Index
North Dakota Anti-Corporate Farming Law
Summary
To protect family-owned farms, North Dakota strictly prohibits large corporations or limited liability companies (LLCs) from owning or operating farmland in the state.
Rights & Rules
- 01.A traditional C-Corporation (like Walmart or Monsanto) CANNOT buy farmland in North Dakota to grow crops or raise livestock.
- 02.Only individuals, partnerships, or specifically structured 'family farm corporations' (where the shareholders are all related by blood or marriage) can legally own farmland.
- 03.Banks that acquire farmland through foreclosure are legally forced to sell or lease the land to an eligible family farmer within a set number of years.
Penalties
- 01.Corporations caught illegally owning farmland can be sued by the Attorney General and forced by a judge to divest (sell) the land within one year.
Verified Citations
North Dakota Century Code Section 10-06.1-02
Source"All corporations and limited liability companies are prohibited from owning or leasing land used for farming or ranching and from engaging in the business of farming or ranching."