Volume 24 • Number 1 February 2008

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENTReid Jensen

Burbank-District 1

VICE PRESIDENTBill Chase

Wolsey-District 8

SECRETARYScott Sperry

Bath-District 13

TREASURERGary Duffy

Oldham-District 5

CHAIRMANDavid Gillen

White Lake-District 11

Mark KlumbMt. Vernon-Member at Large

Jim ThyenWaverly-Member at Large

Darrin IhnenHurley-District 2

Kurt StiefvaterSalem-District 3

Jason KontzBrookings-District 4

David LeisethHayti-District 6

Bill WhippleWilmot-District 7

Chad BlindauerMitchell-District 9

Mark GrossBridgewater-District 10

Marv SchumacherPierre-District 12

James KrierHerrick-District 14

INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES:Larry WagnerKent MulderTom Branhan

Daryl Molskness

OFFICE STAFF:Lisa Richardson, Executive Director

Teddi Mueller, Legislative &Industry Affairs Director

Krystil Smit, Communications DirectorKatrina Luke, Office Manager

Paul Skiles, Market Development Director

PRESIDENT’S REPORTReid Jensen, SDCGA President

G reetings from Burbank! This is the lastletter that I will be writing as your

President of the SDCGA because my term aspresident ends February 1.It has indeedbeen an exciting time serving as your presi-dent for the past two years. I have grownpersonally as well as professionally andwould encourage everyone reading this mes-sage to consider serving on the SDCGAboard. This experience has allowed me tomeet a myriad of people throughout SouthDakota and I have enjoyed being able to doso.

The two-year term as president allows newleadership and ideas to come to the top ofthe organization and keeps the SDCGA frombecoming stagnate.This organization has theinterests of corn growers at heart and I’mconfident that will continue. SDCGA hasgreat leadership on its board of directors andI can truly say we check our egos at the door,roll up our sleeves, and work for the mem-bers, not caring who gets the credit.

2007 has been an amazing year for theSDCGA and agriculture in general. DavidLetterman has his top 10; SDCGA has itstop 7:

#7 – South Dakota imported two trains ofcorn from Illinois in Sept. South Dakota hasgone from having the cheapest corn to lead-ing the nation in corn price and demand.

#6 – SDCUC is leading the way in biomassresearch with our partners at SDSU.

#5 – Membership for SDCGA hit an all timehigh with over 1800 members. This showsthe growing inf luence we have on a stateand national basis.

#4 – Over 390 million gallons of newethanol production came on line creatingover 130 million bushels of new corndemand in the state of South Dakota.

#3 – The merger of the DM&E railroad withthe Canadian Pacific railroad giving SouthDakota two class1 railroads - the other beingthe Burlington Northern. This will allow for

competitive transportation prices in a land-locked state.

#2 – South Dakota corn producers produceda record 556,250,000 bushel corn crop withan average yield of 125 bushels per acre.Producers responded to the market placeand met the food AND fuel needs of ournation.

#1 – President Bush signed federal legisla-tion on Dec 19th with a Renewable FuelsStandard carving out 15 billion gallons ofcorn ethanol by 2015. We would like tothank our congressional delegation for all oftheir hard work.

We capped off the year with our annualmeeting Jan 5th in Sioux Falls with over 500people attending our educational meetingsand over 1000 in attendance at our banquet.SD Secretary of Agriculture Bill Even was ournoon luncheon speaker. Bill is doing a greatjob for the ag producers of South Dakota. Itwas an honor to have U.S. Secretary ofAgriculture Chuck Conner as our featuredspeaker of the evening, topped off by theevening entertainment of Gary Lewis and thePlayboys.

There will be many more challenges in 2008;such as the passage of the 2008 farm bill,higher ethanol blend rates, property taxes,and carbon credit trading and cellulosicethanol. The SDCGA is ready to meet thechallenges always putting you, the producer,first.

I would like to thank Lisa and the staff forputting up with me for two years. They arethe best staff in the country and work harderthan anyone I know. It has been a privilege towork with them.

Finally, I would like to wish you all a pros-perous and healthy 2008.

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On Dec. 19, 2007, a historic Energy Bill wassigned into law, sealing a future for South Dakotato become an energy mecca for the nation.

As corn growers celebrated the expandedRenewable Fuels Standard which includes a 15 bil-lion gallon requirement for corn based ethanol,two of South Dakota’s Congressional leaderschose the South Dakota Corn GrowersAssociation’s office to meet with a diverse groupof industry representatives.

In a historic moment, Sen. John Thune is joined bythe leadership of the two largest ethanol produc-ing companies in the world, which are based inSouth Dakota: Jeff Broin of Poet Biorefining (leftof Thune) and Don Endres of VeraSun Energy(right of Thune). Thune hailed the passage of theEnergy Bill and spoke about priorities for SouthDakota in the farm bill discussions.

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin also met in theSDCGA office with industry stakeholders and dis-cussed what’s next on the horizon with the farmbill and opportunities for South Dakota.

ENERGY BILLPASSES!

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H istory will look back on the enactment of theEnergy Independence and Security Act of

2007 as the moment when America stopped givinglip service to our growing energy crisis and tookthe essential first steps down the path of energysecurity and sustainability.

By requiring that we increase our use of renew-able fuels like ethanol to 36 billion gallons annual-ly by 2022, Congress recognized three importantfacts. One, increasing renewable fuel use is themost immediate and effective step we can take asa nation to reduce our dependence on importedoil and stem the hemorrhaging of American dol-lars to hostile regimes in far off lands. Second,ethanol is the only liquid transportation fuel avail-able today that can help to address the mostimportant environmental challenge of our time –global climate change. Third, American agricul-ture can and must play a central role in securingour energy future.

In passing this bill, Congress recognized thatgrain-based ethanol production has and will con-

tinue to provide a strong foundation for the bio-fuels economy. But to assure that ethanol con-tinues to grow and moves beyond simply being ablend component in gasoline toward a truereplacement to gasoline in f lexible fueled vehi-cles using E-85, Congress established incentivesin this bill to drive technology toward more effi-cient processes and new feedstocks.

The evolution of the ethanol industry toward cel-lulosic feedstocks has already begun, with for-ward thinking companies like South Dakota’sown POET on the threshold of commercializingtechnology to produce ethanol from corn cobsand stover. Others will soon follow. But none ofthese developments threaten the continued via-bility and, indeed, urgency of continued growthin grain-based ethanol production.

Ensuring a market for both corn-based and cellu-losic-based ethanol provide the American farmerwith great opportunity. It means that corngrowers can confidently plant more acres ofcorn knowing that the impact ethanol has creat-

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5

SDCGA Corporate Partners:Thank You for your support

ed for their commodity will continue to exist. Italso means that new commodities, such as cornstalks, switchgrass and wood wastes, offer anopportunity for different parts of American agricul-ture to join with traditional corn growers in renew-ably fueling this nation.

To be sure, achieving the promise of increaseddomestic ethanol production and use and makingthe new energy bill a success will not be easy.Critics of ethanol and those threatened by thegrowth of the domestic ethanol industry will seekto thwart our efforts at every turn. The misinfor-mation campaign propagating erroneous draw-backs to increased ethanol production will onlyintensify.

But with challenge also come great opportunity.Together with the American farmer, the Americanethanol industry is poised to become the meaning-ful part of America’s energy mix is needs to be. Byharnessing the productivity of American farmers,the ingenuity of American scientists, and theprowess of the American worker, we can pointAmerica toward a new energy horizon and give hera kick start on the road to getting there.

I, for one, can’t wait to get to work.

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95-96 96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11

CORNSOYBEANSWHEATCOTTON

MAJOR US CROPS: VALUE OF PRODUCTION LESS OPERATING COSTS(Value does Not Include Government Payments)

Source: USDA-ERS for History, PRX for Current Years

PRX_CropReturns_Start, GTB-07-12, Dec-11-07

Dollars per planted acreIn terms of actual and anticipated US farm prices and costs of production, corn "pencils" best in 2008. But are farmers "pencilling"?

©2006 The ProExporter Newtork®. The analysis above is not intended as a trade recommendation. The analysis and forecasts are based on availablepublic data and on the best judgment of PRX, but cannot be guarranteed to conform to future reality.

www.wensmanseed.com

CORPORATE PARTNER

Opportunities for more corn acres in South DakotaThe Energy Bill created vast opportunities for increasing corn acres throughout thenation and as South Dakota producers make their planting decisions, the SDCGAencourages producers to grow more corn this season.

Recent projections estimate corn acres will be 6.5 billion acres less in 2008 thanlast year. With the revised USDA carryout numbers coming in nearly 40 percentless than originally thought, corn will be in great demand which in turn can meanprice opportunity for producers in 2008/09.

The ethanol industry's appetite for corn will surge in the coming months and anadditional 6 billion gallons of capacity from facilities under construction are expect-ed to add to that total in 2008.

In the battle for acres, one key variable is input costs and how that would impactcorn, soybean and wheat acres in 2008. With the corn market on the high side, afarmer can justify higher input costs if they lock in their target price. Consider thefollowing chart from the ProExporter Network:

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MEMBERSHIPMATTERS

W e are in a very unique position inagriculture today. In my farming

career I have never seen prices at these lev-els across all major ag commodities andwith the recent passage of a key EnergyBill, the opportunities we have as ag pro-ducers have never been more enticing.

The South Dakota Corn GrowersAssociation was instrumental in workingwith our Congressional delegation to passthe Energy Bill, and the Farm Bill is ournext national priority. Our effectiveness onthese pieces of legislation nationally andalso on important provisions here in SouthDakota, is relative to our membership base.Without the 1,800 members in the SDCGA,our leadership would not have the leveragewe need to fight for South Dakota farmers’interests in legislative policy.

We focus on legislative movements so youcan focus on your farming operation. Andthe SDCGA just added a tool to our mem-bership incentive line up so you can makethe most informed decisions about yourcommodity marketing. SDCGA has part-nered with DTN to provide a 12-month sub-scription to DTN Mobile. Read the detailsabout the new offering on the followingpage. This is the SDCGA’s effort to assistour members during this time of tremen-dous marketing opportunities so you canstay up to the minute on market and weath-er changes.

This new partnership with DTN demon-strates the support South Dakota producershave from our allied industry. Combinethat support with our long-standing seedcompanies who participate in the seed cer-tificate program and TJ Technologies withthe QuickRoots certificates and member-ship in the SDCGA is an unbeatable value.We value your participation!

David Leiseth, chairmanSDCGA Membership Committee

5109 S. Crossing Place, Ste. 1Sioux Falls, SD 57108

605-334-0100

Black Diamond SeedsCrows

Fontanelle HybridsGreat Lakes HybridsHoegemeyer Hybrids

Integra Seeds

Kaltenberg SeedsLegend Seeds

Mustang SeedsMycogen SeedsNortec SeedsPannar Seeds

Proseed

REA HybridsRenze Hybrids

Seeds 2000Stine Seeds

Sucrosco SeedsWensman Seed

SDCGA Membership Application■■■■ $800 Lifetime membership (SDCGA & NCGA)

Includes five $30 Seed Certificates, $25 in Ethanol, 12-month subscription to DTN Mobile and $50 certificate for QuickRoots™

■■■■ $200 Three-year membership (SDCGA & NCGA)Includes three $30 Seed Certificates, 12-month subscription to DTN Mobile and $25 certificate for QuickRoots™

■■■■ $150 One-year membership (SDCGA & NCGA)

Payment Method: (check one) ■■■■ Check ■■■■ Visa ■■■■ Mastercard

Credit Card No. ____________________________________________________Expiration Date ______________

Name __________________________________________________Title__________________________________

Farm/Company Name __________________________________________________________________________

Membership is to be in: (check one) ■■■■ Name ■■■■ Farm/Company Name

Address ____________________________________________________________________________________

City ______________________________________________ State ___________ Zip _____________________

County ____________________________________________________________________________________

Home Phone ________________________________ Business Phone ____________________________________

Cell Phone __________________________________ E-mail Address_____________________________________

Spouse’s Name________________________________________________________________________________

Mail Dues To: South Dakota Corn Growers Association • 5109 S. Crossing Place, Ste. 1, Sioux Falls, SD 57108

Seed and Ethanol Certificate ProgramTo qualify, join SDCGA with a:• Lifetime membership and receive five $30 Seed Certificates and $25 in Free Ethanol• Three-year membership and receive three $30 Seed Certificates.

Seed certificates can be used for $30 off a hybrid seed purchaseof $100 or more from any of these supporting companies:

Received From:

___________________________________________________________(Members Name)

Dues paid in the amount of $ __________________________________

Represented by ______________________________________________

Date_______________________________________________________

This is your receipt for membership in the South Dakota Corn Growers Association. Contributions or gifts to the South DakotaCorn Growers Association are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

DTN Mobile ProgramPlus with a 3-year or Lifetime member-ship you will receive a 12-month sub-scription to DTN Mobile. Value: $190

Get real-time localized market,weather and news informationdelivered directly to your personalcell phone for 12 months.

• React to breaking news• Monitor market changes from the

cab• Get pinpointed weather and plan

your field work while in the field

QuickRoots™ Certificate ProgramJoin SDCGA at the 3-year or lifetime level and receive a certificatetowards a $100 minimum purchase of QuickRoots™ - $25 certifi-cate for a 3-year membership or $50 for a lifetime membership.

About QuickRoots™ – The microorganisms in QuickRoots™ have been shown to increase avail-

ability of certain plant nutrients and can increase plant nutrient uptake.QuickRoots™ releases plant available phosphorous which has been shownto increase root mass allowing the plant to explore a greater volume of soil.Increased plant nutrient availability will often lead to increased plant healthand vigor which can translate into a yield response.

QuickRoots™ is applied to the seed. QuickRoots™ can be used in a wetor dry form and may event be applied to the seed up to 18 months inadvance of planting. For more information, contact TJ Technologies, Inc. at1-866-819-8231 or visit the website at www.tjmicromix.com.

TEAR HERE – RETAIN BOTTOM PORTION FOR YOUR RECEIPT

Congratulations!

David Leiseth earned top

recruiter honors in the

nation by recruiting 393

members in 2007!

7

Black Diamond SeedsCrows

Fontanelle HybridsGreat Lakes HybridsHoegemeyer Hybrids

Integra SeedsKaltenberg Seeds

Legend SeedsMustang SeedsMycogen Seeds

Nortec SeedsPannar Seeds

ProseedREA Hybrids

Renze HybridsSeeds 2000Stine Seeds

Sucrosco SeedsWensman Seed

Seed and Ethanol Certificate ProgramSeed certificates can be used for $30 off a hybrid seed purchase

of $100 or more from any of these supporting companies:

QuickRoots™ Certificate ProgramJoin SDCGA at the 3-year or lifetime level and receive a certificatetowards a $100 minimum purchase of QuickRoots™ - $25 certifi-cate for a 3-year membership or $50 for a lifetime membership.

About QuickRoots™ – The microorganisms in QuickRoots™ have been shown to increase avail-

ability of certain plant nutrients and can increase plant nutrient uptake.QuickRoots™ releases plant available phosphorous which has been shownto increase root mass allowing the plant to explore a greater volume of soil.Increased plant nutrient availability will often lead to increased plant healthand vigor which can translate into a yield response.

QuickRoots™ is applied to the seed. QuickRoots™ can be used in a wetor dry form and may event be applied to the seed up to 18 months inadvance of planting. For more information, contact TJ Technologies, Inc. at1-866-819-8231 or visit the website at www.tjmicromix.com.

Membership Incentives for 2008

DTN Mobile Program

With a 3-year or Lifetime membership you will receive a 12-month subscription to DTN Mobile. Value: $190

Get real-time localized market, weather and newsinformation delivered directly to your personal cellphone for 12 months.

• React to breaking news• Monitor market changes from the cab• Get pinpointed weather and plan your field work while in

the field

Packaged with long-standing incentives for joining theSDCGA, there is no better opportunity for producers toprofit by their membership in the SDCGA.

Check out the membership packages:

3-year SDCGA Membership: $200Incentives:

$90 toward seed purchases12-month subscription to DTN Mobile$25 QuickRoots Credit

Lifetime SDCGA Membership: $800Incentives:

$150 toward seed purchases12-month subscription to DTN Mobile$25 in ethanol certificates$50 in QuickRoots Credit

O ffering producers opportunities to becomeincreasingly techno-savvy is a goal of the South

Dakota Corn Growers Association and as such theSDCGA has just added a new membership benefit toachieve that mission.

The SDCGA is pleased to announce DTN MobileMarkets as a membership perk for producers whorenew their membership or become a new memberat the 3 year or Lifetime level in the SDCGA.

SDCGA and DTN have partnered to provide a 12-month complimentary subscription to DTN Mobilefor new and renewing members of the SDCGA. This$190 value allows producers to receive real-time mar-kets, weather and news information delivered direct-ly to their personal cell phones. DTN Mobile givesproducers the ability to acquire the time-criticalinformation they need while on the move.

Never miss a market change while out in thefield. DTN Mobile uses multiple watch lists so pro-ducers can track real-time commodity and optionprices directly from their wireless device. Producerscan make selling decisions while on the move!

Know how much time you’ll have before rainarrives in your area or check wind speeds fromthe field. DTN’s exclusive PrecipTimer technologytells producers precipitation start, stop and durationtimes for a specific location – so producers canknow when it’s a good time to spray, plant or get outof a field before a storm hits.

8

RANK/NAME/CITY BRAND HYBRID YIELD

Irrigated

SOUTH DAKOTA

1. Bob Hattum, Harrold Pioneer 33B54 263.54

2. Standy Farms, Platte Dekalb DKC60-14 250.25

3. Lower Brule Farms, Pukwana Dekalb DKC60-19 243.30

No Till/Strip Till Irrigated

SOUTH DAKOTA

1. Lower Brule Farms Corp, Pierre Pioneer 35F40 245.82

2. Breding Farms, Chamberlain Dekalb DKC60-18 243.63

3. Valerie Svendsen, Volin Pioneer 34N45 240.25

No Till/Strip Till Non-Irrigated

SOUTH DAKOTA

1. Brookside Farms, Akron Pioneer 33D13 230.43

2. Lance Fliehs, Groton Dekalb DKC50-48 213.48

3. Kurt Hoeft, Mellette Dekalb DKC42-95 206.93

Non-Irrigated

SOUTH DAKOTA

1. Ronald Johnson, Alcester Pioneer 33D13 244.24

2. David Heeren, Akron Garst 8573CB/LL/RW 239.97

3. David Heeren, Akron Garst 8758CB/LL/RW 232.09

Ridge Till Irrigated

SOUTH DAKOTA

1. David Ogle, Harrold Dekalb DKC63-81 288.35

2. Justin Ogle, Harrold Dekalb DKC63-81 282.65

3. Stacey Ogle, Harrold Pioneer 34N45 280.42

Ridge Till Non-Irrigated

SOUTH DAKOTA

1. Scott Mckee, Hawarden Pioneer 33D12 208.05

2. Keith Alverson, Chester Dekalb DKC51-39 207.07

3. Shane Nelson, Centerville Garst 8581RR 166.32

Ronald Johnson of Alcester took firstplace in South Dakota in theNational Corn Yield Contest non-irri-gated division. He planted a Pioneerhybrid which yielded 244 bushels anacre. Johnson along with all CYCcontestants were recognized duringthe SDCGA Annual Meeting lunch-eon on Jan. 5, 2008 in Sioux Falls.

2007 STATE CORN YIELD CONTEST WINNERS

The planting season is rightaround the corner and the SouthDakota Corn GrowersAssociation invites members toconsider becoming a showplotcooperator.

To become a showplot coopera-tor, you must be a member of theSDCGA, you cannot have refund-ed your corn tax for the pastthree years and you must be will-ing to agree to the showplot rules.

If you are interested in becominga showplot cooperator, contactPaul at the SDCGA office at (605)334-0100.

SDCGASHOWPLOT

UPDATE

9

Thank You to Our Annual Meeting Sponsors

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T he 22nd Annual Meeting of the South DakotaCorn Growers Association exceeded all previ-

ous years’ events in elite educational opportunities,esteemed leader presence and outstanding enter-tainment.

Set in the Sioux Falls Ramkota Hotel, 400 producerspacked seminar rooms during the day on Jan. 5 totap the expertise of speakers on the topics of mar-keting, farm family relationships and the new worldof carbon markets.

National Corn Growers Association Corn YieldContest winners were recognized at the noon lunch-eon featuring keynote speaker and S.D. Secretary ofAgriculture, Bill Even, who talked about the opportu-nities in South Dakota’s agricultural industry.

No Annual Meeting would be complete withoutaddressing the next year’s goals and the SDCGAResolutions meeting took place in the afternoonwhere SDCGA members discussed and determinedthe organization’s positions on the farm bill, livestockissues, wetlands and more.

“The resolutions process really is the core to ourAnnual Meeting because as a grassroots organizationit’s important to gather input from our members aswe represent corn producers in legislative activities inWashington and Pierre,” said Reid Jensen, presidentof the SDCGA.

After the day’s work was done, the SDCGA kicked offits very own CornStock ’08 extravaganze featuring asilent auction, social, elegant dining and a guest listof nearly 1100.

SDCGA Annual Meeting HighlightsThe SDCGA was excited to host Chuck Conner, actingU.S. Secretary of Agriculture, as the keynote banquetspeaker. Conner illuminated on the next farm bill anddiscussed the challenges and opportunities ahead.

The SDCGA was honored to welcome Sen. TimJohnson to the stage that evening to address theaudience as well as Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin.

Leadership in the SDCGA identified numerous out-standing individuals with awards during the banquetincluding legislative, excellence in agriculture andMVP in agriculture. Read about the chosen honoreesin the following pages.

Then the dance floor came alive as Gary Lewis andthe Playboys brought the crowd to their feet dancingto incredible hits from the ’60s. Billed as one of thebest entertainers ever to perform at the SDCGAAnnual Meeting, Gary Lewis and the Playboys wowedthe crowd into the evening.

“ T h eS D C G Aj o i n e dto g e t h e rour mem-b e r s ,i n d u s t r ypar tners ,producersand top legislative leaders for a great day andevening of celebrating our industry,” said Jensen.“We were pleased to have a room full of stakehold-ers in the industry as a way to kick off our momen-tum for the next year of achievements in agriculture.”

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T he SDCGA welcomedChuck Conner, acting

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture askeynote speaker to their 22ndAnnual Meeting banquet.

During his visit to South Dakota,Conner met individually withmembers of the Centerville FFAchapter and spoke about oppor-tunities for the next generationof agricultural leaders.

Conner addressed the 1,000 attendees of the SDCGA ban-quet, speaking specifically about the work yet to be doneon the upcoming farm bill. Below are excerpts from thetranscript of his speech that evening. The entire text can befound on the USDA website atwww.usda.gov.

“I've been around this track a few times. Matter of fact, thisis my sixth farm bill that I've worked on in my career. AndI do know that farm bills are just never very easy pieces oflegislation to pass. But at the moment, we do have some fun-damental differences over the two versions of the farm billthat Congress has put together. And the bills passed by theHouse and the Senate, as they stand today [Jan. 6, 2008], arenot on the road to a successful conclusion of this farm bill.Not yet.

Let me just take a moment, if I could, and talk about wherewe are in our agricultural economy, if I could, right now,just to put this into perspective. By any measure, ladies andgentlemen, 2007 was a very good year. Corn prices hit an11-year high, soybean prices hit a 34-year high, and ofcourse wheat prices are at all-time record highs. With theprice of corn and a strong and growing demand for ethanoland other renewable fuels, I suspect this has been an out-standing year for many of you, probably one of your bestyears ever.

We've seen great success in other agricultural markets aswell. With the dollar in a very competitive level and strongdemand from foreign buyers for our agricultural exports,they continue to break records. Fiscal year 2007, ourexports came in at $82 billion, and this year we expect U.S.agricultural trade to reach $91 billion. These are numbers,ladies and gentlemen, that people thought would be impos-sible to achieve in our lifetime, and they are upon us.

Your state has traditionally ranked in the top 10 of ournation in terms of your agricultural exports, led by soybeansand wheat. That gives producers here in this state, webelieve, a real stake in continued access to foreign markets.

All these gains have had a very direct impact on farmincome…

And even more exciting things are ahead. Last month, as

Keynote Speaker:Chuck Conner, acting U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

has been noted, Congress passed, and the President signedinto law, an exciting new Energy Bill that sets ambitious newrenewable fuel standards for the nation.

It calls for renewable fuels production of 36 billion gallonsin 2022, just 15 years from now. But its effect, again as it'sbeen noted, will be much quicker than that, reaching 9 bil-lion gallons of grain-based ethanol in just this calendar year.And that standard rises to 15 billion gallons four years fromnow. Tremendous challenge, tremendous opportunity liesahead of us in this area.

I understand South Dakota is on track to reach an ethanolproduction capacity of 1 billion gallons this year. And I canassure you, the nation is going to need every single one ofthose gallons.

Renewable fuels, I will note, have taken a lot of criticism inthe press in recent months, but I will tell you that as I travelthe support from all Americans for the U.S. producing moreof its energy here at home has never been stronger, ladiesand gentlemen. It has never been stronger than what it istoday.

If we needed confirmation that we are headed in the rightdirection on renewable fuels, I think we only have to look atwhere we are with the price of oil, which of course again it'sbeen noted topped $100 a barrel this week.

Our growing appetite for renewable fuels and the standardsthe government has set to accelerate the growth of thisindustry are both having a positive impact on the marketsthat you produce for all your commodities. As these marketshave emerged over the last few years, producers like your-self, have been able to make your planting decisions basedon the signal that the market is sending of you instead his-torically where you might have turned to government sup-port programs for that signal. That's how we ended, ladiesand gentlemen, with 13 billion bushels of corn this year andthe largest acreage of corn that we have had since 1944.Farmers took their signal from the marketplace.

We will use that production not only to meet all of our ener-gy needs. But I would note, that for the livestock sector, thatwe will feed more corn for livestock this past year than whatwe did the previous year.

In a time of prosperity, a time of success like the ones we areenjoying now, we have a chance-I believe-to take a long viewand to work together to put American agricultural on thestrongest possible footing to be deal with competitive chal-lenges we face in the future. And those challenges ultimate-ly are driven towards higher farm income, better quality oflife for our farmers.

That is the best way to assure future growth, that is the bestway to assure opportunities for the next generation andprosperity for our industry.”

Prizes and winners:

General Motors: 2-year lease on a 2008GM vehicleWinner: Noel Nielson of Lake Norden, SD

All About Travel: Airfare and lodging for 4days/3 nights at the winner’s choice desti-nation to specified cities in the U.S. orMexico. Winner: Larry Lanphere of Yankton, S.D.

South Dakota Corn Utilization Council:$1,200 in ethanol fuelWinner: Tim Even, Humbolt, S.D.

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David Gillen of White Lake, SD has served on theSDCGA board since August 1999 and currentlyserves as chairman; he is a past president of theorganization. David’s natural leadership can becredited for strengthening relationships with ournational leaders and industry partners; he hashosted U.S. Senators in his home and duringnumerous industry pheasant hunts at his family’s

hunting enterprise. He has been very active on the national level asa member of the National Corn Growers Association Public PolicyAction Team. David has led policy direction for the SDCGA andnationally and his ability to understand and author major pieces ofpolicy have been an asset to South Dakota and the nation.

Bill Whipple lives near Wilmont, S.D., where hefarms using no-till practices on corn, soybeans andwheat. Whipple has served the SDCGA boardsince 1999 and was instrumental during the timewhen a transition was made for the South DakotaCorn Growers and South Dakota Corn UtilizationCouncil to share one staff. Whipple has also been

Outstanding Service Awards honor retiring directors at SDCGA Annual Meeting

David Gillen

Bill Whipple

The South Dakota Corn organizations recently recognized directors who have served their allowed terms with the organi-zation. The directors received awards during the South Dakota Corn Growers Association’s Annual Meeting held Jan. 5 inSioux Falls.

very involved in the ethanol industry, serving on the board of direc-tors for the Northern Lights Ethanol plant. He has held executiveoffices in the SDCGA and is known to offer needed insight on keyissues.

Industry Reps: The SDCGA is fortunate to have four outstandingindustry partners participate as directors on the board. The indus-try representatives provide the link between our growers and ourallied industry and working together strengthens South Dakotaagriculture. The SDCGA’s retiring industry reps are Tom Branhanwith Glacial Lakes Energy; Daryl Molskness with Monsanto; KentMulder with Eastern Farmers Coop; and Larry Wagner, representingthe crop scouting industry.

Tom Branhan Daryl Molskness Kent Mulder Larry Wagner

A n estimated 1,200people participat-

ed in the SD Corn OffRoadn’ raff le promo-tion held throughoutthe summer and fallwith the South DakotaCorn GrowersAssociation. Three major prizes were up for grabswhen the lucky winners’ names were drawn at theSDCGA Annual Meeting on Jan. 5, 2008.

SDCGA board directors and staff offered the prizeopportunity at events throughout the state in 2007including at Farmer Appreciation Day at the SiouxEmpire Fair; Dakotafest; Aberdeen C-Express Ethanolpromotion; Brown County Fair in Aberdeen; Value-Added Day at the South Dakota State Fair; and manymore seminars and events the SDCGA hosted.

The Grand Prize winnerof a new f lex-fuel truckfrom General Motorsbought his ticket at theSouth Dakota State Fairduring Value-Added

Agriculture Day. He claimed hisprize – a 2008 Chevy Silverado –from Lithia Motors of Sioux Falls.The winner of the trip purchasedhis ticket during Dakotafest inMitchell; and the winning ticketfor the $1,200 in ethanol was pur-chased the day of the Annual Meeting.

General Motors gives away 2008 vehicle at SDCGA Annual Meeting

13

Brian Renelt - District 7Brian Renelt operates a diversifiedfamily farming operation with hisfather and two brothers near Wilmot,S.D. Their operation consists of hogs,corn, soybeans and spring wheat.Renelt joined the SDCGA board ofdirectors in January of 2008.

Renelt holds a Bachelor of Sciencedegree in Ag Business from SouthDakota State University.

Prior to coming back to the farm, Renelt was employedwith BASF working in the crop protection division doingresearch and development. After working for BASF, he real-ized he was only putting off what he really wanted to do fora living – working with his family on the farm. So in 1997,he returned to the family operation to begin farming fulltime.

Renelt believes one of the most important issues famingtoday’s corn producer is trying to protect and grow themarket for corn that groups such as the SDCGA have helpedto build.

Renelt and his wife, Cheryl, have three children: Ethan, 9,Gabrielle, 8, and Reece, 5. In his spare time, he enjoysspending time with his family such as playing ball with hischildren, and taking them fishing and hunting.

Jim Burg - District 11Jim Burg, of Wessington Springs, S.D., has worked in nearlyall facets of agriculture, from production to policy to value-added development. With 40 years of farming under hisbelt, Burg brought to the South Dakota Corn GrowersAssociation when he joined the board of directors inJanuary of 2008, a wealth of knowledge which he currentlyemploys on his diversified farm consisting of corn, wheat,alfalfa, soybeans, hay, stock cows and finished fat cattle.

Burg started farming with his dad in 1967 after working forthe Federal Land Bank for three years. In 1969, he graduat-ed from South Dakota State University with a Bachelor ofScience degree in Animal Science.

Burg has had the opportunity to serve the state of SouthDakota as a state legislator from 1975 through 1986; and hewas elected to the state Public Utilities Commissioner postwhich he held from 1986 through 2003.

Now back on the family operation which he farms whichhis brother and two sons, Burg says he chose the farmingprofession because he enjoyed farming with his dad andgrandpa for as long as he can remember. He also hasenjoyed involvement in his community and state and hispassion for renewable energy, particularly wind develop-ment, is evident in his other leadership activities whichinclude: Powering the Plains (a five-state renewable energyassociation), National Wind Coordinating Council, and theSDSU anaerobic digester feasibility committee. Burg is alsoon the Farmers Union Foundation Board.

Burg believes the top issues in the industry are how to takeadvantage of the prosperity we have in South Dakota suchas, what should our future investments be? He also seesmanaging the increasingly costly inputs such as fertilizer,seed and fuel, as a key concern.

Burg and his wife, Bernice, have 5 grown children includ-ing three sons and two daughters. In his spare time, Burgenjoys hiking and discussing current events and politics.

NEW SDCGA BOARD MEMBERS

ETHANOLPERFORMS

ABERDEEN

HURON

CORPORATEPARTNER

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The South Dakota Corn Growers Association(SDCGA) presented Kevin Schieffer CEO

of the DM&E Railroad, with the MostValuable Player in Agriculture Award forthe tremendous impacts he has made inthe industry over the past two decades.

The MVP in Agriculture Award recog-nizes an individual or organization, which

has helped achieve common goals and cre-ate milestones and advancement in the agri-

cultural industry.

The access to safe affordable transportation is what makes theUnited States agriculture competitive on a world market andthanks to Kevin Schieffer, South Dakota corn producers havecompetition to move their product on two Class I Railroads inSouth Dakota.

In the first year of operation, 130 DM&E employees operatedon less than 1,000 miles of track and loaded 40,000 carloads.Under Schieffer’s leadership and with the hard work of theemployees, the DM&E grew to the largest Class II railroad in thenation, with over 1,000 employees and 2,500 miles of track ineight states, loading over 280,000 carloads of freight.

With rail as the only viable source of transporting ethanol fromthe new production plants rising up in the Midwestern prairie,DM&E embraced the opportunity and has increased the vol-umes of ethanol transported. Just as the ethanol industry hasgrown, so too has DM&E’s business in hauling ethanol. In 2000,DM&E transported 4.5 million gallons of ethanol in 150 car-loads. In 2007, the company hauled more than 500 million gal-lons in almost 17,000 carloads.

On September 5, 2007, 21 years after DM&E’s first train rolleddown the tracks, Schieffer announced the next move forDM&E. It merged with the Canadian Pacific Railway. This movegives South Dakota and our agricultural industry greater accessto the Northeast and Pacific Northwest and the grand daddy ofit all - competition.

The SDCGA applauds Schieffer for having the tenacity and com-mitment to have given agriculture and the entire State of SouthDakota unlimited opportunities. His vision of what the DM&Ecould and has become is what will move over a billion gallonsof ethanol and millions of bushels of crops. Shieffer’s actionshave given the next generation of agriculture tremendousopportunity.

Reid Jensen of Burbank, SD, has served on theSouth Dakota Corn Growers Association

board since 2000 and is the currentPresident of the SDCGA.

Reid is a tireless advocate for the agri-cultural industry and the impacts he hasmade will have long lasting effects onfuture generations of agriculture.

Just one of Reid’s many accomplishmentsas president is he was instrumental in champi-

oning a new Class I railroad in South Dakota. Asthe president of the Growth Opportunities to Rail AccessCoalition in South Dakota, Reid was the mouthpiece for theindustry in supporting the DM&E Railroad’s expansion project.Reid testified for numerous judicial and federal hearings in sup-port of the project, and his comments contributed to favorabledecisions on the expansion.

Reid is also a board director on the South Dakota CornUtilization Council which demonstrates his encompassing pas-sion and knowledge for the corn industry. As an SDCUC liaison,Reid has held leadership roles in the U.S. Grains Council, work-ing to open international markets for U.S. and South Dakota dis-tillers grains.

Reid’s leadership in the ethanol industry has created new oppor-tunities for South Dakotans. He has been a board member onthe Poet of Hudson ethanol plant as well as worked with GlacialLakes Energy as they explored opportunities in the Meckling,S.D. region.

Reid and his wife, Marilyn, have four sons, Troy, Trent, Tony andTaylor.

IN AGRIGULTUREMOST VALUABLE PLAYER

AWARDRETIRING PRESIDENT’S

SDCGA ResolutionsThe South Dakota Corn Growers

Association discussed and took actionon 31 resolutions during the policy por-tion of their Annual Meeting on Jan. 6,

2008. Topics ranged from livestock, envi-ronmental issues, biotechnology and

farm policy. To view the outcome of theproposed resolutions, find the full listing

online at www.sdcorn.org.

SDCGA awards industry leaders at Annual Meeting

15

The SDCGA chose to honor both a print and broadcast jour-nalist with an Excellence in Public Outreach Award, which waspresented during the SDCGA’s 22nd Annual Meeting held Jan. 5.

The Excellence in Public Outreach Award is given to journalistswho go the extra mile in representing the industry to the gen-eral public with fairness, accuracy and diligence.

Dirk Lammers with the South Dakota Associated Pressreceived the print media accolades for his news writing author-ity particularly about topics pertaining to the ethanol industry.As the “in-house” expert on ethanol, Lammers has providednews outlets locally and beyond with key information about theSouth Dakota agricultural and ethanol industry.

When the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council launched its“Kernels of Truth” campaign in the fall of 2007, Lammers rec-ognized the newsworthiness of the pressing food and fueldebate coming out of South Dakota and his coverage of thecampaign was picked up by national media.

Tom Riter of WNAX radio received the Excellencein Public Outreach – broadcast for his dedica-

tion to the agricultural industry. Riter isknown to go the extra mile in makingsure every angle of a story is exhausted.The SDCGA and SDCUC board leader-ship is as comfortable talking to thisseasoned broadcaster as they are agood friend over coffee.

The ag industry has come to rely on Riter’ssteady reporting and solid ag journalism over

the years. A graduate of Northern Iowa Universityand Brown Institute, this recognized radio voice has reportedon farm news and markets in Aberdeen and Mitchell in SouthDakota and in Greeley, Colorado, before joining the biggest agradio station in the state, WNAX.

The South Dakota Corn Growers Association(SDCGA) named Ethan, S.D. farmer Lewis

Bainbridge for their Excellence inAgriculture Award. The award honors anoutstanding leader in agriculture whoexemplifies excellence in agriculture bytheir significant contributions to theindustry as a whole.

Bainbridge exemplifies everything that’sgood about agriculture. As a charter mem-

ber of the SDCGA, Bainbridge has been at theforefront of change and agricultural development and

has held countless leadership positions in the industry. He wasalso active on the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council boardfor eight years.

The list the organizations and leadership positions Bainbridgehas been involved in and made impacts on is extensive; it isappropriate to say this leader has helped forge the direction ofour state’s agricultural industry and South Dakotans have allbenefited from his enthusiasm for creating opportunities for ourstate and industry.

He has worked to promote ethanol as a way to add value to

The SDCGA awarded District 14 State SenatorDave Knudson of Sioux Falls with a

Legislative Appreciation Award. Each yearthe SDCGA Legislative Award is given toa visionary legislator who is passionateabout leading our state to the nextlevel. And this year’s recipient is certain-ly on the fast track for success in doing

so. Knudson is dedicated to improvingSouth Dakota and believes the agricultural

industry is vital to the state and country.

Born and raised in Yankton, S.D., the corner post of Knudson’saccomplishments and activities has been the state’s education-al excellence.

Knudson is an ally and proponent for value-added agricultureand believes that ethanol has helped both the agricultural andindustrial sectors of our economy and that reducing ourdependence on foreign oil is critically important.

APPRECIATION AWARDLEGISLATIVE

AGRICULTURE AWARDEXCELLENCE IN

PUBLIC OUTREACHAWARD

EXCELLENCE IN

South Dakota’s corn and decrease our nation’s dependence onforeign oil. He is also involved in the production of biodiesel asanother way to add value to South Dakota’s crops. In the process, Bainbridge has instilled a passion for the indus-try in a next generation of producers. He and his family operatea diversified crop and livestock operation which include corn,soybeans, wheat, milo, sunflowers, alfalfa and peas.

Bainbridge and his wife, Charlene, have three children, Heidi,Matthew and Neal and farm near Ethan, S.D.

SDCGA awards industry leaders at Annual Meeting

16

The South Dakota Corn Growers Association is proud to pres-ent Growing Forward 2008 - Part II, in partnership with theRisk Management Agency. This special outlook on crop market-ing and how weather patterns impact farming operations willposition producers with growth strategies for 2008.

Steven D. Johnson, Ph.D.,Farm & Ag BusinessManagement Field Specialist,Iowa State Universityis a highly-valued speaker for hisinsight related to grain marketing,government farm programs, cropinsurance and other risk managementstrategies.

TOPICS:• Understanding 2008 Crop

Price Outlook• Utilizing Crop Revenue

Insurance Tools• Developing a Crop Marketing Plan• Managing Crop Revenue Risks

TOPICS:• Climate Change with Farmers on the

Leading Edge• Can we Farm, Fuel and Food too?• La Nina, 19-Year Cycle, SE Dryness;

is the “Perfect Drought” setting up?• How do I get weather information?• Weather Risk and How to Manage it

Elwyn Taylor, Ph.D.,Agriculture Meterologist,Iowa State University is wellknown for his analysis of weatherinfluence on the Midwest and thecomplexities of long-term weathervariability. His explanations ofweather events and how theyimpact our economy are insightfuland often humorous.

Sponsored By:

TIMES AND LOCATIONS:Feb 18 9:00 am Sioux Falls

Ramkota Hotel

Feb 18 2:30 pm WatertownEvent Center

Feb 19 1:00 pm AberdeenRamkota Hotel

Feb 20 1:00 pm HuronCrossroads Hotel

Feb 21 1:00 pm YanktonMinerva's Conv. Center

Pre-registration required.Call SDCGA at 605-334-0100.

Estimated program length is 3 1/2 hours.

Straight talkfrom the CapitolGreetings from your State Capitol -

I’m Matt McCaulley and I will tobe representing South Dakota cornproducers in Pierre as a lobbyist forthe SDCGA. To give you a little bit ofback ground about myself, I’m alawyer with Murphy, Goldammer &Prendergast, L.L.P., and I served in theSouth Dakota Legislature from 2001-2004. I enjoy my work as a lobbyistand the diverse group of organizationsthat I get to work with. It’s trulyrewarding to play key role in shaping

the future of South Dakota. My wifeHeather and I reside in Sioux Falls andwe have one child, 3 year oldAlexandra.

This short Session is off to a quickstart, with a total of 524 bills intro-duced in the Legislature. The tradition-al budget and education issues will bewith us this Session, as well as an ongo-ing property tax debate. Here are theissues we are paying particular atten-tion to:

1. Property Taxes. The Governorhas repeatedly stated his desire tochange (fix) the way that agriculturalreal estate is assessed in South Dakota.Under the present system, there wereonly 200 useable agricultural sales in2007 for assessment purposes (out of atotal of over 2,000). The Legislatureand the Governor believe that some-thing has to be done, and that this isthe year to do it. Whatever the change,there will be winners and losers -- andwe are working hard to ensure that the

By Matt McCaulleySDCGA State Lobbyist

17

tax system remains stable, fair, and fur-thers an economic environment thatallows for continued profitable cornproduction.

2. Renewable Energy. We are active-ly supporting efforts to expand themarkets for renewable energy includingEthanol, Biodiesel and Wind. We striveto maintain our existing markets, andoppose efforts that would restrict cur-

rent or future markets for our home-grown crops.

3. Other Important issues. We aremonitoring eminent domain progressfor important transportation infrastruc-ture in the state. In addition, we areworking to protect corn producersregarding the regulation of grain deal-ers’ licenses.

These are a few of the broad topics thatthe SDCGA is monitoring.

Following is a more detailed list of billsthat will impact agriculture this ses-sion. We look forward to working witheach of our members and the SouthDakota Legislature to increase the prof-itability of corn production throughdeveloping and maintaining new andexisting markets for corn and cornproducts.

S.D. Bills to WatchHouse Bill 1005 – Passed House Floormoving to Senate State AffairsAn act to revise certain provisions concern-ing the assessment of real property, toassess agricultural land based on its agricul-tural income value, to create an implemen-tation and oversight advisory task force, torepeal certain provisions regarding theassessment of property, and to repeal thenonagricultural acreage classification.

House Bill 1079 – House ofRepresentatives Deferred to Monday,February 4An act to revise the tax credit for certainrenewable resource energy systems.

House Bill 1181 – Passed House Floor -moving to Senate TaxationAn act to revise certain provisions concern-ing information related to the assessmentof property that is to be provided by thedirector of equalization.

House Bill 1184 – Referred to HouseState AffairsAn act to create a renewable energy prop-erty tax incentive program.

House Bill 1215 – Taxation Deferred tothe 36th legislative dayAn act to revise the criteria required forland to be classified as agricultural land.

House Bill 1247 – State Affairs Do PassAmended Passed moving to HouseFloorAn act to prohibit certain contract restric-tions on the sale of renewable motor fuelsby retailers.

House Bill 1252 – Killed in State Affairs– being “smoked out” and recalledfrom committee for a possible debateon the House floor (Joint Rule 7-7)An act to revise certain procedures regard-ing real property assessment and taxation,to revise certain criteria for property toqualify for the nonagricultural acreage clas-sification, to repeal the alternative assess-ment procedure for agricultural land basedon agricultural income value, and to repealcertain provisions regarding the assessmentof property.

House Bill 1272 – Referred to HouseState AffairsAn act to establish a state renewable ener-gy standard.

House Bill 1285 – HousedTransportation TabledAn act to establish an incentive grant pro-gram for the installation of ethanol blenderpumps and to make an appropriation there-for.

House Bill 1307 – House TaxationDeferred to the 20th Legislative DayAn act to create additional classifications ofreal property, to revise certain provisionsconcerning the taxation of such property,and to repeal the nonagricultural acreageclassification.

House Bill 1320 – Referred to HouseState AffairsAn act to provide tax incentives for certainwind energy facilities and energy transmis-sion equipment.

Senate Bill 44 – Passed Senate and mov-ing to House Agriculture and NaturalResources An act to revise certain provisions regardingthe licensing and regulation of grain dealersand buyers.

Senate Bill 46 – Passed Senate and mov-ing to House Government Operationsand AuditAn act to increase certain license fees for

grain buyers and grain warehouses.

Senate Bill 92 – Passed Senate andReferred to House State AffairsAn act to revise certain provisions concern-ing the classification and taxation of realproperty.

Senate Bill 110 – Taxation Deferred tothe 36th legislative dayAn act to provide increased funding for themaintenance of state highways and roadsby eliminating the tax differential betweenethanol blends and motor fuel through anincrease in the fuel excise tax rate onethanol blends.

Senate Bill 115 – Referred to SenateTaxationAn act to increase the amount of fundingfor conservation and value-added agricul-ture purposes from certain unclaimedmotor fuel tax refunds.

Senate Bill 116 – Referred to SenateTaxation (Similar to HB1005)An act to revise certain provisions con-cerning the assessment of real property,to assess agricultural land based on itsagricultural income value, to create animplementation and oversight advisorytask force, to repeal certain provisionsregarding the assessment of property,and to repeal the nonagricultural acreageclassification.

Senate Bill 117 – Referred to SenateTaxation (Similar to HB1006)An act to revise certain tax levy limitationsand property tax levies for school districts.

Senate Bill 118 – Deferred to the 36thLegislative DayAn act to establish a wind energy incen-tive payment program and to make anappropriation therefor.

Senate Bill 148 – Passed Senate Floorand Referred to House State AffairsAn act to provide for a tax incentive forfuel blended with biodiesel.

Senate Bill 168 – Deferred to the 36thLegislative DayAn act to provide for the developmentand financing of certain wind energy proj-ects by school districts.

Senate Bill 174 – Referred to SenateTransportationAn act to revise certain provisions relatingto the exercise of eminent domain by rail-roads.

Senate Bill 184 – Deferred to the 36thlegislative dayAn act to establish an incentive grant pro-gram for the installation of ethanolblender pumps and to make an appro-priation therefor.

18

SDCGA-RMA educationalprograms draw

over 1850 producers

Risk management strategies, marketing outlooks,carbon markets, farm family relationships and

planter calibration clinics have been among theeducational offerings the South Dakota CornGrowers Association, in conjunction with the USDARisk Management Agency, have been delivering toproducers over the past few months. In all, nearly1850 producers were impacted by these incrediblelearning opportunities.

GROWING FORWARD 2008 – PART ISDCGA, RMA and Farm Credit

Services of AmericaNov. 26-29, 2007

The SDCGA teamed up with Farm Credit Services ofAmerica and the RMA to bring a special outlook oncrop prices, production, storage and marketing tofive South Dakota locations in four days. Featuredspeaker, Steve D. Johnson, Farm & Ag BusinessManagement Field Specialist with Iowa StateUniversity offered risk management tips to over 760producers during the week event. Growing Forward2008 – Part II will bring all new information to pro-ducers coming up on Feb. 18-21. See page 17 fordetails about this upcoming event!

ANNUAL MEETING SEMINARSSDCGA & RMA

Jan. 5, 2008

Mark Pearson of Market to Market kicked offthe SDCGA Annual Meeting seminars by get-ting the packed room laughing as he gave anindustry market overview.

19

Next up was Laura Sands with the Clark Group, abipartisan Washington, D.C.-based consulting firmthat specializes in environmental and public policy.Sands opened producers minds to the emergingopportunities in carbon markets. She detailedmovements in Congress to developing dramaticnew legislation that could create one of the fivelargest commodities for U.S. agriculture and encour-aged producers to consider how agriculture canimprove its chances to capture billions of dollarsfrom this new revenue stream in carbon markets.

Elaine Froese, farm family coach, was featured in theafternoon with her program, “Discussing theUndiscussable.” She lead producers through the pit-falls farm families often fall into in their businessesand gave them key strategies to keep their familiesand their operations communicating and healthy.Nearly 400 producers attended the day time semi-nars and took advantage of the valuable informationoffered.

PLANTER CALIBRATION CLINICSSDCGA & RMA

Jan. 14-18

For the second consecutive year, producers packedthe room for Planter Calibration Clinics throughoutthe state. These hands-on clinics presented byKevin Kimberly provided attendees practical tipsand tricks to get their planters to perform at thehighest level to achieve optimum yields. Theseclinics had an overwhelming response withmore than 700 producers in attendance overfive days.

We look forwardto seeing you at

next year’s events!

South DakotaCorn Growers Association5109 S. Crossing Place,Ste. 1, Sioux Falls, SD 57108605-334-0100 • Fax 605-334-0505

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 1209Sioux Falls, SD