ADD Fund Committee to Decide Millions in Agricultural Project Requests

The Agriculture Diversification and Development Fund Committee will convene at 8:50 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, at the Jamestown Stutsman Development Corporation, 120 2nd Street SE, Jamestown. Committee members will begin with routine business including minutes and financials, then move to a guidelines and application review with eligibility questions before hearing five applicants and making funding decisions at noon.

The agenda lists five projects seeking ADD Fund assistance that together request $2,084,000. Cavendish Farms of Jamestown, represented by Mark Cormier, is the largest applicant by project scale, reporting a total project cost of $150,000,000 and requesting $500,000 in ADD support. The Jamestown project request represents roughly 0.33 percent of the total project cost, reflecting a modest share of public support for a major private capital investment in the county.

Other applicants include Anchor Ingredients Co., LLC of Fargo seeking $300,000 for a $2,194,201 project, a request equal to about 13.7 percent of the project cost. Weinlaeder Seed Company of Drayton is asking for $500,000 toward a $4,000,000 project, a 12.5 percent share. Houser Labs, Inc of Fargo seeks $484,000 for a $582,600 project, a proportionate request of roughly 83.1 percent that indicates heavy reliance on ADD Fund support. Tracey Hauck of Richardton requests $300,000 for a $1,256,745 project, about 23.9 percent of the total.

For Stutsman County residents, the meeting carries immediate local significance. Approval of funding for Cavendish Farms would support a major employer in Jamestown, potentially influencing hiring, local supplier demand, and tax base dynamics. Smaller and out of county applicants also affect the region through regional supply chains and processing capacity that can create downstream opportunities for local producers and service firms.

The committee will take a brief break at 10:00 a.m., resume presentations at 10:20, and open a discussion period at 11:20 before reaching funding decisions at 12:00 p.m. For agricultural producers, local business owners, and municipal leaders, the ADD Fund votes offer a policy lever that allocates public dollars toward private projects aimed at diversification and value added in North Dakota agriculture.

Committee deliberations will reveal how the ADD Fund balances project scale, leverage, and regional impact when deciding which proposals to support. Outcomes announced after the noon decision will indicate near term priorities for state supported agricultural development and provide a clearer signal of investment momentum in Jamestown and the wider region.