Kelly Armstrong

Multiple counties near FM — including Aitkin, Becker, Otter Tail, Grand Forks, Richland and Ransom — have received USDA disaster designations, opening emergency loan programs and FSA disaster assistance for regional agricultural producers.

With 12,000-plus open positions and an economy adding roughly 4,000 jobs per year, North Dakota's labor market conditions directly affect FM-area employers seeking workers.

Midwest grain farmers facing tight margins are absorbing record diesel and fertilizer costs during harvest, a pressure directly relevant to FM-area agricultural producers and agribusiness suppliers.

The order directly affects FM-area farmers and truckers hauling corn, soybeans, wheat, sugarbeets, and other commodities on state and local highways, with diesel averaging $6.25 in Minnesota.

The proposal would save producers 32 cents per gallon at a time when diesel prices exceed $6 a gallon, directly affecting farm operating costs in the FM region.

The Fargo-Moorhead area reported diesel averaging $6 per gallon as of Wednesday, and the order allows farmers and ranchers to use lower-taxed red-dyed diesel for hauling grain, livestock, feed, and fertilizer.

With Fargo-Moorhead area diesel averaging $6.02 per gallon, North Dakota's executive order expands access to red-dyed diesel at a 4-cent excise tax—versus 23 cents—for licensed vehicles used in ag operations through Nov. 30.

Almost all of North Dakota is in some type of drought, with extreme drought in Traill County and northeast Cass County, directly affecting FM-area farm operations and crop insurance decisions.

With cattle markets falling after the announcement and the heavy marketing season approaching, N.D. producers weighing herd rebuilding face added uncertainty on top of existing pressures, affecting FM-area ag business.

The survey, covering 38,000+ employees across 17 sectors, shows persistent skill gaps and low awareness of talent programs—key concerns for FM employers hiring in 2025.