When the U.S. Senate confirmed a new Secretary of Agriculture today it affirmed the nomination of a former governor, a veterinarian, an agribusiness entrepreneur…and a pilot. As a young man, Sonny Perdue flew a crop duster and, after college but prior to earning his DVM, served as an Air Force pilot. George Ervin Perdue III […]

Fifty-five runners and walkers crossed the finish line in Tolstoy, South Dakota, on January 21, to raise more than $3,000 for the Labs for Liberty program. Here, Sabot, finishing in 10th place on a balmy 28-degree day in north central South Dakota, poses with his trainer/caretaker, Katie Nold. Late in 2017, Sabot will be paired […]

For the third year in a row, I had the opportunity to help the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce by volunteering at the swine competition during the Sioux Empire Farm Show at the fairgrounds. Coming from a farm, I’m no stranger to livestock, but growing up, we did not raise or show them. The closest I […]

Change. The word is everywhere. It’s not overused, really, especially as we learned on election day. With that said, let’s talk about what prompts change—progressive, positive change. Change begins with a simple awareness of the world around you, and a keen desire not only to keep pace, but to jump ahead of what’s happening. This […]

Co-op Month Fast Facts Co-ops Make Great Neighbors We all want a neighbor that makes the neighborhood better—not the guy who never mows his lawn and keeps a car up on blocks. Cooperatives are great neighbors. Nationwide, cooperatives create 2.1 million jobs and generate more than $650 billion in sales and other revenue annually. They […]

Co-op Month Fast Facts Co-ops Empower Their Members There’s strength in numbers—a foundational reason that cooperatives were created. Take the agricultural industry for example. Individual farmers lack power in the marketplace and can be easily manipulated by the ever-more concentrated number of buyers. But united in a co-op, the power of one is multiplied by […]