According to North Dakota Senator John Hoeven, the agriculture appropriations bill was a key piece in reopening the federal government and represents a major win for rural America. “We added our ag appropriations bill, which passed the floor with more than 80 votes. That helped bring some of the practical Democrats to the table, people I’ve worked with for years. I’m very pleased that our ag appropriations bill was an important part of it.” As chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee, Hoeven led negotiations on the Fiscal Year 2026 agriculture funding bill. The measure includes $2.5 million for NDSU’s Agricultural Risk Policy Center, $5 million for the AgTech Cooperative Agreement between Grand Farm, NDSU, and USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, and $3 million for renovations at the Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center in Fargo. It also ensures access to Farm Service Agency loans, protects ranchers from unfunded mandates under the new electronic ID tag rule, and provides $500,000 for blackbird control in the Northern Plains.
