agriculture

Even as anti-China political rhetoric increases in America, including by Gov. Kristi Noem, farmers in South Dakota continue to sell more than $1 billion of agricultural goods to the communist country each year. The delicate balance between protecting national security and maintaining a lucrative export relationship with China is putting South Dakota farmers in a tough spot.

As fairs across the state struggle with funding to keep the rides running, one event remains immune: the Turner County Fair in Parker, South Dakota. Here's how it stays relevant.

Hyde County lost a higher percentage of population (6%) than any other South Dakota county from 2020-22, and it was one of just four counties to see double-digit percentage declines from 2010-2020.

Nearly two-thirds of South Dakota farmers are at least 55 years old. In 2017, nearly 4,100 principal producers were over the age of 75. As the number of young farmers remains low and those nearing retirement age grows, some worry about the future of the state’s No. 1 industry.

Under legislation that’s pending in Congress, future CRP participants could receive more than double the current payments.

Supporters of the "cottage foods" industry in South Dakota say a new law will make it easier for producers of homemade food products to legally and safely sell their wares directly to consumers by eliminating costly and time-consuming food testing requirements.

Court documents provide details of how farmers who commit grain fraud orchestrated their schemes and how they spent their ill-gotten gains.

As organic farming in the U.S. has evolved into a $63 billion a year industry, some farmers have turned to fraud and others have exploited loopholes in the organic regulatory system in order to make millions. But legitimate farmers in South Dakota and beyond are working to protect their reputations and build more trust in organic labeling by pushing for more regulation, oversight and transparency within the industry.

With diesel fuel as their economic lifeblood, South Dakota truckers and farmers are being hurt by unusually high per-gallon prices at the pump. Meanwhile, as many truckers and farmers take steps to reduce fuel consumption, higher transportation costs are often passed on to consumers who are already facing high inflation.

Overly wet weather has forced many South Dakota farmers to delay or cut back on planting of their annual crop. The delayed or reduced crops will require some farmers to seek financial help from insurance or federal assistance programs to keep their operations viable.