Local residents were upset when a Gates-linked entity purchased 2,100 acres in northern North Dakota potato farmland. The state is currently investigating the Gates-linked trust’s purchase of potato farmland. The Attorney General of the state wrote in a letter saying that the Gates-linked trust was prohibited from owning or leasing land or ranchland in North Dakota.
According to the New York Post, public records cited by AgWeek show that Red River Trust, an entity linked to Bill Gates’ billionaire status, recently bought 2,100 acres of northern North Dakota potato farmland. This led to state officials intervening after residents complained.
The land was bought from Campbell Farms, a North Dakota potato farming company based in Grafton. It is approximately 50 miles from Canada’s border. KFYR spoke with Doug Goehring, North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner. He stated that the public has not responded positively to the purchase.
Goehring stated, “I’ve gotten an earful about this from clear across state, it’s even not from that neighborhood.” “Those people are upset but there are many others who are just mad about it.”
Breitbart News reported previously that Gates was America’s largest private landowner. Breitbart News reporter Alana Mastrangelo wrote:
According to the Land Report, Gates is America’s largest private landowner, owning hundreds of thousands acres across 19 states.
Tech billionaire is the owner of 69,071 acres in Louisiana, 47.927 acres Arkansas and 20,588 acres Nebraska.
Gates also has land in Arizona (25.750 acres), Illinois (17.940), Mississippi (16.963), Washington (16.097), Florida (14.8828), Idaho (9.136), Indiana (9.136), Ohio (8.915), California (4,599), Colorado (2,270), Michigan (2), Wisconsin (1), Wyoming (975), North Carolina (874), Iowa (522) and New Mexico (1). Gates now owns 242,000 acres of farmland.
Although Gates remains the most prominent farmland owner in America, not all of his property is farmland. The Land Report points out that 24,800 acres are transitional and located in Phoenix’s western edge, which is the largest metropolitan area in the United States. It also includes the largest population in Arizona.
Red River Trust received a letter from Drew Wrigley, North Dakota State Attorney General, this week stating that LLCs and corporations were prohibited from owning or leasing farmland in North Dakota. Wrigley also stated that they were not allowed to engage in farming or ranching.
