Leaders from six South Dakota agriculture groups came together in Pierre June 2, 2021 to unite behind solutions to help South Dakota’s cattle industry.
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Agriculture may be South Dakota’s number one industry, but the state’s farmers and ranchers need second jobs to pay the bills. And they are not alone. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nationwide, 90 percent of farmers and ranchers do not earn a majority of their income from the farm or ranch. SDPB’s Lura Roti has this story.
If you want to understand why so many of South Dakota’s farmers and ranchers need a second income, just ask them.
“The cattle market is not good enough to put groceries on the table,” Shane Fastnacht says.