It is no secret that the Red River Valley of eastern North Dakota is one of the world’s most successful farming regions. But what is it that makes this land so desirable? The answer takes us back approximately 12,000 years ago.

During this time, the last glaciers were melting in North Dakota, but many still existed in Canada. These massive glaciers formed a dam, which blocked the rivers trying to flow north. The backed up water formed Lake Agassiz, a body of water that existed for nearly 4000 years. After the lake drained away, the once-hilly land that had been under this gigantic lake was flat as a pancake and covered with a rich layer of topsoil that contained a great deal of organic matter left behind by the receding water. The lake bed of the ancient Lake Agassiz is now called the Red River Valley, which covers the eastern strip of North Dakota and follows the coils of the mighty Red River as it flows north to Canada.

After the fur trade, the first settlers arrived in the Rendezvous Region in the 1870s and 1880s, primarily drawn to the fertile land and the prospect of farming. Soon agriculture became the backbone of the region's economy. The rich soil and favorable climate allowed for the cultivation of various crops, such as wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, and potatoes. To accommodate those commodities, along with their by-products, grain elevators, flour mills, and other facilities were established to process the local agricultural products.

For more than a century, agriculture has been an integral part of the region and is often celebrated at various events around the area. For example, every year the small town of Osnabrock buzzes with excitement about barley. The North Dakota Barley Show is hosted here every year and brings producers and exhibitors from local counties to showcase their prized crop and to honor the lasting legacy of agriculture not only in the Rendezvous Region, but across the Red River Valley as well.