Category Archives: News

News, Story

South Dakota Farmers & Ranchers Meet with Congressional Leaders This Week

South Dakota farmers and ranchers meet with congressional leaders and staff during the annual National Farmers Union D.C. Fly-In, held virtually this week.
“This is a pivotal time in agriculture,” said Doug Sombke, SD Farmers Union President. “Congressional leaders need to hear from us. If we don’t share our story, who will?”
Sombke said South Dakota’s number one industry of agriculture was suffering on all fronts: rock bottom grain, livestock and ethanol markets. The pandemic exaggerated all these issues.
“There is no better time to address the real problems than when they are really bad,” said Sombke, a fourth-generation Conde crop and cattle producer. “We can hire a lobbyist, but they don’t carry the weight that farmers and ranchers do, sharing their personal story – sharing what 45 percent profit loss looks like for their families and communities.”
Although the 2020 Fly-In will be different, it will be no less effective said National Farmers Union President, Rob Larew.
“Farmers are their own best advocates,” Larew said. “They understand the real-life problems they deal with every day better than anyone does. And they have really good ideas about how to fix them. That’s why it’s so critical that legislators hear from farmers directly.”
Throughout the four-day Fly-In, farmers and ranchers will sit down for video chats with Congressional leaders and their staff. They will also hear from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue and other U.S. Department of Agriculture staff.
“We are all struggling. Leaders need to hear it firsthand,” said Oren Lesmeister, a Parade cattle producer, small business owner and District 28A legislator. “My hope is we will actually get to talk with more leaders than in the past because this format is more flexible.”
Lesmeister is among the 35 South Dakotans who set aside time for video conferences this week. Sombke says the time these family farmers and ranchers invest does make a difference. “Over the years, I have seen Congressional leaders change direction on policy after a Fly-In,” he explained. “They may think they are doing what is best for farmers and rural America, but when they hear from actual farmers, they are able to understand what is right for American agriculture.”
News, Story

Gregory Chamber looking for Volunteers Today for Gregory Arts in The Park and Family Fun Nights

The Gregory Dallas Chamber is looking for a few people to assist with activities at Family Fun Night on Saturday! They need two people to help sell brats from 4:45 pm until  they are gone and one  person to help with kickball from 5-7. And one person to help with the gunny sack races, slipper kicking contest, three legged races, quarter scramble etc. Please text or call if you are able to help. 831-9773.

News, Story

Flags at Half-Staff on Today, in Honor of “Patriot Day”

Governor Kristi Noem ordered that flags be flown at half-staff statewide from sunrise until sundown today in honor of Patriot Day.

President Donald J. Trump has proclaimed that September 11 is to be recognized as Patriot Day and that flags be lowered to half-staff nationwide. He has also asked for the observance of a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 am ET (7:46 am CT/6:46 am MT) in honor of the brave victims who perished during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

News, Story

Every Acre Counts Program Expands to All South Dakota Counties

SDSU Extension has opened the Every Acre Counts program to include all counties in South Dakota with a primary emphasis on the eastern side of the state.
The goal of Every Acre Counts is to improve the profitability, diversity and ecosystem benefits of agriculture by using precision technologies to help producers make informed management decisions for every acre of their operations. The focus of the program is on marginal lands impacted by wet conditions, saline or sodic soils and eroded areas. Program outcomes will provide producers with information needed to increase their return on investment and gain an enhanced land management approach that will benefit the sustainability of land, water and natural resources.
Millions of acres across the state are impacted by these low-yielding conditions, and the financial burden of attempting to produce crops on these marginal lands can be negative. By evaluating marginal acres and their return on investment, data summaries and conclusions obtained from this program can be shared with producers to assist in making informed decisions. SDSU Extension will work with landowners throughout the state to precisely quantify the technical metrics of their existing operations and generate an economic analysis report, which will provide the information needed to pinpoint and quantify marginal acres on each operation.
Previously, Every Acre Counts was limited to 15 counties in eastern South Dakota. To kick start the program, four regions were selected to study different soil types and areas of concern. These included Moody, Lake and Minnehaha counties to study eroded and wet areas; Brown, Spink, Clark and Day counties to focus on saline/sodic and wet areas, in addition to the region of Edmunds, Potter and Faulk counties with a similar soil type; and Aurora, Brule, Buffalo and Jerauld counties to highlight saline/sodic and eroded areas. Now, all South Dakota counties will be included in the study.
The South Dakota Habitat Conservation Fund, U.S. Department of Agriculture/Natural Resources Conservation Service in South Dakota and Pheasants Forever are currently providing program funding through grants. Program operations support is currently provided by Agtegra, South Dakota Corn, Ducks Unlimited, the South Dakota Soil Health Coalition and South Dakota Game Fish and Parks. Federal, state and local habitat and conservation programs will also be used to leverage funding.
Every Acre Counts will continue to help producers increase farm profitability, wildlife habitats and stakeholder confidence, improve soil health and water quality and enhance student learning through the next five years and beyond.
If you have issues with marginal lands and would like to learn more about this program, contact SDSU Extension Soils Field Specialist Anthony Bly at anthony.bly@sdstate.edu or 605.690.4563.
News, Story

Five Individuals Selected for Induction into the South Dakota 4-H Volunteer Hall of Fame

A group of five individuals has been selected for induction into the South Dakota 4-H Volunteer Hall of Fame. Selected by the Volunteer Hall of Fame committee, the 2020 inductees include Patricia Casteel, Meade County; Calvin Finnesand, Roberts County; Mike Steiger, Dewey County; Patty Brunner, Pennington County; and Margaret Williams, Clay County.
The South Dakota 4-H Volunteer Hall of Fame commemorates the 4-H Centennial, which occurred in 2002. Each summer, individuals who have made significant contributions to county or state 4-H programming are honored through the 4-H Volunteer Hall of Fame.
 “In 4-H, we focus on ‘inspiring youth to do’ through hands-on learning, community service, and leadership experiences,” said Tim Tanner, SDSU Extension State 4-H Program Director. “These volunteers have demonstrated the community impact that a lifestyle of ‘doing’ can achieve. The 4-H program relies on the investment of caring volunteers just like these five honorees, and we sincerely appreciate their service.”
News, Story

Governor Noem Announces $75 Million in CARES Act Funding for K-12 Schools

Governor Kristi Noem  announced that public and private schools in South Dakota will receive an additional $75 million, or $500 per student, in new funding from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF).

“I appreciate the great work our schools are doing to ensure kids are back in the classroom this fall,” said Governor Noem. “We expect this additional funding will help schools continue to tackle challenges related to COVID-19. It’s crucial that our students are in the classroom this year, and we are grateful to the Trump administration for giving us the flexibility to help make that happen.”

The new funding is pursuant to yesterday’s updated guidance from the United States Department of Treasury. The CRF was created as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The new guidance also means that tribal governments can choose to make a similar payment to tribal and BIE schools.

The CARES Act provided $1.25 billion in funding to the state of South Dakota, and the new funding will come out of that allotment. South Dakota’s K-12 schools also received $41 million from the U.S. Department of Education’s Elementary & Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Funds. An additional $5.7 million will be awarded from the Governor’s Emergency Relief Funds at a future date.