November 28, 2025

Industrial Commission announces two agriculture relief loan programs through Bank of ND

The North Dakota Industrial Commission announced two new agriculture relief initiatives to support agriculture producers: the 2026 Farm Financial Stability Loan Program and the 2026 Grain Inventory Loan Program. The programs are offered through Bank of North Dakota (BND), and ag producers should consult with their local lender, who will handle the application process.

Producers are facing an unusual convergence of challenges including the severe weather of summer 2025, high input costs, trade policy uncertainty, and low commodity prices – all leading to increased financial stress across the agriculture sector.

“Agriculture is a foundational pillar of North Dakota’s economy,” said the Industrial Commission in a joint statement. The Industrial Commission, comprised of Gov. Armstrong as chairman, Attorney General Drew Wrigley and Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, oversees BND. “These programs provide the confidence producers need to plan for the 2026 season in these uncertain times.”

The 2026 Farm Financial Stability Loan Program is designed for ag producers with an operating shortfall in 2024 or 2025, and can be used to replenish working capital, term out operating carryover or restructure existing term debts. Loans will be at a fixed interest rate of 3.75% for five years for BND’s share. The local lender’s share of the loan may not exceed BND’s Base Rate plus 1%. BND has set aside $300 million for the program.

The 2026 Grain Inventory Loan Program is for North Dakota ag producers to provide short-term financing of remaining grain inventory. BND will provide funds with a variable interest rate at 0.75% below its Base Rate which is determined at the time of funding. The local lender’s share of the loan may not exceed BND’s Base Rate plus 1%. BND set aside $100 million for this program.

“BND is committed to supporting our ag producers as they navigate these rapidly changing times,” stated BND President/CEO Don Morgan. “Local lenders know their producers best, and partnering with them ensures these programs reach the people who need them. Their insight has been invaluable in shaping both loan offerings.”

To access either of the loan programs, producers should contact their local lender to submit an application. The program application period will open Dec. 9, 2025 at 12 p.m. CT, and will close June 30, 2026. More information on the program from BND can be found at bnd.nd.gov/ffslp and bnd.nd.gov/gilp.
 

Gov. Armstrong and Standing Rock Chairman Steve Sitting Bear hold an engraved Standing Rock seal gifted to the chairman from the governor on Monday, Nov. 24, at Prairie Knights Casino near Fort Yates.

Armstrong stresses cooperation with Standing Rock, fulfills pledge to visit all five tribal nations

Gov. Armstrong fulfilled his commitment to visit all five sovereign tribal nations in North Dakota during his first year in office, bringing his Cabinet and other state agency leaders to the Standing Rock Reservation on Monday to meet with Chairman Steve Sitting Bear, other tribal leaders and members in an ongoing effort to strengthen state-tribal partnerships and relationships.

In his opening remarks at Prairie Knights Casino & Resort near Fort Yates, Armstrong thanked the tribe for their hospitality and urged participants to work together to identify actionable issues for collaboration.

“We want to figure out what are the best ways we can find some solutions to some problems,” Armstrong said. “We know there’s a lot of challenges. … I think the most important takeaway with this is creating that relationship and actually following through on something.”

First Lady Kjersti Armstrong also participated in the visit, saying, “We are here to listen. We are here to learn. We want to understand what we can do to better help.”

Breakout discussions were held with Tribal Council members, staff, local leaders, state agency representatives and state legislators, with topics ranging from public safety, education, workforce and economic development to tourism, natural resources, health care and recovery.

Armstrong thanked North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission Executive Director Brad Hawk and his staff for facilitating the visits to introduce the new administration to tribal nations and build stronger relationships and effective partnerships.

While today’s official visit completed the governor’s commitment to visit all five tribal nations during his first year in office, it was actually his third visit to Standing Rock since taking office: Armstrong attended a joint meeting with South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden and the Tribal Council last April, and he attended Sitting Bear’s inauguration on Oct. 8.

The Standing Rock Reservation straddles the border between North Dakota and South Dakota, encompassing all of Sioux County in North Dakota, and is the sixth-largest Native American reservation in the United States, covering about 3,572 square miles. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has approximately 16,100 members, with roughly 8,200 living on the reservation, according to the most recent census data. 

First Lady Kjersti Armstrong (second from right) participates in a breakout discussion during a meeting with Standing Rock officials on Monday, Nov. 24, at Prairie Knights Casino & Resort near Fort Yates.

ND Supreme Court Justice Daniel Crothers notifies Armstrong of Feb. 28, 2026, retirement date

North Dakota Supreme Court Justice Daniel Crothers informed Gov. Armstrong that he plans to retire Feb. 28, 2026, after serving more than 20 years on the high court.

“Justice Crothers has faithfully served the citizens of North Dakota and applied the laws of our state with the utmost dedication, fairness and professionalism for over two decades,” Armstrong said. “His respect for the litigants who appear before the Supreme Court, as well as the separate-but-equal roles of the executive and legislative branches of state government, have been a hallmark of his years on the bench. I’ve always enjoyed my conversations with Justice Crothers, and I deeply appreciate his commitment to the legal profession and preparing the next generation of lawyers for the future. Kjersti and I wish him all the best in retirement, and on behalf of all North Dakotans, we thank him for his remarkable legacy of service.”

Crothers was born in 1957 and raised in Fargo, American Samoa and Albuquerque, N.M. He attended the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and earned his law degree from the UND School of Law in 1982. Crothers clerked in the New Mexico Court of Appeals from 1982 to 1983 and worked in private practice from 1983 to 1986, also serving an assistant state’s attorney in Walsh County from 1983 to 1984. He was a member and partner with the Nilles Law Firm in Fargo from 1987 to 2005, when he was appointed to the Supreme Court by then-Gov. John Hoeven. Crothers was elected to a 10-year term on the Supreme Court in 2012 and re-elected to another 10-year term in 2022.

Crothers served as president of the State Bar Association of North Dakota from 2001 to 2002 and as a member and chair of several Bar Association and Court committees relating to lawyer and judicial ethics and professional conduct. He currently serves as chair of North Dakota’s Committee on Judiciary Standards. He also is a past chair of the North Dakota Judicial Conference and current chair of the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility. Crothers also has served as adjunct faculty at National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, and is a regular worldwide presenter on seminars for judges and lawyers on ethics, technology and evidence, according to the Supreme Court. 

Under state law, a Judicial Nominating Committee convened by the governor must forward a list of nominees to Armstrong to fill the Supreme Court vacancy within 60 days of when the committee receives notice that the vacancy exists. Within 30 days of receiving the list, the governor has three options: 1) fill the vacancy by appointing from the list of nominees; 2) return the list of nominees and direct the committee to reconvene; or 3) call for a special election to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term.

IN OTHER NEWS

Lt. Gov. Michelle Strinden had a "soup-er" day thanking student volunteers at the 19th annual Fill The Dome event in Fargo. Students from schools all around Fargo-Moorhead helped raise more than $50,000 for the Great Plains Food Bank during the event, which this year had a super hero theme. Strinden said she was grateful for the huge impact these young leaders are having on the organization and supporting families in need around North Dakota.

Gov. Armstrong thanked all the state agencies that took part in this year's food collection challenge – including the Governor's Office team, which donated over 550 pounds of food. Learn more about the challenge here.

Gov. Armstrong welcomed Japanese Consul-General Masashi Mizobuchi to the Capitol, discussing ways to deepen North Dakota's strong relationship with Japan. Japan is North Dakota's second-largest foreign investor, with nearly 35 Japanese business facilities employing approximately 1,000 North Dakotans and investing around $380 million, according to the North Dakota Trade Office.

Lt. Gov. Strinden conducted the traditional turkey pardoning at the Capitol for Thanksgiving. She and the Department of Agriculture thanked the ND Turkey Federation and its members for donating 48 frozen turkeys to Heaven's Helpers Soup Cafe and the Abused Adult Resource Center.