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Agriculture
North Dakota is a prime exporter of agricultural products, taking the trophy in production of several crops. North Dakota ranks first in the production of flaxseed, canola, durum wheat, all dry edible beans, all dry edible peas, spring wheat, honey, lentils, sunflowers, barley and oats. About 10 percent of North Dakota's area, the band of rich soil 40 miles west of the Red River, is often called the "Breadbasket of the World."
Livestock production is second only to wheat in North Dakota's agricultural economy. It is most important in western North Dakota where the land is less suited for grain crops. The main livestock are beef, dairy cattle and hogs. The importance of cattle ranching has been challenged in recent years by the development of North Dakota's tremendous oil and coal reserves.
North Dakota farmers and ranchers annually produce enough:
- Wheat for 15.5 billion loaves of bread.
- Potatoes for 171 million servings of french fries.
- Durum for 8.5 billion servings of spaghetti.
- Corn to produce 770 million gallons of ethanol.
- Canola to fill the ND State Capitol tower more than 16 times.
- Soybeans to make 212 billion crayons.
- Sunflowers to fill 726 million bags of sunflower seeds.
- Beef for 103 million hamburgers.
- Pork for 4.1 million pork chops.
- Wool for 421,500 sweaters.
- Milk for 894 million glasses.
- Sugarbeets that produce enough sugar to sweeten 27 billion gallons of Kool-Aid.
The North Dakota Mill and Elevator is the only state-owned flour mill in the U.S. It produces Dakota Maid flour, which is sold across the nation and in the Caribbean.
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