MINOT — In

a recent column,

I argued that the concept of “baby bonds” — a version of which is included in the “big beautiful bill” President Donald Trump is backing in Congress — is something North Dakotans should implement whatever the federal government might do.

We have hundreds of millions in revenue from the Legacy Fund’s investments, and we have the Bank of North Dakota to administer the program. A rough estimate, based on the average number of live births in our state every year, shows this would cost the state about $20 million or so per biennium.

After I published my column, Treasurer Thomas Beadle reached out, saying it’s a topic that intrigues him as well. “I think that you get a little bit of a a stakeholder society,” he said on this episode of Plain Talk. “Children are being set up with these accounts, and the parents are managing these accounts on behalf of their kids, so they will be vested. They might have a stakeholder interest in making sure that programs like this are viable.”

Speaking of investments, also joining this episode was Jodi Smith, executive director of the state Retirement and Investment Board, and Kodee Furst, a director 50 South Capital. They discussed the ongoing efforts to implement the Legacy Fund’s in-state investment program.

The goal is to have the Legacy Fund at $1.3 billion invested within the state by 2030. Some of the challenges in getting there early on were negotiating the producer-investor rules. State investment officials have a responsibility to maximize returns, but with the in-state investment program, the idea is that some of those returns aren’t in the form of interest on investments, but rather economic development.

This balance is important. “We’re not providing a grant,” Smith said. “We do expect a return to come back to us.”

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MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) – North Dakota farmers are seeing some of the highest prices for cropland in state history.

Agriculture Finance Specialist Bryon Parman said prices are up roughly 10.5% compared to last year. He explained that one of the factors contributing to the increase is high net farm incomes, which is increasing demand.

The high prices have helped increase the net worth of those owning farmland. However, they are making it difficult for those wanting to purchase more land.

Parman said the increase began in 2021, and since then, it has increased by 46%.

“What we’ve seen the last couple years is just some residual carryover increase, tailing that period of time,” said Parman.

Pasture rent prices are seeing an increase as well.

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