April 2011 - South Dakota Farmers Union

Volume XCIV, NO. 4
Huron, SD
April 2011
South Dakota
Union Farmer
A PUBLICATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA FARMERS UNION
New Beef
Plant in
Aberdeen
to Open
This Fall
PAGE 4
MarketPlace Coming
to Huron Event
Center This July
NFU Convention
Features
USDA’s
Under
Secretary
Dallas
Tonsager
PAGE 9
PAGE 7
San Antonio Hosts 109th National Convention
Large South Dakota Delegation Visits Lonestar State to Set NFU Policy
Over two dozen South Dakota Farmers Union
(SDFU) members attended the 109th annual
National Farmers Union (NFU) convention held
in San Antonio, Tex., Mar. 13-15. 27 South Dakotans attended the convention and were among
the more than 500 Farmers Union members from
across the country at the event. Seven of the
South Dakotans in attendance served as voting
delegates to the convention when the national
farm organization adopted its policy program for
2011.
“We had a great turnout in San Antonio and we
dealt with a wide variety of issues facing agriculture,” said SDFU President Doug Sombke who
served as one of the voting delegates. “It’s grassroots advocacy at its finest. We come together
as farmers and ranchers from across this great
country to provide direction for our legislative
and education efforts throughout the year.”
The delegates discussed issues like the 2012
Farm Bill, biotechnology, foreign trade, conservation and more. The convention also featured several speakers including former SDFU President
and current U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural
Development Under
Secretary Dallas Tonsager, former Sen. Byron
Dorgan of North Dakota,
and former Texas Agriculture Commissioner
Jim Hightower. Convention attendees also had
the opportunity to hear
from speaker panels on
various topics related to
agriculture.
“Farmers Union is
always trying to educate
our young people and the
public about agriculture,
and this convention was a
South Dakotans attending the convention were (pictured left to right) Front Row: Bonnie Geyer of Huron; Lindsey McFarlane of
Wilmot; Maureen Birgen of Beresford; Garret Bischoff of Huron; Gina Dethlefsen of Stickney; Deb Harwood of Union Center;
John Kerstiens of Huron; and Kathy Wahle of Salem; (Second Row) Mary Barry of New Underwood; Taylor Barry of Carter; Patrick Lowin of Blunt; Mathew Birgen of Beresford; Larry Birgen of Sioux Falls; Angela Tarasoff of Huron; Steve Harwood of Union
Center; Jim Wahle of Salem; Franklin Olson of Pierpont; Doug Sombke of Conde. (Back Row) Shane Ball of Huron; Michael Gapp
of Twin Brooks; Mason Farber of Britton; Ryon Rypkema of Caputa; Karla Hofhenke of Huron; Wayne Soren of Lake Preston;
Jared Hettinger of Stickney; and Kari Michel of Dell Rapids.
chance for farmers and ranchers to educate themselves on different issues happening around the
country. By hearing expert panel discussions and
speakers discuss a wide variety of issues we’re
now all more informed about many different topics,” Sombke said.
South Dakota delegates were able to pass a
few changes to the NFU policy during the convention. A provision was added through the South
Dakota delegation to urge the USDA to classify
ionophores as a feed additive, rather than its current classification as an antibiotic. The delegation
from South Dakota was also able to add a provision in the NFU policy program dealing with
aerial maps. The change in policy would allow
assessors to access certain aerial maps from the
government for assessment purposes. You can
read more about the convention on pages 6 and 7.
South Dakotans attending the convention were
Bonnie Geyer of Huron; Lindsey McFarlane of
Wilmot; Maureen Birgen of Beresford; Garret
Bischoff of Huron; Jill Bischoff of Huron; Gina
Dethlefsen of Stickney; Deb Harwood of Union
Center; John Kerstiens of Huron; and Kathy
Wahle of Salem; Mary Barry of New Underwood;
Taylor Barry of Carter; Patrick Lowin of Blunt;
Mathew Birgen of Beresford; Larry Birgen of
Sioux Falls; Angela Tarasoff of Huron; Steve
Harwood of Union Center; Jim Wahle of Salem;
Franklin Olson of Pierpont; Shane Ball of Huron;
Michael Gapp of Twin Brooks; Mason Farber of
Britton; Ryon Rypkema of Caputa; Karla Hofhenke of Huron; Wayne Soren of Lake Preston; Jared
Hettinger of Stickney; Chris Studer of Huron,
Doug Sombke of Conde; and Kari Michel of Dell
Rapids.
Union Farmer
South Dakota
Union Farmer
A PUBLICATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA FARMERS UNION
South Dakota Union Farmer, ISSN 0745-8797, publishes ten times per calendar year, with issues printed in January, February, March, April, May/June,
July, August, Sept/Oct, November, and December.
Copies are available for $3.00 per year (included
with membership dues), and non-members annual
subscription is $7.50. Advertising rate is $6.00/column inch. Periodical postage paid at Mitchell, S.D.
POSTMASTER: Address changes to: SDFU, PO
Box 1388, Huron, S.D. 57350-1388
Contact SDFU
888.734.8136
605.352.6761
1410 Dakota Avenue South
PO Box 1388
Huron, SD 57350
www.sdfu.org
[email protected]
SDFU State Office Staff
Karla Hofhenke.......ext. 114 Bonnie Geyer...........ext. 125
Secretary Treasurer
Education Director
Huron
Huron
Chris Studer.............ext. 122 Garret Bischoff.......ext. 118
Communications/Marketing
Membership Director
Huron
Huron
Mitch Fargen...........ext. 116 Angela Tarasoff......ext. 111
Rural Development Director Membership Specialist
Flandreau
Huron
John Kerstiens........ext. 112
Government Affairs Director
Huron
Leslie Rupiper........ext. 115
Foundation Exec. Director
Sioux Falls
SDFU Board of Directors
Doug Sombke.........President
Conde
Wayne Soren..........Vice Pres.
Lake Preston
Terry Sestak...........District I
Tabor
Jim Wahle..............District II
Salem
Franklin Olson.....District III
Pierpont
Brad Reis................District IV
Hamill
Dallis Basel..............District V
Union Center
Jerry Petik.............District VI
Meadow
John Sumption.....District VII
Frederick
Contact NFU
National Farmers Union
20 F Street NW Suite 300
Washington, DC 20001
Roger Johnson, President ~ Claudia Svarstad, Vice President
Robert Carlson, Secretary ~ Wes Sims, Treasurer
202.554.1600 www.nfu.org
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April 2011
A Message from the President
Korean “Free” Trade Agreement Looks a lot Like NAFTA
Recently, during the NFU convention in San
Antonio, Tex., delegates to the convention adopted several special orders of business. One of them
addressed the trade agreement with Korea (KORUS) and what we feel needs to be accomplished
before an agreement is met. Currency manipulation, meeting
international
labor organization standards,
U.S. standards
for environmental, health and
food safety are
all things the
NFU convention
delegates felt
must be met before reaching an
Doug Sombke
agreement with South
SDFU President
Korea on trade. Otherwise the feeling is it will lead to another failed
agreement like the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) while increasing the trade
deficit and costing tens of thousands of jobs.
The usual agribusiness interests and multinational corporations are again trying to get farmers
to believe we are just one trade agreement away
from riches. This time they’re selling a deal with
Korea based on the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA).
Even the ever-overly-optimistic U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) projects the
Korea deal would increase the overall U.S. trade
deficit. If this is news to you, think back when we
were first sold on NAFTA. Farmers are shown a
list of Korean tariff cuts on some of the crops we
grow and promised this means we will sell more
in Korea. The fact is, these deals only help to consolidate the power of multinational corporations
and Big Agribusiness at the expense of family
farmers.
We need markets for our products, but we have
to develop these markets in a way that allows actual farmers to benefit. Under the NAFTA model,
the corporations farm the farmers.
Those of us who lived through NAFTA also
learned the possibility of cuts on paper translating
into real export gains relies on other factors, like
exchange rate manipulation.
Korea is one of only three countries our government has ever officially labeled a currency
manipulator while having a record of 50-percent
and 60-percent currency devaluations. Devaluating again would totally eliminate this agreement’s
purported tariff cut benefits and make our exports
more expensive to Koreans than they are now.
Yet, the Korea trade deal has no provisions to
Union Farmer
counter such cheating despite the National Farmers Union’s demands from the beginning to do so.
Recall how a year after NAFTA, Mexico devalued the peso 50-percent, gutting tariff cuts on
which many farmers relied. In the first three years
of NAFTA, U.S. exports to Mexico of beef and
pork, projected NAFTA winners, were 13-percent
and 20-percent lower, respectively, than in the
three years before NAFTA. This sort of damage is
a likely outcome of this Korea deal too.
So where does the other general farm organization get the rosy data they are now pitching that
shows massive export gains? Their study on the
Korea trade agreement only focused on gross exports. It excludes consideration of imports or the
net outcome. What’s worse, the study arbitrarily
assumes an automatic 10 percent increase in U.S.
market share in Korea for every U.S. farm sector.
That includes wheat, soy and cereal grains (like
corn), which the United States International Trade
Commission (USITC) says would be net losers,
and rice (not covered in this deal).
Over a third of the “gains” their study claims
come from farm sectors that the USITC projects
will lose under the deal, plus rice, and they just
ignore the import side altogether.
Farmers aren’t the only losers under the Korea
agreement. The USITC said the agreement would
increase trade deficits in most manufacturing
sectors. Across the country there are as many
workers in the losing sectors, with jobs at risk in
metal products, motor vehicles and parts, other
transportation equipment, textiles, apparel, ironcontaining metals, and electronic equipment.
The Korea agreement also has the same NAFTA limits on imported food safety and inspection,
weak labor standards and limits on regulation of
banks and securities --- despite lax regulation contributing to our current economic crisis. And this
trade agreement has foreign investor privileges
that empower foreign corporations to skirt our
domestic courts and directly challenge our state
and federal laws before United Nations and World
Bank tribunals to demand compensation from our
tax dollars for claimed trade pact violations.
I am all for a FAIR trade agreement with other
countries, but as this one stands to date it isn’t one
of them.
Happy Easter and God Bless!
www.sdfu.org
Education News
By Bonnie Geyer
Education Director
Happy Spring to everyone! I hope this finds
everyone safe and dry! We recently returned
from the National Farmers Union Convention
in San Antonio, Tex. Torchbearers in attendence
were Mason Farber, Britton; Lindsey McFarlane,
Wilmot; Michael Gapp,
Twin Brooks; Taylor Barry,
Carter and Mary Barry,
New Underwood. They
joined other convention goers in a number of activities including participating in workshops, listening to convention speakers and enjoying the warm weather and sites of
the city. They also took part in learning about the
grassroots policy debate process of the Farmers
Union. SDFU’s two youth representatives on the
NFU Youth Council for 2011 also attended the
convention, serving as pages and assisting NFU
staff with convention activities. Gina Dethlefsen,
Stickney and Patrick Lowin, Blunt were elected
to this council by their peers last summer at All
State’s Camp and will plan, organize and lead
the 2011 NFU Leadership Camp in July. I am
very proud of all these individuals and find it a
privilege to have them participate.
This year’s camp theme is “Growing Healthy
Cooperatively.” This year’s curriculum and
activities are centered around ‘Know Your Food;
Know Your Farmer, Healthy Eating, Healthy
Living.’ We have many fun things planned!
You don’t want to miss out! I want to challenge
each and every one of you to help us continue
to make our youth program grow. When you
receive a camp flyer in the mail please make a
special effort to share the information with at
least one other individual or family in your area.
The Education Council and Junior Advisory
Council have been busy preparing for State
Camp, scheduled June 5-10 at Storm Mountain
in Rapid City. This year’s camp theme is ‘Catch
the Cooperative Spirit.’ We want to encourage
eligible youth to attend and to bring a friend.
We have a great week planned with a number of
workshops, speakers and a lot of fun activities!
I look forward to working with our youth and
we are confident that this week will be a great
experience for young people to learn, share and
make new friendships that will last a lifetime.
Registration forms will be in the mail soon but
if you have any questions please give us a call at
(605) 352-6761, Ext. 125.
Remember the deadline for the $25,000 Insuring a Brighter Tomorrow scholarships is April
15. You can learn more on page 9.
Congratulations to the Districts and the
Counties who have their camp dates set. Please
give us a call to schedule your camp date. It is
closer than you think!
www.sdfu.org
Union Farmer
Front Row (left to right) SDFU Education Director Bonnie Geyer; Taylor Barry of Carter; Mary Barry of New Underwood; Lindsey McFarlane of Wilmot; Gina Dethlefsen of Stickney. Back Row: Patrick Lowin of Blunt; Mason Farber of Britton; Michael Gapp
of Twin Brooks.
Youth Travel to NFU Convention
Torchbearers, NYAC Members Take Part in Convention Activities
Seven South Dakota young people attended the
109th annual National Farmers Union convention
this week at San Antonio, Tex. The convention
was held Mar. 13-15 at the Marriott RiverCenter.
Five of the young South Dakotans, Mason
Farber of Britton, Michael Gapp of Twin Brooks,
Lindsey McFarlane of Wilmot, Taylor Barry of
Carter, and Mary Barry of New Underwood,
earned the trip as recognition of their status as
South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU) Torchbearers. It’s the highest honor in the SDFU education
program.
Patrick Lowin of Blunt and Gina Dethlefsen
of Stickney attended the convention as part of
the National Youth Advisory Council (NYAC).
They were two of just six young people across
Union Farmer
the country elected to serve on the council at last
summer’s All-States Leadership Camp held in
Colorado. The NYAC members served many duties throughout the convention including planning
for the annual Farmers Union All-States camp this
coming summer.
“It’s a great honor for these young people
to attend the national convention,” said SDFU
Education Director Bonnie Geyer. “The youth
take part in all aspects of the convention including
policy discussions, breakout sessions and other
events. It’s the culmination of years of hard work
and dedication through the SDFU education programs, and we’re honored that these young people
want to be a part of this organization.”
April 2011
3
Union Farmer
Membership News
The Northern Beef Packers building is currently under construction just to the south of the city of Aberdeen.
Aberdeen Beef Plant Set to Open
& Begin Production This Fall
Construction has resumed at the Northern Beef
Packers (NBP) plant near Aberdeen according to
President and CEO David Palmer.
“The plant is expected to be operational in
early fall this year,” Palmer said.
Construction crews are finishing work on the
indoor cattle holding area on the plant’s southeast
side. Plant management hopes the current work
will be completed within the next two months.
Through the spring and early summer installation
of all equipment and systems will be constructed
at the plant. Construction workers will be needed
beginning in May for the installation work and
finishing of the interior.
“The ownership and management team established in late 2009 has spent the past year
updating and revising the development, financing,
marketing and operational plans for this plant,”
Palmer said. “The changes have allowed us to
work through previous financial obligations and
move forward with construction. Given these
positive steps, we expect to start processing cattle
possibly as early as October.”
The NBP campus will eventually cover more
than 662,500 square feet and include a processing
facility, an enclosed stockyard, a rendering and
utility building, a loading area and a parking lot.
When fully operational, NBP intends to process
1,500 head of cattle a day, or 390,000 head annually.
“NBP owes the state of South Dakota much
appreciation for its dedication to this project”,
Palmer added. “The Governor’s Office of Eco-
4
April 2011
nomic Development and other state entities have
helped us connect with investors, secure federal,
state and private financing, and it continues to
provide us with the technical assistance and
know-how”.
Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R-S.D.) noted in his
‘State of the State’ address that the state is fully
supportive of getting the Northern Beef Packers
into full operation. Former Gov. Mike Rounds
(R-S.D.) noted in one of his last press conferences that NBP’s progress is great news for South
Dakota’s cattle producers.
“South Dakota has the best beef producers and
the best-tasting beef in the nation. After years of
discussing how to add value to our home-grown
premium meat, we have found a way to do it,”
Gov. Rounds said. “With NBP in place, cattle producers will no longer need to travel across South
Dakota borders to have cattle processed. That
means less expense for producers and more jobs
for South Dakota”.
State officials say this could increase demand
for South Dakota beef and bring premium prices
to the state beef products. The South Dakota Certified Beef program will allow meat products to
be tracked for age and source verification, insuring a near guarantee of wholesomeness.
State officials are hopeful that the Certified
Beef Program will meet the demand for traceability not only in the United States, but the
age-and-source verified meat products are especially important to consumers in Asian countries.
A facility that can process South Dakota Certified
Union Farmer
By Garret Bischoff
Membership Director
Spring is upon us. New lambs and calves are
hitting the ground and thoughts of spring planting have started creeping into everyone’s heads.
Being back on the farm, I’ve had my share
of calving “fun” this year, taking the midnight
shift almost every
night. The pride of
helping a calf come
into the world in below ideal weather conditions is something
hard to share with
someone outside of
the agriculture community.
With all the activity on the farm, the importance utilizing your local cooperative becomes
ever more evident. I was reminded of the importance of cooperatives in agriculture this past
month when I had the privilege of attending the
75th annual Deuel County Farmers Union Oil
Company Meeting in Toronto, SD. The meeting got started after a delicious meal prepared
by the staff. One of the most remarkable things
I found about the Deuel County Farmers Union
Oil Company was their committed staff. Many
of them had been employees for 10 to 20 years.
That just goes to show the integrity and work
ethic rural America provides. The patrons of
this cooperative also need to be commended on
their commitment to their business as well. One
patron had even been a member of the cooperative for the entire 75 years it was in existence,
which is truly remarkable.
As you start making your spring planting
and fertilizer decisions, hopefully you will
remember the cooperatives that helped to shape
the current agricultural community by your
patronage with them. If you want help locating
a cooperative in your area or if you have any
questions about membership in your district or
county, please feel free to call me at 605-3526761 extension 118 or email me at gbischoff@
sdfu.org.
The Rural Lobbyist
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right to your inbox each
week of the 2011
Legislative Session!
Send us your email address with Rural
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[email protected]
www.sdfu.org
Rural Development News
By Mitch Fargen
Rural Development Director
In the Rural Development Department we
have been working on the 2nd annual ‘Team
up to Safety’ quiz bowl competition at the
FFA Convention at Brookings April 11.
We sent out information to high school
advisors across
South Dakota to
get their students involved
in this program
and learn about
farm safety. Last
year we had 10
schools participate in this
program and this
year we expanded
the event to 12 FFA teams. Then we the top
four scoring teams will move to the final
round to be held this August at the annual
DakotaFest Farm Show in Mitchell.
Later this Spring I will start calling high
schools and talking to them about our Junior
Rural Economic and Leadership (Jr. REAL)
Development Program. We want to go to
about 10 rural high schools across from
South Dakota and talk to the juniors and
seniors about leadership, community service
and Identity theft and credit scores. We feel
if we can get these students to give back to
their communities somehow by community
service or getting involved we will be successful. We also want them to understand
that their credit history is very important
and so is identity theft, especially with the
internet and how the younger generation uses
it. They need to be educated how to protect
themselves.
In June we are finishing our 3rd year
Rural Economic and Leadership (REAL)
Development Program. We have had great
participants in this program and we will be
looking toward the summer when we start
recruiting for our next REAL program.
In REAL I focus on two things: community service and public service. I am hoping
they will get the skills from this class to go
out into their community and give back in
some way. If it is participating in the SDFU,
another organization, church board, coop
board, run for legislature or county commissioner. I just want them to get involved in
their community and give something back to
South Dakota.
If you want to know more about any
of these exciting programs that the South
Dakota Farmers Union is putting on please
contact me at [email protected] or at 605695-0705.
www.sdfu.org
Union Farmer
2011 Quiz Bowl First Round
April 11 at Brookings
A number of FFA chapters across the state
have agreed to participate in the 2nd annual
‘Team up to Safety’ quiz bowl competition Apr.
11 sponsored by South Dakota Farmers Union.
The first round will be held on the campus of
South Dakota State University during the annual
FFA state convention in Brookings.
“We’re excited about this year’s group of participants,” said SDFU Rural Development Director Mitch Fargen. “It’s a chance for these young
people to come together and test their knowledge
about farm and ranch safety while having a little
fun in the process.”
The quiz bowl will feature head-to-head
matchups among FFA chapter teams consisting of
four participants per team. They’ll try and answer
a wide range of questions about farm and ranch
safety, weather safety, personal emergency preparedness, and other safety related questions.
The competition will be set up in a game show
style format with each participant having a hand
held button to ring in and answer questions.
“Not only will these kids learn more about
farm safety from our study guides we provided
them, but they’ll learn from each other,” Fargen
said. “Their parents or anyone else in the audience
might learn a thing or two as well. Farmers Union
is always looking for ways to educate others, and
this fits our mission perfectly.”
The winners from the Brookings competition
will move on to the finals which will be held this
August at the annual DakotaFest Farm Show in
Mitchell.
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Union Farmer
April 2011
5
Union Farmer
Delegates Pass Policy Program at NFU Convention
Delegates at the National Farmers Union
(NFU) convention passed several special orders
of business and made changes to the farm organization’s policy program for the year during the
109th annual NFU convention in San Antonio,
Tex.
Several small changes were made to the policy
program that NFU legislative staff will use when
discussing issues with lawmakers in Washington,
D.C.
Farmers Union delegates adopted a special
order of business calling on Congress to include
a strong safety net in the 2012 Farm Bill. The
special order of business called for a safety net
for producers that would provide meaningful
assistance for family farmers to stay in production because the number of farmers and ranchers making their primary living from production
agriculture continues to shrink because of high
price volatility.
“These farms are crucial to our nation’s food
supply and the health of our rural economies,”
said NFU President Roger Johnson. “When times
are difficult, such as periods when prices are low
or when disastrous weather strikes, are the times
where we most need a strong safety net in order to
ensure the continuation of family farm and ranch
operations.”
The special order of business also called on
Congress to write the farm bill before the close of
the 112th Congress.
Delegates also adopted a special order of business calling on Congress to investigate the historically wide agricultural commodity basis levels
and called on Congress to designate an agency to
be responsible for the oversight and regulation of
basis. Commodity basis is the difference between
South Dakota delegates (from right to left) Franklin Olson, Wayne Soren, Doug Sombke and others consider policy changes during
NFU convention in San Antonio, Tex. 7 SDFU members served as voting delegates.
a local cash price and the relevant futures contract
price for a specific time period.
The proposed rule by the Grain Inspection,
Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA)
was the topic of another special order of business
passed by delegates. It urged Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to implement the proposed
GIPSA rule as soon as possible.
“The proposed GIPSA rule is a Farmer and
Rancher Bill of Rights,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “We have seen a rapid decline in the
number of beef and hog
operations in the United
States. Since 1980, more
than 500,000 beef cattle
operations have been
lost. During that same
period, we have seen a
ten-fold decline in the
number of hog operations, from 660,000 to
67,000. Clearly something must be done,
and the proposed rule
is a big step in the right
direction.”
The special order of
business adopted by the
delegates also offered
SDFU Vice President Wayne Soren takes the floor during policy debate.
some changes to the
April 2011
SDFU member Ryon Rypkema of Caputa discussed the use of
aerial maps as a land appraiser.
Call Angela at 605-352-6761 ext. 111 for
your customer number and order over
the phone for great discounts!
Save Money At...
6
GIPSA rule, including a provision that would require USDA to calculate the percent of the market
held by the top four companies in the major meat
sectors. The special order of business also called
on USDA to recognize that many livestock buyers have multiple independent livestock operator
clients and should be treated differently than the
buyers representing major packers.
Other special orders of business called on Congress to pass comprehensive energy legislation,
oppose the Korean free-trade agreement, resolve
biotech concerns, and support dairy producers
during the prolonged dairy crisis.
Union Farmer
www.sdfu.org
Union Farmer
Tonsager Addresses NFU Convention Delegates
Former SDFU President Serves as USDA Rural Development Under Secretary
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager addressed more than 500 Farmers Union members from across the country at
National Farmers Union’s (NFU) 109th annual
convention in San Antonio, Texas.
“Under Secretary Tonsager has been a great
advocate for family farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and rural Americans for many years,”
said NFU President Roger Johnson. “We truly
appreciate his work and are honored that he was
able to join us at our convention.”
Under Secretary Tonsager served two terms
as president of the South Dakota Farmers
Union. He also served on the board of National
Farmers Union Insurance from 1989 to 1993.
“It’s incredible to have someone like Dallas
who served as South Dakota Farmers Union
president in such an important role within the
government,” said current SDFU President
Doug Sombke. “It’s interesting to hear his
perspectives on biofuels, rural development and
other issues important to farmers and ranchers
across the country.”
Tonsager heads the rural development efforts
of USDA and travels internationally on behalf
of the Obama Administration.
“Rural development
issues are an important
part of what we do,” said
Johnson. “It is great for
our members to have
an opportunity to hear
directly from Under Secretary Tonsager, giving
them a sense of what to
expect in the months and
years ahead.”
Under Secretary
Tonsager discussed the
challenges ahead for
renewable fuels.
USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager addresses delegates at the NFU
“It’s not going to
convention held in San Antonio, Tex.
be easy,” said Under
Secretary Tonsager.
specifics of a new program that will help bring
“The Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit
more ethanol blender pumps to retail stations.
(VEETC) goes away after this year. There are
“I can’t tell you precisely what the program
challenges ahead with renewable energy, but it
will be yet, we haven’t officially announced it,
can be done. It’s going to take everybody combut it will be a combination of loans and grants
ing together.”
that will be announced soon to help retailers
Tonsager said he couldn’t talk about the
install blender pumps,” Tonsager said.
SDFU President Named Chair of
NFU Legislative Committee
As a member of the National Farmers Union
board of directors, South Dakota Farmers Union
President Doug Sombke sits on various committees in the organization.
During the recent annual
NFU convention in San
Antonio, Sombke was
voted as chairman of the
NFU Legislative Committee. Presidents from
other Farmers Union states
elected Sombke to the
chairmanship.
“It’s an honor, and there
is a lot of work ahead,”
Sombke said. “One of the
biggest challenges for the
Legislative Committee
coming up is the discussion surrounding the 2012
Farm Bill. We’re going to work with lawmakers
and promote policies at the national level that will
make sure farmers and ranchers get a safety net
within the Farm Bill so they’re protected. Because
www.sdfu.org
of the volatility of the commodity markets farmers and ranchers need to be assured that they’re
protected. Agriculture is such a risky business
because we not only deal with
volatile markets, we deal with
changing weather conditions
that can affect our crops and
livestock. We’ll be working
hard in the weeks and months
ahead to make sure our lawmakers understand what we
deal with, and what producers
need to survive.”
The ailing dairy industry is another priority of the
Legislative Committee in the
coming year.
“We’ll be discussing ways
to help our country’s dairy
producers thrive and get profitable again,” Sombke said.
Sombke replaces Nebraska Farmers Union
President John Hansen as Legislative Committee
chair. Hansen will now be the vice chair.
Union Farmer
April 2011
7
Union Farmer
Legislative News
By John Kerstiens
Director of Government Relations
What a great National Farmers Union convention we had in beautiful San Antonio! It is
always a lot of fun to see new members take
it all in and participate in pushing
policy important
to our grassroots
members forward.
This year was
especially key
to members that
did choose to
participate and
take home many
key issues important to all South Dakotans.
GIPSA, the KORUS trade agreement, Dairy,
and the 2012 Farm Bill were the focal points
of the entire convention. I can personally say
our members came home more informed and aware of how these issues impact
their daily lives, which is what we are here
for.
So many little things go into the bigger
picture with these topics; it is sometimes
hard to wrap our minds completely around
the issue. However, when we have five or six
members take it all in our group comes to a
solid understanding of not only these main issues, but all issues Farmers Union deals with.
I want to personally thank all convention
participants for attending. Each did an excellent job and South Dakota’s priorities were
achieved. Thank you.
As you are well aware our legislative session has ended for 2011 and we move forward with a budget that is not palatable to all,
to say the least. We wonder what will happen
to all schools and program specific courses.
I’m also left wondering what will happen to
schools such as Faith who are already trying
to build an actual school.
The future will show the implications of
what we have done today and in five years
we will either reap the benefits promised by
the majority party or suffer the consequences
as warned by the minority party. One thing is
certain: South Dakota producers will maintain their share of the tax burden, if not more.
But South Dakota producers will drive us
to be more successful as a state because that
is who we are and what we do. It is our pride
in our families, our neighbors and our state
that drives us to be the best. I have confidence
in all of our producers throughout this state to
be the plow horse again and wait to reap the
harvest in the future.
8
April 2011
Johnson Introduces International
Year of Cooperatives Resolution
U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) has introduced a bipartisan resolution to recognize 2012 as
the International Year of Cooperatives. “The International Year of Cooperatives” recognizes and
celebrates
the importance of cooperatives in
the United States, especially
within rural communities.
“As a member of the
Congressional Farmer Cooperative Caucus, I have
consistently supported
cooperative businesses,” Johnson said.
“I think it is essential to highlight
the meaningful
contributions that
cooperatives offer
U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) to South Dakota,
the United States,
and around the
world.”
The resolution aims to recognize the substantial economic and social impact of cooperatives,
and encourages the creation of programs, both
domestically and abroad for cooperative development. Internationally, cooperatives are credited with having a massive economic and social
impact. The cooperative business model spreads
the “one member, one vote” philosophy of governance, which provides a tangible example of
the democratic process in developing nations.
The result is that cooperatives, with over a billion
international members, play a role in encouraging
democracy around the globe.
“There is no doubt of the impact of cooperatives in providing services and benefits to their
member-owners, from the state of South Dakota
Union Farmer
and throughout the world,” said Brenda Forman,
the Executive Director of the South Dakota Association of Cooperatives. “This resolution recognizes those accomplishments.”
Johnson, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has long supported the Rural Cooperative Development Grants (RCDG)
program. The RCDG program is the only federal
grants program devoted solely to forming and
expanding cooperatives. The grants are meant to
advance the economic condition of rural areas
through the development and improvement of
existing cooperatives.
Cooperatives are democratically controlled
businesses, owned by their members and operating for the mutual benefit of their members. In
South Dakota, there are 81 farm supply/marketing
cooperatives, 30 electric cooperatives, 50 credit
unions and eleven telephone/communication
cooperatives. The SD Association of Cooperatives
estimates that between 27,000 and 30,000 South
Dakotans are members of cooperatives. Cooperatives within the state were responsible for $6.8
billion in sales in 2008. Nationally, Americans
hold 350 million memberships in cooperatives.
The resolution enjoys bipartisan support,
with cosponsors including Sen. Thad Cochran
(R-MS), Sen. Herbert Kohl (D-WI), Sen. Mike
Enzi (R-WY), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Sen.
Al Franken (D-MN), Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT),
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Sen.
Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Sen. Pat Roberts
(R-KS), Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AK), Sen. Kent
Conrad (D-ND), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH),
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Patty Murray
(D-WA), Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Sen.
Max Baucus (D-MT).
www.sdfu.org
Union Farmer
Scholarship Application Deadline April 15
The deadline to apply for the fourth annual
“Insuring a Brighter Tomorrow” scholarship is
April 15, 2011. Farmers Union Insurance, in cooperation with the South Dakota Farmers Union
Foundation, is offering $25,000 in scholarships
to eligible high school seniors in South Dakota.
Twenty-five high school seniors from around
the state who plan to continue post-secondary
education at a college, university, or technical
school in the state of South Dakota will each
receive $1,000.
The scholarships are funded with support from Farmers Union Insurance agents in
South Dakota and the South Dakota Farmers
Union Foundation. Scholarship recipients will
be selected based on the applicant’s academic
records, school and community involvement,
and financial need. The applicant will also be
required to submit a written essay entitled, “How
do you hope to impact a Brighter Tomorrow in
South Dakota?”
Applicants Must Meet One of these Requirements:
•South Dakota high school senior whose parent or parents
are current policyholders of Farmers Union Insurance
•Member of South Dakota Farmers Union
•A “Friend of the Farmers Union Foundation” (Defined
as those who have contributed $25 or more to the Foundation in the past year)
•Participant in any South Dakota High School Activities
Association (SDHSAA) sanctioned event
Applicants Must:
•Complete Application Form (Available from school
counselors, local Farmers Union Insurance Agents, or at
www.sdfufoundation.org )
•Provide Copy of High School Transcript and ACT/SAT
Score
•Provide a Letter of Recommendation
•Submit Written Essay (Less than 500 Words)
•Provide Billfold Sized Portrait Picture
Return Materials to:
Farmers Union Insurance
Attn: Wayne Bartscher
P.O. Box 1388
Huron, SD 57350
MarketPlace Coming This July
Conference Will Focus on Entrepreneurship, Business, Finances,
Marketing, Agriculture and Other Topics
An innovative conference for entrepreneurs,
business owners, agricultural producers, community development professionals, aspiring entrepreneurs and anyone looking to start a business or
enhance their existing business is coming to the
Huron Events Center July 26-27, 2011.
South Dakota Farmers Union and the Center
for Rural Affairs are teaming up to offer this conference in an effort to boost rural South Dakota’s
economy.
“We’re really excited to bring MarketPlace to
South Dakota,” said SDFU President Doug Sombke. “It’s been really successful in Nebraska and
other states, and we can’t wait to offer this event
here in our home state.”
The Center for Rural Affairs, based in Lyons,
Neb., just finished their fifth annual MarketPlace
event in Kearney, Neb., in February. A large group
of dynamic speakers and panelists discussed
many topics dealing with growing businesses and
rural communities.
“We’re encouraging everyone to attend,”
Sombke said. “You’ll get some useful tools that
you can bring back and implement on your farm,
or in your business. If you’re looking to start a
business you’ll find a network of individuals who
can help you build a business plan, work on your
marketing efforts, and help put you on the road to
success.”
Plans for the event are still coming together
and details are still being worked out. Look for
more information about MarketPlace in upcoming
issues of the Union Farmer.
Want to Learn More About MarketPlace?
Visit the Center for Rural Affairs Website
www.cfra.org/marketplace/home
www.sdfu.org
Union Farmer
Foundation News
By Leslie Rupiper Morrow
SDFU Foundation Executive Director
There’s a quote that reads, “Springtime is
the land awakening. The March winds are the
morning yawn.” I think it’s a description a lot of
us can relate to as our snow disappears and our
temperatures slowly
begin to climb. It’s a
lot like waking from
a long winter’s nap,
and looking forward
to seeing the world
in all its color.
I got a healthy
taste of spring recently, when I went
to visit my cousins’
farm. Calving season had just begun, so I took
them up on an offer to go along and check their
herd of heifers. Even though the cold winds
whipped around us, there’s nothing quite like
seeing romping calves to remind you that spring
is here.
Calving is off to a good start for my cousins,
no doubt because of their diligence in checking
the herd several times a day. My cousin, who
is a mother of four, told me that when it comes
time for heifers to deliver their calves, they
rarely go off on their own to do so. Of course,
this is a lot different from cows which typically find a spot away from the herd to deliver.
It seems that even cattle learn as they go when
it comes to their young – at least that’s my take
on it. I suppose it’s a theory that rings true for
me, as a first time mom who often feels like I’m
learning as I go too.
Spring fever is also alive and well in the
Farmers Union Foundation. We’ve started planning the 2011 Dakota Prairie Open, which will
be held June 28th at Spring Creek Golf Course
in Harrisburg. Great prizes, great fun and bragging rights are on the line, so get together your
team of four, and be sure to take part in this
year’s event. Money raised from the Dakota
Prairie Open helps funds the Foundation’s education programs throughout the year. We hope
to see lots of teams on the green come June, and
signing up early, gives you an excuse to start
hitting the links now to practice! If you’d like
more information, call me at (605) 352-6761
Ext. 115.
As spring begins to take hold across South
Dakota, I’ll be wishing you favorable weather
and safety in the fields. It’s a chance for all of
us to begin anew, and see what this growing season will yield. Most of all, it’s a fresh start – a
chance to do things better than we have in the
past. After all, like the heifers on my cousins’
farm, maybe we’re all just learning as we go.
April 2011
9
Union Farmer
BEEF PLANT: Facility Management Hopes to
Purchase 350,000 Head of Cattle Per Year
Continued from Page 4
Beef in large quantities will allow South Dakota
beef producers to expand their beef exports internationally.
State Agriculture Secretary Walt Bones says
it’s a major opportunity for our state’s beef producers.
“This is going to be a great opportunity for our
ranchers to showcase some of the best cattle in
the United States,” Bones said. “It will give them
an opportunity to market some very high quality,
very reasonably priced feed stuffs close to home.
It will give our feeders an opportunity to have a
very high value market again close to home so
they don’t have to ship those cattle 200 to 400
miles away.”
NBP is expected to employ more than 560
people in the next three years. The additional jobs
will pump more than $22 million of direct wages
and benefits into the Aberdeen economy.
“The addition of hundreds of jobs is great
news for the community,” said Jim Barringer,
Executive Vice President, Aberdeen Development
Corporation. “The community is working very
closely with NBP to make sure we reach the full
potential of this opportunity.”
The inside of the building is still being worked on. This picture, taken in February 2011, shows construction materials for finishing
the interior of the structure. They hope to be fully functioning by fall of 2011.
NBP Fast Facts
Northern Beef Packers Aberdeen facilities will be the first new large, state of the art, packing plant to be constructed in South
Dakota in the last 50 years. It also will become the first major slaughter operation located in eastern, South Dakota since a beef
plant in Huron closed operations 20 years ago.
The Aberdeen plant is the first large operation to be built to bring “South Dakota Certified Beef” to fruition. The SD Certification means the animal at slaughter has its entire growth history shown electronically on a tag on its ear. For the first time, it will
permit a level of quality and wholesomeness previously unheard of in the beef packing industry.
Both the State of South Dakota and local governments are strong backers of the creation of Northern Beef Packers operations.
In the same spirit as Aberdeen and the region has accomplished other large projects, Northern Beef Packers is funded by numerous
different sources. These range from the State of South Dakota, private international investors, community and regional economic
development organizations, a Tax Increment Financing District for local infrastructure improvements which was approved by local
voters, local utility companies and other economic tools.
The plant will begin slaughter operations in the third quarter in 2011 with around 200 head per day. It will increase that number for the first year and eventually slaughter 1,500 cattle a day, five days per week. This means that at full operation the plant will
purchase over 350,000 head per year. Most will come from cattle producers operating within 150 miles of the plant. The purchase
of the needed cattle will produce cattlemen’s gross receipts of nearly 500-million dollars per year.
At full operation the plant will have more than 500 employees and a yearly payroll of over 10-million dollars. The community
of and around Aberdeen will see an expansion of consumer spendable income as a result. Using the multiplier effect of payroll
spending in a community, it will mean a 20 to 30-million dollars per year increase in spendable income to the nearby economy.
10
April 2011
Union Farmer
www.sdfu.org
Union Farmer
Farmers Union Footnotes
Passings
Violet Sophia (Lila) Hall, 82, of Estelline
died Sunday, February 27, 2011 at the Brookings
Hospital.
Hall was born September 29, 1928 at Bruce,
South Dakota. She received her education in
Bruce and graduated from Bruce High School
in 1946. Violet was employed at J.C Penney in
Brookings and the Bank of Bruce before her
marriage to Cecil L. Hall on October 12, 1947
in Bruce. Following their marriage they farmed
near Bruce until moving to Estelline in 2001. Her
husband Cecil is a former vice president of SD
Farmers Union.
Violet will be remembered for her loving kindness, gentle spirit and as a wonderful caregiver.
She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in
Estelline where she had served as a Deacon and
on the Board of Education. She was also a member of the Sons of Norway and the Peppy Pals
Extension Club.
Violet was a past member of Grace Lutheran
Church in Bruce and was active in Ladies Aid
and taught Sunday School for many years. She
enjoyed flowers, gardening, reading, genealogy,
traveling, taking drives and spending time with
family and friends.
Those who are grateful for having shared
her life and will treasure her memory are her
husband Cecil of 63 years; one son Terence
“Terry” Hall and his wife Kristi of Pierre, SD;
two daughters, Kathleen Skoglund and her
husband David of Sioux Falls, Lori Speirs and
her husband Kevin of Rapid City, SD; eight
grandchildren; two great grandchildren; one
sister Margaret Borstad of Estelline; and a host
of other relatives and friends.
Violet was preceded in death by her parents.
Thank You
I just want to say so humbly, “Thank
You,” for awarding me the Minnie
Lovinger Award. I did not expect it and
feel so undeserving.
There are many people dedicated to
Farmers Union and it meant a lot to me.
I regret that I couldn’t be there. I love
working with Farmers Union. It has given
me many fond memories and friends.
Thank you to all those involved.
Your friend in Farmers Union,
Sharon Artz
(2010 Minnie Lovinger Esteemed
Educator Award Recipient)
Karen Kay Knippling, 71, of Wessington, SD
died Friday, March 25, 2011 at her home with her
family at her side. Funeral Mass was held March
30 at the Wessington Auditorium. Karen is the
mother of SD Farmers Union Secretary/Treasurer
Karla Hofhenke.
Karen was born January 15, 1940 in Miller,
SD to Myron & Lila (Arbogast) Waring. She attended grade school at Lincoln School and graduated from Miller High School.
Karen married Francis Knippling on November 16, 1957 in Stephan, SD. They were ranchers
their entire married life and she helped develop
a top quality Quarter horse program. She was an
accomplished seamstress and enjoyed sewing
for family and friends. Karen could accomplish
anything she set her mind to including pursuing a
career with the Fabulous Fabrics Company.
While raising her family, Karen still made time
for many organizations such as the SD Quarter
Horse Association and the SD Racing Horse
Association and held positions with both. Francis and Karen were avid members of the South
Dakota Rodeo Association. She was the executive
secretary for many years and later the publicity
director. She also served as the executive secretary for Mid-States Rodeo Association.
She enjoyed spending time with her family and attending rodeos with her husband and
visiting with her rodeo friends, as they were the
champions in her life. Karen was a member of St.
Joseph’s Catholic Church in Wessington, SD.
She’s survived by her husband and best friend
of 53 years, Francis Knippling of Wessington:
children, Brenda (David) Reis, Oacoma, SD,
Rocky (Donna) Knippling, Chamberlain, SD,
Karla (Doug) Hofhenke, Huron, SD, Roxanne
(Barry) Holm, Forbes, ND, Barry (Sherri) Knippling, Chamberlain, SD, Shannon (Scott) Dirk,
Vale, SD. She is also survived by 25 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, and sisters, Sherris
(Delmar) Harrell, Tualatin, OR, Sheila (Richard)
Moore, Brinnon, WA.
Clip & Save
Calendar
April 2011
8
Sale Barn Coffee, Magness (Huron)
10-12 State FFA Convention, Brookings
11
SDFU Quiz Bowl, Brookings
12
Sale Barn Coffee, Bales (Huron)
22
State Office Closed, Good Friday
26-29 NFU Education Conference
28
Lyman County Mtg, Reliance
May 2011
9-13 Summer Intern Training, Huron
26
Clark County Camp
31-June 3 District I&II Camp
June 2011
5-10
State Camp, Storm Mountain
17-19 REAL Session III, Sioux Falls
27
Haakon/Jackon Co. Camp, Philip
28
Butte/Lawr. Co. Camp, Spearfish
29
Lyman County Camp, Reliance
July 2011
10-13
10-15
13-15
16
26-27
26-29
Dist. III & VII Camp, Aberdeen
All-States Camp, Bailey, CO
Dist. IV, V & VI Camp, Custer
All-States 75th Reunion Camp
South Dakota MarketPlace
Assoc. of Co-op Educators Conf.
August 2011
2
3
8
8-10
16-20
16-18
Perkins Co. Camp, Bison
Harding Co. Camp, Buffalo
Moody Co. Camp, Flandreau
3 yr. Co-op Award Trip, Mpls
Brown County Fair
DakotaFest, Mitchell
September 2011
1-5
3
5
SD State Fair, Huron
Farmers Union Day at the Fair
State Office Closed, Labor Day
South Dakota Union Farmer is published
10 times per calendar year with issues in
January, February, March, April, May/
June, July, August, September/October,
November, and December. All information for publication must be submitted by
the 15th of the month. You may submit
items by mail to the State Office, P.O.
Box 1388, Huron, SD 57350 or email
items to: [email protected]