• Purchase the appropriate safety gear and require your employees to use it.
• Post appropriate caution signs on machinery and equipment.
• Insist that children stay out of the workplace and off equipment.
• Keep an eye on workers and allow any that are too tired, stressed or ill to work to go home.
• Have emergency plans in place, practice them often with your employees and stay informed!
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Leaders praise efforts to bring new rendering plant to area Dakota Protein Solutions debuts cutting-edge venture
BY ERIK KAUFMAN
Mitchell Republic
FREEMAN, S.D. — The makeshift stage at Dakota Protein Solutions near Freeman was crowded Tuesday morning, Sept. 3, with local and state government officials along with members of the ownership group and a handful of employees for the new enterprise.
After about 20 minutes of remarks from those gathered before an audience of approximately 100 members of the public, the ribbon was cut and the future of Dakota Protein Solutions was underway.
That future was years in the making and a result of dozens of individuals — from private investors to public officials — pitching in to make the new venture and the economic benefits that come with it a reality.
“It started in 2019, and then we went through the permitting process and checked all the boxes for logistics,” Scott Stern, a member of the local ownership group, told the Mitchell Republic following the ceremony. “The investor group all has a lot of experience on the inputs or expertise on the stuff that comes out, so I describe it as kind of a dream team. It’s just a bunch of great guys.”
The results of that partnership between investors, local, county and state government leaders and agriculture industry experts was on display on opening day, while members of the public took part in tours of the facility and heard comments from a number of economic development and agriculture officials.
Dakota Protein Solutions is expected to provide an environmentally secure location to dispose of dead livestock for farmers, which should enhance biosecurity and disease control as well as eliminate the potential for soil and water contamination. The facility will process primarily hogs and cattle and other potential game entrails processed by state-authorized meat processors.
The new plant is expected to inject around $18 million annually into the local economy while also providing 12 new full-time jobs. The plant is expected to begin work in the next few weeks, according to officials.
Recalling a childhood story about a cousin who had to leave his small town for a job in the big city due to a lack of good jobs, U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson told the crowd that efforts like the one that brought Dakota
Protein Solutions to Freeman have changed the agriculture industry and rural economic development for the better.
“Let’s be honest, the 1960s, 70s and 80s were not a great era for rural America. But about five years ago, the numbers changed really quickly. Even before COVID it was amazing how many rural areas began to grow,” Johnson told the audience. “And when you dive into the numbers and ask why that is, you find a lot of different answers.”
Rural America has the appeal of low crime rates and low cost of living, and telecommuting has allowed greater flexibility in being able to live in one place and work in another, he said.
Also important is the private investment put into rural development, a factor that had a strong hand in making Dakota Protein Solutions a reality.
“One thing not as talked about is the hundreds of billions of dollars that have been put into rural America during those years, which has created tens of thousands of jobs that otherwise wouldn’t have been there,” Johnson said. “What really makes this work — you have to have people willing to put their own money on the line to create those jobs. And if we ever forget that that’s the straw that stirs the drink in rural government in this country, we’re done for, because there’s not enough government money to do the kind of value-added ag
projects that have been done, particularly in our part of the world, over the course of the last 10 to 15 years.”
Stern said it took a village of supporters, ranging from adjacent landowners to officials in Hutchinson County and Turner County, the city of Freeman and state government to make everything come together.
He cited working with the city of Freeman, which helped the plant overcome an unforeseen hurdle, as an example. When the plant first sought out a supply of water
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
South Dakota Representative Dusty Johnson, left, takes a tour of the new Dakota Protein Solutions plant with Ron Stover, owner of Stony Creek Nutrition in Elkhorn, Neb., on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Freeman.
PROTEIN SOLUTIONS
CONTINUED FROM 4
to operate the massive boilers on site, it reached out to a pair of local rural water suppliers, both of whom were supportive but did not have the available supply to fit the plant’s needs. Dakota Protein Solutions even tried drilling for water but came up short.
Turning to the city of Freeman, the group learned the community still had unused wells that had at one time supplied water to the city, which lies about a mile west and a mile north of the plant. The city had switched to rural water decades ago, and an arrangement was made to retap those wells and run a line from the city to the plant.
“We actually went to the city of Freeman, which had abandoned wells from when Freeman connected to B-Y Water 25 or 30 years ago. So we put these wells back into production and ran a 4-mile, 6-inch line out to the plant,” Stern said. “And Freeman is getting paid for the water, so it works out well for us and for them.”
The plant will both add value to agricultural products while minimizing its impact on the environment and the residents who call the area home.
Plant officials estimate there is approximately 415 million pounds of renderable dead stock within 150 miles of the plant. There are also several slaughter facilities without their own proprietary rendering capacity that produce 52 million to 80 million pounds of byproducts per year that could be processed by Dakota Protein Solutions. They figure the plant will be able to keep as much as 1.5 million pounds per week of rendered material out of landfills.
Officials said they also invested heavily in a state-of-the-art air scrubber that will clean the entire cubic footage of the plant every 15 minutes and is vented through a stack to maximize odor control.
Stern said Dakota Protein Processing wants to ensure concerns about such plants, odor being a common one, are addressed so that the community that has been so supportive is impacted minimally by its operation.
“You can see how many people were supportive, and the government organizations,” Stern said. “The landowners who were adjacent — we went out and met with them and we spared no expense putting a very sophisticated air scrubber in to make sure that this plant stays clean and that we’re being good neighbors. And I’m one of the closest neighbors.”
Several in attendance lauded the value that would be added to agricultural products. Drew Peterson, a state representative from District 19, said the potential benefits of the plant are evident.
“This is going to have a direct impact on our operation, and it’s so exciting that we get to add value to products that we otherwise wouldn’t be adding value to,” said Peterson, who farms near Salem. “As far as serving
our community, there is nothing better than adding value to our ag products.”
Joe Fiala, commissioner for the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, agreed. A strong agriculture industry means a strong economy, especially in South Dakota, and facilities like Dakota Protein Solutions help
get that done. Fiala was appointed to the GOED commissioner role on Aug. 21.
Though it may have taken a few years to come to fruition, those behind the scenes did well making it happen, he said.
“With every project, there are hurdles to overcome and unforeseen things you have to handle, and they’ve done a great job,” Fiala said. “This facility will make products that are valuable and can be sold and bring new money to South Dakota and to this area in
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
Freeman Mayor Mike Walter speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Dakota Protein Solutions plant on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Freeman.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
Kim Meyer explains about the protein products made at the Dakota Protein Solutions plant on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Freeman.
CONTINUED FROM 5
particular. This is something that will help Freeman and the area for a long time.”
Twelve new jobs may seem like a modest addition to the local workforce, but every new job in rural America makes a difference, Johnson said.
Those new jobs are exactly what rural communities in South Dakota need, he said, and it was exciting to see forward-thinking investors, economic development leadership and local and state government working together to make it all happen.
“I think (12 is) a big number. Obviously in rural America we don’t add jobs 1,000 at a time. We add them one or two at a time. So to get 12 jobs that are going to be good paying and add value to agriculture in every direction for 150 miles, that’s a big success story,” Johnson said. “The millions and millions of dollars that investors put at risk here to make something special? I’m grateful for it. It’s a team sport — state and local government stepped up as well. So it’s a team sport but nothing happens if we don’t have private sector individuals willing to create jobs.”
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
South Dakota Representative Dusty Johnson speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Dakota Protein Solutions plant on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Freeman.
Kennedy Tesch / Agweek
The South Dakota State Fair celebrated the ground breaking of the new open class sheep facility Aug. 29 with a number of agriculture industry representatives and Gov. Kristi Noem at the South Dakota State Fairgrounds in Huron, South Dakota.
SD State Fair breaks ground on new sheep facility
KENNEDY TESCH
Agweek
HURON, S.D. — The South Dakota State Fair is an annual event for many South Dakota 4-H and show families. This year, the fair celebrated the groundbreaking event for a new open class sheep facility at the fairgrounds on Aug. 29.
Since the early 1950s, the open class sheep building has been an important part of the fair but the previous building had outlived its use and securing a new building for sheep exhibitors had become a top priority for the state fair.
However, when the open class beef complex on the fairgrounds burnt down in an early morning fire in October 2020, replacing that building quickly became the fair’s main focus, according to Peggy Besch, manager of the South Dakota State Fairgrounds.
“We were actually working on designing a new open class sheep barn, then when the beef complex burned down, it really changed the focus, because that facility was our most used facility on the fairgrounds,” Besch said.
After replacement of the beef complex was secured with the opening of the Dakota
Events Complex or DEX at the 2023 fair, the fair board became committed to getting a new building for sheep exhibitors.
“We gathered several sheep producers, sheep exhibitors, ag industry folks, and just started talking about the needs of the fair and the needs of the sheep industry, but also just beyond the sheep industry,” Besch said.
The new 40,000 square foot building, which will be known as the SHED, will be covered by an acre of rooftop, including a 2,300 square foot show ring, the ability to accommodate 1,000 head of sheep, a 792 square foot mezzanine, 30 bay wash rack, bleachers, concrete flooring, and restrooms.
The new building will also feature a 1,320 square foot indoor educational center that will provide a place for interactive learning, information on the sheep industry,
opportunities in agriculture, and the state’s rich agricultural history. The estimated cost is $8 million with a fundraising goal of $3 million.
Roger Regehr, a sheep producer near Marion, South Dakota, has been exhibiting sheep at the South Dakota State Fair since the late 1960s.
Having a long history of exhibiting at the state fair and having exhibited sheep at several fairs and livestock shows across the country, Regehr served on the building committee for the SHED project.
“It's got concrete floors so it won't be dusty like the old one was. It's bigger, it's all together and the mezzanine on top of the office, I think will be great. You can go up there but yet see everything that’s happening,” Regehr said. “I think the location is perfect, right down on Third Street, looking down the midway. You can't beat that, I think it’s the best spot on the fairgrounds myself.”
Regehr also believes that the education portion of the building will be helpful in promoting the sheep industry across the state.
“People can come in there, look at what sheep are raised for. Sheep are still a good commodity. They eat weeds and stuff like that. Their feed conversion is very good,” Regehr said.
Besch believes the new building showcases the resilience of the ever-evolving agricultural industry.
The South Dakota State Fair held a ground breaking ceremony for a new open class sheep building, the
planned to be open in time for the 2025 South Dakota State Fair.
“The SHED is very symbolic of our future and the future of agriculture. It's an investment in the state fair, but also the ag industry,” she said.
The South Dakota State Fair ran from Aug. 28 through Sept. 2. The SHED is expected to be open in time for the 2025 South Dakota State Fair.
“People can come in there, look at what sheep are raised for. Sheep are still a good commodity. They eat weeds and stuff like that. Their feed conversion is very good.”
Roger Regehr, a sheep producer near Marion, SD
Contributed / South Dakota State Fair
SHED, on Aug. 29. The SHED is
Dakota Conservation Network simplifies access to programs
BY ARIANA SCHUMACHER Agweek
MITCHELL, S.D. — Conservation program resources are abundant in South Dakota, and they were spread out among dozens of websites and organizations — until the Dakota Conservation Network was created.
This new website, conservesd.org, brings all the information to one location, in an easy to navigate webpage. This is a project that program coordinator Blaine Brakke has been working on for the past four years.
“When I was getting into this, I didn’t have a whole lot of knowledge, so it was a little bit personal to me because it was hard to find and learn about NRCS programs, Pheasants Forever, Game Fish and Parks, all the different programs,” Brakke said. “I had at one point 80 to 100 different tabs open trying to find these programs and I thought there’s got to be a way to get this stuff in one place.”
The website launched this spring. Right now, the site features different conservation programs from around 30 different organizations.
“Mostly anything to do with a lot of your crop ground and grass and some hay ground on there,” Brakke said.
There is an interactive map that gives visitors a look of all the programs offered in each county.
“If you kind of understand what you are looking for, you go on there and pick your county that you want to look in and find out what programs are available,” Brakke said.
It’s a partner-driven project.
“So, if you are a partner in conservation or if you have a service, say like well drilling or whatever that may be, you can also put your information on there,” Brakke said. “So, we are slowly developing into that hub for conservation.”
This website is a great source as agriculture starts to look to the next generation of producers, Brakke explained.
“Some of the older guys are starting to be on their way out and a lot of the younger folks don’t pick up the phone quite as easily as some of the older guys. It is easier for them to visit a website and scratch around and look and get some ideas maybe before they call,” he said. “I think it provides a way to look up this kind of stuff without having to maybe go into the office or be on the phone for an hour with the office or go into the office.”
And it’s a place for more than just ag producers.
“I think with a lot of services out there that people don’t know about, say if they are just planting a garden, there is so much assistance out there that people don’t have an idea that it is out there,” Brakke said.
They hope to eventually be able to showcase local projects on the website as well.
“I think a lot of people that aren’t producers or that live in the conservation space, don’t know all of the programs and projects that are happening in their area,” Brakke said. “They could be happening right out their backyard and they wouldn’t know. And with this website, we are slowly developing maps to show (the projects).”
It's been a slow start, but overall, they have seen a good response to the site.
“We’ve gotten a lot of great feedback and now we are just getting going on trying to get it out to producers and local folks to have them start to use it," he said.
Montana (www.mtanaconservationmenu. org) and North Dakota (https://www.
dakotalegacyinitiative.com) both have websites similar to this.
“All of them are new within the last couple of years,” Brakke said. “So, I think it has been found as a definite need for websites like this and I would expect it to expand.”
Ariana Schumacher/Agweek
Blaine Brakke, program coordinator for Dakota Conservation Network.
Vilsack shares his thoughts and concerns on farm bill
BY ARIANA SCHUMACHER Agweek
BOONE, Iowa — During the Farm Progress Show, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack shared his hope on getting the farm bill completed.
“I know that Chairman (Glenn "GT") Thompson has exercised his enthusiasm and optimism for getting a bill done, and I share that hope,” Vilsack said, regarding the chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture.
The 2018 Farm Bill expired on Sept. 30, 2023, but Congress extended the bill's authority through Sept. 30. 2024.
He said that there are different levels of optimism on getting a new bill done.
“I would say the chairman probably has the highest level,” Vilsack said. “Here’s what I am optimistic about: I am optimistic about the people who are involved in this process, understanding the importance of it, getting it done certainly before the end of the year.”
Vilsack explained the urgency about getting the bill completed by the end of the year.
“If it doesn’t get done before the end of the year, or there’s not an extension before the end of the year, then there’s some ramifications that are pretty dire,” he said. “I know that folks in both the House and Senate are fully aware of that, and I know that they are committed, each and every one of them, to American farmers, ranchers and rural America. So based on this understanding, I’m convinced that eventually they are going to get this done.”
But Vilsack has his hesitations on the bill.
Ariana Schumacher / Agweek
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack addresses the media at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, on August 28, 2024.
“But I think, frankly, we are going to have to get practical about this,” he said. “We are going to have to make sure that we know exactly how much resource is available for new programs and expansion programs, and we are going to want to make sure that the programs and the resources are fair.”
Looking at the resources that are available for new programs or expansion of existing programs is key.
“And try to fit whatever you’re proposing within the real cost, not a cost that’s made up or not a cost that you use the budget gimmicks to try to overshadow,” Vilsack said. “I think that is what has to happen.
When that does happen, then I think it’ll be relatively simple and quick for folks to ultimately get to yes."
He shared his concerns about the reference price proposal.
“I think the challenge with the reference price discussion is that there are obviously geographic differences between the level of support that a rice farmer would get under the reference price proposal, nearly $300,000, and what a soybean producer here in Iowa would get, about $5,400,” Vilsack said.
While there are still areas of differences when coming to the farm bill, Vilsack
thinks they are not impossible to come to a conclusion on.
“The areas of difference are just a handful, they’re big, they’re significant, but they’re not impossible to bridge,” he said.
But once they start to approach the bill with a practical mindset, Vilsack thinks it will be easy to complete.
“Once we get practical, I think it’ll be easy for people to get in a room and hammer out the details and hopefully provide the security and stability and predictability that farmers need in order to be able to make plans now into the future,” he stated.
Harvest memories center on mom's homemade meals & pies
During haying and harvest seasons my mom, Marcia, ended her dinners with one of those pies or several others that were on her long list.
She didn’t work in the field driving trucks or combines like some farm women did, instead preferring to contribute to the harvest effort by making the biggest and best meals she could for my dad, brother and their employees.
The meals she made for “the men” who came in from the field at noon to eat around the table at our farmhouse kitchen were legendary for the variety, quantity and quality of food she served them.
The meals centered around meat — beef roast, roast chicken, pork roast or some other variation of the three — and potatoes and gravy. Green and orange vegetables also were prominent.
My mom’s garden harvest coincided with the grain harvest so the dinner table was laden with either cooked green beans, peas, sweet corn or buttercup squash, and every day refrigerated pickled cucumbers and onions, fresh tomato slices and carrot sticks vied for space. Watermelon, honeydew melon and cantaloupe also were served, but not for dessert.
Dessert most always was mouthwatering pie. Not only was the filling tasty, but the flakey crust a flavorful delight. On the rare occasions she didn’t make pie to cap the meal, she whipped up a sweet treat such as homemade chocolate, lemon poke or pistachio pudding cake.
No sooner had my mom cleared the table, washed and dried the dishes — sometimes with my help but more often by herself because I was outside doing work to avoid the latter — and ironed some clothes, when it was time to start thinking about making lunch for the harvest crew.
I helped her make the lunches, which typically were a meat sandwich, sometimes roast beef, chicken or pork slices leftover from dinner and other times lunch meat such as minced ham, with sides of fresh veggies, cookies and lemonade.
During haying, the crew of men and teenaged boys took a break and sat on or leaned up against the flatbed trailers while they ate their lunches. When I was little my mom let me stay after she delivered the lunch to the alfalfa field that was a half mile from our farmstead and eat lunch with the haying guys and then ride back on a trailer load of hay.
I don't know what it was about being in a hay field that made minced ham sandwiches dipped in lemonade the best thing I had ever eaten. I tried that combination at home a couple of years ago and it wasn’t anything like I remembered. I guess the hot sun, itchy alfalfa leaves and dust added flavor that can’t be created.
During harvest I accompanied my mom to the grain fields to deliver the lunches to the combine, trucks and swather where my dad, employees and brother were, in that order, until I got old enough to drive. Then I took over as the delivery driver.
The men ate on the go during harvest, and I spent time with my dad in the combine, brother on the swather and in the trucks of the drivers, visiting with each of them about how the crop looked from their perspectives.
Recalling those days on the farm when my mom worked hard to fuel the men who were bringing in the hay and the harvest is bittersweet because most of them, including my dad, mom and brother, are no longer on Earth, but I am happy that I made those memories that are still close to my heart.
Ann Bailey lives on a farmstead near Larimore, N.D., that has been in her family since 1911. You can reach her at 218-779-8093 or abailey@agweek.com.
National Cattlemen's Beef Association discusses policy
Kennedy Tesch / Agweek
The South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association welcomed members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association policy team to host a discussion panel Aug. 21 during the second day of Dakotafest which ran Aug. 20-22 in Mitchell, South Dakota. Taya Runyan, executive director of the South Dakota Cattlemen's Association, left, Ethan Lane, the vice-president of government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Tanner Beymer, executive director of government affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association led discussion.
KENNEDY TESCH Agweek
MITCHELL, S.D.
The new EID ruling and the Charles and Heather Maude indictment case were just some of the topics of discussion at a meeting hosted with members from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association on Aug. 21 at Dakotafest.
The South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association welcomed members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association policy team to host a discussion panel during the second day of Dakotafest which ran Aug. 20-22 in Mitchell, South Dakota.
Ethan Lane, the vice-president of government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, said the discussion comes at an important time with the upcoming election and deadline approaching for the 2024 farm bill.
“Producers have a lot of questions,” Lane said. “We want to make sure we're getting the latest information from them as well, so that we're making those connections between these conversations out here in the country and what's going on in Washington, D.C.”
Lane said the farm bill is filled with important tools and programs for farmers and ranchers to take advantage of whether that be through resources such as voluntary conservation or risk management programs.
“This is the opportunity every five years for Congress to look at those programs, to talk with USDA, producers and stakeholders, and make sure that those programs are doing what producers need them to do,” Lane said. “What we learn year over year, is there's always some tweaks. That five-year cycle of refreshing the farm bill is an opportunity to look under the hood, make sure we tighten
SOUTH DAKOTA HABITAT
Habitat is crucial to the things we enjoy about our state. Through a variety of programs and partnerships, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks is constantly working to preserve and improve quality habitat
GAME, FISH AND PARKS
GAME, FISH AND PARKS
GAME, FISH AND PARKS
PRIVATE LANDS HABITAT PROGRAMS
PRIVATE LANDS HABITAT PROGRAMS
PRIVATE LANDS HABITAT PROGRAMS
South Dakota Game Fish and Parks (GFP) has a variety of habitat programs that can help farmers and ranchers. These programs help enhance wildlife habitat and assist landowners’ management goals. GFP programs include woody habitat plantings, grassland and wetland restoration, and pasture and grassland infrastructure to promote rotational grazing.
South Dakota Game Fish and Parks (GFP) has a variety of habitat programs that can help farmers and ranchers. These programs help enhance wildlife habitat and assist landowners’ management goals. GFP programs include woody habitat plantings, grassland and wetland restoration, and pasture and grassland infrastructure to promote rotational grazing.
South Dakota Game Fish and Parks (GFP) has a variety of habitat programs that can help farmers and ranchers. These programs help enhance wildlife habitat and assist landowners’ management goals. GFP programs include woody habitat plantings, grassland and wetland restoration, and pasture and grassland infrastructure to promote rotational grazing.
PUBLIC
HUNTING ACCESS PROGRAMS
PUBLIC HUNTING ACCESS PROGRAMS
PUBLIC HUNTING ACCESS PROGRAMS
GFP has several public hunting access programs available that are a great way to give back to the community while generating some additional income from those acres put into habitat or CRP. These access programs open up land for public hunting. The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is popular in the James River Watershed. The Walk-In Area (WIA) and Controlled Hunter Access Program (CHAP) are also great options with lexibility.
GFP has several public hunting access programs available that are a great way to give back to the community while generating some additional income from those acres put into habitat or CRP. These access programs open up land for public hunting. The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is popular in the James River Watershed. The Walk-In Area (WIA) and Controlled Hunter Access Program (CHAP) are also great options with lexibility.
GFP has several public hunting access programs available that are a great way to give back to the community while generating some additional income from those acres put into habitat or CRP. These access programs open up land for public hunting. The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is popular in the James River Watershed. The Walk-In Area (WIA) and Controlled Hunter Access Program (CHAP) are also great options with lexibility.
For more information about GFP’s habitat and access programs, call Alex Elias, Private Lands Habitat Biologist, 605.350.1725.
For more information about GFP’s habitat and access programs, call Alex Elias, Private Lands Habitat Biologist, 605.350.1725.
For more information about GFP’s habitat and access programs, call Alex Elias, Private Lands Habitat Biologist, 605.350.1725.
all the bolts and make sure that the car is running properly.”
A large part of what the NCBA policy team is working to do is to make sure the bill stays current and effective for cattle producers across the country.
“The way you raise cattle in Florida doesn't look anything like the way they raise cattle in Washington state, neither of those look like upstate New York, and none of them resemble South Dakota,” Lane said. “So it's really important that we're looking at all those different regional challenges as well.”
Lane believes some of the most crucial challenges the cattle industry faces include livestock hauling and processing capacity.
“There's always issues with livestock hauling, making sure that not only do we have enough drive time for our livestock haulers, but the truck weights are at a high enough level and consistent from state to state,” Lane said. “We're heavily invested in trying to make sure that the investments
USDA has put out to build new processing capacity around the country are being used effectively to make sure that, not only are we adding more hooks in the system, that the producers are getting more options from those different hooks.”
Boundary discrepancy
Another important topic of discussion during the panel was regarding the Charles and Heather Maude indictment case in western South Dakota. A grand jury on June 20, 2024, indicted Charles and Heather Maude, ranchers near Caputa, South Dakota, for theft of government property. The indictment involves a boundary discrepancy that the Maudes were trying to help solve.
the Forest Service,” Lane said. “This isn't one where we have an option of engaging or not engaging. We have to protect this family, and then we have to make sure that the circumstances that led to this situation are never able to happen to another cattle producer again.”
Traceability ruling
Tanner Beymer, executive director of government affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, highlighted the importance of the new animal disease traceability ruling.
While the new rule will allow for better and more efficient traceability of any foreign animal disease between cattle being moved across the U.S., Beymer believes that it will be most crucial when it comes to foot and mouth disease, “a highly contagious virus, and it would absolutely decimate the cattle industry in the United States if it were to be found here.”
Beymer said it’s important for the cattle industry to be aware of foot and mouth disease as it’s not a matter if the disease will emerge in the U.S., but more so when.
“It is an absolutely absurd situation that's unfolding in western South Dakota, and it's a real wake up call for every producer in the country that has a grazing permit with
The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced May 9 a final rule that requires electronic identification tags for certain cattle and bison that are transported across state lines. The rule is an amendment to the 2013 animal disease traceability regulations and will take effect on Nov. 5.
“In the event that we do flag positive with a case here in the U.S., it's going to automatically trigger a mandatory 72-hour ground stop for all movement of cattle across the country while they try and identify where the virus is and how to prevent it from spreading any further,” Beymer said. “The faster we are able to trace back the source of that virus, the faster we're able to identify and establish quarantine zones and buffer zones and the faster we'll be able to clear unaffected areas to return to normal commerce.”
