Issue Position: Fighting for Rural America

Issue Position

South Dakota has always been about the family farm and ranch. Even today, as corporate agriculture continues to expand, 95% of farms and ranches in South Dakota are independent, family-owned operations. As tremendous a job as they do feeding the nation, our farm and ranch communities also play an incredibly important role in the traditions and values they pass down to our next generation of leaders. Hard work, respect for the land, common-sense business principles and a fundamental faith in each other are just some of the values our kids learn in small town South Dakota.

Our state continues to make an impressive footprint on the national agriculture scene. South Dakota is now the 6th largest producer of corn in the country. In 2008, our 12,000 corn farmers harvested 585 million bushels of corn. We lead the country in the production of bio-tech corn. This year, we are scheduled to consume 300 million bushels of corn as we produce a billion gallons of ethanol. Ethanol increases demand for corn, reduces our dependence on foreign oil and adds value to our South Dakota corn producers. We need to continue to educate the public on its benefits.

During the past legislative session I worked to expand renewable energy, including the ethanol blender pump incentive program. I believe it is critical to provide customers access to different blends of ethanol and to provide retailers assistance in making this important transition in our energy strategy. There is a clear difference between me and Denny Daugaard on this issue.

I would like to see our state continue to make smart investments into cost-effective programs like the blender pump program. However, the Daugaard Administration has jeopardized our state's ability to make critical investments in a number of areas because of its reckless spending. During the tenure of the Daugaard Administration, state spending increased 53%. That's unsustainable and it's robbing future generations of real opportunity.

Livestock producers are the backbone of South Dakota agriculture. I have supported a strong brand inspection program for South Dakota and, as your next Governor, I will fight to make sure the program is implemented in an impartial and transparent fashion.

I believe cattle producers deserve price-transparency at the sale barn and the development of fact-based, common-sense standards when it comes to animal care and husbandry.

I will support efforts to continue the development a South Dakota Certified Beef program and I think it is critical to support the strong enforcement of Country of Origin labeling on all South Dakota food products.

All of our state's producers will benefit from a renewed focus on ensuring that the current Packers and Stockyard protections are being rigorously enforced here in South Dakota. Anti-competitive behavior threatens our cattle and grain industries and also our poultry and dairy farmers.

Obviously, there are literally hundreds of issues that are critical to farm and ranch families. Here is a short list of some of the other issues I believe are important to farm and ranch families:

o I will fight for local control of planning and zoning issues. I believe counties and other local government entities are in a better position to make decisions on a number of issues.

o Support and fund the South Dakota State Fair. This should be a showcase event for agriculture like it was for so much of our state's history.

o Require the use of ethanol and other bio-diesel fuels in all state-owned and operated vehicles and equipment.

o Review and add common-sense input to our state's water drainage regulations. We need a policy that is clearly understood and fair to producers.

o Nurture and encourage the continued development of natural resource reserve programs that help maintain quality farming, hunting and fishing lands.

o Review the South Dakota "Brand" issue and with the likely conclusion that it is best to return it to the livestock producers instead of housing it in the Department of Agriculture.

o Recognize and encourage the programs (4-H, FFA, etc.) that continue to teach our young men and women who live on farms and in town the important role that agriculture plays in South Dakota and reverse the Daugaard Administration's cuts to the state 4-H program.

Please stand with me, make your voice heard and help take back South Dakota. Our ability to make smart investments in value-added agriculture, technical education training and other areas important to rural development, have been severely compromised by the Rounds/Daugaard Administration.

Will you help us take back South Dakota? I know we can make state government smaller, smarter, more open and more accountable. I'm asking for your vote to help make it happen.

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