SD Corn Growers receive $99,924 USDA grant

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a $99,924 grant to the South Dakota Corn Growers Association (SDCGA) to provide risk-management and crop insurance education through a series of seminars that focus on advanced information and training.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Risk Management Agency is awarding $7.7 million to associations, schools, agencies and projects in 48 states.

The SDCGA recently partnered with the Farm Credit Services of America to provide risk management presentations in six cities. The association will present several educational seminars during its Jan. 19 annual meeting at the Sioux Falls Convention Center and also will bring in three national specialists for a Feb. 19 seminar at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.

“We are very thankful that we were selected to receive this grant. The money will help our association continue to provide South Dakota farmers with the most comprehensive, up-to-date information and training available,” said Teddi Mueller, the SDCGA’s legislative and industry affairs director. “It’s more important than ever for farmers to keep up with changing agricultural technology and policies.”

Vilsack said it’s the USDA’s responsibility to provide tools to help farmers diversify production and marketing practices.

“For small and beginning farmers, in particular, risk management often means understanding direct marketing, or food safety standards, or designing tools to meet the scale of their operation and the markets that they serve,” Vilsack said. “Overall, these agreements will provide tools and knowledge for underserved, small, and limited-resource producers to succeed.