McKenzie County Farmer

What McKenzie County Farmer does

McKenzie County Farmer is a privately held, locally owned weekly newspaper founded in 1908 and headquartered in Watford City, North Dakota — the county seat of McKenzie County, the largest county in North Dakota by area. The publication is released every Wednesday and serves residents of Watford City and surrounding communities including Alexander, Arnegard, Cartwright, Charbonneau, East Fairview, Grassy Butte, Keene, Mandaree, and Rawson. Total print circulation is approximately 2,000 with a combined readership of around 5,000 including pass-along readers, and the company employs between 11 and 50 staff.

The company operates a dual-channel product: a print edition sold via mail and phone subscriptions at $47–$67/year depending on geography, and an online edition offered as a standalone ($50/year) or in combo packages ($59–$79/year). The website (watfordcitynd.com) is built on the tao|cms web content management platform and provides digital subscription access, an online news archive, video, columnist content, obituaries, sports, events, and an area business directory. A photo reprint service is offered through a third-party platform (photoreflect.com).

Revenue is generated through four streams: recurring print and online subscriptions (individual consumers), single-copy sales, print advertising (column-inch display ads at $8/inch and classifieds at $35 for first 30 words), and web display advertising ($200–$225/month per unit). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via postal delivery and self-serve online subscriptions; advertising is sold directly by the editor (Patrice Bumstead) with a weekly Thursday noon deadline. The publication participates in the ND statewide classifieds and ND public notices networks to extend monetization beyond its home county.

Name

McKenzie County Farmer

Legal name

McKenzie County Farmer

Website

https://watfordcitynd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

McKenzie County Farmer is a privately held weekly newspaper founded in 1908 in Watford City, North Dakota, serving McKenzie County residents via print and online editions funded by subscriptions and local advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Watford City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Print Subscriptions: Print subscription revenue from weekly newspaper delivery to McKenzie County residents, snowbirds, and out-of-county subscribers with rates ranging from $47-$67 per year depending on location.
2. Online Subscriptions: Digital subscription revenue for online edition access, including combo packages with print subscriptions, priced from $50-$79 per year.
3. Print Advertising: Revenue from column inch display advertising ($8.00 per column inch) and classified ads ($35.00 for first 30 words plus 25 cents per additional word). Statewide classifieds in all ND newspapers available for $160 for first 25 words.
4. Digital/Web Advertising: Web-based advertising including Square Button (300x250) at $200 per month and Leaderboard (728x90) at $225 per month.
5. Single Copy Sales: Individual newspaper sales at $1.00 per copy for print edition and $1.99 for online single copy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

McKenzie County Farmer is a local weekly newspaper publisher that produces a Wednesday print edition and a companion digital online edition for residents of McKenzie County, North Dakota. The business sells print and online subscriptions (including combo packages) to readers and sells display, classified, and statewide advertising space to local businesses and individuals. Single-copy sales and photo reprint services round out the offering.

Product overview

McKenzie County Farmer is a traditional local newspaper offering a single core product—the weekly print edition—alongside a complementary online digital edition. The publication operates on a bundled subscription model, offering separate print-only, online-only, and combined print-plus-online packages. Additional services include photo reprints and statewide classified advertising through partnerships with external networks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Print Edition
• Online Edition
• Photo Reprints
• Print Display Advertising
• Classified Advertising
• Statewide Classified Advertising
• Web Display Advertising

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Adams Publishing Group: A large media company that owns and operates numerous small community newspapers across the Midwest, Upper Midwest, and Mountain West. While not in direct competition with McKenzie County Farmer, Adams is a comparable operator of hyperlocal weekly publications and a potential acquirer or roll-up partner for small community papers of this profile.
• Gannett Co. The largest U.S. newspaper publisher, owner of USA Today and hundreds of local publications including community weeklies. Gannett's local division overlaps structurally with McKenzie County Farmer in operating small-market subscription and advertising-supported newspapers, though at materially larger scale and with national digital infrastructure.
• Lee Enterprises: A large publicly traded newspaper company that operates daily and weekly publications across the United States, including several small-market community papers. Comparable as a small-town newspaper operator but with vastly greater scale, digital infrastructure, and corporate resources than McKenzie County Farmer.
• Forum Communications (InForum / Fargo Forum): A large North Dakota-based media company that publishes the Fargo Forum and operates numerous community newspapers across the upper Midwest. Comparable in that it produces hyperlocal journalism in small ND communities, but it is part of a multi-title portfolio with significantly broader scale and resources than McKenzie County Farmer.

Direct peers

• The Dickinson Press: A regional newspaper serving southwestern North Dakota, with a print/online subscription model and advertising structure that closely mirrors McKenzie County Farmer's. Comparable in audience size, rural coverage area, and dependence on agriculture and energy sector advertisers.
• Williston Herald: A community-focused newspaper serving Williams County, ND, directly adjacent to McKenzie County in the Bakken oil region. It operates a comparable print+online subscription model serving a similar rural western North Dakota audience, making it the closest geographic peer to McKenzie County Farmer.

Regional players

• Minot Daily News: A regional daily newspaper serving north-central North Dakota, including communities with energy-sector economies similar to McKenzie County. Comparable subscription/advertising model and rural North Dakota readership, though larger and more frequent in publication cadence than McKenzie County Farmer's weekly.
• Bismarck Tribune: North Dakota's statewide newspaper of record, based in Bismarck. Operates a print+online subscription model covering state and regional news, with community-level coverage that overlaps with the hyperlocal scope of McKenzie County Farmer, though it serves a much larger and more urban audience.
• The Jamestown Sun: A daily newspaper serving Stutsman County and surrounding areas in North Dakota, with a comparable print+online subscription and small-market advertising structure. Both publications serve small-town ND communities where the paper is a primary source of local news.

Others

• Newzgroup: A technology vendor that provides public notice and classified advertising infrastructure to North Dakota newspapers, including McKenzie County Farmer (referenced as the host of ND Public Notices). Not a competitor, but an ecosystem partner whose tools support the publication's classifieds and legal notice revenue streams.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/McKCountyFarmer
• Facebookfacebook.com/watfordcitynd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/watford-city-police-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McKenzie County Farmer