House Ag Committee Hears Request for State Match to Expand Great Plains Food Bank Distribution Center

Representative Brandy Pyle, sponsor of House Bill 1143, asked the House Agriculture Committee to recommend a one-time state appropriation to match private funds for a larger, modern statewide distribution facility for the Great Plains Food Bank.

The bill, described by proponents as an infrastructure investment, would provide a state grant program administered by the Agriculture Commissioner to help construct a new distribution center that supporters say will expand capacity statewide. "This bill represents an infrastructure investment that will serve the backbone to every county in the state," Representative Pyle said.

Melissa Sobolik, chief executive officer of the Great Plains Food Bank, told the committee the organization operates North Dakota’s only food bank and that demand has increased sharply. "Last year alone, more than 156,000 North Dakotans visited a food pantry or a soup kitchen," Sobolik said, adding that the food bank distributed nearly £16,000,000 of food in 2024 and runs mobile pantries, school and senior programs statewide.

Sobolik described the proposed facility as a 70,000-square-foot building that would expand warehouse space by 57%, increase freezer/cooler capacity and add six loading docks, room for 100 volunteers at a time, ADA compliance and an allergen repack…