The annual South Dakota Local Foods Conference (SDLFC) is set for Nov. 4-6. A three-day, virtual event celebrating local food production and use in South Dakota, SDLFC invites all supporters of local food to attend and discuss presentations on specialty crop production, industry challenges, new technologies and opportunities, as well as local food projects happening in South Dakota and neighboring states.

This year’s SDLFC will feature two keynote speakers. On Thursday evening, Rob Hage of Blind Butcher Brewery Co. will tell the story of how his family unexpectedly turned a machine shed into a small-batch brewery.

On Friday the keynote speaker is Jean-Martin Fortier, a farmer, educator and award-winning author of the best-seller “The Market Gardener- A Successful Grower’s Handbook for Small-Scale Organic Farming.” Fortier is a recognized authority on small-scale organic vegetable production whose work has inspired hundreds of thousands to embrace a vision of agriculture that is human-scale, ecological and profitable.

Two tracks of breakout sessions will be offered during the conference on topics including: agritourism, farm to school, South Dakota food cottage laws, integrated pest management, cover crops, food preservation, pricing and budgeting, chickens and eggs, and more.

The North Central Region-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) Farmers Forum is a traveling annual event giving farmers, ranchers, researchers and others the chance to share information about sustainable agriculture practices with a national audience.

The forum is scheduled for Thursday evening. These presentations focus on research, demonstration and education projects that promote profitable practices that are good for the environment and community. The projects highlighted in these presentations and the Farmers Forum are funded by grants from NCR-SARE, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded program that supports and promotes sustainable farming and ranching by offering competitive grants and educational opportunities.

Registration is open now until Nov. 1, with tickets available for $35. The first 100 registrants can request a free goodie box, which will include a book published by SARE, an event program and other sponsored gifts.

To register for the South Dakota Local Foods Conference, visit the Eventbrite Ticketing Page (eventbrite.com/e/160201106823) or find the link on the South Dakota Specialty Producers Association page (sdspecialtyproducers.org).

The SDLFC is hosted by a collaboration of partners including the South Dakota Specialty Producers Association, South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension, Dakota Rural Action, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of South Dakota, Sicangu Community Development Corporation Food Sovereignty Initiative, Bear Butte Gardens, Sturgis Chamber of Commerce, the Wizipan Leadership and Sustainability Initiative and Lakota Youth Development.

Event sponsors include NCR-SARE, SD-SARE, NRCS, Monument Health, Xanterra, the South Dakota Soil Health Coalition, and support by the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program at the USDA.

Direct any questions to conference organizers at SDSPAinfo@gmail.com or 605-681-6793. To join the conversation, visit South Dakota Local Foods on Facebook (facebook.com/SouthDakotaLocalFoods).

A Veteran Stand Down will be held in Winner from 10AM to 2PM on Wednesday, October 27th at the Old Junior High Gym.  This will include lunch, employment services, clothing, legal assistance, VA benefits, and more.  For questions contact Chistel Kitzelman at 605-490-0029.

South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension will commemorate the fifth anniversary of the SDSU Swine Education and Research Facility at this year’s Swine Day. The annual event will be held at McCrory Gardens in Brookings on Tuesday, Nov. 2.

“The SDSU Swine Education and Research Facility continues to play an integral role in exposing students from South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and surrounding states to real-world swine industry teaching and research experience,” says Ryan Samuel, Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Swine Specialist. “Swine Day is an opportunity for producers, allied industry members and stakeholders to get an update on the latest groundbreaking research being conducted at the swine units and connect with these future industry members.”

The event begins at 9 a.m. CDT with a poster session highlighting graduate research projects from the past year. Attendees are invited to enjoy a continental breakfast and visit with graduate students about their projects. The formal program will follow at 10 a.m.

Dr. Steve Meyer, Partners for Production Agriculture, is this year’s keynote speaker and will deliver an engaging presentation on swine industry economic data and analyses. Meyer has worked in the hog industry in a number of roles. As Vice President of Pork Analysis for EMI, he conducted ongoing analysis of hog and pork markets. As President of Paragon Economics, which he founded, he monitored and analyzed cattle, beef and poultry markets. Prior to Paragon Economics, Meyer served as Director of Economics for the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC ) and the National Pork Board (NPB) from 1993 to 2002. In that capacity, he provided economic counsel to producers and NPPC/NPB staff while coordinating staff and consultants’ activities regarding meat industry production. Since leaving the NPB staff, Meyer has served as the organization’s consulting economist.

Below is the schedule for this year’s Swine Day:

• 9 a.m. CDT — Continental breakfast and poster session with graduate students
• 10 a.m. — Welcome, Dr. Joe Cassady, Professor and Head of the Department of Animal Science at SDSU
• 10:15 a.m. — Keynote, Dr. Steve Meyer, Partners for Production Agriculture
• 11:30 a.m. — African Swine Fever (ASF) surveillance and diagnostic updates from Dr. Jane Christopher-Hennings, Department Head, South Dakota Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (ADRDL)
• Noon — Lunch
• 1 p.m. — SDSU swine faculty and graduate student research program highlights
• 2:55 p.m. — Discussion and closing

This event is open to the public. To register, please visit the SDSU Extension Events page.

For more information, contact Samuel at 605-688-5165 or Ryan.Samuel@sdstate.edu.

Governor Kristi Noem today announced the appointment of five board members for the Freedom Scholarship endowment. The appointments set the stage for the state to begin delivering awards for its first-ever needs based-scholarship program. Dana Dykhouse, Miles Beacom, Phyllis Heineman, Diana Vanderwoude, and Chris Houwman will serve as the inaugural board members for the Freedom Scholarship endowment.

“I am grateful to these five South Dakotans for volunteering their experience and talents to help us launch the Freedom Scholarship. This endowment will allow us to tap into a network of students who are eager to excel in their studies and professional pursuits,” Governor Noem said. “This scholarship will ensure that South Dakota is securing some of the top talents in our colleges and universities. As more and more companies move to our state, we need today’s workforce ready to take on tomorrow’s jobs.”

Dana Dykhouse is the CEO of First PREMIER Bank and currently serves on the board of the Build Dakota Scholarship Fund. Miles Beacom is the CEO of PREMIER Bankcard and has a strong record of community service, including as a member of the Board of Governors of the University of South Dakota Beacom School of Business. Phyllis Heineman is a former educator, South Dakota State University alum, and has previously served on numerous boards, including the South Dakota Partners in Education. Diana VanderWoude has 40 years of experience in healthcare administration and education and is currently the Vice President of Learning, Education, and development for Sanford Health. Chris Houwman is CEO and President of Malloy and currently serves on the South Dakota Workforce Development Council.

The Freedom Scholarship endowment was created in the 2021 legislative session. Senate Bill 171 initially authorized $50 million to be allocated to the Freedom Scholarship endowment. In partnership with First Premier Bank, T. Denny Sanford, and other private donors, the fund is now at more than $175 million in commitments.

The first Annual Burke Lake Carnival will take place Sunday, October 24th from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Burke Lake camping area which is sponsored by the Gregory County Patriots. There will be games, bouncy houses, a barrel train, food, wagon rides and hiking.    This event is a free will donation for the Burke Lake Project.

Governor Kristi Noem has appointed Brian Sandvig and Joy Nelson to the Board of Technical Education. Brian Sandvig will replace the late Bob Faehn and serve the remainder of Faehn’s term. Joy Nelson will replace Ed Mallett effective November 1, 2021.

“South Dakota’s technical colleges are among the very best in America thanks to the Board of Technical Education’s important work,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “I am confident that Brian and Joy will continue that legacy. Both have a long history of excellent work and service to our state, and I am thrilled that they’ve accepted the call to serve South Dakota students.”

Brian Sandvig currently works as the CFO at Valley Queen Cheese Factory in Milbank. He joined Valley Queen in 2007 after 10 years as a banker to dairies, farmers, and agribusinesses throughout South Dakota and neighboring states.

Sandvig serves on the South Dakota State Historical Society, South Dakota Junior Achievement, the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Grant County Economic Development Corp., and the City of Milbank Parks and Recreation. He teaches Sunday school at Living Word Lutheran Church and is an assistant coach on the Milbank High School football team.

Sandvig is a graduate of Aberdeen Central High School and the University of North Dakota. Brian and his wife, Janel, live in Milbank, South Dakota, and have three children, Jacob, Jack, and Ella. A photo of Brian Sandvig can be found here.

Joy Nelson is a lifelong resident of South Dakota. She began her career at Farmers and Merchants Bank in Watertown in the real estate and student loan lending departments. She entered the real estate business in 1982 and is the broker-owner of Haugan Nelson Realty, Inc. in Watertown. She has been engaged in residential, commercial, and agricultural real estate for the last 38 years.

Nelson is the founder and beneficiary of Joy Ranch outside of Watertown, a non-profit facility whose mission is to serve people with disabilities and medical issues, as well as veterans, through equine therapy. She was awarded the National ALDE Award in 2013 for philanthropy, the National Association of Realtors Good Neighbor Award in 2018, and is an inductee to the South Dakota Hall of Fame and the Watertown Hall of Fame.

Nelson currently serves on the Sanford Medical Center Board of Directors, the Lake Area Technical Institute Strategic Advisory Council as President, the Village Harmony Hill Board of Directors, the GLC Foundation Board of Directors, and is the past president of both the Prairie Lakes Hospital Foundation and the Lake Area Technical Institute Foundation.

Nelson currently resides at the Joy Ranch, where she enjoys spending time helping with the equine programs.

Dakotaland Feeds LLC has been named the 2021 South Dakota State University Friend of the Beef Industry. The feed manufacturer and distributor based out of Huron, South Dakota, strives to support the South Dakota beef industry by ensuring farmers receive the products and technical support they need and by promoting various youth and public educational efforts.

“Dakotaland Feeds LLC has been a longtime supporter of SDSU and the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and has been instrumental in providing support in developing a number of our program areas, specifically the beef program,” said John Killefer, South Dakota Corn Endowed Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. “The leadership of Dakotaland Feeds have been real champions of our livestock activities on campus and in supporting youth development through South Dakota 4-H.”

Recognizing the need to support education of livestock industries, Dakotaland Feeds has invested in SDSU’s Cow-Calf Education and Research Facility and Swine Education and Research Facility. The company also regularly supports the SDSU Livestock Judging Team and South Dakota 4-H and FFA. Additionally, Dakotaland Feeds has provided numerous educational opportunities to students enrolled in animal science courses at SDSU by hosting field trips at their Huron feed mill and visiting campus to discuss feed industry careers.

“It has been important for us to support SDSU and the development of students in animal science because we see that as critical to the future of the beef industry in South Dakota,” said Dr. Roxanne Knock, Dakotaland Feeds Ph.D. Staff Nutritionist and SDSU animal science alumna. “We need producers and members of our future workforce who are knowledgeable about different production practices and how to be successful in the industry.”

Over the past 10 years, Dakotaland Feeds has employed SDSU students through summer internships and currently has 10 SDSU alumni on their office staff and production and sales teams.

“We are very honored to receive this recognition from SDSU because we have always viewed our investment as something necessary for us to do for the future of the beef industry in our state and for our business,” said Knock.

Dakotaland Feeds was honored on the field during the SDSU Beef Bowl football game on Oct. 2. The company was represented by General Manager Troy Swanson and Dr. Roxanne Knock.

Tashina Red Hawk was just 7 years old when her parents bought her first horse. Her mentor, Kassandra Chauncey, a Todd County Junior Division 4-H member at the time, was training her how to ride when her own horse became injured the day before the Todd County 4-H Horse Show.

“The day before the 4-H county horse show I received a phone call from Kassandra asking if she could use my horse, because her horse got hurt. She needed to show my horse in showmanship, and she won a blue ribbon. After they exited the arena, she came over and gave it to me,” Red Hawk says. “I could not believe my mentor had just won a ribbon on my horse. At that point, I knew the future was bright for me.”

Bright, indeed, as Red Hawk has recently been named the recipient of the 2022 4-H Youth in Action Award for Agriculture. Announced during National 4-H Week, the 4-H Youth in Action Awards, sponsored in part by Bayer, began in 2010 to recognize 4-H’ers nationwide who have used the knowledge they gained in 4-H to create a lasting impact in their communities. Distinguished for her “drive to inspire her peers and give back to her Rosebud Sioux Tribe community through charitable veterinary work,” Red Hawk is the first South Dakota 4-H’er to win a Youth in Action award.

“Tashina is a very bright and talented young lady, who is a true role model for all youth. She is goal-oriented and is a great example for what is possible if you value education and a positive, can-do spirit. She exemplifies what the 4-H motto represents — ‘Learn by Doing’ and ‘Make the Best Better,’” says Ronald Frederick, 4-H Youth Program Advisor for Rosebud. “We are so blessed to have her as a role model and productive member of our community.”

“Tashina takes great pride in her Lakota heritage and carries herself with grace and pride of self and her culture,” says Vanessa Hight, 4-H Youth Program Advisor for Jones and Mellette Counties. “She is certainly one amazing young woman, and I am proud she is a member of the Mellette County Mavericks 4-H Club.”

As an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and a representative of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate, Red Hawk says she respects all creation and believes it is her responsibility to care for the animal nation.

“My passion for agriculture comes from my Lakota way of life. I was raised that we are the caretakers of this land. Everything that lives and grows on Unci maka (the earth) is our relatives,” Red Hawk says. “Even though animals do not speak our language, they understand us, and I have witnessed an animal’s ability to help and heal a person during their time of need.”

For the past two years, Red Hawk has volunteered as a veterinarian assistant/technician at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Animal Clinic. Her duties include everything from preparing animals for surgery, extracting bladders, monitoring vitals and regulating oxygen levels to helping provide emergency first aid, giving medications or immunizations and monitoring and caring for animals after surgery.

While the volunteer work helped stoke Red Hawk’s passion for veterinary science, she says her enthusiasm for 4-H goes back to her younger years.

“My passions for 4-H started when I was a little girl growing up watching my cousin Jo Beth and her friend Kassandra. Those two girls made me want to be a cowgirl,” Red Hawk says. “I grew up attending 4-H rodeos, and as soon as I was 8 years old, I signed up.”

Red Hawk is currently serving her second term as the 2021-2022 South Dakota High School Rodeo Queen. In addition, she is the owner and operator of Tashina’s Coffee and a youth mentor for the Sicangu Lakota Youth Center, both located in Mission.

“The coffee shop is my college savings account; 4-H has taught me life lessons to build on; the veterinary clinic I volunteer at has given me real-life learning experiences; and the rodeo queen role is an ambassador for the agriculture industry, promoting the sport of rodeo and the Western way of life,” Red Hawk says. “I believe I have been truly blessed to be a part of all of these opportunities.”

A senior in high school, Red Hawk plans to use the award’s $5,000 scholarship to continue her education to earn her doctorate in veterinary medicine. She would like to return to the Rosebud community and volunteer at the animal clinic. She would also like to open a mobile vet clinic one day and possibly even travel abroad to gain more veterinary skills.

“I want to be a veterinarian to help my community,” Red Hawk says. “I want to host free animal clinics and give back some of the blessings that were shared with me.”

As an advocate and spokesperson for 4-H agriculture programming for the next year, Red Hawk advises other South Dakota 4-H’ers to not let opportunities pass them by.

“I have a motto that I like to say, ‘Don’t tell me the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon,’ and always try to live your best life every day,” Red Hawk says. “There will always be challenges when there is a success, it goes hand-in-hand, sometimes it just takes longer, but don’t give up.”

Governor Kristi Noem announced that the review of the state’s social studies standards will be relaunched, and the standards proposed by the Department of Education (DOE) will be set aside.

“I have asked the Department of Education to restart the process from the beginning. I want to ensure we propose standards that accurately reflect the values of South Dakota,” Governor Noem said. “Our kids deserve to learn both America’s and South Dakota’s true and honest history, taught in a balanced context that doesn’t pit our children against each other on the basis of race, sex, or background. More work needs to be done to get this right, and we are committed to seeing that process through.”

The governor’s plan will create a new workgroup of stakeholders to develop standards. This group will propose new social studies standards, and everyone who has expressed concerns will be a part of the process, including Native Americans. The new proposed standards will be reviewed and adjusted based on input from the public, the DOE, and, ultimately, approved by the Board of Education Standards. The DOE will also hire a new facilitator to oversee the workgroup process. The DOE will work with the Board of Education Standards to approve a new timeline to ensure the standards are adopted after sufficient time for the workgroup’s action and public input into the process.

The Department of Education will seek stakeholder feedback on members of the new workgroup. The public will be given the opportunity at four public hearings – as well as online – to offer comments on the new draft standards.