North Dakota farmers increasingly rely on foreign labor

Mark Martens, center, vice president of Agri Placements International, discusses agricultural labor trends and growing demand for H-2A visa workers during a panel at the Big Iron Farm and Construction Show in West Fargo on Sept. 16, 2026. Also pictured are moderator Korrie Wenzel, left, and Caleb Zook. (Photo by Ceilidh Kern/For the North Dakota Monitor)
Mark Martens, center, vice president of Agri Placements International, discusses agricultural labor trends and growing demand for H-2A visa workers during a panel at the Big Iron Farm and Construction Show in West Fargo on Sept. 16, 2026. Also pictured are moderator Korrie Wenzel, left, and Caleb Zook. (Photo by Ceilidh Kern/For the North Dakota Monitor)

As demand for agricultural labor grows, North Dakota farmers are looking abroad to fill their vacant positions.

There were just under 500 unfilled agricultural jobs across North Dakota in August, according to Job Service North Dakota. Most of those positions were in the northeastern and south-central parts of the state.

So far this year, 478 employers in North Dakota were approved to hire seasonal f…