S.D. Farmers Union Celebrates Rural Youth, Community Heroes and 100 Years of Service During the 2015 S.D. State Fair

South Dakota Farmers Union celebrates 100 years of service to South Dakota’s rural communities and farm and ranch families during Farmers Union Day held Sept. 5 during the 2015 South Dakota State Fair in Huron.

 “The State Fair is South Dakota’s agricultural showcase. It’s the place where the families, businesses and organizations who make up our state’s number one industry gather to celebrate the best of the best. Farmers Union is proud to be a premiere sponsor of this event,” said Doug Sombke, President of South Dakota Farmers Union.

Rural Dakota Pride Awards

Famers Union will recognize six individuals for their selfless contributions to their rural communities with the Rural Dakota Pride Award. The 2015 Rural Dakota Pride Honorees include: Bob Glanzer, Huron; Steve & Carol Smith, Groton; Donna Kubik, Hamill; Ken Lindblad, Huron; and Lyndee Fogelman, Piedmont.

 As an organization which supports South Dakota farmers and ranchers, Farmers Union understands the integral connection between those who work in South Dakota’s number one industry and their rural communities.

 “One cannot survive without the other,” says Karla Hofhenke, Executive Director of S.D. Farmers Union. “Without thriving communities, it’s difficult to encourage young people to return to their family’s farm or ranch. Rural communities are key to the future of South Dakota’s agriculture industry, which is why we like to recognize those individuals who help them thrive.”

 The organization will also announce the 25 South Dakota students who received $1,000 scholarships for post-secondary education as part of the Farmers Union Foundation and Farmers Union Insurance Agency 2015 Insuring a Brighter Tomorrow Scholarship program. Scholarship recipients include: Sydney Fosness, Britton-Hecla High School; Catherine Leber, Parker High School; Peyton DeJong, Philip High School; Dusti Littau, Winner High School; Jordan Aspen, Belle Fourche High School; Hunter Leighton, Sioux Valley Schools; Jordanne Howe, Redfield High School; Abbigail Boner, Castlewood High School; Baylee Relf, Flandreau High School; Anthony Tuschen, McCook Central High School; Karee Wicks, Rutland High School; Sentel Johnson, Belle Fourche High School; Jonathan Linke, Woonsocket High School; Sara Heyn, Chester Area School; Madisyn Waage, Aberdeen Central High School; Chantel Reuer, Hamlin High School; Hannah Jorgensen, Viborg-Hurley High School; Braeden Edleman, Huron High School; Rachael Severson, Ipswich Public High School; Sydney Cowan, Highmore-Harrold High School; Lucas Sternhagen, Groton Area High School; Austin VanDerWeide, Watertown Senior High School; Jennifer Olinger, Bridgewater-Emery High School; Mattisen Kelley, Custer High School; and Tyson Jenkins, Clark High School.

 “Education is one of the three pillars upon which Farmers Union is built. Year-round, Farmers Union invests in providing leadership, cooperative and farm safety educational programming to school-age rural youth across South Dakota,” Sombke explains.

 Team Up To Safety Quiz Bowl

Sombke and Hofhenke invite everyone to watch rural youth in action by attending the 2015 S.D. Farmers Union Team Up To Safety Quiz Bowl championship, held at 1 p.m. on the Freedom Stage across from the Farmers Union Tent.

 “The quiz bowl is a fun way for high school students to learn about safety on the farm or ranch,” says Hofhenke, of the competition that asks FFA members questions on farm and ranch safety.

 Teams qualified for the championship during the S.D. State FFA Convention held this April. The teams include members from the following chapters: Viborg/Hurley FFA Chapter; Parker FFA Chapter; Deuel FFA Chapter; and Howard FFA Chapter. The Wolsey/Wessington FFA Chapter ranked fifth in points and will be the alternate team for the final round.

 “We hope the information they learn during the quiz bowl will prepare them if they are ever faced with an emergency situation or if they’re working with livestock or doing any other potentially dangerous job on the farm,” Hofhenke said.

 Farmers Share Luncheon, Only .34 cents for All

During Farmers Union Day, the Farmers Share Luncheon hosted by Farmers Union gives fairgoers an opportunity to learn just how much of the grocery store price tag South Dakota’s farmers and ranchers take home after harvesting the crops or livestock they raise.

 “Everyone is concerned about high prices in the grocery store – I understand that; it wasn’t too many years ago that I was shopping for a family of five,” said Hofhenke.  “However, what our state’s farmers and ranchers actually take home as income is a far cry from the prices we all see on our grocery receipt after a trip to the super market.”

 To clearly illustrate this, the Farmers Share Luncheon sells a lunch, which retails for $8, to diners for only 34 cents – the amount South Dakota farmers and ranchers would actually receive for the ingredients. The lunch is a pulled pork sandwich, baked beans, potato chips and milk.

 “I frequently have non-farming friends make comments about how good prices must be after a trip to the grocery store. The truth is, even when prices are down to the point where I’m not even breaking even, prices in the grocery store don’t reflect this,” explains Lake Preston crop and cattle farmer, Wayne Soren.

 Soren also serves as S.D. Farmers Union Vice President. “The Farmers Share Luncheon is a great opportunity to actually show consumers how much we make versus how much they pay at the grocery store or café downtown,” Soren says.

 10:30 a.m. Scholarship Winners Announced (On Freedom Stage)

11 a.m. Rural Dakota Pride Recipients Ceremony (On Freedom Stage)

11:30 a.m. Farmers Share Luncheon (In tent near Freedom Stage)

1 p.m. Team up to Safety Quiz Bowl Championship (On Freedom Stage)3:30 p.m. Cake served in the tent near Freedom Stage celebrating SD Farmers 

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Last Modified: 08/14/2015 7:36:15 am MDT