The Black Hills saw teens from rural communities across South Dakota gather for South Dakota Farmers Union State Leadership Camp June 8-13.
2025 marks the third summer Riley Mutter attended, and the Sturgis Brown High School sophomore said it was the best camp yet. “I made a lot of new friends and enjoyed seeing old friends who I met at camp last summer,” Mutter said.
He explained that in addition to gaining friends from across the state, State Leadership Camp helped him develop confidence. “I used to have really bad social anxiety. It was so bad I could not look people
Members go to D.C. & Ask Congress to End Chaos
South Dakota Farmers Union Celebrates Harding County Ranch Family
and
Ralph, South Dakota, had a general store, a post office, a Lutheran church, a cemetery and a school when Louise Jenson and her husband, Gene, were newly married and moved onto the ranch within eyesight of the Harding County village.
Sixty-three years later, Louise maintains the grounds around the now, mostly vacant buildings and cemetery.
Thankfully, even though Ralph is no more, the Jenson Ranch family is thriving. In addition to grounds maintenance, Louise spends quite a bit of time watching her great-grandchildren.
“It is just heaven,” explained Louise, of getting to help care for her
The Jenson family ranches in Harding County: Ron, Starla, Keen, 4, Jace, Kami, Kage, 8 months,
Louise.
Union Farmer
seven great-grandchildren on the ranch – the children of her grandson, Jace, and his wife, Kami, and her granddaughter, Amanda, and her husband, Taz Olson. She also loves it when the five grandchildren of her son, Bill, visit.
“It is so rewarding to get to see the kids grow up and get to help them and be with the
grandkids and have fun with them and follow them in sports and now to be involved with my great-grandkids and get to have them so close, almost like my own kids,” Louise said.
Kami agreed. “This is how I grew up and it is how I envisioned my life to be. A ranch is a good place to raise our children and there is lots of help.”
Kami is a cosmetologist and works off the ranch in her salon in Buffalo two days a week. She appreciates being able to leave their sons, Keen, 4, and Kage, 8 months, with her mom, Donella, Grandma Starla or Great-grandma Louise.
“Raising kids in this area and community, I don’t think you could do any better,” said Starla, who together with her husband, Ron, raised their four children on the ranch: Josi, Amanda, Jace and Jarett.
Today, Jace and Kami ranch with Ron and Starla, and their daughter, Amanda, and her husband, Taz, raise cattle on Taz’s family’s ranch just 10 miles north near Reva, South Dakota.
“I love the simplicity of ranch life,” explained Starla. “There is stress, but the stress is mostly connected to the weather.”
Today the family is in high spirits as they share the Jenson Ranch story. It’s May 15, and raining. Just two weeks earlier, the ranch received 2 inches of rain.
“Rain is what we need to make things grow and until recently, it has not rained much, and we did not get any winter moisture,” explained Ron,
a fourth-generation Harding County rancher. Ron explained that even with cross-fencing, rural water and a well-managed rotational grazing system, there is only so much man can do to support grassland health without rain.
Homesteaded in 1896
To this day, the Jenson family runs cattle on the land Ron’s great-grandma, Johanna Jenson, homesteaded in 1896.
“She came over from Norway after she lost two husbands,” Louise shared. “She sent her three daughters to the U.S. to earn enough money to bring her and her two young sons to the U.S.”
Johanna’s youngest son, Hans, was only 9 when he emigrated to Harding County from
The Jensen Family: (front row) Taz Olson holding Scout and Shylo, Keen Jenson, Knox Olson, Gramma Louise, River Olson, Starla Jenson, Copper Olson and Ron Jenson. Back row: Amanda Olson, Jarett Jenson, Kami Jenson holding Kage, Josi Jenson, Sage Jenson and Jace Jenson.
Louise with her son, Ron, in the old Ralph School House that the family restored and Louise turned into a museum to honor the Parks family, whose land she and Gene purchased for their ranchstead.
Norway.
Hans and his wife, Bernice, raised four children on the family homestead, including Louise’s husband, Gene.
Louise loves history. She honors the Parks family, whose land she and Gene purchased for their ranchstead, with a small curated museum inside the old Ralph School House full of objects left behind by the Parks family and her in-laws.
“My husband started working for Bob and Mary Parks when he was 13 and worked for them all their lives,” Louise said. “I hated the idea of it all just being stored away.”
The ranch today
After high school, Ron said he had no interests outside of ranching. He enjoyed raising cattle and hay – not so much farming. So, when his dad, Gene, passed away in 2012, he converted all the farmland to hay ground.
“It was an economical choice for one thing, the hay markets are up and down, so it makes more sense to feed it to our own cattle,” Ron said. “And I would rather have more of a cattlefocused operation and Jace has more of an
interest in cattle.”
When it was time for Jace to decide what he wanted to do after high school, Ron encouraged him to experience life off the ranch for a while. “I told him to work for someone else to get experience, meet people and have the experience of having people work for him,” Ron said. “This way things may look better when he came home.”
Jace said raising cattle on his family’s ranch is what he always wanted to do. “Growing up, I did not have many cows of my own, but it didn’t matter to me whose brand was on them, I liked working with cattle.”
The time Jace spent working construction and in the oil fields away from his family’s ranch strengthened his resolve. He determined to build his life and career on his family’s ranch.
“Working in the oil fields, the money is good, but I did not enjoy it. I wanted to be home,” Jace said. “For me, being a cattle producer and in the seedstock business it’s not about money. It is the love of the business. It is rewarding. The more we do, the more we improve things.”
When he returned to the ranch full time in 2014, improving herd genetics became his focus. He began AI’ing the herd, selecting genetics for calving ease, mothering ability, performance and functionality.
“It’s a slow process – the bull selection process and matings to see what works and what doesn’t,” Jace said. “You put a lot of work into all of it and the end result is rewarding.”
The family began selling bulls private treaty. Then, in 2020 the family had the opportunity to purchase Dave Lensegrav’s cow herd and expand the family’s seedstock business. “Dave had been our main bull source since the mid ‘80s. Lensegrav bulls added performance and mothering ability –Dave had a keen eye for genetics,” Jace explained.
When the family bought the Lensegrav herd, they asked Dave’s daughter, Kristi Birkeland, to stay on as a partner. Jace also asked his best friend and brother-in-law, Taz Olson, to partner in the seedstock business as well.
“We are childhood friends who grew up together. Our parents neighbored together so we did everything together,” Olson said. “We went to AI school together and when we would ask
each other about genetic choices, I’d say about 80 percent of the time, we chose the exact same bulls.”
Valuing their friendship, Jace said they went into the business partnership with cautious optimism. “We talked and said that if something is wrong, we have to tell each other.”
“We both went into it open-minded,” Olson added. “I told Jace right away, one of us has to be the boss, and that’s you. We have always been good at communicating with each other, ever since we were little. We tell each other when we don’t think something is right or whatever. Our honesty helps out. We always know where each other stands.”
Today Ralph has a bull sale the first Friday in March
As the ranch transitioned from traditional cow/calf operation to a seedstock operation, the workload increased.
“It is very labor intensive and time consuming because there is a lot of sorting and a lot of paperwork,” Jace said of the DNA sample, birth weight and other genetic information the family collects on each calf born.
The family manages spring and fall calving herds.
Continued on Page 4
“There is a lot of weight when you are making genetic decisions that will impact not only our family’s ranch, but the ranch families who buy our seedstock.” – Jace Jenson
Jenson Family
The Jenson Family hosts a bull sale the first Friday in March.
Union Farmer
You Are Invited to Attend July 17 Policy Meeting
Farmers Union members are invited to attend the 2025 State Policy Meeting remotely, July 17 at 9 a.m.
Attendance matters because policy is vital to South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU) explained Doug Sombke, President of SDFU and a fourthgeneration Brown County farmer.
“Members set the policy, and this policy is what our organization advocates for on the local, state and national level,” Sombke said. “Grassroots policy guides me and the board of directors in our leadership decisions. This policy is what the state staff uses to guide them in all programming.”
Policy that is established by members resides in the SDFU Policy Book. Each year during the State Policy Meeting, the State Policy Committee reviews the book and makes suggestions for updates or changes. These changes are discussed during the meeting. Changes approved by members during this meeting are voted on by delegates during the Annual State Convention in December before they are made.
Ipswich farmer Sarah Perrion is one of eight members who volunteers her time to serve on the Policy Committee. She said before serving, she became interested in the organization’s policy by participating in the State Policy Meeting and State Convention Policy Discussions.
“Policy is so interesting because you get to listen to other people’s points of view and understand how one topic impacts individuals in different ways. When I first became involved in Farmers Union, I thought we were setting laws. And then I realized, policy expresses the changes we would like to see made to laws to better serve family farmers and ranchers,” explained Perrion, who raises crops and operates a custom farming business with her husband, Lance, and their three young daughters.
If a member has not participated in policy before, Perrion encourages them to log in on July 17 and at least listen to the discussion.
“Because the only people who are at the meeting in-person are the Policy Committee and the Board of Directors, it is very low key,” Perrion said. “You don’t even need to say anything. But if there is something you want to say, or a need you want the organization to address, this is the time to do it.”
Perrion represents District 7. Each district has a representative on the Policy Committee. This means there is a lot of diversity in agriculture production and experience represented. “It is quite the diverse group. Which is good because then, no matter what is being discussed, someone has knowledge of the topic, so if you have a question there is someone who can answer it. And if we are reviewing existing policy, and we have a question on it, more than likely someone at the meeting was there when it was first established and can explain the reason members wanted the policy.”
Making time to engage with Farmers Union policy is important if you want your voice heard, explained Reliance rancher David Reis. “Just like any group, if you don’t say anything, no one knows what you are thinking,” said Reis, who serves District 4 on the State Board. “By giving your input and speaking up during policy, you make sure your voice will be heard because policy is what guides us. Policy gives us the guideposts for everything we do.”
Participate in July 17 Policy Meeting
To participate in the July 17 State Policy Meeting, visit www.sdfu.org the morning of the meeting, and click on the meeting link on the homepage. Members can access the State Policy Book by visiting the website and clicking on the state link found under the Legislation tab. n by Lura Roti for SDFU
each March. In 2025, the family began their own tradition and hosted the bull sale on their ranch.
“Everything we do with the spring calving herds, we repeat with the fall calving herds,” Jace said.
To help, Hughie and Julie Ulberg live and work full time alongside the family. After the family collects data on each calf, Jace pays someone to compile the data.
To make things even more complex, the Jensons’ cattle are not all pastured near the Ralph ranchstead. With various groups of cows and heifers, in different locations, receiving different reproductive protocols, Kami created a spreadsheet to help keep everyone organized – it includes project dates and times, which pasture they will work the cows or heifers or recips, how many will be there to help and perhaps most importantly, who is preparing the meal.
“We all take turns cooking the meals and we like to know when our day is because it’s not like we have ingredients real handy,” Kami explained.
After they took over ownership of the Lensegrav herd, the family continued Dave’s tradition of hosting a bull sale in Faith the first Friday
“That was a big step,” Ron said.
About 200 cattle producers attended the in-person auction that was also livestreamed on DVAuction.
“We are grateful for our loyal customers who, like us have been buying these bulls for decades, and now we are expanding with some new customers,” Jace said. “There is a lot of weight when you are making genetic decisions that will impact not only our family’s ranch, but the ranch families who buy our seedstock. It’s a weight of sorts because we care. That is why we put so much time and effort into our breeding decisions.”
Jace and Taz said as their herd genetics improve, selection and culling decisions become more challenging.
Ron trusts Jace with the cattle decisions, but Jace said he is grateful Ron remains available if he needs advice. “It is nice to know he will not let me get too far out of line,” Jace said.
Taz added, “We are both proud to improve upon and continue the cattle legacy that our forefathers set up before us.” n by Lura Roti for SDFU
Jenson Family Continued from Page 3
SDFU Policy Committee: Hank Wonnenberg, Sarah Perrion, Rob Lee, Audra Scheel, Jason Latham and David Cap.
Union Farmer
Meet the 2025-2026 Junior Advisory Council
2025-2026 Youth Advisory Council members are Allison Schulz, Lennox; Avril Fletcher, Highmore; Ethan Mutter, Sturgis; Danielle Kruger, De Smet; Coltyn Raymond, Ethan; and Chase Blotsky, Hidden Timber.
During South Dakota Farmers Union Leadership Camp, Allison Schulz, Lennox; Avril Fletcher, Highmore; Chase Blotsky, Hidden Timber; Coltyn Raymond, Ethan; were elected by campers to serve on the Junior Advisory Council (JAC) and campers ; Dani Kruger, De Smet; and Ethan Mutter, Sturgis, were selected through an interview to also serve as JACs.
As JACs, these teens will help facilitate the upcoming Farmers Union State Youth Camp and they will also plan, organize and facilitate the 2026 Farmers Union State Leadership Camp.
Read the Q & A below and learn a bit about these young leaders and their thoughts on Farmers Union State Leadership Camp.
Allison Schulz, Lennox
Q: What have you gained personally by attending Farmers Union State Leadership Camp?
A: The camp experience has helped me become more confident in my everyday life. It has helped me grow and get to know myself much better.
I love coming here. Farmers Union Camp is like my family.
Avril Fletcher, Highmore
Q: What is something you learned from Farmers Union State Leadership Camp?
A: Through this camp I have learned about cooperatives and how together, with your community and people around you, you can actually be able to build something bigger and better. I’ve learned actually what a cooperative really is and a lot more about how they worked this year.
Chase Blotsky, Hidden Timber
Q: What have you gained by attending Farmers Union State Leadership Camp?
A: Farmers Union Camp has helped me expand my communication skills and break out of my shell. My favorite thing about Farmers Union camps is to get to know new people and make new friends.
Ethan Mutter, Sturgis
Q: Why did you want to serve on the Junior Advisory Council?
A: I wanted to serve on the Junior Advisory Council because I wanted to help provide new kids coming into camp their first year the same experience I have had. I want to help them feel welcome and make new friends.
Danielle Kruger, De Smet
Q: What have you learned by attending Farmers Union State Leadership Camp?
A: Camp has taught me a lot. And I have made many friends and lifelong memories here. The friends I have made from camp, connect me to other communities in our state. Before coming to camp, I did not know many people outside my town, and I think it is important to expand your connections throughout the state.
Coltyn Raymond, Ethan
Q: Why is leadership an important quality for teens to have?
A: I think it is important to learn to be a good leader because in high school there are many opportunities for teens to grow and cultivate the leadership skills we gain. One of the biggest things that I learned about leadership during Farmers Union Camp is about communication and how to be an effective communicator so that I can be the most effective leader I can be. n by Lura Roti for SDFU
Cancer Survivor Shares Her Story of Hope
Kay Koch lives in Salem, South Dakota. She is a wife, mother of three and a Farmers Union Insurance Agent.
She is also a two-time cancer survivor eager to share her story in the hopes that what she learned from her journey helps others.
“I want to share the message of hope. Cancer does not have to be the end of your story. There is hope,” Koch said. “And you have to advocate for yourself.”
Early in her cancer journey, Kay learned if she was going to survive, she had to advocate for herself.
She discovered a lump while nursing her second child. Her doctor ultrasounded the lump and told her it was nothing to worry about – it was just a swollen milk duct or galactocele.
But when the lump came back when she was nursing her third child, Koch wanted more assurance than an ultrasound could provide.
“The lump was bigger and harder and different. …One day I was reading a mommy blog and I saw a post where multiple women said when they were nursing, they had a galactocele and now they have cancer in the same spot. I am a huge nerd and love research. I did research and I learned that while a galactocele does not cause cancer, cancer can cause a galactocele. And this type of cancer cannot be seen on an ultrasound, it can only be seen by a mammogram.”
She asked her doctor for a referral for a mammogram and her doctor said there was no need. Koch was 32. She had had three healthy pregnancies. She had just run a half marathon.
“My doctor said there was no reason for me to get a mammogram. I had to encourage her to order the mammogram.”
Because her doctor was not concerned, Koch had to wait a few months to get the mammogram. “I asked for the mammogram in July, and they could not get me in until Halloween.”
The mammogram image concerned the radiology technician. She grabbed the radiologist. The radiologist was also concerned and asked Koch if she had time for a biopsy.
“My OB was crying when she called me to give me my results. She said, ‘I am so sorry, but you have cancer.’ I said, ‘I know.’ This is the reason I encourage people to advocate for themselves. This is what I had to do, and I am so glad I did because I don’t know if I would be where I am right now if I did not.”
Even though Koch’s breast cancer was stage 1,
her oncologist was aggressive in treatment. Koch underwent a double mastectomy and because the cancer fed on estrogen, the oncologist put Koch on drugs to prevent her body from producing the hormone.
After the mastectomy, Koch was told she was cancer-free.
And then in 2019 she noticed a small dimple in her skin. “They tell you to watch for these. They did an ultrasound and told me it was just scar tissue.”
For the most part, life returned to normal. And then in 2023, Koch began to have panic attacks.
“It was the most horrifying experience of my life. I thought I was dying. I could not catch my breath. And then one day my entire left side was numb. My husband took me to the emergency room and they said it was a panic attack and told me to see my primary care doctor for anxiety medication.”
Koch’s primary care doctor did not accept the diagnosis. “She looked at me and said, you are
not anxious. You are one of the least anxious people I know.”
Her primary care doctor had her wear a heart monitor. Her heart was fine, but Koch continued to have panic attacks. So, her primary care doctor scheduled her for a CT scan.
“My lymph node behind my sternum was the size of a tennis ball and the nodes in my right and left arm pits were large also.”
The CT scan led to an MRI and the MRI led to a PET scan and a biopsy. Koch was officially diagnosed with cancer a second time the day after Christmas 2023.
“My doctor said, you are stage 4 and there is nothing we can do about this. Here is your timeframe and I’m sorry to give you this news. I told her, ‘I am sorry I don’t accept this, and will you support me getting a second opinion?’ She said, ‘I will do whatever you need me to do. We will fight for you.’”
A team approach to cancer treatment
While she was waiting for an appointment with a Mayo oncologist, a friend encouraged Koch to reach out to a functional medicine doctor at Between the Bridges in Mankato, Minnesota. She met with the functional medicine doctor a week before her appointment at Mayo. “I asked him point blank, ‘should I get chemo?’ and he held his hand above his head and said, ‘Yes. Your tumor burden is here. We can use chemo to get it down to a more manageable level. And there are things I can do to help the chemo do its job.’”
The functional medicine doctor also mentioned to Koch that he had worked with a specific oncologist at Mayo in the past. It was not the doctor that Koch was scheduled to see.
“Then, when I went to my Mayo appointment, the doctor I was supposed to see was not available and I ended up seeing the doctor the functional medicine doctor recommended. It was a God thing,” Koch said. “This is the coolest part of my whole cancer journey. So many times, we could see and feel God lining things up perfectly.”
When she met with the oncologist at Mayo, the doctor gave her hope. “She said we have this treatment plan that can cure this type of cancer.”
The treatment plan included three phases. In Phase 1, Koch would undergo two different types of chemotherapy and an immune therapy once a week for 12 weeks. In Phase 2 the plan
Kay Koch
Continued on Page 7
“You have to advocate for yourself.”
– Kay Koch
Kay Koch with her husband, Doug, and children, Charlee, Levi and Cash.
Continued from Page 6
was she would undergo a more aggressive/harsh chemotherapy treatment once every three weeks for 12 weeks. The treatment plan would end with 25 radiation treatments.
Koch began both functional medicine and chemo treatments February 2024.
To increase the efficacy of chemo, the functional medicine treatment plan included infusions of curcumin – the bright yellow compound found in turmeric. And to protect her healthy cells, she was encouraged by her functional medicine doctor to fast ahead of each of the 12 chemo treatments.
“The fasting is supposed to encourage your healthy cells to essentially hibernate so that they do not uptake chemo. This helped with the side effects of chemo,” Koch explained. “I did not get nauseous or fatigue. I did not feel great, but I never threw up – until the week that I did not fast. I ate on Sunday, got the chemo treatment Monday and puked until Thursday.”
Due to some unforeseen complications, Koch’s 12-week treatment plan took 16 weeks.
“The PET scan showed that my cancer was almost in complete remission from the first course of chemo. My Mayo doctor said this was unprecedented, they had never had anyone respond like this and they needed to go to the tumor board to present my case. The tumor board decided that I did not need the harsher chemo treatment, so I moved into radiation.”
Dec. 4, 2024 Koch was told she had no evidence of disease. To give her peace of mind, Koch asked to receive a PET scan every six months.
“Going from being told, there is nothing we can do but keep you comfortable. To being told no evidence of disease, it was emotional,” Koch said. “When I got told I had cancer, I was not emotional, I was in shock. When they told me no evidence of disease, I was so emotional. I went through so much and I was strong and brave, thinking, ‘I just have to get through this.’ So, when I got to the end, it was like, I made it. I did it. And I can get back to ‘normal life.’ It is hard and emotional, and it is amazing.”
Faith and community support
Throughout her journey, Koch said she has leaned on her faith and the support she received from her family and community.
“The community of Salem rallied around us. They fundraised for us. They made us meals. From the time I was diagnosed, I did not cook for an entire year. Some community members even thought to bring us breakfast.”
When her husband, Doug, could not drive her for treatments, her dad, Ron Knapp, or aunts, or friends asked if they could.
And throughout her treatments, Koch continued to listen to her body and advocate for
herself. Each time she received push back – she persevered until she received the help and care she knew she needed.
Advocating for her own health may have saved her life twice.
During treatments she had a high fever and a small cough. She refused to leave the emergency room until they gave her a chest x-ray. The x-ray confirmed she had pneumonia.
Then there was the time when a nurse at the functional medicine clinic told her that her port was infected and she needed to get it looked at. When she reached out for an appointment, she was told to send photos. And when the photos were reviewed, she was told that there was nothing wrong.
By the time a doctor agreed to see Koch, the infection had spread to her blood. She ended up spending a week in the hospital.
“You have to advocate for yourself,” Koch said. “So often we are taught not to listen to our intuition. I have a really strong faith in the Lord, and I have always loved the verse, ‘walk by faith even if you cannot see.’ I think that when I have a feeling about something, it is God’s way of talking to me.” n by Lura Roti for SDFU
Kay Koch
Rodeo is My Life – Reflections of an Athlete & Her Family
As she prepares for her last high school rodeo season and her first Jackrabbit College Rodeo season, Brooklyn Beringer reflects on the role rodeo has played in her life.
“Rodeo has not made me who I am, rodeo is part of who I am. Rodeo is me. It is my entire life. It is what my life revolves around,” explained the recent Gettysburg High School graduate of the sport she has been obsessed with since she was a toddler.
With the support of her family, Brooklyn competes in several rodeo circuits – 4-H Rodeo, South Dakota High School Rodeo and National Little Britches Rodeo, National Barrel Horse Association. Her events include barrel racing, pole bending, breakaway roping and trail course.
“I am so grateful for my parents. Traveling to rodeos all these years I have gotten to see a lot of families, and I know I am fortunate,” Brooklyn said. “My parents want to see me succeed and they help me do what it takes to succeed –whether that is signing me up for roping clinics, or finding me riding lessons, or helping me buy a horse – they do whatever it takes so I can chase my dreams.”
Brooklyn’s passion for rodeo was born the first time she watched barrel racing.
“I was at the arena railing jumping up and down screaming as I watched Lisa Lockhart run barrels and I fell in love with rodeo,” recalled Brooklyn, of the 2010 Black Hills Stock Show Rodeo.
Brooklyn was only 3 at the time, but based
Rodeo athlete Brooklyn Beringer on her family’s Gettysburg farm with her horse, Woody.
on her reaction, Michelle knew her daughter’s interest would only grow.
“I pointed her behavior out to her dad and said, ‘Thad, you are in trouble. She’s a horse girl.’”
Brooklyn was obsessed. She started watching barrel racing videos on YouTube and began asking for a horse.
Bull rider, Thad Bothwell helped make her dream come true when he told Michelle and Thad about Blueberry, a seasoned barrel horse
that was for sale.
“Mom and Dad got Blueberry for my seventh birthday. I remember the day because it was my birthday party, my whole family and most of my classmates were at the farm for my party, and my dad was leading her out of the trailer and I asked, ‘is she really mine,’” Brooklyn said.
“All Brooklyn had to do was hang on because Blueberry would walk the pattern all by herself,” Michelle said. “She was gentle, everyone loved Blueberry. Those are the horses that are worth
“If I used one word to describe rodeo, it would be family.”
– Brooklyn Beringer
their weight in gold – they take care of the kids.”
Before their daughter became obsessed, Michelle and Thad were merely rodeo spectators. But once Brooklyn competed in her first play day rodeo, experienced rodeo families took the Beringer family under their wing and guided them.
“Rodeo is like a family – everyone is connected and willing to help,” Michelle said.
Brooklyn agreed. “If I had one word to describe rodeo, it would be family. As I was looking at different colleges, I realized that everywhere I looked, I knew someone through my rodeo connections. It’s nice to know that even when I’m away from my real family, I have my rodeo family.”
Brooklyn went on to explain how her extended rodeo family has supported her throughout the years.
She learned the basics of barrel racing and roping from Brent and Jenny Belkham. She took more roping lessons from Carole Hollers, and practices at friend, Emma Salonen’s barn. And each February she sends her horses to Dare to Dream Equine Conditioning in Pierre where Kelly Wheelhouse exercises them on their aqua tread.
And then there’s the Gettysburg community.
“When I qualified for my first National Little Britches Rodeo in Guthrie, Oklahoma, at the Lazy E Arena, community members helped us with expenses, giving us funds and fuel cards,” Brooklyn said.
While following Brooklyn to rodeos across South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Minnesota and North Dakota and other Midwestern communities, Michelle and Thad noticed the benefits that rodeo brought to its host communities.
“Rodeo brings an economic boost because people are staying in a community, not just traveling through a community,” Michelle explained.
While other communities the same size as Gettysburg were able to host rodeos, the Potter County Fairgrounds arena was in a state of disrepair. The grandstands were damaged by a tornado in the late ‘80s, and torn down leaving only the roof.
our farm,” Braxton, 21, explained.
Thad said without Braxton’s enthusiasm for the farm, he would not have been able to travel with Michelle and Brooklyn to rodeos.
“I cannot say enough how grateful I am for Braxton and our employee, Steven Hunnel. They cover for me and Michelle when we leave for rodeos or when I am serving on the fair board.”
A fourth-generation farmer, Braxton works with his dad, his grandpa, Victor, and his best friend, Steven. They raise corn, soybeans, oats, wheat and alfalfa hay.
In addition to providing nutrient-rich hay for Brooklyn’s horses, the family also provides square bales to several rodeo friends.
“Haying is my hobby,” Thad jokes.
“We have come a long way,” Michelle said. “Now that we have a bale accumulator, we no longer have to pick up the bales by hand.”
So, with the support of the community, the Beringer family, the fair board, and the county commission have been working to restore the arena.
In 2020, the family began hosting an annual Battle for the Buckle barrel racing series. After their costs are covered, the family donates a portion of the proceeds to make further improvements to the arena. A crow’s nest is currently under construction.
“It was hard for Thad and I to drive by the old arena nearly every day and think about what our community used to have. We are hoping to bring it back. Our family’s eventual goal is to host a rodeo here one day,” Michelle explained. “And what better sport to host than the state sport. It’s a sport that highlights the western lifestyle – people working hard for their goals and taking care of animals.”
Beringer Family Farm
While Brooklyn pursued her passion for rodeo competing across the Midwest, her older brother, Braxton’s passion is rooted in the family’s Potter County farm, seed business and custom farming/trucking businesses.
“Farming and trucking are what I have always wanted to do. Just like Brooklyn has been dedicated to rodeo, I have always dedicated my time to
Whatever work is underway on the farm, Michelle is involved. A city kid, she said she learned when they were dating that if she wanted to spend time with Thad, she needed to work with him.
“Like most farmers, when there is work to do, Thad works until it is done – sometimes that means he was not home until 2 or 3 in the morning, in those days,” Michelle said. “So, I learned how to drive the tandem grain trucks and haul to the elevator to help, and I got my CDL and now I drive semi and help when needed there. I wear many hats!” Michelle, Thad and Braxton also sell seed to area farmers and do custom planting.
After high school, Braxton earned a degree in diesel mechanics from Lake Area Technical College. In 2024 he found a 2000 Peterbilt 379 that needed a skilled diesel mechanic.
Summer 2024, Braxton rebuilt the engine and repainted the cab. He hopes to start a custom trucking business.
Supporting the next generation of rodeo athletes
Not only has rodeo been her focus throughout elementary, middle and high school, but the sport inspired Brooklyn to pursue degrees in animal science/pre-veterinary medicine at South Dakota State University.
“Experiences with my horses have shown me there is a real need for equine veterinarians in South Dakota. I hope to help fill this need,” Brooklyn said.
She shares that when one of her best horses, Sadie, broke her leg and needed to be put down, it took several phone calls and hours before the family found a veterinarian who was available. And recently, she had to drive her horse, Sly, four hours to Harrisburg for a required surgery.
“Becoming a veterinarian is a long road, but I want to do this so that I can return home and help care for horses throughout the area,” Brooklyn said.
Before she heads off to SDSU to pursue her degrees, Brooklyn is looking forward to her last summer competing in South Dakota High School Rodeo. She competed in breakaway and pole bending at the 2025 Finals held June 17-21 at the Stanley County Fairgrounds in Fort Pierre. Visit www.sdfu.org to see more photos of Brooklyn and videos of her competing. n by Lura Roti for SDFU
High School Rodeo athlete Brooklyn Beringer on her horse Sadie
Union Farmer
Agriculture Students Learn About Policy & Careers during D.C. Leadership Summit
South Dakota Farmers Union co-sponsored college students to participate in the National Farmers Union 2025 All-States Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.
“I feel it is important for the next generation of agriculture professionals like me, to know what goes on in D.C. and how to be a part of what happens,” explained Dakota Jensen, a dairy production and political science major at South Dakota State University. “What happens in D.C. impacts not only my life as an agriculture producer, but every citizen’s life.”
The All-States Leadership Summit focused on providing young adults from across the nation with an immersive educational experience focused on agriculture policy, advocacy, professional development and leadership.
“Gaining first-hand knowledge on how policy works and connecting with professionals in agriculture at this stage of life opens so many doors for these students,” said Karla Hofhenke, Executive Director of South Dakota Farmers Union. “This is the reason our organization brought the idea for this summit to National Farmers Union.”
Jensen said she found value in the networking opportunities the Summit provided. “Meeting college students from other states who, like me are pursuing careers in agriculture, was interesting, and gave me some new perspectives to think about.”
Expanding perspectives of what an agriculture career looks like was among the goals of the Summit programming, explained Samantha Bowman, South Dakota Farmers Union Education Program Specialist. “Agriculture industry encompasses more than hands-on production agricultural. There are many who work in support roles, like careers in ag policy, to help make things better for the farmers and ranchers who are doing the boots on the ground work.”
Summit participants met with professionals working in ag policy and other careers. They also engaged in professional development workshops.
“The focus on resume-building, advocacy and networking gave me and the other participants tools we can actually use in our future careers,” said
Chaz Blotsky, a Hidden Timber rancher and Mitchell Technical College student.
Blotsky and South Dakota State University student, Aeriel Eitreim, worked with National Farmers Union to plan the All-States Leadership Summit. In 2024 they were elected to serve as the 2024-2025 National Farmers Union Youth Advisory Council during the organization’s All-State’s Camp. This year’s Leadership Summit replaces the camp – a decision, Eitreim said was a positive change.
“This new format allows all college-age students interested to attend, whereas the former camp was limited to students who previously participated in Farmers Union educational programming,” Eitreim said. “And changing the programming from a camplike atmosphere to a conference provides students with a higher level of professional development, networking and career-building skills.”
Treyton Anson appreciated the change. The Leadership Summit is the first Farmers Union activity the fifth-generation Miller cattle producer has participated in.
“This opportunity through Farmers Union opened our minds and helped us gain more knowledge on agriculture policy development,” Anson said. “We also learned about advocacy. As a young producer, this is important because there’s a lot that goes on in D.C. that impacts every aspect of production. And the people who are making the decisions don’t always understand agriculture, so we need to help them understand.”
Anson was among four Mitchell Technical College students to attend the Leadership Summit. After college, the 19-year-old plans to return to Miller to ranch with his family full time.
Three South Dakotans Selected to Serve on National Council
During the Leadership Summit, Madi Raymond, Ethan; Brandon Toennies, Cresbard, and Patrick Olson, Aberdeen; were selected to serve on the National Farmers Union Youth Advisory Council. These South Dakota college students will serve alongside students from Wisconsin and Oklahoma. Selected through a competitive application process, these students will work closely with National Farmers Union education staff.
“NFU was proud to welcome the next generation of farmers and policy leaders to Washington, a program first for the All-States Leadership Summit,” said NFU President Rob Larew. “Our NYAC represents the future of family farming, ranching and rural advocacy. Their voices, ideas and energy are vital to shaping a stronger future for agriculture, and we are thrilled to have them serve in this role in the year ahead.”
To learn more about youth programming provided through South Dakota Farmers Union, visit www.sdfu. org and click on the Education link. n by Lura Roti for SDFU
Meet Young Leaders & Learn Why They Want to Serve
Madi Raymond, South Dakota State University, from Ethan
I saw that being a NYAC was an opportunity to work with a team of fellow passionate young adults to promote agriculture, education and Farmers Union.
This role is also an opportunity to plan All States Summit for next year. I get to be a part of making All States a fun, engaging opportunity for young people across the nation, where they will be able to grow their leadership and communication skills and learn more about Farmers Union and their work. This is yet another way to be a part of Farmers Union. It is an organization that works to create opportunities and support its members. Through attending state camps, All States Leadership Summit, National Convention, and various state events.
Through my involvement, I have built countless relationships, developed my leadership and teamwork skills, and learned more about agriculture and policy than I ever could have imagined.
Brandon Toennies, South Dakota State University, from Cresbard I wanted to serve on the National Youth Advisory Council because I saw it as a chance to educate and promote the organization and its services to the youth in the agriculture community, who are thinking and/or working as a farmer and local producer.
I wanted to serve after seeing how the services and programs offered through Farmers Union can make a huge impact on a beginning farming operation, for example, the Beginning Farmers Institute, which teaches young upcoming farmers on to how to manage the business aspect that exists with farming, allowing them to be given the proper tools to become a successful operation. Relaying this, and educating all the tools the organization provides, allows my community to be better equipped, while also revealing the important work that Farmers Union provides.
Patrick Olson, Northern State University, from Aberdeen I wanted to serve on the National Youth Advisory Council because while I am new to Farmers Union, I am very passionate about the problems this organization advocates for. I want to help spread the message.
In this role I most look forward to meeting new people and learning about problems that they may face in the agricultural field because I want to know what farmers face on the daily basis.
I am excited to be a part of Farmers Union because of the policies they stand for and their goals to help farmers so that our agriculture industry not only keeps going, but grows as well.
Public speaking is among the leadership skills students put into action during the Summit.
Around the State with Farmers Union Safety Trailer
Pukwana
Huron
Lennox
Union Farmer
Life on South Dakota Farms & Ranches Brought to You By…
Enjoy these photos submitted by photographers across South Dakota as part of the 2025 Capturing Life on South Dakota’s Farms & Ranches photo contest. Want to submit your own photos? All photos need to be entered through the SDFU website, click on Photo Contest link under the News & Events tab. n
Hub City Historian Working to Bring Baseball Back
Growing up, Brendyn Richards loved playing baseball in his family’s hometown of Hub City.
“Playing on a church or community league team in Hub City – it was like a “Field of Dreams” type thing. Your left field is a corn or soybean field and if you really hit the ball, it would go flying into the field,” Richards recalled what it was like playing on the field adjacent to Dalesburg Lutheran Church.
In fact, for nearly a century, baseball has been part of this rural community which is centrally located between Centerville, Beresford and Vermillion.
According to local lore and historical research, Hub City is credited to have hosted the first night baseball game played in South Dakota. It was played on the community’s original baseball field, which was located where Richards’ house now sits.
“The Negro League was on a barnstorming tour. They played a day game in Vermillion and came to Hub City and played a night game. It was made possible because the team brought their own field lights. My uncle, who is 93, remembers the game and how they set up the lights and then fired up the generators. My uncle remembers the generators being really loud.”
Because his family is from the community, Richards’ uncles also played Hub City baseball. When his kids were young, he coached his children and their friends church youth teams. But today, the Hub City baseball field is quiet, and Richards is working to change this.
“I have always thought we needed to revive the tradition and then when I participated in Rural POWER it inspired me to try and get this done,” Richards explained.
Rural POWER is a year-long leadership development program sponsored by South Dakota Farmers Union and hosted by the Billie Sutton Leadership Institute.
Billie Sutton explained that during the year-long Rural POWER program, participants engage in educational leadership training opportunities emphasizing community building and serving your neighbors while learning from cooperative leaders committed to rural development. “It is our hope
that Rural POWER participants will gain the knowledge and enthusiasm to re-imagine and re-energize rural South Dakota,” Sutton said.
While participating in Rural POWER, Richards and his classmates were encouraged to work on a service project to enhance their rural community.
“Billie talked a lot about being servant leaders for our communities and community building,” Richards said. “Just think how wonderful all our communities would be if we all did this.”
Re-starting baseball in Hub City and documenting the history of Hub City baseball were Richards’ projects.
Evelyn Bunker
Gwen Planteen
Karen Bonn
Noelle Heuer
Samantha Swanson
Samantha Swanson
Kaydence Tschetter
Samantha Swanson
Samantha Swanson
Kaydence Tschetter
Kaydence Tschetter
Samantha Swanson
Kaydence Tschetter
Brendyn Richards hopes to see baseball games return to Hub City.
COUNTY CAMPS
STATE CAMP
It’s A People Business and I Like People –Retiring Insurance Agent Reflects on Career
Afarm kid from Hills, Minnesota, Curt Soehl began his career as a Sioux Falls Firefighter and is retiring as the Production Manager for Farmers Union Insurance. Reflecting on the two careers he’s loved, Soehl had this to say.
“The insurance business is a people business, and I like people. And I like helping people,”
Soehl said. “As a firefighter we help people by saving them from an emergency and in the insurance world, we help people recover from catastrophes.”
Although, he admits there is a bit more of an adrenaline rush in firefighting. “There is nothing like kicking in a front door and going into a basement when the fire is rolling over you. You have 2-feet of visibility, and you pull someone out of the fire.”
He added that it’s also very rewarding when as an insurance agent he has had the honor of delivering a claims check to someone after a disaster or a death benefit to the surviving spouse.
Soehl joined Farmers Union Insurance team in 2007 after serving 20 years with the Sioux Falls Fire Department. He said he’d always had an interest in risk management. But it was his desire to spend more time with his family that led him
to leave his fire crew.
His oldest daughter, Alison, was a high school senior when he took early retirement from the fire department. He was a Captain.
“I looked at our kids’ schedule and thought, “I cannot continue to miss out on so many activities,’” Soehl explained.
Soehl added that over time the mental strain of firefighting began to weigh on him and his wife, Tammi. “Not returning home is an occupational hazard when you work as a firefighter. Each time you leave for work, there is the real possibility you may not return home.”
The couple has a son, Matthew, and two daughters, Alison and Amanda, and eight grandchildren.
Captain, coach & production manager
Throughout his career and family life, Soehl has developed a knack for helping others achieve. When he served as Fire Station Captain, he was responsible for the crew, the truck, assessing the emergency and guiding strategy.
When his children were growing up, he coached their sports teams: football, hockey, baseball, softball. In fact, when his daughters,
Retiring Agent
Continued on Page 18
National Farmers Union Foundation Announces 2025 Annual Scholarship Award Recipients
National Farmers Union Foundation (NFUF) announced this year’s recipients of its prestigious annual scholarship awards.
Patrick Olson, a member of South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU), has been awarded the Hubert K. & JoAnn Seymour Scholarship. The $2,000 award is given in honor of the Seymours’ lifelong dedication to Farmers Union and family farming. Hubert K. Seymour was a prominent state and national Farmers Union leader serving Illinois Farmers Union as vice president for 12 years and secretary-treasurer for eight years. Hubert and JoAnn farmed full time until Hubert’s passing in 1994.
SDFU member Madisyn Raymond, Wisconsin Farmers Union member Chloe Moen and North Dakota Farmers Union (NDFU) member Shelby Knox have each been awarded a Stanley Moore Scholarship. The $1,500 award is named for visionary leader Stanley Moore, who served as vice president of National Farmers Union (NFU) for eight years, president of NDFU for 12 years and chairman of the NFU Insurance Company’s board of directors for 20 years.
Theertha Ramesh, Purdue University student, and Fort Valley State University student Wendell Padgett, Jr. have each been awarded a Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS)
Scholarship. The $1,500 award is given to two MANRRS members as part of NFU’s and MANRRS’ memorandum of understanding to provide educational and leadership opportunities for young people of all racial and ethnic identities, develop federal policy priorities that support a diverse rural and agricultural population, and extend their reach within agricultural communities.
“NFU’s commitment to fostering community drives us to continue supporting bright minds who are pursuing their education,” said NFU President Rob Larew. “We must ensure that the next generation of advocates have the resources they need to succeed to secure a better future for family farmers, ranchers and American agriculture.”
Every year, NFUF awards scholarships to students in various fields of study who are attending accredited two- or four-year colleges, universities or technical schools. These students have demonstrated academic excellence and a strong commitment to their communities.
Applications for the 2026 scholarship awards will open in December 2025. For more information about the scholarships, visit the NFU website at NFU.org/scholarships. n
Patrick Olson
Madisyn Raymond
Curt Soehl with his wife, Tammi, their children and grandchildren.
Union Farmer
in the eye.” Farmers Union Camp helped me grow out of this. And this year at camp, I liked watching other campers come out of their shells.”
South Dakota Farmers Union Education Program Specialist, Samantha Bowman was happy to hear Rutter’s comments because State Leadership Camp is designed to provide rural youth with experiences, resources and training necessary to enhance their personal and professional development.
“Farmers Union understands that youth are our future and our future leaders,” Bowman said. “Leadership is not just about commanding a room, it is about being on the same playing field, working together and helping other individuals realize success.”
Farmers Union State Leadership Camp agenda was packed with fun team activities, teen-run cooperatives, camp traditions and opportunities for teens to put the leadership skills they develop into action, explained 17-year-old Billy Kezena, a member of the Junior Advisory Council.
Under Bowman’s guidance, the Junior Advisory Council organizes, facilitates and runs camp. Elected by their peers or selected through an interview process during the 2024 Leadership Camp, these teens spend a year planning and participating in team building and personal development trainings.
“It takes a lot of teamwork and communication to plan State Camp and
With a look to the future, campers heard from several agriculture professionals who provided them with an inside look at their careers. Social media ag influencer Greg Peterson shares about his ag advocacy and professional journey.
serve as a counselor, so I gained a lot of skills in teamwork and communication serving on this team,” Kezena said. “As I have researched future careers, it seems these are the skills that employers are looking for.”
To campaign to serve on the Junior Advisory Council, Kezena and his teammates had to give a speech in front of all the other campers.
Chase Blotsky, who served with Kezena, said after attending State Camp for three years, he had the confidence necessary to speak in front of a crowd. And in his role on the Junior Advisory Council and as a camp counselor, he said it was his goal to help other campers gain confidence as well.
“State Leadership Camp helped me be able to talk in front of people and not be nervous,” Blotsky explained. “I wanted to help new campers have fun and gain the confidence necessary to make friends and even do public speaking.”
The other teens who served with Blotsky and Kezena on the 2024-2025 Junior Advisory Council were Brooke LaMont, Union Center; LizBeth Crosby, Pierre; and Cadence Konechne, Kimball.
During camp, the 2025-2026 Junior Advisory Council was elected and selected, they are Allison Schulz, Lennox; Avril Fletcher, Highmore; Chase Blotsky, Hidden Timber; Coltyn Raymond, Ethan; Dani Kruger,
State Camp Continued from Page 1 State Camp Continued on Page 17
Campers Recognized
Bob Janish Award: Chase Blotsky, Mission
I’ll Do It Award: Logan LaMont, Union Center
The Kindness Award: Mason Harmdierks, Alpena; Chord Blotsky, Mission; Coltyn Raymond Ethan; Kyle Olson, Aberdeen; Chase Blotsky, Mission
MVP Award: Ethan Mutter, Piedmont; Logan LaMont, Union Center; Joey Bear Hill, Brookings; Gabe Florence, Aberdeen; Kyle Olson, Aberdeen
Sportsmanship Award: Jaxson Turbiville, Camp
Crook
Caterpillar Award: Hazel Weber, Ethan
State Camp Continued from Page 16
De Smet; and Ethan Mutter, Sturgis. These youth will serve as counselors during the upcoming Farmers Union Jr. State Camp held at Camp Byron near Huron July 20-23. Turn to page 5 to meet these young leaders.
Inside look at ag careers
With a look to the future, campers heard from several agriculture professionals who provided them with an inside look at their careers.
“I enjoyed learning about all the professions you can have in agriculture,” said 13-year-old Aaron Kippley.
Kippley lives on his family’s Aberdeen farm, and said he had fun learning from ag influencer Greg Peterson. Peterson was among the first farmers and ag advocates to gain a following on social media. He shared about his advocacy and professional journey and encouraged campers to advocate for agriculture.
In addition to Peterson, campers learned about creative marketing from Nisland rancher Gwendolyn Kitzan.
They also learned about the history of cooperatives in South Dakota from Wayne Soren, a Lake Preston farmer and cooperative board member. Soren also served as Vice President of South Dakota Farmers Union for many years before retiring in 2023.
Bowman said connecting campers to agriculture professionals is among the goals of State Leadership Camp. “What a great opportunity for teens to learn about possible careers in agriculture from the professionals actively involved in the careers.
These professionals were able to share about the challenges and perks of their jobs and answer questions. Camp also provided the ag professionals with an opportunity to connect with the next generation, and see how great the generation stepping up is.”
To learn more about Farmers Union educational programming or to sign up for the upcoming Jr. State Camp, visit www. sdfu.org and click on the Education link. n by Lura Roti for SDFU
Alison and Amanda were playing softball for Mount Marty University, the team was short an assistant coach, so Soehl would make the more than an hour drive each evening.
“It is so rewarding when the skill an athlete has been working on finally clicks.”
He says the same about working with new agents in his role as Farmers Union Insurance Production Manager. “I recruit, hire, train and coach. I always tell agents that we will be on this journey together. I am the guy who drives to their office one day to kick butt, and the next day to encourage them.”
When it comes to hiring, Soehl understands the vital role agents play in their clients’ lives and said he always took his time to find the right
FORGING COOPERATIVES
people to serve. “One year I did 75 interviews and did not hire anyone.”
As for the agents he has hired, Soehl said he is proud of the work they do helping their clients manage risk and serving in their communities.
“All of our agents are involved in their communities,” he said.
Soehl said while listening to Doug Sombke, South Dakota Farmers Union President, during State Convention he was inspired to take his service to others to the next level. In 2018, Soehl ran for Sioux Falls City Council and won. He was re-elected in 2022 for another four-year term.
In retirement, Soehl is eager to spend more time with his grandchildren and at the family’s lake home. n by Lura Roti for SDFU
Farmers Protecting Our Health
Doug Durante, Clean Fuels Development Coalition
SDFU should take pride in the fact that the organization has taken a leadership role in calling for higher blends of ethanol. This has not just been an exercise in self interest to create greater demand and higher value for corn, but to truly protect public health from harmful emissions.Wait, what is that last one? Well, I threw that in, it doesn’t seem to be on anyone’s list, but it sure should be. It looks like we are close on E15, which is good news, but if we ever want to get beyond E15 it would increase our chances dramatically if automakers got credits for using ethanol. Ethanol fuels have too much to offer to simply settle for a world of just two blends – E10/15 or E85.
The proof in the pudding has been SDFU support for programs and policies to clean up gasoline through educational efforts like sponsoring the annual conference of the Society of Environmental Journalists last summer, helping fund the CFDC Issue Briefs on Toxics in Gasoline, supporting the publication of the Book Gasolinegate: What’s in our Gasoline is Killing Us, and speaking out at every opportunity. Driving these efforts is the recognition over the past four decades that we have replaced lead in gasoline with benzene-based derivatives, essentially replacing a poison with a carcinogen. American agriculture, and South Dakota farmers, can use their skills and ability to produce a clean, renewable fuel to avoid the horrible health impacts that come from additives refiners have and continue to use to increase octane.
It was never supposed to be this way. South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle led a bipartisan effort as far back as 1990 in the Clean Air Act Amendments to require clean-burning octane enhancers rather than benzene-based compounds that had increased to alarming levels as lead was phased out.
Noted author, historian and ethanol supporter William Kovarik hosted an
important symposium last month to make sure we never forget the devastating health effects of leaded gasoline and that we do not repeat the same mistakes with today’s carcinogens. It was the 100 year “anniversary” of a fateful meeting that put into motion the accepted addition of a toxic poison into our gasoline and subsequently into our air, soil and water.
“In May of 1925 the U.S Public Health Service concluded that despite known health impacts from lead there was insufficient evidence to ban it. EPA has allowed the replacement of poisonous lead with toxic carcinogenic compounds that represent a health threat on an even grander scale,” Kovarik said. “EPA’s negligence is an abuse of the public trust and is costing America literally trillions of dollars and millions of ruined lives.”
What we have tried to do at CFDC and with SDFU’s support, is bring this threat to light. Unlike the excuse in 1925 that we knew lead was bad but there was insufficient evidence to ban it, we have volumes of irrefutable evidence that the replacement for lead may be worse. The fine particulates emitted from gasoline are predominantly from the toxic aromatic octane enhancers. This family of toxics are referred to as BTEX—all benzene derived which the American Petroleum Institute once conceded in a Congressional hearing has no safe threshold. These particulates, just like wildfire smoke, secondhand smoke and toxic aerosols, can bypass the lungs and directly enter the bloodstream. Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable.
The fixation on climate change as opposed to human health has made this a back-burner issue at best. EPA has chased everything from agriculture soil dust to outdoor grilling of food when trying to limit particulates but ignoring the single largest source – the 140 billion gallons of
BTEX-laden gasoline. This is particularly frustrating to us given that because of the Daschle amendment EPA is required to substantially reduce gasoline toxics as well as oil imports by replacing oil-derived BTEX with ethanol’s clean octane.
We may have been given an opportunity to finally get EPA to take action, as we might have the right person in the right position of government to make a difference. CFDC joined with a diverse group of academics, authors and public policy veterans who have spent decades studying and writing about the dangers of lead and BTEX to write a letter to incoming Department of Justice official Adam Gustafson. We urged him to compel EPA compliance with mandatory Clean Air Act (CAA) provisions requiring reduction of toxic octane additives that have replaced lead. Gustafson has been nominated to serve as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the Environment & Natural Resources Division, which would have jurisdiction and authority to enforce CAA requirements. The group appealed to Gustafson because of this key position and his history of calling out EPA’s failure to control deadly mobile source air toxics (MSATs) from BTEX.
We got lead out of gasoline because enough people made enough noise that the facts could not be ignored. The agriculture and ethanol communities need to follow the example of SDFU and demand the law be enforced and take pride that we have the solution. High octane with blends of 20, 25 and 30 percent ethanol represent a significant benefit to our health, economy and national security. Learn from the lead experience, as Reid Detchon of the United Nations Climate Exchange noted, “we have seen this movie before: Let’s not have a sequel.” n
South Dakota Farmers & Ranchers in D.C. Asking Congress to End Chaos
Asmall group of South Dakota family farmers and ranchers traveled to Washington, D.C., asking Congressional leaders to end the Trade War, pass a Farm Bill and adhere to the Constitution. The advocacy effort was organized by South Dakota Farmers Union in collaboration with National Farmers Union.
“Plain and simple, my messages are, follow the Constitution and end the chaos,” said Doug Sombke, President of South Dakota Farmers Union. “The Trade War is destroying markets farmers worked decades to build. We still don’t have a Farm Bill. And many South Dakota farmers and ranchers are waiting for reimbursement funds promised to them by the federal government that are now frozen. Things do not need to be this way. All policymakers took an oath to follow the Constitution. They swore to uphold it. We need them to stand up for the citizens they serve.”
Representing South Dakota’s family farmers and ranchers in D.C.,
Citizens like Freeman farmer Mike Miller. Before he left for D.C., Miller was able to get most of his 2025 crop planted. He said the weather was cooperative and getting the crop in was uneventful. The challenge he faces planting season 2025 is selecting the right risk protection product for the crop he just planted.
“What programs I choose for crop insurance are decisions we make on a year-to-year basis based on the markets, but right now the markets are so unstable and when I do sign up for a program, because we do not have a Farm Bill, I do not know if the federal programs I do sign up for will be funded.”
As a soybean producer, Miller is also concerned about the Trade War’s impact on export markets to China. “China is a big world market and if they won’t buy our soybeans, then we need the rest of the world to come and buy from us. And export markets don’t just appear.”
In addition to the Trade War, Miller is concerned about chronic labor shortages made worse by the current chaos. “We need a workforce in this
Rural POWER
Continued from Page 12
“I can see the baseball field from my house. And the other day I saw a dad and his kids practicing on the old field, and I just think how wonderful it will be when there are games there again,” Richards said.
The book on Hub City baseball history is nearly complete. And although he has a donor willing to help cover the cost of electricity for field lights, because the baseball field is located on land owned by the church, Richards is waiting for their permission to move forward.
It’s been slow going, but Richards has not given up hope.
“I think everybody has a responsibility to give back – and to make time to give back. I have a demanding job, and I find time, so I know others can as well,” said Richards, who is the Director of Advocacy and Foundation for Community Health Centers in Iowa and Nebraska and makes time to serve on the Clay County Historical Preservation Commission,Warming Shelter Homeless Center, Sertoma Club, National Alliance to End Homelessness— Advisory Board and National Association of Community Health Centers— Healthcare for the Homeless Board.
country. They say the Trade War and tariffs will bring industry back to the U.S. OK, but what about the workforce? You need a workforce for a factory making widgets or a 7,000head dairy.”
Miller said he took time away from his farm to meet with Congressional leaders not just to air his concerns, but the concerns of all South Dakota farmers. “All farmers are concerned right now. And for good reason.”
South Dakota producers joining Miller and Sombke in D.C. for this Farmers Union Fly-In are Parade rancher Oren Lesmeister, Ipswich farmer Lance Perrion, Wessington Springs rancher Scott Kolousek, Reliance rancher David Reis and Karla Hofhenke, Executive Director of South Dakota Farmers Union.
“This may be a small group of producers that we are bringing with us, but they are experienced in advocating for their industry,” Hofhenke said.
All the producers have prior experience traveling with Farmers Union to D.C. to advocate for agriculture and meet with Congressional leaders. The conversations South Dakota family farmers and ranchers had with Congressional Leaders and Department of Justice staff during previous Fly-Ins resulted in positive change for South Dakota producers, explained Lesmeister.
“We had momentum going with the Packers and Stockyards Act – the DOJ was investigating anti-trust issues among the packers,” said Lesmeister, a fourth-generation cattle producer. In addition to serving as a board member for South Dakota Farmers Union Lesmeister also serves on the board of the South Dakota Beef Industry Council and the national Cattlemen’s Beef Board. “I am here this week to help the new lawmakers and DOJ staff understand why this is needed so they will continue the good work.” n by Lura Roti for SDFU
2025 Rural POWER Class Announced
South Dakota Farmers Union has sponsored Rural POWER since its inception in 2021. The 2025 Rural POWER class was recently announced and members include Emelia Enquist, Revillo; Jaylynn Farlee, Eagle Butte; Gary Hudiburgh, Gary; Jessica Carlson, Tea; Jessica Larson, Mission; Kristine Reiner, Sioux Falls; and Tara Seibel, Mission. n by Lura Roti for SDFU
were Farmers Union members: Parade rancher, Oren Lesmeister, Doug Sombke, SDFU President; Freeman farmer, Mike Miller; Wessington Springs rancher, Scott Kolousek; Ipswich farmer, Lance Perrion, and Reliance rancher David Reis.
Vintage photo of baseball game in Hub City.
Union Farmer
From the President.... Lead By Example
As I write this, the tragic loss of Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, weighs heavy on my mind.
There is no room in America for this kind of violence. Americans are better than this.
As citizens of this great country, we are handed a legacy of democracy and civil discourse. We are tasked with showing respect for others – even if we do not agree with their ideas, religion or lifestyle.
Our democratic society was established so that we can engage in healthy discourse and disagreements – not live in fear that our beliefs will put a target on our backs.
Policy not politics
Policy, not politics is a focus of South Dakota Farmers Union as we advocate for and support family farmers and ranchers. Our membership does not all belong to one political party. And our membership, leaders and state staff are proud to work with all policymakers to implement policy that our members support.
As a grassroots organization, we are guided by policy established by our members. This year’s policy process is well underway as counties and district meetings discuss ag issues of the day in preparation for South Dakota Farmers Union State Policy Meeting on July 17, 2025 at 9 a.m. We know this is a busy time for our farm and ranch families, so this meeting is remote.
If you have any concerns or local issues you would like the voice of Farmers Union’s more than 19,000 members to help address, please bring these up during this meeting.
All are welcome. Whether you have an issue to discuss or if you just want to sit back and watch, all members are welcome. To attend, just click on the Zoom link found on our website the morning of July 17.
Questions? Reach out to your board member, their phone numbers and email addresses can be found on our website, www.sdfu.org
Empowering the next generation through education
As a fourth-generation farmer, a dad, a grandpa and the President of SDFU, much of what I do today is for the next generation. I could not be more
Doug Sombke, SDFU President
proud of SDFU for the investment this organization makes in our youth.
We can talk all day about the importance of civil civic engagement, but the Farmers Union leads by example. Youth learn about policy and advocacy during our State Leadership and Youth Camps. And this year, we brought 18 college-age students to Washington, D.C. for the National Farmers Union All-State’s Leadership Summit where they gain a firsthand look at how policy becomes law and hear from professionals who focus on agriculture policy.
National Farmers Union staff shared Farmers Union D.C. lobbying efforts and how the team working out of our D.C. office advocates for the policy farmer/rancher members put into place.
Education. Cooperation. Legislation. These principles have guided our organization for more than a century. They form the foundation of programming.
Through Farmers Union educational programming, youth also gain hands-on experience in cooperatives. During State Leadership Camp they actually spent time organizing and leading a small cooperative.
In addition to understanding how the cooperative business model works, youth learn the value of teamwork and cooperation. They learn how to respect each other, and how to engage in discussions over ideas they may or may not agree with.
When I observe the youth who attend Farmers Union programming, I have hope for their future.
Let’s all strive to serve as the examples these youth can be proud of.
Thanks for all you do for family agriculture and remember; We all do better when we all do better!
South Dakota Union Farmer, ISSN 0745-8797, publishes eight times per calendar year, with issues printed in January, February, March/April, May, June/July, August, September/ October and November/December. Periodical postage paid at Madison, S.D.
Karla Hofhenke, Publisher Lura Roti, Editor Wendy Sweeter, Copy Editor Diane Martinson, Layout & Design
All information for publication must be submitted by the 15th of the month. You may submit items to address below or email items to: sdfu@sdfu.org
POSTMASTER: Address changes to: SDFU, PO Box 1388, Huron, S.D. 57350-1388
Megan Babcock ext. 1180 Controller Huron Direct Line 605-554-3026
Rocky Forman. .......... ext. 1170
Member Services Coordinator Cavour Direct Line 605-554-3025
Samantha Olerud.....ext 1160
Executive Administrative Asst. Huron Direct line -605-554-3023
Karla Hofhenke ext. 1140
Executive Director Huron
Direct Line 605-554-3028
Samantha Bowman ext. 1250
Education Specialist
Mitchell Direct Line 605-554-3022
Cally Faulhaber ext. 1220
Digital Media Specialist Plankinton Direct Line 605-554-3024
David Smith Legislative/Farm Specialist Pierre Direct Line 605-350-8857
SDFU Board of Directors
Doug Sombke.........President Groton
Jeff Kippley Vice President
Aberdeen
Larry Birgen District I
Beresford
Scott Kolousek District II
Wessington Springs
Gail Temple District III
Clark
David Reis District IV Oacoma
Chad Johnson District VII Groton
Oren Lesmeister District VIII Parade
Contact NFU National Farmers Union 20 F Street NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20001
Rob Larew, President ~ Jeff Kippley, Vice President Darin Von Ruden, Secretary ~ Doug Sombke, Treasurer 202.554.1600 www.nfu.org
Union Farmer
Agents Embrace Change to Better Serve Clients –
Grant Sjaarda/Brenden Hanson, Sioux Falls
Better client access, natural light and ownership. These are all reasons Grant Sjaarda recently relocated his service location in Sioux falls from Sheldon Lane to Louise Avenue.
“This location is easy for clients to find – it is literally three blocks from the Empire Mall on one of the busiest streets in South Dakota,” Sjaarda explained.
Easy access for clients topped his list of reasons to relocate because Sjaarda enjoys meeting face-to-face with Farmers Union Insurance customers and wants to encourage this engagement.
“You really get to know your clients when you sit down with them for a face-toface meeting. And knowing and understanding your clients’ needs is so important to helping them with risk protection,” Sjaarda said.
Farmers Union Insurance Agent Brendon Hansen agreed. “Meeting with clients provides them with the security of knowing that they are the focus of what we do,” explained Hansen, who has served Farmers Union Insurance clients for more than 20 years working out of offices in Menno, Irene and now Yankton.
Because of his years of experience, Hansen was recently asked to help open a new Yankton office. Like Sjaarda’s new location, the Yankton office provides easy access. It’s located on Broadway Avenue,
Highway 81, which runs right through the middle of Yankton.
“Taking care of clients is what I enjoy most about my work and this new location allows us to better serve them,” Hansen said.
He added that Farmers Union Insurance is currently looking for an additional agent to help serve clients in the Yankton area. If you or someone you know are interested contact Nick Honke at 605-209-8282.
Serving clients also tops Sjaarda’s list of reasons he enjoys the work he does as a Farmers Union Insurance Agent. “I really love working with clients – getting to know them as individuals and help them manage their risk.” n
Contact: Grant Sjaarda: Grant.Sjaarda@fumic.com
Claims Now Open in $83.5 Million Settlement with JBS in Cattle Antitrust Case
On February 20, 2025, the Cattle Plaintiffs in the In re: Cattle and Beef Antitrust Litigation against JBS, Tyson, Cargill and National Beef received preliminary approval of an $83.5 million settlement with JBS. The class action lawsuit, filed in 2019 by National Farmers Union (NFU), R-CALF USA and four individual ranchers, alleges anticompetitive conduct in the cattle market. Eligible parties may now submit claims under the terms of the JBS settlement.
The court’s action establishes certain deadlines for persons who may be eligible to share in the JBS settlement. The settlement classes covered by the proposed settlement include, subject to certain exclusions and conditions, all persons or entities: a) within the U.S. that directly sold fed cattle for slaughter to Tyson, JBS, Cargill and/or National Beef from June 1, 2015, to Feb. 29, 2020, other
than pursuant to a cost-plus agreement and/ or a profit sharing agreement; b) who held a long position in live cattle futures traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) prior to June 1, 2015, and subsequently liquidated the long position through an offsetting market transaction at any point prior to Nov.1, 2016. The deadline to submit claims is Sept. 15, 2025.
The settlement website, www. CattleAntitrustSettlement.com, informs both cattle feeders and futures traders of the details of the settlement. The website also provides instructions as to how claims can be filed, and how persons can object or opt out of the settlement.
NFU urges those who meet the Settlement Classes’ description above to review the information on the website and submit claims before the Sept. 15, 2025, deadline.
As noted in the claim form, any information feeders and futures traders submit in connection with their claim “will be maintained confidentially and will not be made available publicly or to any Defendant.”
The Cattle Plaintiffs are represented by Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP, Cafferty Clobes Meriwether & Sprengel LLP and Robins Kaplan LLP.
The court has appointed a Claims Administrator that can answer any questions potential class members may have about the JBS settlement, including any questions regarding how to submit a claim to share in the JBS settlement. The Claims Administrator can be reached at 1-844-435-8844 or Info@ CattleAntitrustSettlement.com. n
Brendon Hansen with his wife, Sara, and their children: Noah, Jacob, AJ and Olivia.
Grant Sjaarda
Dear SDFU,
Thank you for donating your time and effort into running this event. It is greatly appreciated & I can’t wait to compete! Thanks again!
Sincerely,
Aiden Larson
Gettysburg FFA ***
Dear SDFU,
Thank you for organizing and setting up for Quiz Bowl at State FFA. I benefited from this by gaining more knowledge of farm safety. I was excited to compete and the chance to go to State Fair for Quiz Bowl.
Thank you for supporting FFA.
J Stanley Gettysburg FFA ***
Dear Rocky Forman,
Thank you for organizing and setting up Quiz Bowl at State FFA. I benefited from this by gaining more knowledge of farm safety. I enjoyed the experience and hope to experience it again. I was excited to compete for the change to go to state fair for Quiz Bowl. Thank you for supporting FFA.
Sincerely, Gettysburg FFA
COOK’S CORNER
Thank You
South Dakota Farmers Union, I wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for your generous support of the Billie Sutton Leadership Institute. This program has been incredibly impactful for me, both personally and professionally. It’s given me space to reflect, grow and connect with others who are equally committed to leading with integrity and purpose. Your investment in emerging leaders is making a real difference and I am truly grateful to be one of the many who have benefited from your belief in this work.
Beyond Grateful Jessica Carlson
South Dakota Farmers Union Team,
Thank you for donating a banket to the 102nd Little “I” Silent Auction! With your help the silent auction was able to raise $3,665. Thank you so much for your support.
With many thanks, Little “I” Silent Auction Committee
Greta Adolf, Rachel, Kassidy
Doug, Karla & the entire crew at SDFU,
Thank you for once again making the Rural POWER Co-op program possible. We could not do this work without your partnership & we are so excited to welcome cohort #5 this month. Thank you for making it all possible.
Suzie, Billie & the team
Hawaiian Meatballs
1 ½ lb ground beef
2/3 c cracker crumbs
½ c onions, chopped
1 egg
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ginger
Union Farmer
Samantha,
Thank you for the gift. I hope that I met your expectations in my presentation at the State Camp.
It has been a highlight of my life to represent Farmers Union and with that I would thank the board for our great looking sign. Karla, I also want to thank you for believing in me back when you were looking for a VP.
Thanks so much,
Wayne & Vicki Soren
T soy sauce
Mix first 10 ingredients together. Shape into balls and brown in one tablespoon shortening. Pour off fat. Mix together pineapple, cornstarch, brown sugar, vinegar and soy sauce; boil for 1 minute. Pour over meatballs. Cook on low heat until meat is cooked through.
