South Dakota Farm & Ranch August 2020

A CHANGING STYLE OF SALE

4

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IN S ID E T H IS IS S U E Features Pandemic makes for more diverse scene for SD auctioneers

4

The farm shop: It’s much safer when it’s organized

10

State farmland market trends drop slightly in 2020

15

Soil and weather hold the keys for SD’s best melon growers

16

USDA rolls out new online features for hiring farm workers

20

SDSU Extension planning workshops for beginning farmers and ranchers

22

SD FFA Foundation seeking sponsors for famous blue jackets

23

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PANDEMIC MAKES FOR MORE DIVERSE SCENE FOR SD AUCTIONEERS Live sales are returning, but online business is becoming an increasingly larger part of the landscape

By Marcus Traxler S outh D ak ota F arm and R anch

n the words of Justin Dean, an auctioneer lives for the live chant.

The calling and the repetition of bids is an art, letting the public in the audience know what the bid status and what the auctioneer is asking for to buy that used tractor or that stately old house, and what the going rate will be for an armoire or box of used tools.

But for a period this spring, the live chant had to be set aside in favor of online auctions, which have increased in popularity with the COVID-19 pandemic sidelining events that might draw a large number of people in close proximity.

Dean, who does farm and real estate auctions for Dean/Edwards

K ec k

Petra k

Curtis

and Associates based in Artesian and has been licensed for 30 years, is involved in both styles of auctions. Dean/Edwards has offered online auctions for two years, preparing them for what occurred this spring when live auctions weren’t taking place.

“It’s been good lately,” he said.

“We’ve got people that have adjusted very well. I think it’s the new thing.”

Dean said the online auction

AUCTIONEERS: Page 5

M a tt G a d e / R epub l ic

D ean/ E dw ards and Associates holds an auction on a farm north of Alexa ndria on T uesday, Ju ly 2 8 .

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M a tt G a d e / R epub l ic

T ools and pieces of hardw are on auction on T uesday, Ju ly 2 8 near Alexa ndria.

AUCTIONEERS F rom P age 4

format allows people a different avenue for bidding, and could be

sell a lot of stuff to be able to consign items and get them involved online.”

The times have required some flexibility from buyers, sellers and auctioneers, who are figuring out

more conducive to how busy people are right now.

“There’s a convenience to the buyer and really for the seller, as well,” Dean said. “You don’t have to

how to navigate online auctions, while also figuring out the safest way to have live auctions return.

“I don’t think we have seen a total dry up,” said Ted Petrak,

AUCTIONEERS: Page 6

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AUCTIONEERS F rom P age 5

a Chamberlain auctioneer who serves as the president of the South Dakota Auctioneers Association. “A majority of the sales have been the online stuff and everyone is capable of doing that in the industry, for the most part. … That said, it’s been a big change for some of our auctioneers to get used to and pushed a few people that way that weren’t going that way.”

Regarding the rural market for auctions, Petrak said the appetite for auctions themselves has been more affected by how things are unfolding on the farm, rather than the threat of a pandemic.

“I think if anything, it’s because of the status of the farm economy and not so much with the pandemic,” said Petrak, who said his early summer months passed without doing an auction.

“In this area, there probably hasn’t been as many sales as there usually is.”

Petrak said the divide between auctioneers doing live auctions and those who aren’t generally follows the

AUCTIONEERS: Page 7

6 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH AUGUST 2020

M a tt G a d e / R epub l ic

Ju stin D ean, of D ean/ E dw ards and Associates auctioneers, seeks bids on a thermometer during an auction T uesday, Ju ly 2 8 near Alexa ndria. D ean does live and online auctions, hich is a ing o in the time of corona ir s hich has forced the auction business to adapt.

AUCTIONEERS F rom P age 6

age differences among auctioneers, with younger individuals in the trade seeing an easier transition to online platforms and less so among the state’s older and more experienced bid callers.

Clayton Keck is among the up-and-coming auctioneers in South Dakota. At age 22, the online auction business is something he’s already familiar with through his Dacotah Diamond Auctions business, based near St. Lawrence in Hand County.

Already a state and nationally recognized bid-caller, he’s been doing online auctions since 2016 when he got started.

“It’s something that you wouldn’t have been able to do 10 years ago,” Keck said.

“It’s commonplace enough now where if we couldn’t do it online, there would be someone else doing it and people would be selling their stuff. It’s an important step forward.”

Keck said his online work has picked up. Prior to the pandemic, he was doing 2 or 3 internet sales to every one live auction. Now that ratio

M a tt G a d e / R epub l ic

A bidder ke eps their bid number in their overalls w hile taki ng part in an auction on T uesday, Ju ly 2 8 near Alex andria.

AUCTIONEERS: Page 8

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M a tt G a d e / R epub l ic

K elbi D ean, of D ean/ E dw ards and Associates auctioneers, holds up funnels up for sale during an auction on T uesday, Ju ly 2 8 near Alexa ndria.

is about 5 to 1 in favor of online auctions.

“The tough part to the internet is there’s certainly people who won’t use the computer or that’s not their thing. You lose a lot of those folks that might otherwise be at live auctions.”

Keck said he’s held live auctions recently and seen better turnouts in person, so he’s hopeful those can continue.

Don Curtis owns and operates Curtis Auctioneering based in Mitchell and is in his 14th year of the business. He doesn’t do online auctions and said COVID-19 threw a wrench into his April and May sales, postponing five of them.

“Most of those folks were gracious enough to stay on and get those rescheduled for later in the year,” Curtis said.

“I just think it’s a good way to do the sales. For me, there’s just more interaction with the crowd and I think the sale benefits from that.”

In bolded font in recent sale bills, Curtis has reminded potential auctiongoers that they attend at their own risk,

AUCTIONEERS: Page 9

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M a tt G a d e / R epub l ic

J stin D ean, of D ean/ E dw ards and u Associates auctioneers, leads an auction on T uesday, Ju ly 2 8 near Alexa ndria.

AUCTIONEERS F rom P age 8

but asks for them to be respectful of social distancing and to “be courteous to folks around you.”

“For the most part, people have been really good about helping us out,” he said. “I do believe that people are getting ready to get back.”

At the end of the day, it’s hard to beat experiencing an auction live, especially for those auctioneers making the call like Dean.

“That’s what you got into the business for and that’s what you get excited about doing,” Dean said.

“It’s still hard to beat a live auction.

And it’s a social event for a lot of people and it’s outside, so we can socially distance, as well.”

M a tt G a d e / R epub l ic

B idders check out the items up for bid during an auction on T uesday, Ju ly 2 8 near Alexa ndria. L ive auctions are making a comeback after the first threat of C O V I D - 1 9 earlier this year.

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AUGUST 2020 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 9

THE FARM SHOP: IT’S MUCH SAFER WHEN IT’S ORGANIZED

By Central States Center for Ag Safety and Health racticing good housekeeping and organization in a feedyard mechanic shop can not only help save time but may significantly improve overall shop safety.

Identifying feedyard safety principles is one of the aims of Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CS-CASH). This University of Nebraska Medical Center group is conducting two Pirie research projects (funded by National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health) that are designed to make a positive impact on the sustainability of cattle feedyards through increased safety and health efforts.

“It makes a great deal of sense to keep a shop clean and orderly,” according to Chuck Pirie, CEO and Content Creation Expert at Safety Made Simple, who has more than 25 years of experience in cattle feeding and has consulted feedlots throughout the country. “Often, you have as many as three mechanics working in a shop. If everything is in disarray, you spend time searching for tools and dealing with issues like trip hazards when things lay on the floor. If I see a wellorganized mechanic shop, it tells me the person in charge has a similar mindset in regard to their work.”

Some fundamental practices include use of appropriate shelving, storage cabinets and organizers such as bins to help keep tools and products both accessible and orderly.

If necessary, build shelves to suit storage needs.

It may work well to use wall brackets or hangers to store hand tools and other items. Pegboards work well for helping keep tools in a convenient location and off the workbench.

All products should be stored in the original container with the label intact. If that isn’t possible, a secure container used to store the product should be clearly labeled with its contents and all label information and instructions. Any flammable products should be stored in an approved fire cabinet.

Fire extinguishers should be accessible within 75 feet or closer if the hazards dictate it. The type and spacing of extinguishers is dependent on the hazards present.

P

A competent vendor of fire extinguishers will help determine the need and also perform the required annual inspections. In addition, all extinguishers should be inspected by feedyard personnel to be certain they have the required charge.

All electrical equipment must be properly grounded, and wiring should include a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) where necessary.

Extension cords can short out when driving over them. Heavier extension cords cost more but they are less susceptible to overheating or becoming a fire hazard.

For items that need to be disposed of, don’t allow them to collect from week to week. Follow label disposal instructions for any product that could cause ground or water contamination. Routinely clear out anything that hasn’t been used and isn’t likely to be used in the near future to help avoid accumulating what could become hazardous clutter.

“Quite a few years ago I was on a feedyard when one of the workers was cutting pipe in a Quonset building that doubled as both equipment storage and mechanic shop,” Pirie said. “A front loader and scraper were in the building when he was working with the pipe.”

A used-oil container was also in the building, sitting close to the area where the worker was using a metal cutter. When sparks from the cutting device started flying around the building, it took no time to ignite the used oil container.

The worker escaped without injury. However, the building and everything in it was destroyed.

“The fire was so hot that even the metal from the building had to be disposed of, it was so warped from the heat,” Pirie said. “That incident brings home the point that there may be hazards in a shop that have not been addressed in safety training.”

Routine use of a checklist to review the condition of tools and specific shop areas can be helpful in identifying frayed cords, missing guards, leaks or spills that need to be addressed. However, relying too heavily on a list may result in overlooking a new or emerging issue.

“Don’t fall into a checklist mindset,” Pirie said. “The objective isn’t simply to complete the checklist. You want to consider

10 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH AUGUST 2020

Courtesy photo

A clean and organized shop is important for farm safety, but can also provide the opportunity to save time and money. what’s in front of you, what potential hazards that tool or its location might present. Don’t forget the intent behind use of the checklist, or its not nearly as effective.”

Pirie advises that feedyard managers and workers also consider that the mindset of, “accidents only happen to the other guy,” is one of the biggest dangers found in any work setting.

“None of us has to go very far outside our own family to know

someone who died due to some kind of accident,” Pirie said. “We can’t control everything that happens in our lives but understanding that we need to do things to help protect ourselves is a big step in working safely. When we’re trained what to do, we need to implement the safety practices we learn.”

Funding for stories like this comes from the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Find more information about this project online at www. unmc.edu/publichealth/feedyard.

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M a tt G a d e / R epub l ic

n this fi e hoto a farmer har ests corn near o nt ernon

STATE FARMLAND MARKET TRENDS DROP SLIGHTLY IN 2020

Cash rental averages, cropland values decrease in annual SDSU survey

S

By Marcus Traxler S outh D ak ota F arm and R anch

outh Dakota State University Extension and the university’s Ness School of Management and Economics issued its 30th annual survey of the state’s Agricultural Land Market Trends, taking a look at the factors influencing buyer and seller decisions and how they impact farmland markets.

“Given current agricultural prices and economic conditions, it will be important to understand that a large range of variability exists throughout the state, in regions and at the county level in terms of land values and rental rates,” SDSU Extension Crops Business Management Field Specialist Jack Davis wrote. “Land owners and producers will need to have a good idea of the productivity level of their land, as well as their budget requirements when determining rental rates and sale values.”

Statewide, the average cash rental rates per acre decreased by $13 for cropland to $113 per acre, and $3 for pasture and rangeland to $24 per acre from 2019 to 2020. It is the fifth time in six years that the statewide average rate has dropped for non-

irrigated cropland, and the rate was down for the second straight year since being at $139 per acre in 2018.

Respondents were asked about annual average cash D a v is rental rates peracre in their locality for non-irrigated cropland and pasture/rangeland (all grass acres).

Respondents were also asked to report cash rental rates in their locality for high-productivity and low productivity land for these land uses.

The average cash rental rate for 2020 non-irrigated cropland was highest in the southeast region of the state at a price of $179 per acre.

The east-central region was next highest at $173 per acre, followed by northeast ($146/acre), northcentral ($109/acre), central ($99/ acre) and south-central ($72/acre).

Cash rental rates for pasture land were highest in the northeast region of the state at $64 per acre, followed by east-central ($59/acre) and southeast ($54/acre).

The statewide average for nonirrigated cropland values also decreased in 2020 compared to the previous year. In 2020, the survey

value of South Dakota pasture/ rangeland averaged $1,162 per-acre, a 3.4% decrease compared to values from 2019. The weighted average value of South Dakota’s nonirrigated cropland is $3,638 per acre, or a decrease of 2.9%.

The survey also calculates gross rate of return (gross cash rent as a percent of land value). In 2020, the statewide average gross rates of return (rent-to-value ratio) were 2.1% for pasture/rangeland and 3.1% for non-irrigated cropland.

The report notes that this is the ninth year that gross rates of return for cropland has been 4% or lower and the ratio generally follows interest rates.

Respondents also were asked to list major positive and negative factors affecting the farm real estate market in their localities. When asked about the most important factors among buyers for purchasing land in 2020, 56% said it was for expansion and 30% said location.

The same question was posed to sellers and their most important reasons to offer land for sale, with 31% citing retirement, 29% citing increased liquidity or reduced financial stress, another 29% citing estate sales, and 8% said high land

values were the most important reasons to sell.

Survey respondents were also asked about positive factors impacting the farm real estate market. Among positives, 34% indicated low-interest rates were positive, with 24% citing investments and 20% citing high yields. Low margins was the largest negative factor for 58% of respondents, with 21% answering for economic uncertainty.

Davis wrote that while the survey has been “a successful long-term project,” the survey could be significantly modified going forward due to low response rates and limitations. The estimates for this year’s irrigated cropland cash rental rates could not be calculated due to a low number of responses.

The survey was created in response to requests by farmland owners, renters, appraisers, lenders, buyers, and others for detailed information on South Dakota farmland markets. The information is supplied by ag lenders, Farm Service Agency officials, rural appraisers, assessors, realtors, professional farm managers and SDSU Extension field specialists.

AUGUST 2020 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 15

M a tt G a d e / R epub l ic

H udson B ake r, 7 , pulls in a cart full of melons to be unloaded w ith the help of his sister H allie, 8 , and mom Ashley on Aug. 4 at the B ake r P roduce stand in M itchell.

SOIL AND WEATHER HOLD THE KEYS FOR SD’S BEST MELON GROWERS Great melons are a year-round effort, farmers say

By Sam Fosness S outh D ak ota F arm and R anch

W

ith an abundance of sandy soil fields scattered along the area, the town of Forestburg is viewed by many South Dakotans as the state’s prime spot for melon growing.

But that strong soil for melons

isn’t exclusive to the small Sanborn County community. About 30 miles to the south, the sandy soil delivers for the Baker family, as well. For more than a decade, the Bakers, of Mount Vernon, have been growing watermelons and muskmelons out on their 40-acre farm.

“I always get asked if we grow

Forestburg melons,” said Ashley Baker, co-owner of Baker Produce.

As the heart of melon harvesting season got underway in early August, the Baker family has been stocking the shelves of their produce stand in Mitchell. Nearly every melon that’s sold at produce stands in Mitchell comes from the fields in

Forestburg but Baker Produce is one of the lone stands selling melons that were grown elsewhere.

So what’s in the soil that makes for such good melon growing? And why is it mostly unique to this area of South Dakota?

Melons thrive in conditions brought on by warm days and

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M a tt G a d e / R epub l ic

H allie B ake r, 8 , and her mom, Ashley, unload w atermelons on Aug. 4 at the B ake r P roduce stand in M itchell.

MELONS F rom P age 1 6

cooler nights, which is a climate that south-central South Dakota offers abundantly in the late spring

and summer months. Baker said the secret to good melon growing is the sandy soil. She credits the soil makeup for giving the melons such a sweetness that many customers desire.

When the taproots of the melons grow deep into the sand, it pulls moisture from below. Melons also see better growth in well-drained soil, which is what the sand helps with during the growing process.

Baker said steady moisture in the spring and summer make for the best melon growing seasons on her family’s farm.

Too much moisture can have a negative effect, namely losing a bit

MELONS: Page18

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M a tt G a d e / R epub l ic

H udson B ake r, 7 , unloads w atermelons on Aug. 4 at the B ake r P roduce stand in M itchell.

MELONS F rom P age 1 7

of sweetness. But that wasn’t what Mother Nature gave their melons this year.

“We just didn’t get much rain this year, so the melons are coming out a little smaller. But they are still sweet,” Baker said. “We had pretty good rains right away, but we could use some again before

everything is harvested.”

In Forestburg, Michael Smith, who works for one of the largest melon growers in the Forestburg area, Shane’s Melons, pointed to the patches of clay that some fields have

in the soil.

“When it is a dry year, the clay underneath the sand holds the moisture,” Smith said.

“That’s why some melon fields like drier weather.”

MELONS: Page19

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H udson B ake r, 7 , pulls a cart full of melons on Aug. 4 at the B ake r P roduce stand in M itchell.

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husband, Kyle, the Baker family takes most of the melon farming on themselves.

As the fall season approaches, the Bakers will soon be gearing up to winterize their melon fields. To avoid fungus growth, Baker said she and her husband rotate the melon fields every year.

“It’s a full-time, year-round job,” Baker said.

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USDA ROLLS OUT NEW ONLINE FEATURES FOR HIRING FARM WORKERS

U

.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has announced new features on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farmers.gov website designed to help facilitate the employment of H-2A workers.

“My mission from the beginning of my time as Secretary was to make USDA the most effective, most efficient, most customerfocused department in the entire federal government – these changes to Farmers.gov are doing just that. USDA’s goal is to help farmers navigate the complex H-2A program that is administered by the Department of Labor, Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department so hiring a farm worker is an easier process,” Perdue said. “President Trump knows how essential these workers are to our farmers and America’s food supply chain. We will continue working to streamline these and other processes to better serve our customers across the country.”

The primary new H-2A features on Farmers.gov include: A real-time dashboard that enables farmers to track the status of their eligible employer application and visa applications for temporary nonimmigrant workers; Streamlining the login

WORKERS: Page21

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a need to lease 4,357 Rentable Square Feet (RSF), yielding approximately 3,789 Usable Square Feet (USF) of office space in Chamberlain, South Dakota (Brule County). Find more information by searching for Solicitation No. 57-46015-20-NR on Beta.SAM.gov. See link below: https://beta.sam.gov/opp/0aaea736bee64394852bb12176cd1191/ view You may also contact USDA at: Dina Burks Realty Specialist (816) 823-1185 Dina.burks@usda.gov Joyce Pederson Leasing Contract Officer (701) 893-2207 Joyce.pederson@usda.gov Expressions of interest must be received no later than August 24, 2020, 5:00pm CDT

20 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH AUGUST 2020

fi

see for yourself by calling 605-996-2774.

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WORKERS F rom P age 1 9

information so if a farmer has an existing login. gov account they can save multiple applications tracking numbers for quick look-up at any time; Enables easy access to the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG); Allows farmers to track time-sensitive actions taken in the course of Office of Foreign Labor Certification’s (OFLC) adjudication of temporary labor certification applications; Allowing for farmers to access all application forms on-line.

All information can be found at www.farmers. gov/manage/h2a.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

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SDSU EXTENSION PLANNING WORKSHOPS FOR BEGINNING FARMERS AND RANCHERS

S

DSU Extension will host Farmland for the Next Generation, an eight-week virtual workshop series, beginning Aug. 31.

Supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, the workshops are for individuals with some farming or ranching experience who are actively looking for land. The series will focus on building skills and utilizing practical resources.

“Access to suitable land remains a chief obstacle for beginning farmers and ranchers,” said Heather Gessner, SDSU Extension Livestock Business Management Field Specialist. “Addressing barriers that keep new farmers from entering agriculture is also critical.”

Gessner was one of 25 experienced agricultural educators and service providers from across the country

certified in the inaugural class of Land Access Trainers (LATs). As an LAT, Gessner plans to present the workshop series as components of the American Farmland Trust’s

Farms for the Next Generation initiative, which is a nationwide project to address the issue of success for the next generation of farmers and ranchers.

“According to the 2012 and 2017 Census of Agriculture data, nationally, and in South Dakota, the number of beginning farmers and ranchers dropped 9% from 2007 to 2017,” Gessner said. “Roughly a quarter of all producers have been farming 10 years or less. Overall, there are fewer new beginners nationwide. Even though this number has come up since 2012, the total number of producers who have been producing 10 years or less has come down since 2007.”

The workshop series will be held in an interactive webinar format that includes discussions, worksheets and ongoing evaluation of each participant’s current situation.

Participants should be committed to following the meeting times and deadlines for each session.

Topics will address an introduction to land tenure, financial readiness, land tenure options, finding land, land assessment, leasing land, purchasing land and succession planning.

The webinars are scheduled for 7-9 p.m. Central time for the following dates: Aug. 31, Sept. 9, Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct. 1, Oct. 15. Oct. 22, Oct. 29 Registration is $50 for two individuals. Deadline to register is August 21. To register, go to https://extension.sdstate.edu/event/ farmland-next-generation. For more information, please contact Gessner at heather.gessner@sdstate.edu or 605-782-3290.

Source: SDSU Extension

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SD FFA FOUNDATION SEEKING SPONSORS FOR FAMOUS BLUE JACKETS

T

he South Dakota FFA Foundation is seeking to raise funds for new members to receive the organization’s famous blue corduroy jackets.

The Blue Jackets Bright Futures FFA Jacket Program is helping carry forward that long-standing tradition of pride, dignity and honor, by providing jackets for members to earn through a short essay application.

“As an FFA member, putting on that blue corduroy jacket with your name on for the first time is something you never forget,” says Sandy Osterday, South Dakota FFA Foundation president. “Whether it’s putting on your jacket for the first time, seeing a mob of 60,000 blue jackets wandering the streets at National FFA Convention, or proudly hanging your jacket in the closet after an event, each FFA jacket holds a lifetime of memories and accomplishments.”

The foundation is seeking

sponsors, with a goal of 350 jackets, to award Oct. 1. Jackets can be designated for a specific chapter, or

for any student in need.

When students join the FFA, they typically purchase or borrow

jackets to compete in the many Career Development Events offered through FFA. The jacket is their team “uniform” to be worn at all official FFA events. The blue corduroy FFA jacket has been the status symbol of the national FFA organization since 1933, when delegates to the national convention voted to make the jacket part of the organization’s official attire, thus creating the long-standing tradition.

Individuals and businesses interested in sponsoring an FFA jacket for a South Dakota FFA member can do so online at: http:// sdffafoundation.org/, or contact Gerri Ann Eide, South Dakota FFA Foundation Executive Director at 605-765-4865 or gerri@ sdffafoundation.org. Sponsorships are $80 and include a jacket and FFA tie or scarf, and full shipping to deliver to the member.

South Dakota Farm and Ranch

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