News

.

South Dakota Housing (SDH), in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, will be hosting a public meeting on Feb. 25, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. CST, to accept comments on the drafts of the 2025 Annual Action Plan and the Citizen Participation Plan.

Beginning Farmer Bond Program The South Dakota Beginning Farmer Bond Program (SDBFBP) is a tax-exempt bond program designed to assist Beginning Farmers in the state of South Dakota to acquire agricultural property at lower interest rates. The Program enables lenders, individuals, partnerships, corporations, and other entities (herein referred to as the “Bond Purchaser”) to receive federally tax-exempt interest with respect to a loan or contract sale made to Beginning Farmers.

South Dakota’s dairy industry is thriving. Our milk cow population reached 215,000 as of Jan. 1, 2025. That means that South Dakota’s dairy cow population has more than doubled in the last 10 years, an increase of 117% according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The increase in the last five years has been 88,000 head, or 69%. South Dakota’s growth in dairy cow inventories leads the nation over both time periods.

Members of the Ty Eschenbaum Foundation Board of Directors invite high school seniors and past graduates of South Dakota high schools, who have been diagnosed with a form of cancer at any point in their life, to apply for their Survivor Scholarship Program. The enrollment period is open now and closes on Saturday, February 15, 2025. Students can apply by visiting https://www.tyefoundation.org/ survivor-scholarships.

Commentary by Bill Bullard, CEO, R-CALF USA President Trump was poised to apply a 25% universal tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% universal tariff on all Chinese imports. Though the U.S.

South Dakota – The South Dakota Association of College Career Centers (SDACCC) will hold the South Dakota Business, Industry and Government Career and Internship Fair, known as the BIG Career and Internship Fair, and the South Dakota Teacher Career Fair on Thursday, February 20th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center in Sioux Falls, SD. The purpose of this event is to connect current students and alumni with career and internship opportunities that require or prefer post-secondary education or training.

Commentary by Bill Bullard, CEO, R-CALF USA The 2022 Agricultural Census was just released. We use census data to track the trajectories of the critical infrastructure needed to maintain a viable domestic cattle and sheep industry. It’s unfortunate but we have to wait every five years for the publication of a new census to gather the necessary data.

M OMENTS Over the years there have been many versions of the Newlywed Game, a game of asking couples questions to see how well they know one another. When they get the answers wrong, it is made light of and sometimes implied that it could cause problems in paradise.

Legislation would reinstate mandatory country of origin labeling for beef U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Sen.