Billionaire Bill Gates has recently won a legal battle, granting him the right to purchase millions of dollars worth of untouched farmland in North Dakota. This decision has left the state’s residents outraged as the founder of Microsoft continues to acquire vast amounts of land. However, despite their anger, the citizens are powerless to prevent Gates from making these purchases due to a legal ruling.
North Dakota’s Attorney General, Republican Drew Wrigley, investigated the land purchases made by Gates and determined that they are entirely legal and binding, based on an antiquated anticorporate farming law still in effect in 2022. This law, established during the Great Depression, prohibits corporations or limited liability companies from owning farmland or ranch space in North Dakota. However, the law does permit trusts to own land, as long as they lease it to farmers, which is precisely Gates’ intention.
The law stipulates that corporations and similar entities cannot purchase land for residential or commercial development, industrial parks, or for any purpose that benefits both the land parcels and adjacent nonagricultural land. Gates, who has quietly amassed an impressive portfolio of farmland across the United States in recent years, is now considered the largest private owner of farmland in the entire country.
In North Dakota, Gates purchased millions of dollars worth of property from wealthy northeastern potato growers, Campbell Farms, through his company Red River Trust. The $13.5 million acquisition covers land in two counties and amounts to over 2,100 acres, according to a report by AgWeek.
Local Republicans are incensed by the fact that Gates and other wealthy individuals are buying land in their state. They fear that these new landowners will not uphold the values most North Dakota residents share. Republican Doug Goehring, North Dakota’s Agriculture Commissioner, voiced his concerns to KFYR-TV: “I’ve gotten a big earful on this from clear across the state. It’s not even from that neighborhood. Those people are upset, but there are others that are just livid about this.”
Gates’ plan is to lease the land to potato growers, with no intention to build on it or use it for any purpose other than farming. This situation highlights the significant challenge small farmers and ranchers face when competing against influential money interests in the United States. The playing field is far from level and is heavily skewed in favor of the rich and famous.
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It is time for us to question the fairness of these outdated laws, which allow billionaires like Bill Gates to buy up massive amounts of land at the expense of small farmers and ranchers. We must advocate for a more equitable system that supports local agriculture and protects the interests of those who truly depend on the land for their livelihood. By doing so, we can ensure a sustainable and vibrant agricultural community that benefits everyone, not just the wealthy few.
Source: AWM
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