Bismarck, ND- The 2nd Annual North Dakota Controlled Environment Agriculture Conference will be August 12 and 13, 2025 at United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck.
Day one, August 12, is an opportunity to tour two energy innovative greenhouses in North Dakota. The first stop on the tour is Native Green Grow (NG2) in Parshall, ND. This greenhouse is owned an operated by the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. NG2’s unique design utilizes compressed natural gas from MHA Nation owned oil wells to sustainably and efficiently grow fresh produce year-round. The NG2 greenhouse not only increases local food security, but creates opportunities for economic development and trade.
The tour will next be visiting Renfandt Geothermal Greenhouse in Sawyer, ND. The greenhouse uses technology harnessing energy from deep within Earth’s outermost layer to heat and cool the greenhouse. Utilizing this technology allows Renfandt Geothermal Greenhouse to produce fresh produce year-round. Renfandt Geothermal Greenhouse is a participant in a local community supported agriculture (CSA) program, creating economic opportunities and food access.
Day two, August 13, is a full day conference at the United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck. Attendees will hear from the USDA’s Dr. Joe Munyameza, National Program Leader on Specialty Crops, and UC Davis’s Dr. Shamim Ahmed, alongside regional researchers, commercial and Indigenous growers, and agriculture officials. The day ends with a tour of the United Tribes Technical College NetZero Greenhouse.
The conference registration deadline is July 29. For more information and to register go to https://www.ndsu.edu/
