Sowing Success: Celebrating a Heritage That’s Homegrown!

31 Jul 2025

News, Client Feature Article

This article originally appeared on and was written for Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corporation by Golden Shovel Agency.

Family-owned farms are the backbone of Jamestown-Stutsman County. With a heritage deeply rooted in agriculture, our economy is homegrown.

National Family Owned & Operated Business Day kicks off on June 23, and with it, no better time than now for the Jamestown/Stutsman County Development Corporation (JSDC) to give a huge shout-out to all of our farmers and ranchers, as well as the agricultural businesses that support their operations.

We’re proud of the massive impact these hard-working, family-owned businesses continue to have on our community and beyond.

Food for Thought

As the county seat of Stutsman, Jamestown quickly became a hub for agriculture as farmers and ranchers both played critical roles in providing food for the community, state, and even the nation.

Over 39 million acres, nearly 90% of the total land in North Dakota, is in farms and ranches. From vast, rolling fields of wheat to the thriving livestock industry, the state’s farmers and ranchers lead the nation in the production of spring and durum wheat, canola and flaxseed, dry edible beans, and peas. They’re also a top producer of sunflowers, oats, rye, sugarbeets, potatoes, and… one more thing that will get you buzzing.

Sweet As Honey

Most people don’t realize that our agricultural roots go much deeper than conventional crops.

Did you know North Dakota has held the title of the top honey-producing state in America for 19 consecutive years? According to the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, in 2023, our 114,900-plus honeybee colonies produced a whopping 38.3 million pounds of honey valued at over $67.8 million. That’s sweet!

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About The Author

Kate Benz

Lead Copywriter

Department: Content

Crafting Stories that Celebrate Small Towns and Drive Community Growth

As a writer for Golden Shovel, Kate Benz takes ideas and concepts and transforms them into compelling narratives that capture attention and effectively communicate messages. She is passionate about elevating the unique aspects of small towns and highlighting the innovators within those communities. Her work spans various economic development projects, including website redesigns and community branding initiatives, where she brings out the character and potential of every place she writes about.

Kate's first non-fiction book, Nothing but the Dirt: Stories from an American Farm Town, was honored with the Kansas Notable Book of the Year Award in 2023. This book tells the story of a small rural town in Kansas, sharing how the community thrives through firsthand accounts from its residents. Kate is deeply committed to showcasing the inspiring aspects of rural America, making every town she writes about feel special and valuable.

Kate holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Carlow University.

In addition to her work at Golden Shovel, Kate enjoys exploring content creation, focusing on finding the right tone, voice, and message that reflects each client's unique identity. When not writing, Kate enjoys kayaking at dawn, hiking through the woods, enjoying lunch under a pine tree, and taking long, romantic walks down the makeup aisle.

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