AgricultureID

State · US-ND

North Dakota

North Dakota is warm-summer humid continental (Dfb) across most of the state, grading into cold semi-arid steppe (BSk) in the west, with cold winters, short warm summers, and a brief frost-free season. The short season favors small grains and spring-sown crops.

Major crop systems

  • Spring wheat and durum — a national leader
  • Canola, sunflower, and flax oilseeds
  • Soybean, maize, barley, dry edible beans, and pulses (lentils and dry peas), with sugar beet in the Red River Valley

Major livestock systems

  • Beef cow–calf ranching
  • Some cattle backgrounding and feeding

Agricultural land: The flat, fertile Red River Valley in the east is prime cropland, the drift prairie and Missouri Coteau carry mixed crop and rangeland, and the semi-arid southwest is largely grazing land. Irrigation: Agriculture is overwhelmingly dryland/rainfed, with limited irrigation from the Missouri River system and local groundwater.

Agroecological zones: Dfb (Warm-summer humid continental), BSk (Cold semi-arid (steppe))

Documented crops & livestock

Official institutions

  • North Dakota Department of Agriculture — State department for agriculture, plant and animal health, and marketing.
  • NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) — Land-grant research and extension for small grains, oilseeds, pulses, and livestock.
  • USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) — Official state-level crop, livestock, and Census of Agriculture statistics, published through its regional field office network.

Data coverage & limitations

Descriptive profile; subnational statistics for North Dakota are published by USDA NASS and the North Dakota Department of Agriculture and are not reproduced numerically here.

  • Boundaries and administrative classification follow the ISO 3166-2 subdivision system and USDA/state reporting units.
  • No subnational statistics are reproduced here; any official figures are dated, versioned, and periodically revised — read them with their year and source.
  • Canola is grown and reported as the oilseed brassica linked here under the crop "oilseed-rape"; the two names refer to the same crop group.
  • The short frost-free season and the wet east / semi-arid west divide strongly shape which crops are grown where, which a statewide profile cannot fully convey.

Sources

This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.

  1. [1]USDA NASS — National Agricultural Statistics Service (opens in a new tab)

    USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Official state agricultural statistics

    Type:
    Government agency
    Jurisdiction:
    United States
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  2. [2]USDA — U.S. Department of Agriculture (opens in a new tab)

    United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Federal agricultural context

    Type:
    Government agency
    Jurisdiction:
    United States
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12