FINDING COMMON GROUND

This August, more than 100 people will gather for the fanciest meal they’ve ever eaten in a farm field.

White linens, vases of flowers and sparkling glasses will be backdropped by seemingly endless fields of corn. Farm men and women will sit shoulder-to-shoulder with new friends from the city, some of them experiencing a farm for the first time. As they dine on North Dakota-grown vegetables, fruits, grains and meats, they will talk about what it takes to run a farm, how to spot local foods in the grocery stores and everything in between.

These conversations and connections are at the heart of Banquet in a Field.

“We celebrate all that farmers do to feed the world and connect non-farmers with a farm,” said Julie Peterson, who hosts the annual event with her husband, Carl, on their family farm near Prosper, N.D. “We tell the story of North Dakota agriculture and the incredible contribution it makes in generating food. And we do all of that while enjoying a great meal, great conversation and great people.” findourcommonground.com) to connect farm and non-farm women through community events, farm tours, social media conversations, informative videos and more. As generations become more removed from farming and consumers have increasing questions about their food, CommonGround North Dakota seeks to put a face on farming.

Peterson is one of a dozen farm women volunteering with the organization CommonGround North Dakota. It’s part of a nation-wide effort (www.

“There is a lot of misinformation and confusing headlines about food and farming,” said CommonGround North Dakota coordinator Katie Pinke of Wishek, N.D. “Every volunteer does a great job at listening first and then sharing about our farming practices and showing what we do.”

Now in its third year, CommonGround North Dakota adds more opportunities to connect women each year. Here are some of the events scheduled for 2015:

• Moms After 5, various farms, April and May – Volunteers will open their farms for evening tours, conversation and food.

• Women’s Health Conference, Fargo, May 18 – Volunteers will host a table in the exhibition hall to answer questions and share about farming.

• Banquet in a Field, Prosper, N.D., August –Invited guests will enjoy a North Dakota meal and conversation.

• Women’s Health Conference, Bismarck,

September – Volunteers will host a table in the exhibition hall to answer questions and share about farming.

• Farm Harvest Tours, various farms, September – Farm women will open invite guests to tour and chat.

CommonGround North Dakota goes beyond scheduled events, though they serve as great introduction points. Many of the volunteers host family farm blogs, making it easy for others to follow along with their daily lives. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and even email provide more opportunities to check in and ask questions.

“It’s important that we build these relationships and connections, so that when a woman has a question about a headline or wonders about a product at the grocery store, she has someone to talk to,” Pinke said.

CommonGround North Dakota volunteer Ronda Throener farms and ranches with her husband, Kevin, near Cogswell, N.D. She began volunteering to more intentionally share her story and better answer questions about farming and ranching.

“Farmers and ranchers have been so busy raising food and making a living that I think we just took for granted the rest of the world understands what we’re doing,” she said. “With fewer people having close ties to the farm, it is becoming more important to relay this message.”

That’s exactly why Peterson suggested holding Banquet in a Field last year and helped CommonGround North Dakota round up the many sponsors and volunteers needed to put together such a large and detailed event. It’s why she and her husband will host it again this year.

“I’ve learned that people like to visit a farm,” she said. “They love to ride in a combine and they like to hear about how food is grown.”