Pulse of the public
By STU MERRY
North Dakota’s junior senator spent the better share of her day, Tuesday, in Garrison. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., stopped in Garrison on her way through from New Town where she gave a keynote address at MHA Nation’s Annual Bakken Oil and Gas Expo earlier in the day.
During her stay, she visited with Marvin Flaten of JM Grain and received a tour of the JM Grain plant. Then, the senator, who was accompanied by State Rep. Shirley Meyer, D-Dickinson, met with students at Bob Callies Elementary School. The elementary school was a 2005 Blue Ribbon school and is in the running again this year.
Meeting with Flaten, Heitkamp asked to learn more about the pulse crop industry so she can better promote pulse products grown in North Dakota. Looking over products made from pulse crops, Heitkamp said they are the wave of the future.
Flaten told Heitkamp the number of uses for pulse crops is expanding – and that’s a win-win for producers and marketers such as JM Grain. "The world we are selling to wants these crops," the senator said.
At the elementary school, Heitkamp visited over lunch with members of the student council. She then fielded a number of questions posed by fourth grade students, then visited other classes. She concluded her stay, meeting with junior and senior students at Garrison High School where she talked about the work she is doing for North Dakota and to field their questions.
