American Heroes: A farmer’s fight to care for his own land
How do you keep a family farm alive when the government won’t let you manage the water that’s ruining your soil?
For North Dakota farmer Cody Peterson, that question hits hard every time he drives past farmland left barren by salt buildup.
“I can’t even take care of my ground,” he says.
Cody’s family has farmed in LaMoure County for three generations. But federal drainage restrictions around protected wetlands prevent him from managing excess water—roping off wide swaths of land outside the wetlands themselves. The government bases those restrictions on a decades-old conservation easement that expressly allows normal farming practices.
Cody isn’t looking to build a bigger operation. He wants to restore what his family already has.
“Why don’t we take the ground we got now, make it better, make it like it used to be?”
In this month’s American Heroes, Cody joins host Kathy Hoekstra to explain why he’s challenging the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service with free representation from Pacific Legal Foundation—and what pushed him to leave the farm during harvest to take his concerns to Washington, DC.
“I don’t even like leaving LaMoure County,” he admits.
Yet there he was, facing federal officials with a hundred things to say and just three minutes to speak.
Listen to Cody’s conversation with Kathy about his family’s farm, his unexpected trip to Washington, and why he decided this fight couldn’t wait.
American Heroes with Kathy Hoekstra is a monthly radio report from Pacific Legal Foundation airing on American Radio Journal. Each episode defends liberty, empowers individuals, and celebrates the heroes who stand up for what’s right. If you’re standing up to unlawful government overreach, we’d love to hear your story. Contact us at .
Be sure to follow American Heroes on your favorite podcast platform to be notified whenever a new episode drops.
Catch up on previous episodes of American Heroes:
- Lindsay Hoopes fights to save her family’s Napa winery – Listen
- Yi Fang Chen fights for equal opportunity in New York City schools – Listen
- A special America 250 Edition – Listen
- The government took their children at 1 a.m. without a warrant – Listen
- Is a doctor’s call a crime? – Listen
- Beating illegal tariffs with Eva St. Clair and Rebecca Melsky – Listen
- When the government wipes out your property rights and your family legacy—overnight – Listen
- Fighting for homeowners’ rights with Christina Martin – Listen
- Her family built a safe product. The government destroyed their business. – Listen
- From Steinway to sawdust: The fight to save Alaska’s last timber mill – Listen
- When California regulates Pennsylvania trucking – Listen
