SDCGA President's Update: Fall 2023

It’s hard to believe harvest is now coming to an end. It’s been a busy couple months at South Dakota Corn Growers Association, and I want to keep everyone up to date on what we’ve been working on. With this year being a farm bill year, keeping busy has been an easy task.

In July, our delegates from South Dakota traveled to Washington D.C. for Corn Congress with NCGA. Our resolution supporting a mandatory base acre update was adopted by a wide margin this year.

In South Dakota, thanks to better genetics, fertilizer use, tillage practices, and increased rainfall throughout the decades, corn is raised in areas where growing corn was not previously sustainable. This type of change updates acres that are eligible to be enrolled in ARC and PLC farm programs. Based on historical information, there may also be a savings associated with this policy that could be used towards other requests in the farm bill such as updating reference price.

One of my favorite activities we have the pleasure of doing while in D.C. is visiting our delegation to have face to face conversations about what growers in South Dakota are up against. This is one of the most rewarding jobs we do as board members. Something I’ve learned while serving on this board is no one can tell our story better than we can. There is a great feeling of accomplishment telling our Senators and Representative the issues our membership face as we operate farms in a volatile market.

I hope everyone had a safe and successful harvest as we reap the rewards of all the hard work that was put into this crop.

Dave Ellens | SDCGA President | District 2