AGP Executive Report

AI Investment: Fargo-based Applied Digital reported fiscal first-quarter revenue of $341.9 million, up 322% year over year, and adjusted EBITDA of $64.4 million. It also posted a $221 million net loss as expansion and financing costs mounted. The company has brought 75 megawatts online at Ellendale and secured up to 1 gigawatt of potential capacity in Finland. Agriculture: North Dakota producers are expected to receive $721 million in federal farm-safety-net payments, while diesel above $6 a gallon continues to squeeze farm and trucking costs. Industry groups say a temporary tax break on dyed diesel offers little relief. Rural Innovation: Grand Farm broke ground on a second phase of its Innovation Campus, backed by a $5 million grant. NDSU Extension is also offering rural communities $10,000 apiece to develop agriculture technology and workforce initiatives. Digital Finance: Bank of North Dakota launched its Roughrider Coin stablecoin pilot with local partners, testing a state-backed digital payment option. Energy: Minnkota plans a natural-gas power plant in Cass County, adding generation as data-center development grows.

Soybean Growth: North Dakota’s soybean acreage has more than tripled since 2000, driven by Chinese demand and biofuels. Researchers are working to close a stubborn yield gap with other Midwestern states. Farm Support: Producers are set to receive an estimated $721 million in federal safety-net payments this month, including a $456 million boost from higher program reference prices. Energy Development: Minnkota Power plans a roughly $1 billion, 400-megawatt natural gas plant in Cass County, with service targeted for 2031 or 2032 and a planned pipeline bringing Bakken gas east. Digital Finance: Bank of North Dakota’s Roughrider Coin stablecoin pilot is moving ahead with local partners, putting the state bank in a new payments venture. Local Ownership: North Dakota has 64 employee-owned businesses with about 30,000 employee owners; supporters say the model can help keep companies rooted in the state. AgTech Investment: Grand Farm broke ground on the next phase of its innovation campus and received $5 million for an indoor test track, while Applied Digital brought another 75 megawatts of AI infrastructure online in Ellendale.

Energy & Infrastructure: Minnkota Power Cooperative plans a $1B natural gas-fired plant in Cass County, tied to the Bakken East Pipeline, with possible operation in 2031-32. Banking & Crypto: The Bank of North Dakota launched a Roughrider Coin stablecoin pilot with local banks/credit unions and Fiserv, testing benefits and risks in a controlled setup. Agriculture Policy: North Dakota farmers are set to receive an estimated $721M this month under ARC/PLC, boosted by higher reference prices in the Working Families Tax Cut Act. Workforce & Training: Mitchell Technical College Foundation received $945K to expand rural skilled-trades training for energy jobs across the region, including North Dakota. Small Business: SCORE Dakotas formed by merging three regional SCORE chapters to boost mentoring and support for entrepreneurs across the Dakotas. Public Health: Montana confirmed a measles case tied to an Amtrak stop in Malta and a Moore wood products site, while North Dakota also warned Empire Builder riders to watch for symptoms. Food Safety: FDA flagged a Gatorade recall of 122,000 cases in 37 states for undeclared dyes, including products shipped to North Dakota.

AgTech Funding: Grand Farm’s Innovation Campus got a $5 million federal boost for an indoor AgTech test track, aiming for year-round validation of autonomous and farm equipment. Workforce & Education: North Dakota leaders unveiled a proposed STAYS teacher bonus, funded by 10% of Common Schools Trust Fund distributions, with payouts capped and designed to boost retention and recruitment. Banking & Payments: Bank of North Dakota launched a Roughrider Coin stablecoin pilot with local banks and Fiserv, testing near real-time settlement for regulated institutions. Local Business Climate: Grand Forks City Council took no action on Fufeng USA’s threatened litigation letter after an executive session, leaving the next move with the company. Energy & Costs: Trump’s executive order expands use of red-dyed diesel on public roads, a move aimed at easing diesel prices—though analysts warn it may not add supply. Food Safety: A frozen berry recall tied to potential E. coli contamination expanded to additional Great Value and Trader Joe’s products, with consumers urged to check lot codes. Regional Entrepreneurship: SCORE Dakotas formed by combining three regional chapters to mentor 600+ clients in fiscal 2026 and streamline support for small businesses across the Dakotas.

Banking & Crypto Innovation: Bank of North Dakota launched its Roughrider Coin stablecoin pilot with four local banks and credit unions, using Fiserv and Solana-linked tech to test faster, near real-time interbank settlement in a controlled rollout. Education & Workforce: State Superintendent Levi Bachmeier, Rep. Mike Nathe and Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden unveiled the STAYS stipend proposal—annual teacher bonuses funded by 10% of Common Schools Trust Fund distributions, capped at 25% of average base pay. Local Business & Legal Risk: Grand Forks City Council took “no next steps” on threatened litigation from Fufeng USA after the city terminated a wet corn milling development agreement; outside counsel was appointed and the company’s response deadline was Oct. 14. Agriculture & Enforcement: A North Dakota cattle broker, Taylor Bang, pleaded guilty in a cattle Ponzi scheme tied to Agridime; the state ordered Bang Cattle Sales to stop livestock sales and revoked his dealer license. Consumer & Food Safety: PepsiCo expanded a Gatorade recall affecting 122,000 cases across 37 states due to undeclared Yellow No. 5/6 dyes, prompting shoppers to check lot codes. Energy & Courts: The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on whether oil companies can be forced under state law to pay for climate-change damages, with justices split on the scope of state authority.

Grocery squeeze: A new survey of 3,042 U.S. households finds 62% are cutting back on meat, seafood and dairy as grocery prices rise, with the biggest pullbacks reported in Arkansas (82%) and Maine (80%). Food safety: PepsiCo recalled about 122,000 cases of 28-ounce Gatorade in 37 states after undeclared yellow dyes (Yellow No. 5/No. 6) were found on labels, including distribution in North Dakota. Teacher retention push: North Dakota education leaders unveiled the “STAYS” stipend plan, proposing direct retention bonuses for full-time classroom teachers funded through Common Schools Trust Fund distributions. Federal trucking relief: FMCSA restored 30-day hours-of-service relief for truckers assisting during certain regional emergencies, reversing a 2023 cut to 14 days. AI infrastructure: Applied Digital says it brought another 75 MW online at Polaris Forge 1 in Ellendale, reaching 250 MW of operational AI load, while a separate Project ULTRA effort won $5.5 million for counter-drone testing and unmanned logistics flights. Energy & logistics: WBI Energy advanced its Bakken East natural gas pipeline toward a FERC filing, and diesel price pressure is also feeding higher rail shipping costs for grain.

AI & Wages: A new look at “Generative AI at Work” finds AI boosts customer-service output (about 15% more issues resolved per hour), but benefits don’t automatically spread to paychecks or job growth—what happens after rollout matters. Medicare Costs: Trump says more than 20 million seniors enrolled in Medicare Part B will get one-time $90 premium rebate checks in October, funded through the Medicare Improvement Fund, with exclusions for Medicaid-paid premiums and income-related adjustments. Immigration & Hiring: North Dakota employers in the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector filed 34 approved H-1B petitions in 2025, down 29.2% from 2024. Food Safety: An alfalfa sprout outbreak linked to seed lot SAL2-24JB has sickened 76 people across 16 states, expanding recalls as the risk reaches more kitchens. Data Centers & Power: Applied Digital says it brought another 75 MW of AI infrastructure online at Polaris Forge 1 in Ellendale, reaching 250 MW operational on the campus. Local Data-Center Debate: Casselton-area residents are questioning a proposed Harmony Energy Park site on prime farmland as lawmakers and NDSU plan upcoming data-center hearings and discussions. Missing Indigenous People: North Dakota’s task force reports actively missing Indigenous people fell from 15 in 2025 to 9 by mid-2026, citing the importance of having photos on file.

Medicare Cash Push: President Trump says more than 20 million seniors will get one-time $90 Medicare Part B payments in early October, with eligibility tied to Part B enrollment and excluding people whose premiums are covered by Medicaid or who pay income-related adjustments. Data Center Debate in Cass County: Residents in Casselton-area farmland are questioning Geronimo Power’s proposed Harmony Energy Park site, as lawmakers and NDSU plan upcoming hearings and a public discussion on data center impacts, including water use and local government effects. Public Safety Tech: UND Police Chief Rodney Clark says the university’s $1.8M campus security system (using Verkada, not Flock) has helped solve crimes, with cameras limited to public spaces and data shared only for investigations. Missing Indigenous People Update: North Dakota’s Missing Indigenous People Task Force reports actively missing numbers fell from 15 in 2025 to 9 by mid-2026, citing the importance of having photos on file. Local Business Spotlight: A North Dakota farm kid turned ag-tech entrepreneur, Nathan Faleide, is selling children’s play rugs and products printed with real agricultural maps.

Battle of the Basins: North Dakota State shut down Wyoming 28-0 in Fargo, turning a nightmare start into a statement win as the Bison defense held the Cowboys to 162 total yards and helped NDSU move to 5-0. Local Business & Growth: Fargo’s newest Chick-fil-A is set to open Oct. 8, with a “Moove-In” opening-day promotion inviting customers to dress in cow spots. Public Safety Tech: UND Police says its $1.8 million campus camera system helped solve crimes, noting the department uses Verkada (not Flock) and that data sharing is tied to investigations. Healthcare & Costs: A federal judge temporarily blocked the Education Department from publishing identifying foreign donor and contract names tied to university disclosures, setting up a legal fight over transparency rules. Consumer Watch: Walmart and Trader Joe’s expanded a frozen-berry recall tied to an E. coli outbreak that sickened 17 people. Policy & Energy: A bipartisan Senate energy bill would bar administrations from blocking permits for an entire class of energy projects, with ND Sen. Kevin Cramer calling the review timeline key. State Economy Snapshot: North Dakota reported $5.8B in state taxes in 2024, with sales and gross receipts taxes up 3.1% to $1.9B.

Eddy County Elections: Transcript publisher Amy Wobbema asked Eddy County Commission candidates Dave Gehrtz, Todd Haley and Preston Meier to outline their backgrounds ahead of the Nov. 3 vote, with Albert Pfeiffer also included as a write-in. Grand Forks State House Race: District 43 voters will choose two open North Dakota House seats on Nov. 3, with Republicans Jill Chandler and Mike Holmes facing Democrats Lukas Arthur Maughan and Tyler York. Public Health & Food Safety: A Chilean supplier expanded a recall of frozen organic berries tied to an E. coli outbreak, adding more Great Value and Trader Joe’s lots sold in North Dakota and across the U.S. SNAP Rules: North Dakota opened a public comment period on proposed SNAP changes that would restrict purchases of most candies, energy drinks and sweetened beverages, with comments due Oct. 15. Local Business: Fargo’s new Chick-fil-A at 2301 55th St. S. is set to open Oct. 8, and Hillsboro’s shuttered Goose River Brewing building is poised to reopen as “The Local 636” by late October. Energy & Industry: North Dakota State dedicated its Richard Offerdahl ’65 Engineering Complex, a nearly $100M facility aimed at boosting engineering training and workforce needs.

Diesel Relief for Farmers: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order letting vehicles hauling ag and timber products exceed normal weight limits by up to 10% on state and local highways through Oct. 30 as diesel stays near record highs, with similar orders cited from North Dakota and other states. Stablecoin Banking in ND: Fiserv’s digital-asset platform is now live with Bank of North Dakota’s Roughrider Coin on Solana, giving 90+ ND banks and credit unions access through existing Fiserv banking rails. AI Data Center Buildout: Applied Digital hit Ready for Service for another 75 MW at Polaris Forge 1 in North Dakota, lifting operational critical IT load to 250 MW. Student Loan Burden Map: A new ranking shows where borrowers owe the most on average, with North Dakota listed at about $30,543 per borrower. School Choice Push: A federal scholarship tax-credit program is set to open in 30+ states, including Missouri, expanding options for private school and homeschooling. Health Care M&A Watch: HealthPartners and Essentia Health advanced a plan to combine, creating a large nonprofit system spanning Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. Food Insecurity Effort: Two ND districts’ student-led “Bis-Man Gives a Can” drive targets hunger and school-based food access.

Diesel relief for ND farmers: North Dakota’s harvest hit record diesel costs, and Gov. Kelly Armstrong’s order expands access to cheaper red-dyed diesel for off-highway use that can also be used on roads for a limited period to haul grain, livestock and feed. Local housing snapshot: Zillow data put Sheridan County’s typical home value at $122,543 in August 2026, down 2.9% year over year, while the statewide figure rose 4.5%. Data center push meets community pushback: Geronimo Power shared details on its proposed Harmony Township data center near Fargo, including a closed-loop cooling plan and noise limits, as residents weigh whether to pause large-scale development. Livestock tracking fight: North Dakota producers are pushing back against an electronic ID mandate tied to Bangs vaccination rules, arguing the state board is moving beyond outbreak oversight. Drug pricing settlement: North Dakota is part of a multistate push seeking court approval of a $400 million Sandoz settlement over alleged generic-drug price-fixing and reduced competition. Tourism industry event: North Dakota Tourism will host a free Travel Industry Marketing Summit Oct. 15 in Medora for marketing partners and industry planning.

K-12 Education Finance: The U.S. Treasury released guidance for the new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit, letting donors claim up to a $1,700 credit for funding K-12 scholarships in participating states, with states required to opt in by Jan. 1 and submit scholarship-granting organization lists by Feb. 15. Healthcare Consolidation: HealthPartners and Essentia Health announced plans to combine into a 22-hospital system spanning Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota, with Minnesota AG Keith Ellison opening a public review and inviting patient and community input. Energy & Infrastructure: The North Dakota Industrial Commission praised WBI Energy’s positive Final Investment Decision for the Bakken East natural gas pipeline, aimed at expanding transmission access and supporting long-term gas development. Payments & Tech: Fiserv’s digital asset platform went live with financial institution clients, with Bank of North Dakota’s Roughrider Coin as the first stablecoin-enabled use case for faster interbank transfers. Local Business & Community: West Fargo is among the first announced locations for Chuck E. Cheese’s Adventure World expansion, bringing the indoor playground concept to North Dakota. Consumer Watch: AARP North Dakota formally intervened in a Montana-Dakota Utilities rate case before the PSC, arguing an 18.9% residential hike would hit older customers hardest. Agriculture & Education: A Napoleon, N.D. teacher, Brian Schneider, won the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence and was named North Dakota’s 2027 Teacher of the Year. Health Research: UND researchers reported whole fruits offer stronger heart-protection than 100% fruit juice, citing a large study of 371,000 people.

ACA Refund Checks: The Trump administration has started mailing $500 checks to nearly 1 million Americans in 30 states who bought Affordable Care Act coverage through the federal marketplace without premium assistance, with payments tied to alleged overcharges for exchange “user fees.” Energy Infrastructure: North Dakota’s Industrial Commission backed WBI Energy’s Final Investment Decision for the Bakken East natural gas pipeline, aimed at expanding transmission capacity and reliability for Bakken gas. Rural Health Funding: North Dakota HHS will use in-state “anchor partners” to manage parts of the Rural Health Transformation Program, shifting day-to-day grant handling while the state keeps oversight. Housing Watch: The North Dakota Housing Finance Agency held a Community Housing Needs Forum in Dickinson-area to bring developers, lenders and city leaders together on housing constraints. Healthcare M&A: HealthPartners and Essentia Health announced plans to merge, a deal that would create a large nonprofit system serving Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. Drug Pricing Claims: Wyoming AG Keith Kautz urged consumers to check eligibility for compensation under a multistate generic drug settlement and file claims by using aggenericdrugs.com. Fuel Prices: GasBuddy reported low regular prices in parts of North Dakota this week, including $4.19 in Cavalier County and $4.02 in Eddy County.

State Economy Snapshot: The BEA’s Q2 GDP estimates show North Dakota among the weaker performers, with real GDP down 2.3% in the second quarter, while New York led growth at 4% and only six states contracted. Housing Watch: Zillow puts McLean County’s typical home value at $223,547 in August 2026, up 3.3% year over year. Fuel Prices (Local): GasBuddy reports the lowest regular gas in Oliver County at $4.19/gal (week ending Sept. 19) and the lowest diesel in Wells County at $6.09/gal. Healthcare Deal: HealthPartners and Essentia Health approved an affiliation agreement to combine into a larger nonprofit system, aiming to improve access and affordability across Minnesota and beyond, including North Dakota. Data Centers: A proposed Cass County data center in Harmony Township would peak at 540 megawatts—nearly double the power of a Fargo-area project—sparking more local review questions. Veterans Funding: The VA awarded nearly $699,000 to North Dakota to expand veteran suicide prevention and mental health services starting FY2027. Agriculture & Trade: U.S.-China goods trade fell 29% in 2025 overall, with most states— including North Dakota—seeing declines.

Health Care Consolidation: HealthPartners and Essentia Health say their boards approved an affiliation agreement to combine the systems, aiming to expand access and specialty services across Minnesota and North Dakota while tackling rising costs. Local Government & Benefits: Grand Forks County commissioners approved switching employee health insurance to NDPERS for Jan. 1, citing lower premiums and more predictable routine care costs. Data Centers & Power Demand: A proposed Cass County data center in Harmony Township would use about 540 megawatts at peak—nearly double the power of the Harwood-area Applied Digital project—kicking off a public permitting discussion. Workforce & Banking: U.S. Bank is rolling out a manufacturer-focused sales push, training hundreds of bankers and planning new specialty banking verticals in 2027-28. Veterans Mental Health Funding: The VA awarded nearly $699,000 to North Dakota to expand veteran suicide prevention services, the first grant of its kind for the state. Energy & Prices: GasBuddy reports the lowest Wells County premium price at $4.94/gal (week ending Sept. 19), as regional fuel prices keep reacting to refinery and global oil conditions. Cybersecurity Training: CyberCon opened at Bismarck State College, with sessions centered on AI and critical infrastructure security. Agriculture Research: Montana’s wheat and barley variety survey results are in, with MSU varieties continuing to lead acreage. Sports Business Buzz: NDSU’s sold-out “Battle of the Basins” home opener vs. Wyoming is set for Oct. 3, with a new traveling trophy tied to the North Dakota Petroleum Council.