Connecting Agriculture – Celebrating Those Who Feed Us

Mike Jaspers, South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture

 

Celebrating Those Who Feed Us
By Mike Jaspers, South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture

March 21, 2017

March Madness – South Dakota style: Around-the-clock trips to the lambing barn or the calving pen to ensure newborn animals take that ever so important first drink loaded with the nutrients, energy and antibodies vital for survival. Outguessing the weather conditions for the upcoming growing season. Deciding which crop to plant, where, at what seeding rates and what fertility levels. Predicting which weeds, insects and diseases will try to overtake my crops. These challenges can make filling out your NCAA bracket seem like breeze!

Whether it’s realized or not, the decisions our producers make impact virtually every South Dakotan in some way or another. Farmers, ranchers, agribusiness men and women and other agricultural workers provide a large amount of our state’s economic impact annually. Twenty percent of all the jobs in South Dakota, or one in every five, is connected in some way to agriculture. We have 31,000 farm and ranch families who grow a wide variety of products every year that make their way into our homes and onto our kitchen tables every day. Despite this, we may not always take the time to think about how large of an impact agriculture has on our everyday lives.

Because of all that agriculture does for us, we celebrate National Ag Week March 19^th through March 25^th. This week gives us all a chance to reflect on the many ways agriculture impacts us on a daily basis. From the steak and salad on your plate, to the cotton in your jeans, to the ethanol in your fuel tank, agricultural products are all around us. Agriculture even plays a role in developing medicines to combat a variety of diseases.

As you cheer on your favorite team this week, I encourage you to also think about the food on your table, the fiber in your clothes and the many other agriculture products around you. Reflect on the many hands that worked to bring those items to you and your family. And, if you see an agricultural producer, be sure to pass along a game winning ‘high five’!

Connecting Agriculture – Thanking Our Firefighters – By Mike Jaspers, South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture November 23, 2016

Connecting Agriculture – Thanking Our Firefighters
By Mike Jaspers
South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture
November 23, 2016

The weather this fall across much of South Dakota has been unseasonably warm and dry. The mild weather, though, has caused an extended fire season in the state. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture has five divisions, one of which is the Wildland Fire Division. This division helps fight fires across the state as well as provides many other services and resources to local communities to ensure our firefighters have the tools and skills to fight fires safely and successfully. Below, Wildland Fire’s division director, Jay Esperance, shares a glimpse into what our firefighters do and the kind of fire season we have had this year.

“This year, South Dakota experienced one of the longest lasting wildfire seasons on record. Large fire activity started statewide in April with the warm spring weather. The active fire season, particularly in western South Dakota, prompted Governor Daugaard’s Drought Task Force to declare a 13 county area ‘Red Zone’ in western South Dakota. This designation allowed the state to assist counties that fought large, expensive fires.

“During July the 18,000 acre Freeman fire in Oglala Lakota County and the 14,000 acre Indian Canyon Fire in Fall River County kept state resources busy. The fire season then slowed in August and early September with timely rains, but an extended drying period brought drought conditions back to the western half of the state. These conditions created optimal fire conditions when the 41,000 acre Cottonwood Fire in Jackson County was ignited. This fire is the largest fire in state history for the month of October since 1949. Unseasonable warm conditions have extended the fire season into November with large fire activity still occurring in portions of the state.

“It’s been a busy season across the country too. When needed, our team travels across the country to assist in fighting fires in other states. This year our team has been assigned to fires in Colorado, Wyoming and North Carolina. These fires are complex and require team members to be completely engaged in activities in order to be safe and successful. I am passionate and committed to being an advocate of the safety of wildland firefighters and am proud of our team for taking safety seriously.

“Although our firefighting efforts tend to claim most of the glory, I am very proud of all aspects of the division. Our training program is currently in the planning process for three academies across the state. These academies offer training for state, federal and volunteer firefighters so they have the knowledge and skills to fight fire safely. The fuels mitigation program continues to accomplish thinning projects in the Black Hills in between responding to fires. The prescribed fire program is active in providing assistance with the planning and implementation of prescribed burn projects across the state to make sure they are done safely and only burn what has been targeted to burn. The fire prevention program continues to grow through cooperatively working with our interagency partners on projects to communicate and teach safety around fire. Finally, none of this work would be possible without the dedication and diligence of our administrative staff who make sure the phones get answered and the bills get paid.

“Our Wildland Fire Division is committed to protecting South Dakota’s forests, homes, farms and ranches from fire and to bringing everyone home safely. I am proud of the work we’ve done this year extinguishing over 550 fires.”

As we take time to celebrate Thanksgiving with our friends and families, I would like to thank all the volunteers, state employees and federal partners who have worked tirelessly this year to protect our homes and communities. I would also ask that as you gather with family, you keep in your thoughts and prayers those firefighters and their families who are unable to be together during this holiday season.

Connecting Agriculture By Mike Jaspers, South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture

 

Mike Jaspers, South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture. (submitted photo)

By Mike Jaspers, South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture

It has been an exciting two months settling in as South Dakota’s Secretary of Agriculture. What an honor to be able to give back to a state and an industry that have given so much to me! Agriculture is a cornerstone of our state’s economy and has certainly played a major role in my life.

I grew up on my family’s farm outside of Eden, in the northeastern corner of the state, and graduated from South Dakota State University with a degree in mechanized agriculture. Today, my wife Robin and I live near Sioux Falls with our daughter, Ellie (12), and son, Alex (9). We own and operate a corn, soybean, alfalfa and cattle operation in Hutchinson, McCook and Marshall counties. I’ve also had the opportunity to work in agricultural retail management, serve as a state legislator and state director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Office and graduate from the South Dakota Agricultural and Rural Leadership (SDARL) program.

Like many South Dakotans, I’m looking forward to attending the state fair, which runs September 1-5. Once again, one of the first events of the fair is the South Dakota Farm & Ranch Recognition Program. Every year, the South Dakota Department of Agriculture teams up with the South Dakota Farm Bureau to recognize families who have retained continuous ownership of at least 80 acres of original farmland for 100 years or more. As a farmer myself, it is an incredible honor to recognize and thank the almost 90 families that will receive a century (100 years) or quasquicentennial (125 years) recognition this year.

This year’s award ceremony is especially meaningful to me. In 1882, my great-great grandfather homesteaded a farm in Marshall county and that land is still owned by my family today. I’m proud to say the Jaspers family will be one of the families recognized this year for reaching the 125 year milestone. Despite the challenges they faced over the generations, I’m humbled when I think of all my family has done and gone through to stay on the land for five generations.

This year’s fair isn’t just about recognizing and celebrating the past—it’s also about supporting and building the future of agriculture, our youth. On September 4, at 4 p.m., there will be a dedication ceremony for the Nordby Exhibit Hall for 4-H, Youth and Community. This space will provide a place for 4-H events of all kinds during the fair and year-round event space for a variety of organizations. This capital fundraising campaign has been going on for three years and we are close to crossing the finish line.

A sizable donation from the late Earl Nordby and contributions from other individuals and groups have allowed this facility to be used for a few events this year. If you feel a special connection to youth in agriculture, please go to www.sdstatefairfoundation.com to find out how you can help complete construction. We would be honored to count you among the many generous contributors to this project.

The State Fair Park is one of the five divisions that make up the South Dakota Department of Agriculture. Stop by our booth in the Expo Building during the fair to say hello. You can test your tree knowledge on our leaf board, pick up Smokey Bear fire safety reminders, ask weed and pest control questions, learn about our County Site Analysis Program and much more. Whether it’s been since last year or it’s been several years, I hope to see you at this year’s South Dakota State Fair!