97th Annual Farmers Union State Convention Experiencing `A Night

Volume XCV, NO. 3
Huron, SD
March 2012
South Dakota
Union Farmer
A PUBLICATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA FARMERS UNION
‘Goosemobile’
Sumpter Receives
Founder gets
Lovinger Esteemed
Farmers Union’s
Educator Award
Top Honor
PAGE 5
USDA Under
Secretary
Tonsager
Addresses
Convention
PAGE 4
PAGE 3
97th Annual Farmers Union State Convention
Delegates, members focus on ‘The Future of Rural America’ during annual gathering at Huron
Delegates and members from across the state
of South Dakota gathered in Huron Feb. 17-18,
2012, for the 97th annual South Dakota Farmers
Union state convention.
Convention attendees heard from several
prominent speakers throughout the convention,
adopted the grassroots family farm organization’s
policy program, and discussed ‘The Future of
Rural America.’
“We have to look into the future and decide
what we want rural America to look like,” said
SDFU President Doug Sombke. “It’s up to us to
make the right decisions now that will make a
brighter future for your children and our grandchildren. The agriculture industry is strong thanks
to good prices recently. But it’s likely they won’t
be around forever, so we need to make decisions
now to invest in the future of rural America.”
Speakers were invited to discuss the different ways producers and others can help make a
brighter future for rural America and the agriculture industry.
Delegates and members recite the Pledge of Allegiance to open the convention Friday, Feb. 17 at the Huron Event Center
“There is a lot of opportunity in rural America
right now, we just need to teach that next generation that there is a future in agriculture,” Sombke
said.
A panel discussion was held during the Saturday session of the convention focused on ‘The
Future of Rural Jobs.’ A group of experts, including Mitchell Technical Institute President Greg
Von Wald, Jon Farris from the S.D. Department
of Agriculture, SDFU board member and farmer
Jim Wahle, Kathy Callies from the Rural Learning
Center in Howard, and the manager of the Huron
local Department of Labor office Robin Wallum.
It’s clear that rural communities need to do
something if they’re going to continue to survive.
Von Wald says one of the biggest problems for
companies across the state is the lack of a skilled
workforce.
See CONVENTION Page 7
Experiencing ‘A Night on the Prairie’
For the seventh straight year, the South Dakota
Farmers Union Foundation hosted ‘A Night on the
Prairie’ to raise funds to support the many youth and
adult education programs of the South Dakota Farmers
Union.
The event, held Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012, at the Huron
Event Center, raised tens of thousands of dollars.
“We’re supporting the next generation of leaders in
South Dakota, and the funds raised at this event will
have a major impact on the future of our state,” said
South Dakota Farmers Union Foundation Executive Director Leslie Rupiper Morrow. “So many people gave so
generously, and the funds will ensure that the education
and leadership programs the Foundation supports will
See FUNDRAISER Page 8
More than 150 people attended the 7th annual ‘A Night on the Prairie’ event at Huron.
Union Farmer
From the President...
“Think like a man of action and act like a
man of thought.” That’s a quote by Henri L.
Bergson. Too many times in today’s world
people act without thinking, while at the same
time we think without acting. Could this be why it
seems our leaders are far
and few between? Or is it
because we, as everyday
citizens, don’t do enough
to give leadership help
and guidance?
Remember we are
Doug Sombke
SDFU President
the ones who put them in
Washington or Pierre. Therefore, we are the
ones who are ultimately responsible for their
leadership. Without our help, our elected representatives cannot do the best job for us.
That being said, sometimes those same elected representatives go against our wishes. That’s
when we need to act on our own behalf. There
are many different ways individuals can do this,
but recently our elected officials in Pierre have
debated to take one of them away from you and
me, by removing an initiated measure from the
ballot in November.
This raises the question, do we allow elected
representatives to decide what can and cannot
be voted on by the people of South Dakota?
We need to ask ourselves, what is a “need” and
what is a “want” for the people of South Dakota?
These questions really should be answered
by our lawmakers in Pierre before they make
decisions for us as citizens of the state. Legislators and the governor, as elected leaders, play
a big role when it comes to deciding the needs
from the wants of our state. The same can be
said for the president of the United States of
America and our Congress.
As president of South Dakota Farmers
Union, I see the needs of South Dakota being
our first priority. It’s no different than you as
families see the needs of operating your family
farm or ranch. We take care of the leaky roof on
the house before we take a family trip to Disney
World. We care for our livestock like our lives
depend on them, because they do.
What I’m trying to say is maybe our legisla-
Want to make a
tors don’t depend on us enough for their livelihood. Or, maybe we need to be sure they fix
the broken parts of government before offering
subsidies to large corporations. I know being a
leader in today’s world is harder than it’s ever
been, but listening to those who need you to
listen is far wiser than listening to those who
want you to listen.
I’m speaking from experience here. Many
years ago I bought a BB gun for my oldest son
for his birthday. Mel was against it, saying he
was too young. I listened to the “want” argument from Brett and gave it to him anyway. To
make a long story short, Brett lost his privileges
to the BB gun after he shot his brother. Mel, in
turn, wanted to shoot me.
The moral of the story is Brett didn’t “need”
the gun, but he “wanted” it and I didn’t “need”
to give it to him but I “wanted” to. It caused
both of us anguish, not to mention making it
hard for Bryan to go through airport security.
Wants vs. needs is not a hard thing to figure
out. Just look around your community and it
won’t take you long to figure out how fortunate
most of us are. Even with the economy struggling like it has across America, here in South
Dakota we dodged the brunt of the blow delivered by the Great Recession. But, as you look
around your community you’ll also spot several
people who need our help. If you don’t believe
me, you need to take a harder look and you will
see hunger, health care needs, loneliness and
addictions. All within our small and large communities of South Dakota these human needs
are there waiting for us to help.
Yet, our leaders seem to bicker over subsidizing large corporate projects for political gain
while educating our youth is deemed unimportant to the point we see teaching as a secondclass profession to be subsidized by holding
another job. But, why should teachers be any
different than many others in South Dakota
who hold down two or three jobs to make ends
meet?
It’s all about WANTS VS. NEEDS !!!
I hope this column gets us all to think like a
man of action and act like a man of thought.
God Bless!
REAL
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
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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
Secretary Treasurer
Huron
Bonnie Geyer...........ext. 125
Education Director
Huron
Chris Studer.............ext. 122
Communications/Marketing
Huron
Garret Bischoff.......ext. 118
Membership Director
Huron
Mitch Fargen...........ext. 116
Rural Development Director
Flandreau
Angela Tarasoff......ext. 111
Membership Specialist
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
Groton
Wayne Soren..........Vice Pres.
Lake Preston
Terry Sestak...........District I
Tabor
Jim Wahle..............District II
Salem
Franklin Olson.....District III
Pierpont
Contact NFU
Joel Keierleber.......District IV
Colome
Dallis Basel..............District V
Union Center
Lynn Frey...............District VI
Lemmon
Chad Johnson.......District VII
Groton
National Farmers Union
20 F Street NW Suite 300
Washington, DC 20001
Roger Johnson, President ~ Claudia Svarstad, Vice President
Doug Peterson, Secretary ~ Don Teske, Treasurer
202.554.1600 www.nfu.org
Farmers Union Members get
*
20% OFF
their entire purchase at
difference?
Be a part of our 2012-2013 Rural Economic And Leadership Development Class
Contact Rural Development Director Mitch Fargen for details!
605-352-6761 ext 116 or [email protected]
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800 21st St., Huron, SD
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March 2012
Union Farmer
www.sdfu.org
Education News
By Bonnie Geyer
Education Director
The foundation of this organization is education and I am very proud to work for an organization that believes so strongly in investing in
our young people and knows the importance of
educating them for the future.
Thanks to all who participated
in the A Night on the Prairie
event! We really appreciate
your support!
Congratulations to Marsha
Sumpter for receiving the Minnie Lovinger Esteemed Educator Award at the Education Honors
Luncheon. It was a lot of fun to honor a well
deserving individual! This award recognizes and
salutes an individual for their lifetime of service
and commitment to the South Dakota Farmers
Union Education Program.
We honored youth leaders at your State Convention as well. You can read more about these
award winners in the story to the right.
Congratulations to the 2011 Torchbearers
who were honored at convention. You can read
more about them on page 9. Congratulations
to the new Senior Advisory Council members
chosen for 2012: Gina Dethlefsen, of Stickney,
and Mason Farber, of Britton. Senior Advisory
Council members are chosen by the Education
Council from qualifying torchbearers.
A group of young people recently returned
from participating in the College Conference on
Cooperatives held in Minneapolis Feb. 16-19.
It gave college students from Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa,
Illinois, Texas, Vermont, North Dakota, Montana
and Colorado the opportunity to learn about cooperative business principles and history, to be
introduced to a wide variety of co-ops and to see
that there are great careers in strong, ethical and
community-minded businesses. We are fortunate
to have cooperative education grant funding
from the CHS Foundation and many other partners to make this event possible.
I hope you’ll join us for the NFU convention
in Omaha, Neb., March 4-7. Our 2011 Torchbearers will represent S.D. at the convention as
well as Mason Farber who serves on the NFU
Youth Advisory Council.
It’s almost camp time again and this year’s
theme is “Wild About Cooperation”. We have
many fun things planned. I want to challenge
you to help us continue to grow our youth program.
Youth Leaders, you will soon receive a number of items regarding the camping program and
youth records. Please take the time to review the
material and call if you have any questions. It
is not too early for you to set your camp dates!
Remember that summer staff will be available to
assist you on a first come, first served basis.
www.sdfu.org
Union Farmer
Sumpter Receives Lovinger Award
Longtime Haakon County educator
Marsha Sumpter was presented with the
Minnie Lovinger Esteemed Educator
Award during opening day activities at
the 97th annual South Dakota Farmers
Union Convention, February 17, 2012.
Sumpter inherited her Farmers
Union dedication from her parents.
She has committed 32 years of leadership to the county education program.
Marsha was also very dedicated to the
organization as District V President and
a member of the state board of directors
for 10 years.
Sumpter has a long record of community service as a Haakon County
Commissioner, president of the Black
Hills Association of County Commissioners, a member of the South Dakota
Pork Producers Executive Board, an
extension homemaker and an ag adviSumpter (right) was presented the award Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, by SDFU
Education Director Bonnie Geyer.
sor to Senators Tom Daschle and Tim
Johnson. She has been a recipient of
included Joan Hafner of Parkston, Arlene Schley
many awards including the Spirit of
Elliott of Aberdeen, Grace Bubbers of McIntosh,
Dakota Award and the Haakon County BPW
Viola Barry of Union Center, Barb Vetter of
Woman of Achievement Award.
Cresbard, Ardessa Moser of Miller, Pat Larson of
The Lovinger Award is named for the late
Woonsocket and Sharon Artz of Stickney.
Minnie Lovinger of rural Davison County. Mrs.
The award was presented at the annual FarmLovinger was the founder of the South Dakota
ers Union Education Honors Luncheon. Geyer
Farmers Union Education Department and was
praised twelve other volunteer education leaders
the first National Farmers Union Education
during the ceremony. They are listed below.
Director. Previous recipients of the award have
Education Awards Recipients
Gail Temple , of Clark, (left) received
the 20-year award. Teresa Reidburn
(right) of Clark received the 5-year.
Ed Artz, of Humboldt, received the
5-year educator award.
Jenna Van Dyke, of Gary, receive the
first-year educator award.
Others Honored...
25-Year Award
Nancy Mueller, Ethan
15-Year Award
Brenda Warnke, Fairfax
5-Year Award
Pat Larson, of Woonsocket, won
the award for most kids at a county
camp in Sanborn County.
First-Year Award
Ann Tornberg, Beresford
Gina Dethlefsen, Stickney
Mason Farber, Britton
Virginia Solheim, Garretson
Lindsey McFarlane, Wilmot
Erin Nemec, Holabird
Union Farmer
March 2012
3
Union Farmer
Dallas Tonsager: ‘Green is Good’
USDA Rural Development’s top official calls on groups to unite
The head of United States Department
of Agriculture’s Office of Rural Development, Under Secretary Dallas Tonsager,
addressed Farmers Union members during the state convention banquet Saturday,
Feb. 18 at Huron.
Tonsager, a former South Dakota
Farmers Union president, called on agricultural producers and organizations of all
types to unite behind a common goal: to
grow the industry.
“This is a critical moment for agriculture. We’re going into a farm bill. It’s a
most challenging time for rural America,”
Tonsager said. “In agriculture we need
to get together, even though we might
disagree on some issues. We need to get
the entire agricultural community united
on one front. that green is good,”
Tonsager said the phrase, “Green is
Good,” is an old one, and very simple, but
effective and very true.
“The time is coming where our agricultural economy is going to continue to
USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager speaks
grow and multiply as we add more and
more products and green based products, during the convention banquet Saturday, Feb. 18.
as we use less and less carbon based
products and it’s because producers in this orgahave good prices for commodities.”
nization and others committed themselves to that
But he says we always need to remember that
long term goal. It’s creating a green world, and
everything goes in cycles.
it’s vitaly important.”
“We must always be positioning so that we
Tonsager says the new economy that’s being
always have a strong agricultural economy,”
built today will be based on a local and regional
Tonsager said. “Who knows what can happen
sense, more so than it has been for many years.
with our economy. Things can change quickly. We
His department is working on ways to look at inmust continue to identify new ventures that we
vestments that can create positive growth not just create for ourselves. We must always be positionfor investors, but for communities.
ing to make sure we have a strong agricultural
“So many decisions that are made on Wall
economy.”
Street are made by a group of people whose priHe said creating steadiness in the market is
mary focus on a transaction is if it profits them,”
“absolutely vital.”
he said. “Decisions that are made on Wall Street
Over the past three years, USDA Rural Develdon’t necessarily take into account the ramificaopment has invested nearly $1.2 billion in South
tions they have on real people.
Dakota. That includes investing in things like
“As we go forward we have to look to create
water systems, houses, hospitals and fire halls.
investments that consider the needs of a commu“There isn’t a town in South Dakota that hasn’t
nity. Yes, they need to make a profit, but we need
been affected by this agency. There probably isn’t
to create the kinds of investments and mechaa person that hasn’t been affected in some way
nisms that affect communities in a positive way.”
by the agency in one shape or form,” he said. “If
It’s a good time for agriculture, Tonsager says, we get a budget that’s smaller, we’re going to use
because, “Right now we’re blessed with strong
every dollar, and we’re going to use it to benefit
biofuels industry as well as strong exports and we rural communities in every way we can.”
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4
March 2012
Union Farmer
Membership News
By Garret Bischoff
Membership Director
I want to thank all our members who attended convention this year and helped make
it a great success by working hard to get sponsorships from their local business owners. We
know how much time goes into soliciting those
sponsorships
and we certainly
appreciate everyone’s hard work.
If you missed
convention this
year you really missed out on
some great speakers and entertainment. S.D. Secretary of Agriculture Walt Bones, Jolene Brown,
Malcolm Chapman, and Troy Hokeness were
some of the speakers this year. They were all
great sessions.
Two things we can take from our convention to use at the county and district levels are
the transition or estate planning workshops
and local “shop talks”. Troy Hokeness, who
is a Principal Financial advisor, works closely
with all of our Farmers Union Agents. Between
our agents and Troy we have a great wealth of
knowledge in estate planning. If you’d like to
have an estate planning session in your district
or county, please contact me so I can help you
arrange one.
The other thing we’d like to arrange are
“shop talks”. Shop talks are a great chance to
get some of neighbors together to discuss issues
affecting your local area. If you’d like to host
one, please contact me. The state staff will come
out, bring some pop and snacks, and help you
discuss what is happening.
We are also hoping to get some members involved with water issues along the James River.
If you’d like to be involved in those discussion,
please let me know so I can put you on our
contact list.
Please contact me soon to start planning
events for the coming year. Hopefully with
the increase in activity at our meetings we will
bring more families to our organization for
years to come. For this organization to succeed,
we need the grassroots input from you, our
member, to be involved, invite your friends and
stay active.
If you have any questions about membership
in your district or county, please feel free to call
me at 605-352-6761 extension 118 or email me
at [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 third annual Team up
to Safety Quiz Bowl competition which will be
held at the FFA state convention on the campus
of South Dakota
State University in
Brookings.
We recently
sent out information to high school
advisors across
South Dakota to
get their students
involved in this
program and learn
about farm safety.
The kids compete in a Jeopardy! style game in
which they answer questions pertaining to farm
safety, health, and first aid.
Last year, 14 schools participated in this
program and this year we are expanding the
event to 16 FFA teams. We send the students
packets dealing with farm safety issues and
then they compete against each other. The
teams that finish in the top four will be chosen
to compete in the championship rounds at the
DakotaFest Farm Show in August at Mitchell.
The students are awarded cash prizes for participating and winning. Please encourage your
local FFA members to get involved with this
program in April at the FFA Convention.
This month we will finish our fourth Rural
Economic and Leadership (REAL) Development Program class. 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, we 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 Farmers Union, another organization, church
board, co-op board, run for the state Legislature
or county commissioner, I just want them to get
involved in their community and give something back to South Dakota.
At the March REAL meeting, which will
be held in Sioux Falls, we will be bringing in
professional speaker Malcom Chapman, former
S.D. Secretary of Ag Bill Even and former PUC
Commissioner and current East River Electric
counsel Bob Sahr to talk to the participants.
We are lucky to have these great speakers and
South Dakotans come and share with experiences with the group. If you want to know more
about any of these exciting programs or if you
want to get involved please contact me at
[email protected] or at 605-695-0705.
www.sdfu.org
Union Farmer
‘Goosemobile’ Pioneer Neuberger
Receives Farmers Union’s Top Honor
Tom Neuberger, of rural Canistota, is the
recipient of the Meritorious Service Award from
the South Dakota Farmers Union. It’s the highest
award given by the nearly 100-year-old family
farm organization. Neuberger was honored Friday,
Feb. 17, 2012, during the Farmers Union’s 97th
annual state convention at Huron.
Neuberger has been a committed member of
Farmers Union since 1974 and has held several
leadership positions within local and county
Farmers Union chapters. He’s currently secretarytreasurer of McCook County Farmers Union,
previously serving as county president.
“Tom and Ruth have been outstanding Farmers
Union members for nearly 40 years,” said SDFU
President Doug Sombke. “Tom is a true leader
and has given many hours to Farmers Union
activities over the years. We appreciate all he has
done to promote family farms as he travels the
state selling his products. We’re excited to give
him the organization’s highest honor.”
Neuberger is a third-generation farmer and
owner of Goosemobile Pastured Meats of Canistota. Tom and his wife of more than 50 years,
Ruth, raise beef, lamb, pork and a wide range of
poultry on their 160 acre farm. They process the
meat at their on-site processing center and market
their products directly to consumers from their
“Goosemobile.” It’s a refrigerated trailer they
pull to make deliveries and to sell their products
at farmers markets. Neuberger wouldn’t describe
himself as a typical farmer, but their business
model has been successful since they got their
start in 1985.
“You don’t have to deal with such volume
when you do it this way,” Tom said. “The overhead and the investment isn’t as much and it’s
been a successful formula for us.”
Their custom processing and marketing business has seen what Tom calls an “explosion” over
the last few years as consumers are beginning to
Union Farmer
Tom Neuberger (left) with SDFU President Doug Sombke. Neuberger was presented the Meritorious Service Award during the
Friday night activities at the convention.
realize that much of the food they eat is highly
processed and is trucked in from thousands of
miles away.
“The farmers markets have really become a
place where more and more families want to get
their food,” Tom said. “They don’t necessarily
care about the price, they just want to know where
their food comes from, they want it locally grown
and to know that their money is going to stay local.”
Neuberger also serves on the board of directors for the Falls Park Farmers Market, a local
cooperative, and is on the state board of directors
for Gideons International, a group that provides
Bibles to people in South Dakota.
Tom and Ruth have one son, Tim, who is a
school teacher in Tacoma, Wash.
Each year, South Dakota Farmers Union
honors an individual who has given several years
of service to the organization and made extraordinary contributions to strengthening family farmers
and ranchers.
March 2012
5
Union Farmer
Delegates Call for Beef Check Off Changes
Convention delegates pass special order calling for major changes to beef promotion program
Delegates attending the 97th annual state
convention of the South Dakota Farmers Union
passed a special order of business calling for
some major changes in the national beef check off
program.
Farmers Union members called for a complete
audit of the check off program, greater oversight
of the funds paid in by beef producers across the
country, and a rule to prevent any one contractor
to control over 50 percent of the beef check
off contracted funds.
“The current system is broken, it’s that
simple,” said Farmers Union President Doug
Sombke. “Clearly funds have been misused,
and one contractor controls nearly all of the
funds that are paid in by our hard-working
producers and there needs to be more oversight of that money by more than one organization.”
The beef check off is a system in which
all producers selling cattle or calves must pay
$1 per head sold which is collected to support the promotion of beef products, research
and information. It was mandated by the Beef
Promotion and Research Act passed by Congress in 1985. The funds are controlled by the
Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board
(CBB) which is set up by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. 50 percent of the funds are then distributed back to the local state beef councils in the
state where the check off dollars were collected. A
large portion of the check off money is contracted
to organizations who facilitate beef promotion
and research projects in an effort to raise demand
for beef products and to promote profitability.
According to beef check off officials, the
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA)
is the major contractor of funds brought in by the
CBB for beef promotion. For the fiscal year 2012
budget, the NCBA was awarded over $36.8 mil-
lion of the more than $39.4 million in contracted
funds. That one organization controls 93.5 percent
of the contracted or subcontracted funds. Farmers
Union members say producer confidence in the
beef check off has dropped after some discrepancies were found in an audit of NCBA’s use of the
check off funds in years past. The organization
Special Orders Deal with GIPSA, COOL
Two special orders of business, which were
passed by delegates at the 97th annual South
Dakota Farmers Union state convention, deal
with country of origin labeling (COOL) and the
Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Act
(GIPSA) rules proposed by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture.
Because competition in the marketplace is
vital to the future of the beef industry, Farmers Union delegates called on the USDA and
the Obama administration to “fully enact and
enforce the remaining GIPSA rules that have not
had final publication, as called for by Congress
and family producers.”
Last year, USDA announced plans to implement new competition rules that would bring
more transparency and fairness to the livestock
market. But those rules came under fire from a
wide range of groups who said they were “unfair” to producers and would hurt some marketing contracts.
The rules were first set up by the GIPSA
6
March 2012
Department in the 2008 farm bill, but have yet to
be fully implemented.
Farmers Union will continue to work with
elected officials to get these rules, or other forms
of them, implemented fully.
COOL has been a hot-button issue for years,
and still isn’t being fully followed by some
packers and retailers. Farmers Union delegates
passed a special order calling for National Farmers Union to work with the U.S. Trade Representative and USDA to “take any steps necessary to
defend COOL and streamline changes necessary
to maintain global trade access.”
The World Trade Organization (WTO) recently decided that the U.S. COOL law was acceptable to global trade standards but said it did treat
some countries unfairly in trade with the U.S.
Farmers Union is working with our elected
leaders and other groups to see that the COOL
law is implemented fully to help our family
producers.
Union Farmer
paid back over $200,000 to the CBB that the audit
found was either accounting errors or misuse of
funds.
“The audit clearly shows that NCBA controls
too much of the check off,” Sombke said. “There
needs to be more accountability, there needs to
be more organizations involved in the check off
process so this doesn’t happen again.”
A Beef Check off Advisory Committee was
formed last year by National Farmers Union
and several other agricultural organizations.
South Dakota Farmers Union members called
for the advisory committee to have direct input
in the decision making process of awarding the
check off contracts. The special order of business also called for changes that would prevent
any single check off contractor to control more
than 50 percent of the money.
If the advisory committee isn’t allowed direct oversight of the contract awards, Farmers
Union members would call for the repeal of
the Beef Promotion and Research Act and the
reorganization of the check off to the generic
Promotion Act in which other livestock check
off programs are controlled.
South Dakota Farmers Union delegates plan
to bring the resolution to the National Farmers
Union convention next month in Omaha, Neb.,
for consideration by national delegates.
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Union Farmer
CONVENTION: Bones Addresses Delegates
Continued from Page 1
wasn’t because we threw the most money at them.
“As we come out of this economic crisis, we
They came here because of the people, they came
will face an immediate second crisis: not having
here because of our work ethic.”
enough people to do the work,” Von Wald said.
High commodity prices has finally given ag“We used to have more people than we had jobs
ricultural producers a profit in South Dakota and
in a lot of manufacturing and other sectors. But
across the country, a trend Bones said he hopes
we get to a point in 2011-2012 where the jobs
will continue as new technology increases prostart to
ductivity on less land.
exceed the
Secretary Bones discussed his department’s
workers,
initiative to create a regional watershed district
and what
in the form of Senate Bill 169 during this year’s
do we do
legislative session. The measure would’ve been a
about that? first step in solving water drainage issues, espeWe need to cially in northeastern South Dakota, where over
train more
the past few years too much moisture has taken a
people.”
major toll on the industry.
Jim
“Our staff has been working on this issue
Wahle
because it’s a huge concern, it’s caused huge
said it’s an
problems and we need to solve it by looking at
exciting
the big picture,” Bones said.
MTI President Greg Von Wald
time to be
Farmers Union supported the bill, which was
in agriculture, but we need to do a better job of
later amended to set up a task force to look into
showing all of the opportunities there are to make the problem.
a good living raising food.
Professional speaker Jolene Brown addressed
Along with the panel discussion, speakers
the convention Friday afternoon about the future
during the convention included S.D. Secretary of
of agriculture and discussed what consumers are
Agriculture Walt Bones. The state’s agricultural
really buying. She inspired members to take an
leader said South Dakota’s number one industry
active role in telling their positive story about
has made huge strides recently because of high
agriculture and its effect on our lives.
commodity prices, rising land prices and new
Joy Smolnisky from the S.D. Budget and
technologies, but faces several challenges includ- Policy Project discussed how the state’s budget is
ing animal activist groups and water drainage
put together and the challenges and opportunities
issues.
it affords citizens.
Bones gave an overview of
Other speakers during the
the state’s Department of Agriconvention included Malcom
culture, discussing how it works
Chapman who discussed the
with the state’s largest industry.
future of leadership in South
“About one-third of our
Dakota, Principal Financial’s
economic activity in this state
Troy Hokeness who explained
comes from agriculture,” Bones
estate planning for the future,
said. “That’s an over $21 billion
National Farmers Union Vice
impact on our state’s economy.”
President of Government RelaBones pointed to the retions Chandler Goule, Democent announcement of the Bel
cratic candidates for the U.S.
Brands cheese plant that will
House Matt Varilek and Jeff
be built in Brookings bringing
Barth, and Under Secretary
hundreds of jobs as a victory
for Rural Development Dallas
for the state’s agriculture indusTonsager. You can read more
try. It’s a $300 million corporate
about his remarks on page 4.
investment in South Dakota.
Several awards were given
“They could’ve put that
out during the convention to
plant anywhere in the Midwest, Matthew Harnisch casts his ballot during
many deserving members and
and they chose South Dakota,” the elections for national convention delfriends of Farmers Union. You
egates
and
state
board
members.
Bones said. “And I’ll tell you it
can read more about the award
Farmers Union Members Save Money At...
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www.sdfu.org
Union Farmer
S.D. Sec. of Ag Walt Bones addresses SDFU convention.
winners on page 12.
Farmers Union delegates also elected leadership to the state board of directors. Terry Sestak,
of Tabor, was re-elected to serve District I, Franklin Olson, of Pierpont, was re-elected in District
III, Dallis Basel, of
Union Center, was
re-elected in District V,
and Chad Johnson was
elected to his first term
on the board to represent District VII. He replaces outgoing board
member John Sumption, of Frederick.
Delegates also
Chad Johnson, of Groton, was
elected national delelected to his first term on the
SDFU state board of directors.
egates who will travel
to Omaha, Neb., this
month. They are Ron Sestak, of Tabor, Lorrie
Hanson, of Britton, Steve and Debbie Harwood
of Union Center, and board represetatives Joel
Keierleber, of Colome and Wayne Soren, of Lake
Preston.
MEMBERSHIP INCENTIVE
$250 OFF
$100 OFF
Farmers Union members are now eligible for
THE PURCHASE OF A NEW VEHICLE
THE PURCHASE OF A USED VEHICLE *
AT ANY OF THESE FINE DEALERSHIPS
Discount good on used vehicles valued over $8,000
* SDFU
members must show membership card at time of purchase for discount
Not valid on any past purchases.
March 2012
7
Union Farmer
FUNDRAISER: Sumptions Win Dream Vacation
Continued from Page 1
continue build our future leaders who will have an
impact on their local communities.”
About 150 people attended the 7th annual ‘A
Night on the Prairie’ event. They played games
and won prizes while also participating in silent
and live auctions. Jim Erk, of Buffalo, walked
away with a big screen TV, Chandler Goule,
NFU’s vice president of government relations,
was the winning bidder on the original painting
‘As Good as Gold’ from featured artist Kathy
Sigle of Spearfish. Dozens of other people walked
away with prizes including everything from an
iPad, plane tickets, and pots and pans.
John and Margaret Sumption, of Frederick,
were the winners of the grand prize: their choice
of a vacation to Hawaii, Alaska, or New York
City. They’ve chosen the Alaska cruise. Congratulations to the Sumptions!
The proceeds from the event support Farmers
Union summer youth camps which teach the next
generation about the power and importance of
cooperatives and agriculture, along with other life
skills that they’ll use far into the future; the Rural
South Dakota; and the ‘Insuring a Brighter Tomorrow’ Scholarship Program which has awarded
$100,000 in scholarships to high school seniors in
South Dakota over the past four years.
Chris Studer, of Huron, served as the master
of ceremonies. Ben Meyer, of Huron, donated his
time as the auctioneer, and reigning Miss South
Dakota Anna Simpson, of Rapid City, was also an
honored guest at the fundraiser. She helped draw
for door prizes and even auctioned off a kiss on
the cheek.
The 8th annual fundraiser will be held in February of 2013 in Aberdeen.
Kathy Sigle (left) poses with John and Margaret Sumption who
bid on three afghans with Sigle’s painting depicted on them.
They were chances to the dream vacation, which the Sumptions
eventually won.
Economics and Leadership (REAL) Development
Program which teaches leadership, public speaking, and other skills to adults; the Junior REAL
Program which brings leadership and financial
training to high school juniors and seniors in rural
Miss South Dakota Anna Simpson, of Rapid City, helped with
the games and drawing for prizes.
Auctioneer Ben Meyer (on stage) with spotters John Kerstiens (standing left) and Garret Bischoff (standing right).
Featured artist Kathy Sigle, donated this beautiful original work ‘As Good as Gold’ to
be auctioned at the fundraiser. Visit kathysigleart.com to see more of her work.
8
March 2012
The ‘Ring of Bling’ was one of the most popular games.
SDFU board member Chad Johnson, of Groton,
won a youth shotgun at the Shell Shock game.
Union Farmer
Pat Larson (left) and Barb Vetter check out
some live auction items.
www.sdfu.org
Union Farmer
Torchbearers Honored at State Convention
Seven young people have reached the pinnacle
of the Farmers Union youth education program,
earning the title of “Torchbearer.” It’s the highest honor in the youth program, and shows the
commitment of these young people who have
completed the necessary steps in the program to
earn the title. This year’s Torchbearers are Samantha Converse, of Corona, Jake Dathe, of Britton,
Gavin Nuttbrock, of Arlington, Mickayla Twedt,
of Woonsocket, Austin Agler, of Stickney, Bradley Cihak, of Tyndall, and Lance Rademaker, of
Lake Preston.
“This is an incredible group of young people
and I’m so excited we were able to honor them
with the Torchbearer Award,” said SDFU State
Education Director Bonnie Geyer. “They’ve been
committed to reaching this goal, and I couldn’t be
more proud of the young adults they’ve become.”
Bradley Cihak, of Tyndall, is the son of John
and Charlotte Cihak. Bradley is from Bon Homme County, in District I. Cihak is currently studying agricultural education at South Dakota State
University with a minor in agronomy.
Cihak, in a speech for the Torchbearer ceremony held during the convention, he wrote, “To me,
receiving the torchbearer means a level of accomplishment through the Farmers Union Youth Program. It is the stepping stone to the next level of
Farmers Union from the youth education program
to the active participant level. It means that it is
my turn to give back to Farmers Union. I plan on
doing this on every level that I can.”
Austin Agler, of Stickney, is the son of Marla
Agler. He represents Aurora County, District II
Farmers Union. Austin plans to attend Mitchell
Technical Institute for agriculture technology.
“Being involved with the Farmers Union youth
activities has taught me to be responsible and
work hard. It has helped me learn how cooperatives work and how to keep them viable,” Austin
wrote.
Mickayla Twedt, of Woonsocket, is the daughter of Richard and JoAnn Twedt. She represents
2011 Torchbearers (from left) Samantha Converse, of Corona, Jake Dathe, of Britton, Gavin Nuttbrock, of Arlington, Mickayla
Twedt, of Woonsocket, Austin Agler, of Stickney, and Bradley Cihak, of Tyndall. Not pictured: Lance Rademaker, of Lake Preston.
Sanborn County, District II Farmers Union. She
plans to attend Mitchell Technical Institute and
study culinary arts.
“Farmers Union has been an important part of
my life. Becoming a torchbearer symbolizes the
end of one journey and the beginning of a new adventure. The last six years has brought me many
long lasting friendships and a sense of leadership
that will be helpful in this new stage of my life,”
Mickayla said.
Gavin Nuttbrock, of Arlington, is the son
of Sharon Nuttbrock, representing Kingsbury
County, District III Farmers Union.
“Being taught on the basis of the Farmers Union triangle has taught me many things
throughout my years of involvement. Attending
the Kingsbury County day camps has taught me a
lot about cooperative businesses and the spirit of
cooperation,” Nuttbrock said.
Lance Rademaker, of Lake Preston, is the
son of Lisa Rademaker representing Kingsbury
County, District III Farmers Union. Lance plans
to attend Lake Area Technical Institute for robotics and electronic systems technology.
“This achievement has been especially important to me as a lot of my family members including my mother, uncle, and cousins have received
this award and it means a lot to keep the family
tradition going,” Lance wrote.
Jake Dathe, of Britton, is the son of Sheila
Dathe representing Marshall County, District III
Farmers Union. Jake plans to enlist in the Army.
“My experience in Farmers Union has helped
me by knowing the importance of setting goals
and achieving my dreams. The leadership skills I
have learned will greatly benefit me in my future
and I want to thank Farmers Union for helping me
prepare for a successful life,” Jake said.
Samantha Converse, of Corona, is the daughter of Melissa O’Farrell, representing Roberts
County, District III Farmers Union. Samantha
is currently attending Northern State University
majoring in music education.
“Union has really made an impact on my life.
It has shown me how to take responsibility, how
to meet new people and to go out of my comfort
zone. I feel becoming a Torchbearer is a great
experience and I am proud to be involved in this
great organization,” Samantha said.
Farber, Dethlefsen Chosen for Senior Advisory Council
Mason Farber, of Britton, and Gina Dethlefsen, of Stickney, have been chosen to serve on the
Farmers Union Senior Advisory Council. SAC
members are voting members of the Education
Council representing their peers. They serve in an
advisory capacity to the Junior Advisory Council
in planning State Camp. They also participate in
Education Council meetings, County Councilors
and help with state convention.
The deciding factors in choosing the Senior
Advisory Council are based on: leadership skills,
conduct, interaction with their peers and other individuals and their overall participation in activities.
www.sdfu.org
SAC members Mason Farber (left) and Gina Dethlefsen (right)
with Education Director Bonnie Geyer.
Union Farmer
March 2012
9
Union Farmer
2012 State Convention Sponsors
CORPORATE SPONSORS
Central Bi-Products
Redwood Falls, MN
PARTNER SPONSORS
PLATINUM SPONSORS
Farmers Co-op Elevator
CorTrust Bank
CBH Cooperative
Sturgis
10
MArch 2012
Mitchell
Union Farmer
Avon
www.sdfu.org
Union Farmer
2012 State Convention Sponsors
GOLD SPONSORS
Arne-Wertz Funeral Home - Britton Lumber & Home Center - Brookings Equipment Inc., Case IH Dealer
Carda Pioneer Seed and Service - Central Farmers Cooperative, Marion - Chuck Sutton Auctioneer & Land Broker
Clark County Farmers Elevator - Clark Sales, Inc. Auctions - Coop Farmers, Inc., Tyndall - Great Western Bank
Donald Larson Auctioneer & Realtor - Farmers Implement & Irrigation, Brookings - Deuel County Cenex
Farmers State Bank, member FDIC, Stickney - Farmers Union Insurance, Gary Schelske - Midwest Cooperatives
First Bank and Trust, Brookings - First Dakota National Bank, Salem - Frederick Farmers Elevator
Frederick Veterinary Clinic - Grossenburg Implement, Inc. - Heartland State Bank, Redfield - Hendricks Tractor Parts
Hendricks Community Hospital & Nursing Home - Hendricks Auction Company, Brad & David Olson
Hurkes Implement Company - Jim Peterson, Auctioneer - Kirkvold Oil & Tire Company - Mark’s Machinery
McCook County Farmers Union - Mel J. Pieper, Auctioneer - NB Golf Cars LLC Sales & Service
North Central Steel Systems - Owen/Berg Auction Service - Philip Livestock Auction - Prairie Builders
Puthoff Repair - RDO Equipment Company - Roelofsen Implement, Inc. - Santel Communications
Scheetz Implement LLC - Schuchard’s Westside GMC Truck, Inc. - Schuneman John Deere Equipment
West River Electric Association, Inc. - Farmers Union Insurance, Brian Hermsen - Sioux Valley Cooperative
Farmers Union Insurance, Darrel Kessler - Farmers Union Insurance, Farber Agency - Utica Grain
Farmers Union Insurance, Larry Baumgarn & Debbie Baumgarn - Frontier Mills, Inc.
Golden West Telecommunications - Hendricks Farmers Lunber - Lesterville Feed & Grain, Inc.
McCook Insurance Agency, Inc. - Ron & Jeanette Foster, Estelline - Yankton Livestock
SILVER SPONSORS
73 Saloon -Motel West - Aberdeen Livestock Sales - Advantage Ag Supply, LLC - Agland Co-op - All Star Auto - Anderson Trucking
Artz Equipment, Inc. - Aurora County Farmers Union - AutoEx Sales & Service - B & B Sales - Basel Red Angus Ranch - Basham Funeral Service
Battey Law, P.C., Russell H. Battey - BDM Rural Water System, Inc. - Bolt Marketing LLC - Boyd-Wagner Agency - Bremmon Farms
Britton Bookkeeping and Tax Service - Britton Insurance - Britton Insurance/Western Agency - Britton Livestock Sales - Britton Ready Mix
Burdick Brothers, Inc. - Clark County Farmers Union - CorTrust Bank, Mitchell - Dakota Butcher - Dick’s Welding - Dimock Dairy Products Co.
Discount Fuel, Kadoka - Express Stopp & Express Stop 2, Woonsocket - Farmers & Merchants State Bank, Plankinton - Farmers Grain & Stock Co.
Farmers State Bank, Parkston - Farmers State Bank, Turton - Farmers Union Insurance, Brendon Hanson - Farmers Union Insurance, Brian Hanson
Farmers Union Insurance, Carrie Derschan - Farmers Union Insurance, Donna Enders - Farmers Union Insurance, Gary Ray
Farmers Union Insurance, Gary Schelske - Farmers Union Insurance, Hofer Agency - Farmers Union Insurance, James Murphy
Farmers Union Insurance, Jeff Nord - Farmers Union Insurance, Jeremy Clay - Farmers Union Insurance, Kasey Keller
Farmers Union Insurance, Larry Sutton - Farmers Union Insurance, Lon Reidburn - Farmers Union Insurance, Marlin Jenner
Farmers Union Insurance, Megan Schoon - Farmers Union Insurance, Person/Anderson Agency - Farmers Union Insurance, Sabers Agency
Farmers Union Insurance, Suzy Adams - Farmers Union Insurance, Todd Nichols - First State Bank, Tripp Forestburg Farmers Elevator - Fred Haar Co., Inc. - Freeman Implement, Inc. - Gillette Law Office, P.C. - Great Plains Lumber & Supply
Great Western Bank, member FDIC, Redfield - Gregory A. Protsch - Harwood Chiropractic - Heil Electric - Henke Tractor Repair
Holland Bros. Oil - Hometown Computer Services - Hurley & Associates - J & S Re-Store - Jensen Grain Co. - Jiggers Restaurant & Dakota Inn
Kadoka Gas & Go, Inc - Kamen Equipment, Inc. - Kaylor Grain Company Inc. - Kaylor Locker - Kennedy Implement
Ken’s Electric & Refrigeration - Klaudt Service - Knecht Seeds/Wensman - Kurt’s Repair - Larson & Nipe, Attorneys at Law - Lee Schneider Angus
Les’ Body Shop - Lurz Plumbing - M & L Repair - McCormick Motors, Inc. - Menno Mercantile - Menno State Bank
Merchants State Bank, Freeman - Meyer Hardware Hank - Missile Inn Bed & Breakfast - Morrison Family Farms LLC - Moses Building Center
Murtha Repair, Inc. - Norstar Federal Credit Union, Britton - Noteboom Implement, Inc. - O’Connel Construction, Inc. - Parkston Food Center
Pechous Repair - Philip Health Services - Piroutek Auction - PLA Café - Prairie Designs - R&T Repair - Ralph’s Feed Inc. - Ramsey Gutter Service
Ramsey Trucking - Rock N’ Roll Lanes - Roseth Cattle Co - Rural Manufacturing Company, Inc. - Rush Funeral Home
S & S Paint, Repair & Salvage - S&T Trucking Logistics, LLC - Sanborn County Farmers Union - Sanborn Weekly Journal, Inc.
Selland Trucking -Simon Insurance & Auction Service - Spink County Farm and Hardware, LLC - Steve’s Welding & Repair
Stickney Co-op Elevator - Stockman’s Livestock Market, Inc. - Stumble Inn - Symens Bros. Purebred Limousin Cattle & Feedlot
The Britton Journal - Tisher Bookkeeping & Tax - TLC Electric - Tracys Pain and Body - Triotel Communications, Inc. - Tripp Dental Clinic
Tripp Farmers Elevator, Cenex Station - Tripp Farmers Lumber Company - Weber Woodworking - West Central Electric
www.sdfu.org
Union Farmer
March 2012
11
Union Farmer
Legislative News
By John Kerstiens
Director of Government Relations
Diversity and grassroots organization have
gone with each other from the start. No matter
what organization you belong to, there will be
differences. Whether it’s religion, politics, or
even Farmers Union, at some
point you will disagree with
a portion of policy. Outside
of death and taxes, nothing is
absolute. So when our 2012
convention convened in Huron mid-February it was no
surprise we had many views
on policy which were the same and some which
were different. It’s our differences that make us
stronger and when we have a spirited debate on
an issue we make our organizations stronger.
Farmers Union has consistently let all debates
take place, no matter the issue, to build that rich
heritage we have grown so accustomed to. At
the end of the day, differences aside, Farmers
Union has taken the high road, the right road and
the road for prosperity and the rural way of life.
Heading into National Farmers Union convention in Omaha, we can all rest assured the debate
there will shape our political path for the year to
come; possibly the most important year in recent
memory with the farm bill approaching.
We have just wrapped up one of our more
successful sessions in Pierre. We weren’t handed
a single defeat this year on our priority issues.
Our rural electric cooperatives will continue to
provide us with reliable, affordable electricity
after we worked to change the tax structure for
them. The old way of taxing our electric co-ops
was unsustainable and a new approach, taxing on kilowatt hours instead of gross receipts,
was brought forward. Our friends at East River
Electric came to us early in session and asked
for our support. Looking at the effects of education funding vs. the survivability of our co-ops,
it was clear to us that this change was long
overdue.
Our other primary issue was water drainage
for our flooded farmers. SDFU was the only organization to take a proactive approach and support SB 169 which would have created a regional watershed for the James River. After much
debate and discussion, all parties agreed that
going forward with a task force to study drainage issues was prudent. While it wasn’t our first
choice in dealing with the water problems, it’s
a meaningful step in the right direction. Please
thank Senators Frerichs, Krebs, Tom Hanson,
Rep. Street and all of the others the next time
you see them. They worked tirelessly to help all
flooded farmers through this legislation.
Watch for the legislative report card coming
up in the next issue of the Union Farmer!
12
March 2012
Farmers Union Award Recipients
President’s Award
Membership Award
John Sumption (left) and Jerry Petik were the recipients of the
2011 President’s Award.
DuWayne Bosse (left), of Britton, was the recipient of the 2011
Alice Tollefson Memorial Membership Award.
Outgoing board members John Sumption, of
Frederick, Jerry Petik, of Meadow and Brad Reis,
of Hamill, were the recipients of the President’s
Award. It’s given each year to individuals who
have given much time and effort to the organization. Sumption served on the board since 1998,
Petik since 1988, and Reis since 2007.
DuWayne Bosse, of Britton, was the recipient of the 2011 Alice Tollefson Memorial Membership Award. The award is given annually to
a member of Farmers Union who has done an
outstanding job of membership recruitment and
has shown great participation in Farmers Union
activities. Bosse is from Marshall County.
Co-op Partner Award
Farm & Ranch News Award
Tom Riter, WNAX Radio
WNAX Radio’s Tom Riter has been the assistant farm director since 1999. He has been in
the radio business in South Dakota and Colorado
since 1981. The Farm & Ranch News Award
is given annually to members of the media for
outstanding coverage of agriculture and Farmers
Union.
Cody Winchester, Argus Leader
Brad McCoy (left), general manager of the Farmers Cooperative Elevator of Beresford, was the recipient of the 2011 Cooperative Partner Award.
Brad McCoy, who has been the general manager of the Farmers Cooperative Elevator at
Beresford since 2007, was given the Cooperative
Partner Award for his work with Farmers Union.
The cooperative has partnered with the organization several times to host events and has contributed to the Farmers Union Foundation.
The Argus Leader’s energy and environmental
reporter Cody Winchester is a graduate of Black
Hills State University and earned a master’s
degree from Baylor University. Before coming
to the Argus Leader he worked at a newspaper in
Waco, Texas.
Outstanding County Award
Brown County Farmers Union
The Outstanding County Award is given to
a Farmers Union county organization that has
shown great leadership and membership development throughout the year.
Congratulations to all of
the award recipients!
Union Farmer
www.sdfu.org
Union Farmer
Foundation News
By Leslie Rupiper Morrow
SDFU Foundation Executive Director
By NFU President Roger Johnson
March at National
Farmers Union means that it
is convention time. We have
put together a very diverse
program this year, with a
solid lineup of speakers that
includes U.S. Secretary
of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, U.S. House of
Representatives Committee on Agriculture
Ranking Member Collin Peterson, and Howard
G. Buffett. We’ll have two sessions of breakouts
that will offer practical educational opportunities
for all attendees. Monday’s afternoon of tours
will provide all in attendance an opportunity to
learn more about Nebraskan agriculture. We will
close the convention with the consideration and
adoption of policy. NFU is proud of its grassroots
structure, and that is clear through the method by
which policy is adopted in the organization.
On Tuesday evening of the convention, the
NFU Foundation is hosting the third “Evening
for Education” event. The Foundation planning
committee has plenty of fun games planned for
the evening, and it is all for a good cause. Funds
raised at the Foundation event support Farmers
Union education programs. If you have not
registered for convention or bought a ticket to the
event, please do so soon. Visit nfu.org/convention
for all the details.
Also this month we will release the second
phase of our study that we have been working
on with Dr. Daryll Ray and the team at the
University of Tennessee. The second phase of
the study has allowed us to develop a MarketDriven Inventory System (MDIS) that provides
an alternative policy for the upcoming farm bill
discussions that is fiscally responsible. As we
release more details on the system, we will post
details at nfu.org/study. Dr. Ray will also be at the
convention to answer questions our members may
have about the research he has conducted.
We have been continuing our work with
Congress as 2012 Farm Bill hearings have
begun. Missouri Farmers Union member Steve
Flick testified in February in front of the Senate
Committee on Agriculture on behalf of NFU.
Flick, the board chairman of Show Me Energy
Cooperative, discussed the importance of federal
renewable energy programs such as the Biomass
Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), the Rural
Energy for America Program (REAP), and the
Biorefinery Assistance Program to his cooperative
and to rural development as a whole.
President Obama released his budget in early
www.sdfu.org
February. NFU remains strong in encouraging the
administration to take a look at where it is cutting
funding, as agriculture has already taken its fair
share of cuts. While we understand there will be
cuts, we cannot continue to bear cuts before other
sectors take some of the burden.
NFU commended the Department of Labor
on its decision to reevaluate the parental portion
of the proposed child labor safety regulations
for agriculture and agriculture-related jobs while
moving forward with the hazardous occupation
portions of the rules that had been proposed
earlier. The administration listened to the concerns
of the agriculture community and determined
that these rules would hinder the ability of young
workers to learn about agriculture while doing
little to make them safer, and for that NFU is
pleased. There will be many times over the next
few months that NFU will call on its members
to contact your congressional representation and
other officials on topics, especially relating to the
farm bill. Be on the lookout for action alerts, as
these grassroots campaigns truly are making a
difference.
We are pleased to announce that the
Beginning Farmer Institute is currently accepting
applications for its second year. The program is
also open to those across the nation who have just
begun farming or are in the process of transferring
an operation from a parent, relative, or nonrelative. Experts from across the agriculture
industry will meet with the group over the next
year to provide insight and training on the key
issues facing those who are just starting to make
their way into farming. The application deadline
is March 14. For more information and to apply,
visit nfu.org/education.
We have nearly reached our goal with the
Feeding America campaign. In these last few
days leading up to convention, we have reported
approximately $42,000 in contributions. We are
just shy of our $50,000 goal. We are optimistic
that we will meet the challenge that was put
forward by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation,
and are thrilled to be able to present the final
results to Mr. Buffett in person at the convention.
Please consider making a contribution to help
feed America’s hungry. Each donation goes a long
way toward feeding those in need in your local
communities. Visit nfu.org/feedingamerica for
details.
As spring approaches, NFU will be very busy,
as will our members. Good luck to you all and we
hope to see you in Omaha!
Union Farmer
Once again I am humbled by the generosity
you have shown to the Foundation at this year’s
A Night on the Prairie fundraiser. For your donation items, sponsorships and participation in the event
itself, I THANK
YOU!
I couldn’t be happier for this year’s
grand prize winners
John and Margaret
Sumption, of Frederick. They had a choice
of taking a trip to Hawaii, Alaska or New York
City and they chose the Alaskan cruise! John
and Margaret have been such generous supporters of the Foundation, especially this year! I
can’t think of anyone more deserving of the trip
and I hope they have a wonderful time!
The fundraiser couldn’t happen without the
support of our members and community businesses. There’s also an immense amount of
teamwork. I am so grateful to Farmers Union
and Farmers Union Insurance staff who helped
me with this year’s event. If you were at the
fundraiser, you probably also saw members of
Farmers Union Collegiate, and our Junior and
Senior Advisory Council members helping out.
I think it’s important for them to see how much
Foundation supporters are willing to invest in
Farmers Union education programs. When they
see an original work of art sell for $3,000 or a
gallon of pickled eggs sell for $600 at the auction, it is clear people are giving from the heart
to a cause they truly believe in.
At the same time, I’m so proud of our young
Farmers Union members who are a shining
example of how our education programs are
creating future leaders. These young people are
hard-working, respectful and kind and they are
wonderful ambassadors for the very programs
the Foundation is working to fund.
Even though the 2012 A Night on the Prairie
is officially in the books, it’s not too early to
start thinking about next year’s event. If you
have ideas you’d like to share with me, feel free
to email me at [email protected] or call me at
(605) 940-9070. I welcome your input to help
make our signature fundraiser even more successful in the years to come.
When thinking about all those who donated
their time, energy, hard work and money to A
Night on the Prairie, I stumbled upon this quote.
It’s from the French writer Jean De La Bruyerev.
He says, “Generosity lies less in giving much…
than in giving at the right moment.” I thank you
for making this your moment.
March 2012
13
Union Farmer
Farmers Union Convention
Snapshots
Torchbearer Austin Agler with SAC member Jenna Van Dyke.
Anne Wudel gives the keynote at the education luncheon.
Joy Smolnisky from the S.D. Budget & Policy Center
Jerry Petik speaks at the reception for outgoing board members.
Ted from Deuces Wild! Dueling Pianos entertains on Friday.
Katie Redden leads the Pledge of Allegiance with Doug Sombke.
John Sumption receives a gift during the board reception.
Speaker Jolene Brown presents ‘When Pigs Fly’
Four of the five living SDFU presidents. From left, Dallas
Tonsager, Ben Radcliffe, Dennis Wiese and Doug Sombke.
Sandee Gittings received a flat screen for selling sponsorships
Josh Tonsager from Sen. Tim Johnson’s office gives an update.
Policy Committee, from left, Gail Temple, Larry Birgen, Sandee
Gittings, Tyler Gerlach and DuWayne Bosse.
Thanks for a great
CONVENTION!
Speaker Malcom Chapman discusses the future of leadership.
14
March 2012
Union Farmer
Kathy Callies from the Rural Learning Center discusses jobs.
www.sdfu.org
Union Farmer
Passings
Farmers Union Footnotes
Clip & Save Calendar
March 2012
Clara Ann Tschetter, 86, of Huron, died Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 at SunQuest Healthcare Center in
Huron.
She was born Oct. 23, 1925, at Huron to John
and Katie Tschetter. Clara married Glen C. Miller
on Sept. 7, 1946 in Huron. The couple moved to the
Hitchcock area where they owned and operated a
farm until 1983 when they moved to Huron.
Clara attended the Riverview United Methodist Church in Huron. She was also a member of the
American Legion William Reaves Post #7 Women’s
Auxiliary, the VFW Forrest McMullen Post #1776
Women’s Auxiliary, the Moose Lodge and Farmers
Union. She enjoyed cooking, canning, gardening,
and spending time with her family.
She is survived by her sons Marvin Miller, of Huron, Dale (Susan) Miller, of Aurora, Colo., and Rick
(Julie) Miller, of Hitchcock; seven grandchildren, 13
great-grandchildren; and a sister, Emma Becker of
Huron.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her
husband in 2002; an infant son, Keith Miller; two
brothers, Alfred and Jake Tschetter; and a sister,
Elsie Walters.
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4-7
9
10
10
19
20
23-25
24
24
27
30-31
Legislative Session Ends
NFU Convention, Omaha, NE
Lemmon Farm Show
District VII Conference Call
District V Mtg., Caputa
Legislative Veto Day, Pierre
Sale Barn Coffee, Philip
REAL Final Session, SF
Ag Day, Washington Pavilion
Aurora Co. Pancake Feed
Sale Barn Coffee, Bales, Huron
Little-I, Brookings
April 2012
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9
15
16
16-17
State Office Closed (Good Fri.)
State Camp Planning, Huron
Scholarship App. Deadline
SDFU Quiz Bowl, Brookings
NFU Spring Fly-In, Wash., DC
May 2012
Get Well Soon!
Farmers Union would like to wish
Keith Bosse well on his recovery from
a recent surgery.
South Dakota Union Farmer is published 10 times per calendar
year with issues in January, February, March, April, May/June,
July, Aug./Sept., 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]
7-11
Summer Staff Training, Huron
29-June 1 Dist. I & II Camp, Swan Lake
June 2012
3-8
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21-23
24-29
State Camp, Storm Mountain
Foundation Golf - Mitchell
NFU Women’s Conf., Bailey
All-States Camp, Bailey, CO