South Dakota Farm & Ranch February 2019

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE On the cover

TRAINING MOVEMENT AIMS TO PROVIDE QUALITY BEEF 21

Young heifers fill the arena while being shown for sale during auction at Mitchell Livestock Auction. (Matt Gade / Republic)

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Features

Wet Year

May Lead To Late Seed Buying, Planting

Soap For Men

Supporting The Idea

Preceded Success Keierleber Farm

Trade Mission To India

Seeks To Boost Soybean Meal Markets

Government Shutdown Slows Process

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Publisher J O NI HA RM S Editor LUKE HAGEN Advertising Director LO RIE HA NSEN Layout Design A NNA HINSV ERK

South Dakota Farm & Ranch is a monthly agricultural publication dedicated to informing South Dakota area farmers and ranchers about current topics, news and the future of agriculture. This publication fits the niche of our unique farmers and ranchers of South Dakota, and the diverseness we have in our state. Although the Missouri River divides our state, we are all South Dakotans and thank the land for supporting us each and every day.

You, our readers, may be livestock ranchers, or row crop farmers, and everywhere in between, however, we all have a common goal in mind. We feed and support the growing population and want the next generation to find that same love, dedication and support that agriculture can offer.

To subscribe to this FREE publication, contact South Dakota Farm & Ranch.

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Wet year may lead to LATE SEED BUYING, PLANTING

By Jake Shama For South Dakota Farm and Ranch PLATTE — After a wet growing season and a late harvest, South Dakota farmers may be waiting longer than usual to both buy seed and put it in the ground.

Todd DenBesten, owner of Dakota’s Best Seed in Platte, said most farmers buy corn and soybean seed before Jan. 1, but he suspects more business could be coming in the near future.

“This year, being with the wet fall we had and the late harvest, I would say there’s probably quite a bit of business that’s not committed yet out there,” DenBesten said.

Several areas in southeastern South Dakota were affected by flooding from spring through fall 2018, including areas along the James River that flooded for the first time in five or six years.

“Having a very wet fall or spring can be just as detrimental as drought,” said Sara Bauder, an SDSU Extension agronomy field specialist based in Mitchell. “It was very region specific, but last year, many farmers had

reduced yields or weren’t able to get crops planted or harvested in a timely manner, and this most likely caused yield loss in those areas.”

In other areas, Bauder said farmers had great yields, so overall state totals may not reflect the difficulties many operations faced.

The wet season could yet have further impact. A wet fall harvest may likely translate to a late planting season, Bauder said, as spring rains compounded with already saturated soils may be likely culprits for delaying planting.

Despite record-setting rainfall in cities like Sioux Falls, Yankton and Vermillion, no flood disasters were declared, according to Owen Anderson, executive director of the Farm Service Agency in Davison and Hanson counties.

“There were local wet areas in 2018, but there were no local qualifying flood disaster declarations in 2018, so no FSA flood assistance was provided locally,” Anderson said.

MORE ON: Page 7

Soybeans are shown standing an a field in this 2017 file photo.

(Mikkel Pates / Forum News Service)

February 2019 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 5

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CONTINUED FROM: Page 5 Anderson said FSA could still help affected farmers recoup some of their loss through the Ag Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs, but 2018 benefits have yet to be determined, and any payments, if any, would not be issued until October.

Combined with longtime concerns about crop prices, Bauder said some South Dakota producers may be in low spirits going into the year.

“I think some farmers are discouraged with the depressed farm economy we’ve had for quite some time now, in addition to the difficult moisture conditions we’ve had this last growing season,” Bauder said.

“But again, it’s just part of the profession. We can’t control the weather or the markets, not single handedly anyway.”

Planting for the future For farmers worried about future flooding, corn may be an attractive option, as the tall crop is somewhat more durable at maturity than soybeans, Bauder said.

Even early in the planting season, larger seeds, like corn seeds, fare better in wet conditions as compared to other common South Dakota annual crops, but Bauder said standing water still poses a problem for all plants, and results during flooding will vary based on an operation’s field management and weather.

Bauder recommended no-till practices, cover crops, leaving crop residue on fields and grazing livestock on fields instead of mechanically removing residue as a few ideas to to protect soils against erosion and flooding.

Many southern South Dakota farmers following one or more of those principles this past year — especially those with established no-till lands — often seemed more able to harvest earlier and leave fewer ruts in their fields, Bauder said, but it’s not a guaranteed solution to water build up.

Wet conditions in fields have farmers coming into the new year with low spirits.

(Shutterstock)

MORE ON: Page 9 February 2019 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 7

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CONTINUED FROM: Page 7 SDSU Extension Water Resources Field Specialist David Kringen added drain tile, grassed waterways and filter strips to the list, and he warned that runoff in fields may also leave sediment in local water supplies.

Back in Platte, DenBesten said more farmers buy seed for cover crops and crop diversification every year.

“I get calls everyday from people looking for something different than what they’ve been doing. They are looking to diversify their rotations,” DenBesten said. “They’re looking for other options besides the same old, same old. You keep doing what you’re doing, you keep getting what you’ve been getting.”

Dakota’s Best Seed also receives more interest in its non-GMO corn

seed every year, which DenBesten attributes in part to being a less expensive option that lets farmers cut input costs without sacrificing yield.

DenBesten expects South Dakota farming operations to continually become more diversified, and he believes the resulting improvement in soil structure will benefit everyone.

“That doesn’t happen overnight, but what you’ll see is a definite reduction in weed pressure and soil runoff and erosion, and basic soil health is going to translate to less herbicides, less pesticides and less commercial fertilizer that’s going to have to be applied,” Den Besten said.

“Everything starts with the dirt.” 

Soy beans can take a detrimental hit if fields are constantly overwhelmed by flooding.

(Shutterstock)

February 2019 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 9

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Supporting the idea of

soap for men

By Amy Kirk

Getting a grip on a bar of soap is sometimes hard for guys. Many wives set out only foofy potpourri-smelling soap for hand washing.

When floral and potpourri smelling soap lingers on a man’s hands, it can be a grim reminder that his man card (masculinity) is being tugged ever-so-slightly out of his hands. Washing hands with pansy soap is not something Amy Kirk that should be handled delicately.

For starters, men need soap that smells appealing to them; something like beer, pickups or wild game would be good, but unfortunately the idea hasn’t hit the market yet. For now, most men just want a bar of man soap. Some women, and a few men for that matter, are unaware that there is a soap just for men. There’s only one. It’s gritty and removes dirt, grease, grime, and skin. It’s called Lava. It even smells gritty; like sand and gravel.

MORE ON: Page 12

February 2019 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 11

CONTINUED FROM: Page 11 Lava isn’t hard to find on soap aisle shelves because men don’t need 43,756 soaps available to them. A guy can only wash with one bar of soap at a time. Lava is the easiest to identify because it’s the only soap that comes in a red wrapper with a dormant volcano on it, which ironically, is representative of my husband. He occasionally erupts when he wants to clean up after a particularly grime-ridden shop project and there’s no Lava.

When the black grime won’t come off with my scented soap, he’ll say in a disgruntled tone, “WHERE’S THE LAVA?” For those of you who have never heard of Lava soap or experienced Lava’s claim to fame that it’s “pumice powered,” let me enlighten you. Take a piece of 220 grit sandpaper and wrap it around your favorite moisturizer bar; add a little water and apply to skin. It scrubs off embedded dirt and leaves the skin feeling raw but clean. There’s a reason why it’s called hand soap, ladies.

Lava is the John Wayne of soaps: tough and abrasive. The only thing that’s soft about this volcanic soap is its color — it’s muted manure green.

Lava also contains “moisturizers,” which appears to be an oxymoron but is actually a selling point to target women — the ones most likely in charge of buying soap.

Man soap can do it all — including slowing down the onslaught of baldness. Like most male-targeted products, men are industrious at finding many other uses for a product originally designed for one purpose.

I heard about a guy who used Lava soap not only to exfoliate his head but used it to stimulate his hair follicles and promote hair growth.

The point I’m trying to make is that men can’t do these things with soap that melts into a greasy puddle when it has been wet too long, nor can men come clean about doing such things if they don’t have any Lava to do them with. As a family’s primary caretaker and shopper, it’s a wife’s duty to provide the means necessary for her husband to stimulate his hair follicles if he wants to. Wives agree to love, honor, and cherish their husbands; which includes their man card. It’s pertinent that wives get a handle on this before husbands threaten to pull the woman’s card: the credit one, because quite frankly, and my husband will attest that the replacement of Lava soap has gotten out of hand. 

12 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH February 2019

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February 2019 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 13

On Keierleber farm, flexibility and frugality

preceded success

Third-generation farming family celebrates 40 years near Colome

By Lura Roti For the S.D. Farmers Union

COLOME — According to Joel Keierleber, flexibility is the key to success on his and Audrey’s Colome farm.

“I am flexible and do what looks to be the most profitable way to use our farm ground,” explains the third-generation South Dakota farmer, of the strategy that has kept his farm more or less in the black the last 40 years.

“Instead of trying to get bigger, I work to add value to the acres I already own. This has been my philosophy all along.”

It’s late fall, and Joel walks out into a field of cover crops to explain. “This was crop ground two years ago. Then, I put in cover crops and a good stand of alfalfa and hayed and grazed it this year. I will probably do that again next year. After that, it will go into corn.”

He doesn’t plant just one corn hybrid.

“I always have to try something different. I want to plant several and see what will do the best.

Some guys are content to do the same thing over and over — even for generations — not me,” Joel says.

This mindset carries over to his cow/calf herd. In the early 1990s, he started finishing out his own cattle. But, if the feeder market was higher than fat cattle, he would sell at the feedlot.

“I never have one plan and stick

to it. I sit down and pencil it out to see what will be the most cost-effective way to farm. That is what I go with,” he explains.

When it comes to his family and his farm, Joel is resolute to “stick to it.”

“I knew I wanted to farm from the time I was 5,” he explains.

Growing up on a dairy farm near Clearfield, the fifth of nine children, Joel was driving the the pickup to help dad feed small bales before he started kindergarten. “Back then, you got started early. I also had the calf chores.”

After high school, he took a course in diesel mechanics and returned home to help his dad, who was in poor health. About that time, his older sister introduced him to Audrey, a college student. Her first teaching position happened to be in the area. Four years later, they were engaged.

With a plan to save up money to buy their own farm, the couple eagerly anticipated their June 1977 wedding. Then, in March, Joel was in a serious farm accident — his arm was caught in a silo unloader.

Joel was home alone and had to drive himself to the neighbors.’ “I met him on the road. The son was in the National Guard and in the medic unit. They took me to the hospital, 25 miles away,” Joel recalls.

Cover crops are among the management practices Joel Keierleber implements on his Colome farm to enhance soil health.

(South Dakota Farmers Union photo)

14 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH February 2019

MORE ON: Page 17

Joel and Audrey Keierleber are pictured on their Colome farm. (South Dakota Farmers Union photo)

February 2019 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 15

“I never have one plan and stick to it. I sit down and pencil it out to see what will be the most cost-effective way to farm. That is what I go with,” explains Colome crop and cattle producer, Joel Keierleber. This mindset carries over to his cow/calf herd. In the early ‘90s he started finishing out his own cattle. But, if the feeder market was higher than fat cattle, he would sell at the feedlot. (South Dakota Farmers Union photo)

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CONTINUED FROM: Page 14 His injuries were severe. “They told me when I was in the hospital that I would never lift my arm above my head again. They told me to go back to school so I could get a desk job.”

But, Joel wouldn’t listen. He was determined to farm. “I figured I had not failed yet. You have to fail two or three times to see if you can succeed.”

Audrey stuck by him.

“When they told him he would never farm again, I said ‘no way,’” she recalls.

They married and Joel began therapy in Denver. Although he recovered most of his mobility, the trauma of the accident left Joel a type-1 diabetic at 23, a chronic disease he has had to manage most of his adult life. Today, he is currently on the kidney transplant list.

In 1978, they found their farm, 320 acres, three and some odd miles from Colome. It was a less than ideal time to get started. The Farm Crisis was underway, but somehow, with Audrey’s small teacher’s salary and a lot of pencil to paper, they made the payments.

They say it also helped that they were not in debt to expensive machinery — Joel bought used machinery in need of repair. He made the repairs himself. Their small farm was quite diversified. Along with cattle, Joel raised hogs and sheep. He custom baled, he ran the first Vermeer baler west of the River. In the summer, Audrey sold balers and parts. The couple also sold McNess Feeds. “We kept busy, but that was the way you survived,” Joel explains. “There were opportunities then that we don’t have

today — doing little things like selling hog, sheep and dairy feed — that you can’t do today.”

Forced frugality led Joel into no-till farming. “We couldn’t afford to do tillage. So, I started failing at no-till in 1980 and finally succeeding by 1986.” He now operates 2,000 acres.

A soil test he took when he began changing his tillage practices showed his soils were depleted. “They were only at 0.8 percent organic matter.

They didn’t hold moisture and it was a drought period, so if your soils can’t hold water, it doesn’t pay to put fertilizer down.”

Joel read everything he could on building soil health. He attended workshops. He began rotating crops, hay and cattle. Recently, he introduced cover crops to his rotation. His efforts paid off. Today, soil tests show the organic matter of Joel’s fields between 4 and 6 percent.

“Our crop yields gradually started improving. I figure if I can get organic matter to 4 or 5 percent, I wouldn’t have to fertilize. This year we raised 200-bushel corn and I only applied 50 pounds of nitrogen per acre, No-till is the most cost-effective practice over the long-term. It’s not a one-year solution.”

In addition to building up their farm’s soil health, Joel and Audrey planted thousands of trees. “When we moved here, there wasn’t a tree in sight. We plant 5 to 6 acres at a time. My dad was the same way. I grew up planting trees. My brothers and I hoed trees until we had blisters.”

MORE ON: Page 18

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CONTINUED FROM: Page 17 Seeking cost-effective solutions also motivated Joel to modify his herd’s genetics. “I started downsizing the cows’ frame. We found our big cows never produced big calves. Not even in the feedlot, and the 1,150 to 1,200-pound cow made us the most money,” Joel says. “My smaller cows are probably eating 20 percent less feed as well.”

Joel also focuses on calving ease and strong udders. He breeds his herd to calve in May. “I don’t want to babysit those calves.”

Because it’s just him and Audrey, he breeds and culls based on disposition.

“When I move my cows, I just holler and they follow me.” He rotationally grazes pasture areas so the cattle are moved frequently.

To reduce stress at weaning for the calves and the Keierlebers, Joel does not wean in October. Instead, he weans around the holidays.

“The calves are used to eating feed by that time, so I wait for a warm spell around Christmas or New Years and wean. I used to treat a lot of sick calves each year, now I only treat one sick calf every two to three years.”

Because breeding season on the Keierlebers’ farm is August, they don’t currently AI, but purchase bulls instead. This year, Joel is trying yet another new idea. He bred his cows to Akaushi bulls, known for producing the high prime Kobe beef sold to Japanese markets. When Joel learned he could receive premiums as high as $250 a steer, he thought, “I just as well try it.”

Audrey retired from teaching in 2007. It was a career she enjoyed and the family needed the income and insurance to make it farming. So, when it

came to parenting, they say it was a team effort. Together, they raised their daughters, Brecky and Christine.

“I only had 10 days of sick leave when I had Christine. She was born on Dec. 23, so I also had Christmas break, but, she had colic. There were many nights when I would wake up and Joel would be bouncing her,” Audrey recalls. “Then, when they were older, I would have to be at school by 7:30 and in the early years I taught nearly 30 miles from home, so it was up to Joel to get the girls up and fed and ready for daycare.” By the time girls were in school, she only had to drive 8 miles.

Today, Joel and Audrey are active and involved grandparents to Davin, Jaren and Kaston Cwach and Jocelyn and Noah Wood.

When their daughters went off to college, Joel began to get more involved in South Dakota Farmers Union. First serving as Tripp County President and then serving as District 4 President. He spent 10 years serving on the state board of directors.

“When there is a need, someone needs to do something. It gets to a point ... maybe I do it out of frustration,” says Joel, who retired from the board of directors in 2018 due to health. “When you are on the kidney transplant list, you have to be within three hours of the hospital at all times. I also do dialysis four times a day, so, we have learned to work our schedule around that too.”

Even with his health challenges, Joel remains determined to farm. He is currently penciling plans for growing season 2019. 

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CLAREMONT — When they were young, Matthew and Mitchell that, their ability to add more protein to their diet,” McCranie explains.

McCranie made it clear to their dad, Mike, that farming wasn’t for them.

“With poultry, we have a large advantage over any other meat sector Instead of making plans to return to the Claremont farm that has been in because it is a meat that is accepted by all religious groups in India,” he says. their family for more than a century, they pursued engineering degrees at Based on reports from India’s health organization, many of their citizens South Dakota State University. are protein deficient. With per capita consumption of protein under 8 Life experience has a way of changing minds. Today, both engineers are pounds a year, the health organization urges its population to nearly farming with Mike and his wife, Monica, raising soybeans and corn. double their protein intake.

And, it’s for his sons, and the sons and daughters of soybean growers Trade issues with China were not reality when this trade mission to India across South Dakota, that Mike left 2018 harvest prep to Monica, was planned, however they were well underway when the USA Poultry Matthew and Mitchell this fall and participated in a trade mission to India, & Egg Export Council team began working to build export relationships representing the South Dakota Soybean in India.

Research & Promotion Council.

“Timing for this trade mission was quite SDSRPC is South Dakota’s soybean good. India is like a counterweight to China,” checkoff organization and focuses on McCranie says. “When you strategize where increasing opportunities for South Dakota you can get the biggest bang for your buck, as soybean farmers by wisely investing checkoff far as investing in expanding export markets, dollars in marketing, research, education and the Indian market is a good investment.” promotional initiatives.

During the trade mission, McCranie and “Now that my sons are farming, I realize members of the USA Poultry & Egg Export the promotional work I do is not just for Council met with 150 poultry producers, my generation of soybean farmers, but for importers, retailers and governmental future generations - we are investing in the representatives during a reception at the future of South Dakota agriculture,” explains home of U.S. Ambassador to India. They held McCranie a fourth-generation farmer. meetings with importers in New Delhi and “There are so few of us, percentage-wise, left Mumbai, networked with members of the farming. We need to have a strong voice.”

Forum of Indian Food Importers and the The trade mission to India was organized Federation of Cold Storage Association and by the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council visited poultry processing facilities and cold and designed to build relationships to bolster storage units. exports of U.S. poultry. And, because U.S. McCranie gave a talk on the U.S. soybean poultry is the largest consumer of U.S. farmers supporting increased exports of U.S. soybean meal, McCranie says increased poultry to India and how and why we want poultry exports will in-turn increase stateside the cooperation of all involved. demand for soybean meal.

“When you have that one-on-one Mike McCranie is a fourth-generation soybean farmer.

In March 2018, India officially opened relationship with potential buyers or buyers He farms near Claremont with his wife, Monica, trade to U.S. poultry and eggs. Mid-April, you have established, it builds trust. It also and sons Matthew and Mitchell. McCranie serves as India ports saw the first shipment of U.S. builds the confidence that this market will be Secretary of the South Dakota Soybean Research & chicken leg quarters. At the time of the trade here. It’s not like you’re going to make a sale Promotion Council. (SDSRPC photo) mission, the U.S. was the only country India and leave,” McCranie says. had opened its poultry markets to.

He sees this trade mission as just Since early 1990s, McCranie has served the beginning. multiple terms on the SDSRPC board as well as the United Soybean Board “It’s not a one-and-done. Like China, developing export markets takes where he served as vice chair of the international marketing committee long-term relationship building,” says McCranie, again comparing India when checkoff dollars sponsored some of the first trade missions to China. export potential today, to that of China 30 years ago. “The potential for He compares today’s India export potential to what soybean farmers saw huge growth is tremendous. A small checkoff investment today will ensure in China at that time. future South Dakota soybean farmers have the opportunity to meet “Just like China 30 years ago, India’s middle class is growing, and with demand and benefit from that growth.” 

February 2019 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 19

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quality beef CATTLE PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS SEE BENEFITS THROUGH CERTIFICATION

By Sam Fosness for South Dakota Farm & Ranch MORE ON: Page 23

Young heifers fill the arena while being shown for sale during auction at Mitchell Livestock Auction.

(Matt Gade / Republic)

February 2019 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 21

22 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH February 2019

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Auctioneers Wade Leist calls out for a bid during auction at Mitchell Livestock Auction.

(Matt Gade / Republic)

CONTINUED FROM: Page 21 In Dave Barz’s nine years as a large animal veterinarian for Mitchell Livestock, he’s witnessed a positive trend in the beef industry: Beef Quality Assurance certification.

While attaining a BQA certificate is not federally mandated, the growing list of beef packing and processing plants requiring BQA certified beef is putting pressure on cattle producers to join the movement, which has sparked some mixed reactions.

“A lot of cattlemen and farmers don’t want to be told how to do things with their livelihood, and most cattle producers feel confident that they already know how to properly care for their livestock,” Barz said. “But

its goal is to help the beef industry as a whole, and almost every packing plant won’t buy beef that’s not BQA certified now.”

The BQA program is primarily aimed to ensure cattle producers properly handle and care for their livestock, along with following specific procedures for vaccinating cattle, in order to maintain a standard of quality beef for buyers and consumers.

Barz said becoming BQA certified opens cattle producers up to a more profitable market, while those who opt not to are at risk of eliminating a growing number of potential customers in an already volatile cattle industry.

MORE ON: Page 25

February 2019 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 23

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24 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH February 2019

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CONTINUED FROM: Page 23 There are several ways to become BQA certified, which include online and in-person certification courses that vary in length and are free of charge. Upon completion, the BQA certification is valid for three years in the state of South Dakota.

Barz is also the owner of Northwest Veterinary and Supply, which has locations in Mitchell Parkston, Wagner, Menno and Yankton. BQA training and producer meetings were planned for Tripp, Mitchell and Wagner for the month of February.

“I want to provide as much useful information about the BQA program as I possibly can,” he said.

From a cattle producer’s perspective, Darrel Reuer supports the BQA

certification movement, which he obtained recently through an online program. Reuer, a cattle rancher out of Iroquois, has been in the beef industry since 1971, when he got his start as a cattle buyer for a sale barn in Huron.

“People want to know where their food comes from, and that cattle are being handled in a humane way, so I think it’s a great thing for beef producers and consumers,” Reuer said.

Reuer highlighted some of the areas he found most beneficial during the two-hour online certification course, which included methods of learning low-stress cattle handling and vaccination placement.

MORE ON: Page 27

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Young heifers fill the arena while being shown for sale during auction at Mitchell Livestock Auction.

(Matt Gade / Republic)

CONTINUED FROM: Page 25 “The portion of learning about where the best places to put vaccinations in cattle are and the different techniques of cattle handling, were a nice refresher for me,” Reuer said, who traded in his role as a cattle buyer to become a producer in 1990.

As a cattle rancher for the past 29 years on his family’s Iroquois farm, Reuer has noticed a growing number of beef consumers interested in learning where their beef comes from.

“More and more consumers want to know how their beef got to the table and whether it’s safe to eat, and we have to respect that,” he said.

The BQA movement is beginning to extend past the producer level, as Barz said beef plants are now requiring cattle haulers to be certified with what is called a Beef Quality Assurance Transportation (BQAT)

qualification. This subsection of the program is designed to ensure cattle are being properly handled on the roads, which Barz said can be a complex process.

“A lot can go wrong when transporting cattle, especially with extreme winter weather, so it’s important for beef haulers to maintain proper handling just as cattle producers do,” Barz said.

Aside from opening the door to more buyers, Barz said certified cattle producers can rest easy knowing their product is in line with the standards consumers and buyers are looking for.

“For the betterment of cattle, producers, consumers and haulers, I feel that Beef Quality Assurance is a step in the right direction for the beef industry,” Reuer said. 

February 2019 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 27

Implementing the new farm bill:

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SLOWS PROCESS

By Jonathan Knutson for Forum News Service Approving the new farm bill was an important, necessary step for U.S. agriculture. But the legislation still needs to be implemented — a task slowed and complicated by the federal government shutdown several ag leaders say.

Now, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will do what’s needed to put the farm bill into practice as quickly as possible, said Steve Censky, USDA deputy undersecretary.

“Congress has done its work (passing the farm bill). Now it’s our turn,” Censky said.

Censky spoke during a session on implementing the 2018 farm bill held Feb. 5 in Washington, D.C., by the Farm Foundation, which bills itself as “an agricultural policy institute cultivating dynamic non-partisan collaboration to meet society’s needs for food, fiber, feed and energy” The session was carried online, where it was available to journalists and others.

Also appearing at the Feb. 5 session: Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., chairman of the Senate Ag Committee; Barry Flinchbaugh, professor emeritus of agricultural economics at Kansas State University; Tara Smith, vice president of federal affairs with Michael Torrey Associates, where she works with clients on crop insurance, among other things; and Alan Bjerga, senior vice president of communications with the National Milk Producers Federation.

The farm bill, the centerpiece of federal food and agricultural policy, is updated about every five years. The old farm bill expired in 2018, and a new one was approved by Congress on Dec. 20 and signed into law by President Donald Trump on Dec. 21. But then the federal government shut down for 35 days, stopping USDA from working to implement the farm bill.

“We plan on catching up very quickly. We don’t plan on using the

The U.S. Capitol in Washington reflects on wet concrete.

28 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH February 2019

shutdown as an excuse (for not implementing it),” Censky said. “We have a big job to do as we move forward (and) we’ll move quickly.”

USDA plans “listening sessions” to gather input on implementation, and will announce its schedule once it’s been determined, Censky said.

Fortunately, though the new farm bill contains many changes, the revisions aren’t considered “revolutionary” or fundamental, which helps to moderate the effects of the delay in implementation, the ag officials said.

“This was not the time for a revolutionary farm bill,” Roberts said. “We needed to provide certainty and predictability.”

“What do farmers need more than anything else? It’s certainty,” which this farm bill provides, Flinchbaugh said.

“Net farm income has been cut in half in the last five years. That’s an astounding statistic. We’ve got problems in farm country,” Flinchbaugh said. “We’re in the midst of a vicious trade war that will cost agriculture billions. History shows that no one wins a trade war. Everybody loses.”

So, “Agriculture needs this farm bill. This is a farmer-friendly farm bill,” Flinchbaugh said. “USDA has plenty of catching up to do (and) time is of the essence.”

Smith, addressing the crop insurance provisions in the new farm bill, described them as “improvements and tweaks to a program that farmers will tell you works for them.”

Bjerga said the dairy industry, hard-pressed by a downturn in revenue, will benefit from changes in the new farm program.

His industry has seen “more than marginal improvements” in the new legislation, and “dairy is excited about this farm bill,” he said.

The new farm bill replaces the former Margin Protection Program for Dairy with Dairy Margin Coverage. The DMC offers reduced premiums and a one-time signup bonus, among other things. 

BEFORE YOU BUILD,

BUILD A RELATIONSHIP FOR UP TO 5 YEARS

UP TO 30% DISCOUNT! (includes 3.9% for 5 years on round balers and disc mower conditioners)

NOW UNTIL MARCH 31

New Model Year 2019 Hay Tools JUST ARRIVED!!

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GET BIG DISCOUNTS ON ALL NEW HOLLAND HAY TOOLS!

Residential • Commercial • Ag Buildings Hog Finishing & Nursery Facilities

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1-800-573-8426 • 1-605-227-4224 ethancooplumber.com February 2019 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 29

We Salute OUR LOCAL FFA CHAPTER

MITCHELL FFA OFFICERS: President - Haylee Constant

-In recognition of National FFA Week-

Vice-President - Jeremy Long Secretary - Olivia Husmann Treasurer - Jocelyn Vogel Reporter - Emma Christopherson 501 Dakota Ave. South Wessington Springs, SD

605-539-1444

ALPENA

Coop Service 831 Main Ave • Alpena, SD

605-849-3341

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WE OFFER GREAT PRICES!

Checking Services • Savings CD’S • IRA’S Mortgages • Vehicle & Personal Loans

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COMMUNITY BANK OF AVON

118 N Main St. • Avon, SD

605-286-3213

Excavation & Utility Construction of All Types

• FOOD • FUEL • CLEAN STORE • FRIENDLY SERVICE

Scott & Mary Tilberg, Agents 720 N. Main, Mitchell 996-7709 • 1-800-529-0061 www.grahamtire.com

30 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH February 2019

I-90 & US Hwy 281 Plankinton, SD 605-942-7138

1140 Spruce Street · PO Box 128 Alexandria, SD 57311 605.239.4513

Brian Dodd, Owner 24699 395th Ave., Mt. Vernon

605-236-5755 Farming is your livelihood, and it’s our business to help protect that.

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Farm Tire Service

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Emery, SD | Carl Nordwald

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A Good Bank in a Good Community!

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“FROM WHEELS TO FIELDS”

LOCATED ON THE WEST END OF MAIN STREET, LETCHER, SD

996-3536

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CLAYTON’S REPAIR SHOP

605-248-2344 605-999-4038

996-4137

A&G II, SERVICE & TIRE REPAIR

I-90 & Hwy 37

Business: 605-770-2957 Home: 605-449-4939

Emery, SD 605-449-4255

Complete Diesel Repair

123 E. Spruce

Rocky Niewenhuis

I-90 & Hwy. 37 Mitchell,SD 996-8299

285 Main Street Corsica, SD 57328

605-946-5606

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HOFFMANN INSURANCE AGENCY

HOFFMAN DIGGING & WELL REPAIR Certified Septic Tank Installer, Trenching, Septic Tank Cleaning, Backhoe Work, Well & Pump Repair

EDDIE HOFFMAN Home: 248-2235 Cell: 770-0914

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P.O. Box 56 • Letcher, S.D. 57359

“For All Your Insurance Needs” Marty & Julie Hoffmann

431 Main Street • PO Box 7 • Alexandria, SD

Phone: 605-239-4335 Fax: 605-239-9335

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Helping Farmers Prosper

We offer propane, gas & diesel products

A&G DIESEL TRUCK REPAIR

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MITCHELL CHAPTER:

Front Row: Advisor Jeff Hoffman, Madisyn Sheesley, Emma Christopherson, Haylee Constant, Jeremy Long, Olivia Husmann, Jocelyn Vogel. Middle Row: Cody Hagemeyer, Haley Kelly, Jeff Petersen, Samantha Ford, Andrew Herrlein, Emma Hohn, Taylor Henkel. Back Row: Samantha Kludt, Kelsey Putnam, Mark Williams, Maddy Henkel, Edana Mahrt, Hayden Titze, Becca Long. Other FFA members not pictured: Clay Jorgensen, Zeke VanWalleghen, Hannah Nelson, Alexis Nelson, Allie Tuttle, John Riggs. Mt. Vernon student/members not pictured: Emily Maltzberger, Katherine Belau, Sydney Tlam, Logan Tlam.

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Sentinel - Madisyn Sheesley

Hoffmanninsurance@Triotel.net

National FFA Week

FEBRUARY 16–23, 2019

In Proud Recognition of our Future Farmers!

The National FFA Organization promotes the growth of tomorrow’s agricultural leagers through education. We salute local FFA members for their dedication to developing the leadership skills, confidence and career dedication to developing the leadership skills, confidence and career direction that will help them succeed in their chosen fields.

Emma Christopherson rides and trains horses for a business in Minnesota as part of her Supervised Agricultural Experience project.

Please join us in celebrating their accomplishments and bright futures during National FFA Week.

Meyers Oil Company

605-996-5221

www.meyersoil.com

See Us For All Your Farm & Ranch Needs

Your Sioux Steel Dealer

Plankinton 605-942-7636 Wessington Springs 605-539-1871 White Lake 605-249-2274

OVERWEG

AUTO, GLASS & FUEL, LLC

CLYDE OLSEN, CLYDE OLSEN

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AUCTIONEER AUCTIONEER

Real Estate - Farm Auctions - Household Auctions

Real Estate • Farm

1-877-742-5402

Precision Nutrition

605-996-8371

ROLLING HILLS

VETERINARY CLINIC

serving the area with all your livestock needs

605-539-1040

Jason Weber Manager 102 South Depot • Parkston, SD

Email us at coryf@santel.net

CONTACT CORY 605-350-6800

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TO OUR LOCAL FARMERS,

605-995-0595 001689982r1

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• EXPERIENCED • RELIABLE • SERVICE OF CROP INSURANCE Since 1985

107 E Main Street Wessington Springs, SD 605-539-9661

Together we’re not just working to strengthen the community, but to change the world.

T.K. Electric 419 E Juniper Mitchell

605-942-7262

Dozer Work - Ditch Cleaning Tree Removal - Demolition Excavation of Any Type

Email us at coryf@santel.net

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Keith Overweg 408 S Main • Plankinton

Thank you to our area Farmers and Ranchers!

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• Customized Grower & Finisher Rations • Sell Complete Feed & Concentrates in Bags & Bulk • Bag Mineral for All Classes of Livestock • Werk Weld Dealer • Bextra Round Bale Feeders • What Else Welding Free Standing Panels & Wind Breaks • Forever Plastic Post Dealer 605-928-7954

102 1st Street NE Wessington Springs, SD

www.meyerinkfs.com

1-800-658-2293 • 605-337-2621

INSTALLATION OF DRAIN TILE AND WATERLINE

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J & R Feeds Supplier

Meyerink Farm Service

THANK YOU

See the world differently.

POET.COM/Mitchell 877-777-4084

Mitchell, SD Chamberlain, SD 990-2376 234-6086

Winner, SD 842-3050

www.statewideag.com Statewide Ag Insurance is an equal opportunity provider/employer

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620 E. 7th St. • Platte, SD

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MIDWEST AG CENTER

& Household 605-999-4683 Auctions 38926 243rd St. - Plankinton, SD 57368 INSTALLATION OF St 38926 243rd Plankinton, SD DRAIN TILE 605-999-4683 AND WATERLINE

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Sioux Grain Bins

301 North Truck Street Kimball, SD 605-778-6211 • 888-282-2593

OLSEN OLSEN AUCTION AUCTION SERVICE SERVICE

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Sioux Calving Pen

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1500 W 5th Ave. Mitchell, SD

OWNERS: Chad Heezen & Wade Christensen 001690026r1

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Mitchell FFA students who attended the National FFA Convention last fall were Haylee Constant, Taylor Henkel, Jeremy Long, and Andrew Herrlein. They were part of the 60,000 high school students from across the nation that attended the convention in Indianapolis. The students attended the Career Show, convention sessions and listened to motivational speakers, leadership workshops and toured area ag businesses.

Westown

1153 Spruce St. Alexandria, SD 605-239-4411

Hours: 6:00 am-10:00 pm 7 days a week

February 2019 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 31

32 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH February 2019