Agriculture in Roseau County developed out of necessity and the realities of the land. Early farms were built for survival rather than profit. Families settled along rivers and higher ground where drainage was possible and winter travel remained feasible. Nearly every household raised a mix of livestock, grain, and garden crops, supplemented by bartering and seasonal work in the woods and nearby North Dakota. Farming was not a separate occupation; it was daily life.

With the arrival of the railroads in the early 1900s, agriculture gradually expanded beyond subsistence. Creameries and grain elevators became central to local economies, offering reliable markets for milk and grain. Still, the land imposed limits. Poor drainage made grain production difficult, while grasses thrived. Clover, alfalfa, and hay reshaped the landscape and defined an era of farming.

During the war years and the Great Depression, farming became more organized and experimental. Cooperative efforts strengthened, and farmers relied on shared infrastructure to manage risk. Farmers Union-backed grain cooperatives emerged to give producers more control over storage and marketing. Groups like the Farmers Union Central Exchange (Cenex) and the Farmers Union Grain Terminal Association laid the foundation for what would later become CHS Inc. In Roseau County, cooperative elevators handled wheat and small grains, connected producers to broader markets, and expanded services to provide feed, seed, fertilizer, and petroleum products.

After World War II, change accelerated. Rural electrification reduced labor and transformed daily routines. Tractors grew larger, fertilizer use increased, and farms became more specialized. Small dairy operations declined, and many families turned to off-farm work for additional income. When clover markets faded in the 1950s, farmers adapted again. Bluegrass and timothy emerged through research and experimentation, growing from test seed crop plots suited to the county's soils and climate.

Livestock agriculture evolved alongside these shifts. Dairy farms became fewer but larger, beef production increased, and turkey farming expanded into a major enterprise. Conservation programs reshaped land use and encouraged long-term stewardship of soil and water. Cooperative systems also evolved, culminating in the 1998 merger of Cenex and Harvest States to form CHS Inc., linking local elevators to national and global markets while maintaining farmer ownership.

These experiences shaped people as much as the land. One example is Bob Bergland, who grew up on a farm just south of Roseau and later served in Congress and as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

By the late twentieth century, agriculture in Roseau County looked very different. Farms were fewer and larger, and farming was often combined with other work. Yet its foundation remains unchanged: a tradition defined by adaptation, cooperation, and a lasting commitment to sustaining the land for future generations.