The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association has launched the 2021 brand record online. The book contains information about North Dakota’s more than 19,000 brands during the brand renewal period.

“We just wrapped up our brand renewal period on Dec. 31, 2020, so our new brand book isn't published yet,” Elizabeth Neshem ,NDSA communications director, says. “It's really nice for producers just to be able to reference it online, and not everyone has accessibility to the brand book but the online access is a great option.”

The new virtual book will let producers look up brands even during the renewal period. Brands that were not renewed by the end of 2020 were considered expired, but state law provides a one-year grace period, which prevents an expired brand from being picked up by a new owner in that 12-month period. The grace period, which will end Dec. 31, will protect brand owners from losing their brands by mistake.

NDSA made the online resource easy to use, and categorized it for quick access. “It's all organized by brand, so you can just go online and find a specific brand. Or if you need to check on what your neighbor's cows are branded with, it'll all be together online rather than having like this supplement or that supplement,” Nesham says.

Easier application process

This new online resource will also make the brand application process quicker for producers. “It makes it so much easier for producers in that they're not applying for a brand that they can't get. They can go online to look and see if that brand has already been taken. It saves them mailing the brand application in, and then potentially sending it back multiple times,” Nesham says. “It's really nice to have an online option and feature just to be able to share that.”

While the brand book is now online in the new format, Nesham says that the class brand book will still be printed and available. “Brand instructors will get it; our auction markets get our big synthetic printed brand book that is just huge; and then we get a hardcover book printed too. We're in a world where everybody likes to have something on their phone or just easily accessible online, even though some producers will still choose to utilize the printed book.”

You can access the online brand book by visiting the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association website.