A John Deere Publication

Two people walking by promotional flags in a foggy parking area with parked trucks and an American flag.

Thin ice to freezing fog, attendees brave it all for North Dakota's coolest farm show.

Agriculture January 01, 2025

Agronomy on Ice

Agronomy, ice fishing, and tailgating on a frozen North Dakota lake.

by Martha Mintz

The ice may have been thin for the 2024 Agronomy on Ice event, but anxiety remained low. Being chill is the whole point of the non-traditional farm show event held each February on—or adjacent to when conditions warrant—Devils Lake in North Dakota.

"There's no set agenda. We go from sunup to sundown," says Kyle Okke who hosts the event with fellow independent agronomists Jason Hanson and Bridgette Readel.

The gathering of farmers, agronomists, crop consultants, university specialists, students, and industry representatives aims to capture the after-meeting vibe. They skip the formal education and head right to the hallway and hotel bar conversations—a very snowy, usually cold North Dakota version of them anyway.

Those casual interactions are where challenging farm issues are thoroughly and effectively dissected. It's also where lasting professional relationships and sometimes friendships are forged.

Notorious North Dakota winter weather doesn't inhibit the event—it rather conspires with organizers to keep the day informal.

Icy winds can help enforce the no paper handout rule. Instead, sponsors ply guests in search of warmth and conversation with tailgate food, games, and fishing. Camaraderie is found in tents, around heaters and bonfires, and in the cozy confines of a multitude of ice houses.

"You'll find 15 people crammed into a 12 by 14 ice house," says Austin Sundeen, local farmer and seed dealer who serves up meatballs and smoked jalapeño poppers at his ice house.

Instead of being offered literature or a sales pitch, attendees are offered ribs, donuts, fried fish, and traditional Scandinavian and German treats like rømmegrøt, a Norwegian cream pudding.

Above. Jason Hanson, event founder, customarily wears shorts while directing vendors during setup. Jason Okke and his wife Samantha with baby Wilcox make the ice house rounds. Lori Schultz and Maisey Hoff troll for Mustang Seeds interns.

Snowball effect. The event's success isn't a result of impeccable planning, but genuine enjoyment by everyone involved.

"I think we planned the first event in around a month. We had a good crowd and it's just snowballed from there," Readel says.

The event that sees dozens of ice houses and hundreds of attendees each year was a random idea Hanson, Readel, and Okke stumbled into during one of those after-meeting conversations.

"We would go to meetings all over the state, but never in the Devils Lake area, so we thought why not have one here," Hanson says. Talk moved from hosting a meeting at Devils Lake to having the meeting on Devils Lake. "It was like, OK. Hard stop. That's actually a really good idea. We need to do that," Hanson says.

The trio—who have since formed their own consulting group Ag Mafia—put the word out on social media. A month later people showed up with their ice houses. From the first informal gathering in 2019, people have gravitated to the event. They return year after year, even offering to chip in.

"We didn't have to seek out sponsors. Over time people started asking, ‘Can we pay for something? How can we help make this better?'" Readel says.

Some come because they're serious fishermen. Others joke it's their winter vacation.

"I think for most people this day is about reconnecting. It's food, it's catching up, it's talking with other consultants about what they're doing," Hanson says.

The weather can be a deterrent as it was for Lori Schultz, but the event has a strong pull. The HR director for Mustang Seeds was a first-time attendee in 2024. She'd been encouraged to go for several years, but was reluctant.

"I said I'd never go to Agronomy on Ice, now here I am. Never say never," she says. Schultz came to recruit college students for internships. Despite freezing fog and bitter winds, Schultz is a convert and says she'll be back.

"The atmosphere is so fun, number one. But number two, the students are more relaxed. They're willing to just chat a little more than in a more formal setting and you get to see their personalities more. You get an idea of if they'll fit well with our team and they get to see that from us, too."

Farmers like Sundeen also value the more direct back and forth conversations with experts and fellow farmers. "There's only so much I can learn from somebody standing at a podium. When you actually get to talk to a producer or a neighbor—somebody that's actually tried the practice you're interested in, that's where you get real knowledge," Sundeen says.

The casual environment makes information more accessible.

"There are people who don't want to ask a question in front of a group or find it intimidating to approach a booth," Readel says.

Agronomy On Ice takes the pressure off. A conversation that starts discussing your stance on lutefisk may end in a question about a farm challenge you faced the previous season.

A handshake sale may happen, but Agronomy on Ice is a networking event through and through. People buy from people, one sponsor said, and on the lake those people become friends. ‡

Above. Food is taken seriously at the event. Sponsors carve out their niche in the foodie scene, attracting show goers more reliably than free hats. Bridgette Readel, co-founder, kicks off the day with caramel rolls at her ice house.