Volume XCVII, NO. 8
Huron, SD
October 2014
South Dakota
Union Farmer A PUBLICATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA FARMERS UNION Getting to Know Wayne Soren
Atlas Blizzard: One Year Later
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Rail Issues Frustrate Farmers, Elevators and SDFU Leadership
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South Dakota Farmers Union Celebrates South Dakota Farm & Ranch Families
Mueller Family (L to R)Back: Jay, Blake (3), Angela, Derek, Kerri Wagner, Harrison (2) and Ryan Wagner. Front: Nancy, Sadie (6), Anna (4), Avery (8), Grady (6) and Delmar. Photo Courtesy of: Photography Unlimited, Mitchell, S.D.
2014 Washington D.C. Farmers Union Fly-In “Your voice is critically important because it brings credibility to our voice. It’s important that they (those who make the decisions in Washington) know that our members are behind what we are saying. This is why we do Fly-Ins,” said Roger Johnson, President of National Farmers Union in his welcome address to the more than 250 Farmers Union members who traveled from across the U.S. to D.C. for the 2014 National Farmers Union Fly-In Sept. 8-10. see SDFU Head on page 6
Save the Date 2014 Annual Convention November 20 - 21 Aberdeen, South Dakota
To join with the United Nations in celebrating the International Year of Family Farming, South Dakota Farmers Union will highlight a South Dakota farm or ranch family each month.This month South Dakota Farmers Union features the Mueller family of Ethan. Farming near Mitchell for almost130 years, the Mueller family traces their South Dakota farm roots back to Great-Grandpa Adolf. A Wisconsin carpenter and farmer, Adolf packed up his young family and moved to the Ethan area after friends wrote him of the rich soil and farming opportunities South Dakota offered.That was in 1885. Five generations later, Delmar Mueller, 63, and his sons, Jay, 35, and Derek, 31, continue the family farming tradition. Supporting three families on the farm has not been simple.To make things work, Jay has an off-farm job and the men run quite the diversified operation.They grow corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa.They also raise a cow/calf herd, do some custom farming and silage work and operate custom feeding operations, which include backgrounding cattle and finishing feeder pigs. Since the time Delmar began farming full-time in 1986, conservation has played an important role in their field and land management. Over the years Delmar and his sons have planted shelter belts and returned marginal acres to pastureland.The fields have been no-till since the early ‘90s and the Muellers follow small grain harvest with cover crops, which include millet, Sudan grass and a mix of legumes and root crops to maintain soil health, prevent erosion and improve water infiltration. “If you don’t take care of the land, it won’t take care of you. Plain and simple,” explained Derek. “The land is ur livelihood and we are conscious of how we treat it.” see Paving The Way on page 17