It’s exciting news for the state of North Dakota:  Bush will appoint former governor Ed Schafer as the new Secretary of Agriculture.  The announcement is being made this afternoon.  From the AP story:

WASHINGTON - President Bush on Wednesday will nominate Edward Schafer, a former two-term Republican governor from North Dakota, to be his next secretary of agriculture, a senior administration official said.

Schafer, who chose not to run again in North Dakota in 2000, will replace Mike Johanns, who resigned as U.S. agriculture secretary last month to launch a bid for the Nebraska Senate seat being vacated by Republican Chuck Hagel at the end of next year.

Bush will make the announcement at 2 p.m. EDT in the Roosevelt Room.

Schafer, the grandson of Danish immigrants who farmed throughout their lives, gained extensive agricultural experience while serving as governor, from 1992 to 2000, of North Dakota where nearly 25 percent of its residents work as farmers and ranchers or are employed in farm-related jobs.

I remember Schafer best from an interview I had with him when Extend America got its start a few years ago.  One of the things we discussed was the importance of getting technology like telemedicine and high-speed internet capability to as much of rural North Dakota as possible.

And it’s happened.  It’s easier for people like Julie Neidinger and Ken Muggli to work at home across the state because the internet is available.  That really does make a difference in an agricultural state.

Kudos to Schafer for his efforts to make North Dakota a great place.  Kudos to everyone in the wide world who realizes that North Dakota has got a lot to offer.