U.S. Durum Growers Assoc. held a You Tube Pasta Contest last October to celebrate and promote National Pasta Month. Winners were just announced, including 1st place to Sara Neubauer, Bottineau, ND, for “Durum Delivers” filmed at the Air Force Academy:
Durum wheat flour is used to make pasta and bread. North Dakota has about 72% of all U.S. acres in durum production. According to North Dakota State University statistics, most of that is grown in the northwestern part of the state. (I could do the math, but I do work in Minnesota now, and we only have a very few acres in wheat overall.) Montana and Arizona were #2 & #3 in durum production as of 2002.
New 2007 Census of Agriculture stats are due out next week.
(Tip of the hat to Red River Farm Network radio news. )