Governor’s Ag Summit coming up

Jun 26, 2015

Event will run from Thursday, July 9th to Friday, July 10th

People representing South Dakota’s agriculture, government, education, finance and business will meet in Deadwood for the 2015 Governor’s Agricultural Summit, taking place Thursday, July 9^th and Friday, July 10^th.

The two-day event will feature speakers and demonstrations, including four South Dakota farmers who will sit on a speaker panel led by Denny Everson. The panelists are:

Joshua Kitzan from JHK Sheep
John and Breezy Millar, representing Millar Angus
Brad and Brittany Nussbaum from Cottonwood Ridge Dairy
Jeff and Jolene Stewart, representing Stewart’s Aronia Acres LLC

The producers will highlight their operations, what makes them unique, and how they handle such challenges as experimental crops, risk diversification, succession planning and more.

Other speaker sessions will include Greg Ibach, Director of the Nebraska State Department of Agriculture and Senator John Thune as they discuss trade opportunities for South Dakota agriculture in the local and global markets.

Discussion

Dr. Steve Meyer and Dr. Bent Gloy will discuss the future of South Dakota agriculture in terms of market pricing and management decisions.

Also during the summit will be the honoring of Dr. Robert Thaler as he receives the 2015 Governor’s Ag Ambassador Award.

Dr. Thaler has been the South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension Swine Specialist for 26 years and played important roles in securing funds for a new SDSU swine research complex. Last year he was named the Pork All American from the South Dakota Pork Producers and has served on the National Pork Board’s Swine Educators Executive Committee.

Want to go to the Governor’s Ag Summit?

Admission is free, but registration is required. For those that can’t make it but still want to take it all in, the event will be livestreamed.

Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.