"This is a North Dakota winter."

- Joshua Scheck, at the National Weather Service office in Bismarck

The U.S. Census Bureau tells us that North Dakota grew by 3,557 people between July 2007 and July 2008. While that figure might seem marginal cause for celebration, it's not "outmigration," the bane of communities in the state, large and small. For the record, it's growth of less than half of 1 percent.

Turning North Dakota's declining population trend around has taken a great deal of hard work by many, as well as no small amount of luck (good commodity prices and oil). It has, over the years, been the subject of seminars, workshops, grants, and public and private programs. It has fostered a library of PowerPoint presentations. So, the state takes pride in even this small bump in population growth.

There was a black-humor, bumper-sticker line about North Dakota winter: "40 below keeps the riffraff out."

It has been cold lately. Much of the time below zero. And we've set a record for snowfall accumulations in December - more than 20 inches. Despite this and recent winters, the state has managed to grow. (Although 40 below lurks in our collective understanding of North Dakota winter.)

The state has increased its population because it has been able to offer more and better-paying jobs. It has been able to do that because of the good fortune of a strong economy regionally and, until most recently, nationally. We have been able to create more of these better-paying jobs because the state has been able to convert research and training on its college and university campuses into opportunities on Main Street. There has been a sustained effort to redevelop North Dakota's entrepreneurial spirit.

Growing North Dakota has taken work by the private sector, state government and public-private partnerships.

Adding 3,557 North Dakotan is like putting a city just larger than Beulah on the state map. That's substantive. It's worth celebrating.

Back to the riffraff and 40 below. Although the joke was about keeping the out-of-state riffraff out, it surely worked the other way around as well. Home-grown riffraff - our cousins, uncles and, even, brothers and sisters - were just as likely to head out when the mercury really fell as "outsiders." You have to watch what you wish for. More importantly, understand that the term riffraff can be relative.

The improved populations figures suggest North Dakotans have successfully faced at least one tough economic challenge of the most basic kind - learning to grow jobs. And in this "North Dakota winter," the state can take that and build upon it.