| Finding a way to create value-added agriculture is important to local
economies, but its also important that the local community cooperates
to receive benefits.
At a Tuesday session of the 22nd Biennial Four State Legislative
Conference, Jon Farris, division director of agricultural development for
the South Dakota Department of Agriculture, told businesspeople and
legislators that one problem his state is running into in development of
large feedlots that create value-added ag is resistance from the local
communities.
If we continue handling of the odors generated, it will remove some
of the opposition, he said, adding that he does believe all
environmental regulations are being met. Farris said the second difficulty
producers are facing is access to capital.
Leo Hoehn, owner of Hoehn Farms Inc. and vice-chairman of the Stateline
Bean Producers Board of Directors, said the bean co-op grew out of
frustration watching Colorado dry bean growers be reduced from dominant in
the industry to well down on the list of producers and watching Michigans
navy bean growers production drop by about half.
We feel the Stateline Co-op can not only improve the local market,
but provide stability to the market, Hoehn said.
Matthew Cline, a State Rep. from North Dakota, said a value-added pasta
plant has been a big success there. North Dakota producers are looking to
the states research stations for help, and the state has a plan ready
to go for producing industrial hemp once its cleared for production by
the federal government.
As most of these issues develop, we must stay even, lead or be left
behind, Cline said.
Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns said response in the state has been great
to a value-added initiative to promote ethanol production. A grant program
that was expected to create two new ethanol plants in the state now looks
like five plants will be created.
Weve had good success and my hope is to continue that, Johanns
said. Farris said South Dakota has also been successful with ethanol.
Im not sure how weve been able to do it, but the last ethanol
project that went on a fund drive raised $16 million in 10 days from the
producers, he said.
South Dakota State Rep. Frank Kloucek said producers still have work to
do in utilizing all of the local value-added opportunities. As an example,
he questioned why a South Dakota jerky plant has never used U.S.-produced
beef for its product.
In our communities, we ned to start with our successful small
businesses, ask them if they want to expand and encourage them first,
he said. We need to start with our small businesses, then go for the
big business.
Its better to have 10 businesses that are diversified than to
have one large business doing one thing and have all of your eggs in one
basket.
Once a community has a successful larger business, then it can build
off of it in clusters, Kloucek said.
As more businesses are created to produce more value-added agriculture,
Farris said the next great challenge is finding people.
Weve got a major problem in finding agricultural workers all
across the state, he said.
Farris said too often people dont want to do the difficult work
usually associated with agricultural production, instead preferring to
find easier jobs to do. |