BISMARCK – Legislation that provides a $5 million appropriation to support construction of a new statewide food distribution center in Fargo was signed by Gov. Kelly Armstrong last week.

House Bill 1143 appropriates the funds from the North Dakota Department of Agriculture. The state’s investment will be matched dollar for dollar by private donations raised, creating a public-private partnership to expand food access across the state.

“We’ve reached full capacity at our current facility, and the demand for food assistance is higher than ever,” said Melissa Sobolik, CEO of the Great Plains Food Bank, in a news release. “This new state-of-the-art distribution center will allow us to accept, store and distribute more food to more people across North Dakota, efficiently and sustainably.”

The existing statewide distribution center no longer meets the organization’s growing needs, the food bank said in the release. The facility faces critical challenges including insufficient space with the use of trailers for overflow inventory, and major infrastructure issues such as heating and cooling deficiencies. Without room to grow, the Great Plains Food Bank’s ability to meet rising food insecurity has been strained.

The new facility will increase food storage capacity with more pallet racking and expanding the cooler and freezer space. The design also includes specialized areas such as a community room and an allergen repack space to enhance service delivery and innovation, the release stated.

Keeping the Statewide Distribution Center in Fargo was important for its proximity to major food donors, transportation routes. Construction is expected to begin in 2027.