Supporters of a long-standing North Dakota law emphasizing family farms are celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, at a time of increased debate about the influence of corporate agriculture. The state s Anti-Corporate Farming Law came together through a citizens initiative in 1932 when Midwestern farmers were going bankrupt, and out-of-state financial institutions were handling those cases. The law was meant to protect the land from being swallowed up by larger operations. .
Some farmers of color have been hesitant to interact with the U.S. Department of Agriculture s Farm Service Agency after a history of discrimination, but owners of one farm in Warfield say they ve had a positive experience working the agency. Herbert Brown Jr., operator of BrownTown Farms in Warfield, works the same land his great-grandfather did in the early 1900s. .