Questions have been raised over the purchase of 2,100 acres of North Dakota farmland by the Red River Trust linked to philanthropist Bill Gates.  The property was purchased from Campbell Farms, a Northeastern potato producer, at an average price of $643 per acre.  In accordance with a 1932 North Dakota statue, subsequently upheld in 2018, land purchased to corporate entities is subject to restrictions.  Accordingly the Attorney General Drew Wrigley requested information on the intended use of the purchased land. The response from the Trust  determined that the acquisition was in compliance with North Dakota law.

The North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture, Doug Goehring, has received complaints from farmers in the state expressing concern over “the ultra-rich who buy land, but do not necessarily share the state’s values”.  Does the agricutural community of North Dakota consider that conformity in political orientation, social mores, wealth or education are criteria to purchase land in the state? Bill Gates’ purchase might effectively raise the aggegate IQ of the counties involved!

For the record, trusts and corporations connected to Gates own more than 250,000 acres of farmland in the U.S. representing under one percent of total area.