About Menoken Farm
Watch our video about Menoken Farm and Soil Health Principles
Advancing Soil Health
Menoken Farm is a combination of natural resource education and systems approach conservation. This 150-acre demonstration farm, located just east of Bismarck, N.D. was established in 2009 and draws people from all over the United States and beyond.
The farm is owned and operated by Burleigh County Soil Conservation District, which has offices in Bismarck, N.D. Additional financial and technical support is provided by:
- Section 319 Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program through the North Dakota Department of Health/Water Quality Division
- Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
After identifying a number of resource concerns across the Menoken Farm landscape, work focused on providing these basic building blocks to improve soil health:
- Soil armor
- Minimal soil disturbance
- Plant diversity
- Continual live plant/root
- Livestock integration
The systems approach management at Menoken Farm enhances erosion protection, sunlight harvest, plant diversity, carbon, pollinators, beneficial insects, wildlife, salinity control, livestock forage and more.
Our Staff

Jay Fuhrer
Lead Educator

Connie Bryant
Bookkeeper

Darrell Oswald
Manager

Chad Thorson
Educator/Trainer
Chad Thorson, a district technician with the Burleigh County SCD. Chad oversees the tree planting operations for the district as well as assisting with Menoken Farm Events. Chad enjoys spending time with his family and learning new things at the Menoken Farm.

Nolan Swenson
Urban Conservationist

Seth Boechler
Menoken Farm Technician/Educator
What is a conservation farm? Learn about our unique ND farm