SD Corn

During the week of March 14 – 20^th, we are celebrating National Ag Week by thanking farmers for all that they do, but let’s not forget what they provide us with the other 51 weeks each year.  National Ag Week is to recognize that farmer who does his or her very best when providing for their animals and land they live off of.

South Dakota is dominated by agriculture and which is something we should all appreciate. Our farmers raise some of the best beef, pork and poultry in the world. Not to mention record corn and soybean crops in tough conditions.

What do you have to be thankful for?

How about the dairy men and women that milk their cows every morning and night

How about the farmers checking on their calves at 3 a.m. in the freezing cold

How about those grain farmers producing record crops that provide food, feed, fuel and fiber

So the next time your grilling a steak or eating that sweet corn, take a second to think about that farmer that has devoted his life to raising the animals and grains that helped produce not only the best tasting, but some of the safest and most inexpensive food in the world.

Another commodity being produced by our farmers is of course, ethanol. Ethanol truly is a homegrown fuel, starting with a seed and eventually being put in your gas tank while never leaving the state. Our farmers and ethanol producers are providing South Dakota with a clean-burning fuel alternative that is not only benefitting our environment, but also our economy by keeping those dollars in our state.

We do have a great amount to be thankful for, so if you come across a farmer not only during the next week, but any time of year say those two kind words…”Thank You.”

Below are some links to videos of events taking place during National Ag Week in South Dakota.

Thank A Farmer

Ag in the Classroom

Darrin Ihnen was born and raised on a family farm in rural Hurley, South Dakota. Agriculture is just something that has always been important in Darrin’s life.

“Darrin showed interest in farming when he was in FFA in school. He had livestock out here He had hogs and did some farrowing and he did other projects and was quite active in FFA, so that’s when I knew he wanted to be a farmer,” said Roger Ihnen, Darrin’s father.

Today, Darrin farms corn, soybeans and wheat with his father. They also have a hog finishing and a cow/calf operation. Darrin attended South Dakota State University, studying Ag Business, and he and his wife, Becky, have four children: Kelsey, Kayla, Kilee and Jacob.

Darrin’s leadership in agriculture includes being active on the South Dakota Corn Council board. Ihnen is a past president of the SDCGA and also served as Vice-President of the NCGA before his current role as President.  He is also a board member of POET Biorefining in Chancellor, S.D. Ihnen played a key role in the birth and growth of the locally owned ethanol plant.

“Darrin actually brought the producers over and they started their own group making possible the 100 million gallon, farmer-owned ethanol plant,” said Lisa Richardson, Executive Director of SDCGA. “I have watched Darrin develop into a leader who people follow…he’s a gentle giant in our industry,”

Darrin’s leadership in agriculture has been widely noted on the local, state and national level.

“Darrin’s been a great representative for South Dakota agriculture generally, but also for South Dakota Corn Growers and now, of course, for national corn growers,” said United States Senator, John Thune.

The National Corn Growers Association is the largest trade group representing corn growers in the United States. The group has more than 35,000 national members while representing 300,000 corn farmers who are members of state organizations. NCGA and its 48 affiliated state associations and check off organizations work together to create and increase opportunities for their members and their industry.

NCGA CEO, Rick Tollman, said, “We’ve had a long history of outstanding leaders in the National Corn Growers. I am impressed again that the right person seems to come to the forefront at the right time. And Darrin is among the best of those.”

Imagine pulling up to your grain bin full of corn with either your semi-trailer or gravity box and loading without having to even leave your seat. Not only can you start loading grain from your seat, but you can watch it load and stop it when complete, all from the screen of your smart phone.

How does it work? LoadOut works by having a control box (which includes a camera) mounted to a grain bin. The box is then synced to an application on your smart phone. While the application is open, it stops calls from coming through and will automatically stop the grain flow if left unattended. Both are very critical parts of the software to ensure smooth and safe transferring.

LoadOut Technologies, LLC was developed by a farmer from Indiana whose allergies bothered him enough that he just couldn’t handle all the dust of grain hauling. Besides avoiding the dust, LoadOut helps you reduce the amount of time spent around hazardous equipment, loud noises and lessens your chances of slips or falls, especially in low light conditions.

The number one aspect of the LoadOut Technology is efficiency. The equipment says it will allow you to both save time and require fewer personnel.

Production agriculture technology is changing every day.  Producers continue to advance technology and lead the world in efficiency. 

Check it out for yourself at: http://www.loadouttechnologies.com/

A cold, wet spring followed by a short, mild growing season and a moisture filled, late harvest gave South Dakota farmers plenty of headaches in 2009. No doubt it was tough, but our farmers once again answered the call.

A new South Dakota corn harvest record has been set in 2009 with 719 million bushels after it had been set the year before in 2008 with 585 million bushels. Even with 7% of South Dakota’s Corn remaining unharvested according to the USDA.  Farmers produced 23% more corn on only 7% more acres. The average 2009 yield was 153 bushels per acre, up 20 from a year ago.

“Unbelievable results from an unbelievable year! We knew a tremendous crop was in the fields but no one could have fully predicted what the combined total would reach,” said David Fremark, president of the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council.

Great efforts were made to get as much harvested as possible when the conditions allowed. Some farmers worked 24 to 36 hours straight because the conditions were right and more moisture was on its way.

 “The longevity of harvest (from September through December) was tough on us because even when we weren’t in the combine, we were still thinking about it,” said Keith Alverson, a farmer from Chester, SD.

Something that defines South Dakota farmers is their willingness to help their neighbors.

Walt Bones, a farmer from Chancellor, SD did just that, “We helped a couple of neighbors wrap up their corn and were very fortunate that things didn’t break down because of the small time frame that the weather allowed us.”

Unfavorable conditions made farmers go that extra mile with long hours and assistance from their neighbors, which helped accomplish a record corn crop! What’s not to be proud of?