* North Dakota Farmers Push for Constitutional Right to Farm
"Doyle Johannes has worked land near the Missouri River in central North Dakota for 35 years, raising everything from corn to cattle. He's not about to let someone from outside the state's borders tell him how to go about his business.
Johannes, who farms with family members near Underwood, is one of the backers of an effort to enshrine the right to farm and ranch in the constitution of the state that leads the nation in the production of a dozen crops -- from wheat and barley to navy beans and honey. Officials say if North Dakota farmers succeed, it could prompt similar actions in other states.
"It doesn't allow someone from the East Coast, the West Coast, to come in here and tell you what you can and can't do because of their idealistic notions," Johannes said of a proposed measure the North Dakota Farm Bureau is trying to bring before voters next year. "We want to be able to farm in North Dakota, the way we think we should be able to."
"The proposal would add to the state constitution: "The right of farmers and ranchers to engage in modern farming and ranching practices shall be forever guaranteed in this state. No law shall be enacted which abridges the right of farmers and ranchers to employ agricultural technology, modern livestock production and ranching practices."
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