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Salesman-in-Chief Daugaard Won’t Cut Dairy Promotion

At peril of making my friend Kelsey angrier, an eager reader from my vast dairy audience (you'd be surprised) draws my attention to an April 11 Dairy Star interview with "hardscrabble dairy farm" boy turned Governor Dennis Daugaard. His grandparents came from Denmark in 1911 and started farming a quarter section. His dad turned the farm toward milk production. Daugaard recalls cracking dawn and milking 25 Holsteins every day. His folks' dairy went under in 1971, his senior year in high school.

Now Governor Daugaard throws his full support behind the state's dairy promotion efforts, including the EB-5 visa program, which allows rich Danes and other foreigners to buy their way into America and helps finance giant feedlot dairies that, with this eager state support, drive more small family dairies like the old Daugaard operation out of business.

One would think that a man who grew up watching his own family farm get swamped by big competitors, not to mention a governor who regularly preaches self-reliance, would reject handouts from state government that favor a handful of multi-million-dollar dairies and the "get big or get out" approach to farming. One would think that a governor so cost-conscious would acknowledge that even our purportedly valuable dairy promotion programs need to take their fair share of cuts.

Not so:

Like many other states, South Dakota has recently been grappling with financial shortfalls and budget cuts. Even so, Daugaard remains optimistic about the future of the state's dairy industry.

"We're still looking at the EB-5 visa program, but it's not as easy as it once was," said Daugaard, referring to the federal program that grants green cards to immigrants who invest at least $1 million in a business that will employ at least 10 people.

"There's a lot more competition out there now for EB-5 money. Hopefully, things will get better as the dairy industry recovers."

Despite reductions in the state budget, South Dakota's dairy business promotion efforts will not be reduced.

"You don't cut back on your sales force in tough times," said Daugaard [Jerry Nelson, "From the Dairy Barn to the Governor's Mansion," Dairy Star, 2011.04.11].

You don't cut back on your sales force... but apparently we do cut back on the teaching force, elementary and high school and university teachers who add value to what we're selling. We cut back on scientists who provide services to our farmers and extension specialists who provide their kids with learning opportunities. We demand shared sacrifice from everyone... except for state "salesmen" who prop up one industry with government handouts.

Well, Governor Daugaard did promise to be "South Dakota's Number One Salesman." At least we know the governor's priorities.

6 Comments

  1. Charlie Johnson 2011.04.18

    If GDD was really serious about dairy in SD-----he should looking into promoting small scale, dispersed, mostly forage based organic dairies. Locally alfalfa hay, organic or not brings little or nothing. We have the young producers wanting to get in. We have groups like Dakota Rural Action and Northern Plains Sustainable Ag willing to provide training and information. Our developing organic growers could keep more of their grain and forage sold and utilized here in SD--more value added. Organic dairy would be an industry that requires less in subsidized capital(actually little or none) and more in labor and mgt. It would certainly be more environmental friendly. It would also speak of our values as a family farming state---not a plantation/serf system like the mega dairies.

  2. tom 2011.04.18

    I would refrain from giving DD the Salesman-in-chief label.

    We tell business that we have no regulations, outrageously cheap labor and no taxes. That's not selling, that is giving it away.

    Why don't we have a 2% unemployment rate?

  3. joelie hicks 2011.04.18

    Amen Charlie!
    I recently read someone's blog about happy California cows. One place even has a travelling milk parlor. Perhaps not useful 6 months of the year in the midwest, but as someone who lives near and patronizes a lovely organic dairy, I know how great that sort of dairy is.
    Just rewatched The Future of Food, toying w/the idea of spending $100 to get the viewing rights. 2004 was a little early for it, perhaps now people would get it.

  4. LK 2011.04.18

    "Why don’t we have a 2% unemployment rate?"

    A. We're laying off teachers and professors at an alarming rate
    B. Our roads and bridges are deteriorating before our eyes.
    C. Our legislators spend more time debating abortion and immigration than they do debating the budget.
    D. Global warming means that we have fewer 20 below zero days so we have more riff raff to keep employed.
    E. We have a wonderful 19th Century econmic infrastructure but we live in a 21st Century economy.
    F. All of the above

  5. RGoeman 2011.04.18

    Salesman in Chief? Number One Salesman? I once attended a sales seminar in which the speaker offered to sell his huge diamond ring to one of the audience members with only two words. The audience member disagreed and said he would never buy the ring...Until he heard the two words..."Five Bucks". I learned something valuable about sales that day. If we don't build value in our presentation, the only deciding factor will be price. In other words, if we, as a State, give everything away and don't build lasting value with an educated intelligent, skilled workforce, those who come here for low wages, cheap land, property tax abatements and no income tax will leave for a better price/package someday.

  6. Michael Blacl 2011.04.18

    I only know of one dairy herd in Lake County. Mahers milk cows north of Rutland. I think all of the rest are gone. It was not that long ago that many farmers had Holsteins in every direction from Madison.

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