag lending world or how does all of that work?

[14:08] Dahltin: Yeah, that's definitely... Communication is a huge aspect when it comes to succession and any type of retirement planning. My parents have been very open with me on what their plans are, and I've been very open with them, too, on them knowing what I want to be doing in my future. So they know I want to take over the farm. They know I'm probably not going to take over the livestock. So that's probably part of the operation that will go away for us. But if I want to continue with my position and my job and also farm, it's just something that I'd have to take away.

[14:43] Alisha: Do you have black Angus cows?

[14:45] Dahltin: (chuckles) Sim-Ang (Simmental-Angus)

[14:46] Alisha: Awww. I was going to say, can I have a shot at buying them?

[14:50] Dahltin: I'll call you first.

[14:52] Alisha: So you've been very active collegiate, county board. You've been to national convention. So, you know, the struggle out there with getting young people on really any type of commodity board, ag board, whatever it is, even school boards. What is some advice, not even advice, or maybe just words of encouragement for those people, getting them active. It's just. I mean, we struggle with this all the time, and I know we are always, like, spinning our heads, like, "Why won't people be involved? Or why do they not want to? Or are they just scared or they don't know? Do they need an in?" What are your thoughts on helping younger people be engaged? Because you've been engaged from the very beginning. So what have you kind of seen maybe at the local level of what can we do to encourage these people that it is very important to become involved.

[15:43] Dahltin: Try to have something that is going to help them. So and that's where I think NDFB stands out, especially on the policy side. We can help them out with their farm, we can help them out with education, and we bring a lot of different things into these conferences in this organization that can help them personally. So if they understand that, that's why we have started seeing more people come and get involved at these conferences, because it's a unique opportunity for them to help better themselves. So I never want to say that my generation is selfish, but a lot of times we're looking out for ourselves and finding that niche that can help us get there is a big deal.

[16:24] Emmery: So you think Farm Bureau could be that? Or is that.

[16:27] Dahltin: I would say so just because it brings different opportunities for people. I just look on, let's not talk about the policy side, but just the young farmers and rancher side and the promotion and education committee side. There's a lot of opportunity to help communities and to help young students, even in the P&E Committee learn about agriculture. And that's what everybody's goal is, to have a sustainable future for agriculture.

[16:54] Emmery: Well, and I think too we get so caught up in... a lot of us in agriculture are very almost loners or that's not the right word, but like very independent people who view ourselves as strong, self reliant, independent. I don't need anybody people. But what has been shown through the media and consumer interest is how much we are going to lose if we stand alone by ourselves and how it's coming together as farmers, ranchers, people in agriculture that make such a strong voice to say, "This is where our food comes from, this is what we need politically." I think that Farm Bureau, like you mentioned Dahltin, does give people a great opportunity to network and connect, bring a strong voice together.

[17:43] Alisha: And maybe that's something Farm Bureau can work on more is the "why" we need to get the why out there more. It's like, yes, people know that they can come and learn and connect and talk about policy, but the actual why, that's kind of the core. Maybe something we need to promote better.

[17:59] Dahltin: Yeah, and that's something where there's a lot of companies involved in agriculture. I know NDFB did a study on it as well, looking at the farmer of the future. The farmer of the future is very technology driven, very, they want their stuff right now. I mean that's doing this podcast, things like this. This is what the farmer of the future wants to see. They want to be able to hear and this is just how they're going to gain information. Now, organizations that have been around for a very long time, they need to start adapting to what that next generation wants from them as an organization and also what they want out of them as a volunteer and a leader within their own organization.

[18:39] Alisha: I was going to say I can't say anything to the technology part because I am not anti-technology, but anybody that knows me know that I struggle with my phone, any apps, and people even asking me to turn on a laptop. It's like I'm the wrong person for that job. So I always joke, like, if it comes down to technology and ranching, I will fail. I will not be there. But like you said, it's little baby steps at a time and just trying new things and figuring out what works for your operation and not. And I think we've talked about this on other podcasts. It's not like you have to adopt every single technological advance that there ever is, figure out what works and is better for your family and your operation, and run with it.

[19:22] Dahltin: For sure. And every single operation is different. I work with a lot of different people and none of them do the same things. I am starting to see more the younger generations come back and start getting involved in their family operations, and they are the driving force behind the upgrades in technology. It is a simplicity thing and it really is a big efficiency thing. And like you said earlier, I don't have time to do that. I can't do that. Well, if we have the technology, the aspect to make farming move forward and give us time to be more involved in organizations and things like that, the next generation needs to be on board with that and continue to move forward with it.

[20:03] Alisha: And being patient with those like me that aren't.

[20:09] Dahltin: Correct! And it's like I said, everybody's different. People aren't going to just go away from knowing how to drive a tractor. Yes, there's autonomy coming. There's stuff like that. I get that. But that's more of a labor problem versus a mental like, this is how we're moving.

[20:24] Alisha: I will always have a paperback planner till the day I die, but I will try my hardest to make some other technology advances in my life, but that will not be one of them.

[20:35] Dahltin: When you start using that notes app in your phone, we'll be going places.

[20:38] Alisha: I know somebody had brought that up to me not that long ago. Like, don't you use the notes app? And I'm like, I don't even know what you're talking about. My dad probably knows more than I do how to run a phone.

[20:50] Dahltin: But those are just even the reminders and stuff. And I know I have customers stuff, too. And I have friends who farm and they have (say) something broke down. Well, you can easily look up a part and expand on that. But people don't always understand my dad. He's getting better. He'll look up that part number. Other times he'll drive right into town, into the implement dealership, and he'll say, "Hey, this is what I need." So there's going to be a disconnect at some point between the generations on knowing how they want their information. So if there's going to be a whole other generation that maybe isn't even involved in farming yet that wants that physical contact, we're going to have to keep the brick and mortar that we have now instead of driving directly to the technology like we are right now.

[21:42] Emmery: What is your favorite Farm Bureau memory that you have? I mean, from getting involved at the collegiate level, going through all those years of college and doing different collegiate things, and then your time as YF&R chair, and now you are here. Dickey County Board, you said. So what's one of your favorite Farm Bureau memories?

[21:59] Dahltin: So I really do like the state conferences, but I did have the opportunity when I was on these boards to attend some of the national conventions, and those really opened my eyes to how different agriculture is, even just across the U.S. So I enjoyed going and networking and communicating. And there's people that I still talk to from those conventions, from states. I have a friend in Georgia I continually talk to, and they raise peanuts. I knew nothing about peanuts. I'm actually allergic to peanuts. But it is so interesting to hear and learn about the struggles that they have. And some of them could even be very similar to what we have, but they raise a completely different crop. So making those connections at that national... that's definitely my favorite. Just going and learning from other people, people who are just like me. They can give better insight more than some keynote speakers that stand right in front of me sometimes.

[22:54] Emmery: Well, thanks, Dahltin, for sitting down with us today and chatting with Alicia and I about your experience in Farm Bureau and being a farmer and ag lender and rancher for a short time yet.

[23:06] Dahltin: Yes...

[23:07] Alisha: He'll keep them. He'll keep them. I'll encourage him. We need more cattle people.

[23:11] Dahltin: Thanks, guys.

[23:12] Emmery: Yep, it looks like they're just about to start the next breakout session, so have a great rest of your afternoon.

[23:17] Dahltin: Perfect. Thank you.

[Straight Talk stinger]

[23:21] Emmery: You've been listening to Straight Talk with NDFB. To learn more about young Farm and Ranch Conference, visit us at ndfb.org.

[Straight Talk theme]