North Dakota State University's Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department and Resource Innovation Institute have launched the Legendary Harvest Project, a public-private research initiative exploring the feasibility of colocating high-tech greenhouse food production with data center infrastructure. Applied Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: APLD) is supporting the effort by providing site access, funding, and operational insight.
The project is designed to address two ongoing challenges in North Dakota: limited year-round food production due to short growing seasons and harsh winters, and the underutilized waste heat produced by high-performance data centers. Researchers envision a "Farm Park" that combines advanced greenhouse vegetable production with an in-process data center development. The goal is to identify practical ways to support the region's agricultural heritage by leveraging the growth of the digital economy.
"The NDSU Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department is researching how to advance food security in North Dakota from a number of angles," said Dr. Xinhua Jia, Professor of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. "This colocation approach has the potential to make a significant impact. There's a lot to figure out, and collaboration is key."
Applied Digital's Polaris Forge 2 development near Harwood will serve as the primary study site. The team will evaluate the technical, economic, and environmental feasibility of capturing and repurposing data center waste heat to support large-scale greenhouse operations.
"We try to be creative and community-minded as we site our facilities," said Nick Phillips, EVP of External Affairs at Applied Digital. "When NDSU approached us to contribute to their research collaboration with RII, we were pleased to contribute matching funds, evaluate potential land availability, and support the study with the participation of our team."
Resource Innovation Institute recently completed a Farm Park feasibility study in Virginia that examined the broader concept of colocating data centers with high-tech greenhouses and related agribusinesses. However, that study did not assess the economics of a specific site.
"Applied Digital deserves leadership recognition for opening the possibilities of what data center development could bring," said Derek Smith, Executive Director of Resource Innovation Institute. "Just think how effectively we could advance community resilience in the U.S. if data center developers and operators routinely explored these types of public-private partnerships."
The Legendary Harvest Project is believed to be among the first efforts in the United States to rigorously examine how to implement data center-greenhouse colocation strategies that are already common in parts of Europe. A final project report is expected in mid-2026.
For more information:
Resource Innovation Institute
Derek Smith
Email: [email protected]
www.resourceinnovation.org
