SDARL Heritage

Agriculture needs leaders! Recognizing the need to develop leaders to serve South Dakota agriculture and our rural communities, a forward-thinking group of farmers, ranchers, educators, and agri-business leaders formed a non-profit corporation in December of 1998 – the South Dakota Agricultural and Rural Leadership Foundation (SDARL). The first class of the SDARL leadership program began meeting in 2000 and graduated in 2002.

A sizeable graduate association was merged with the main SDARL Foundation in 2016 for the purpose of enhancing and growing our mission. This unification of resources has created a leadership development organization of 300 graduates and current class members that provides lifelong leadership development opportunities.

Today more than ever, farming and ranching in South Dakota are affected by changing consumer preferences, environmental regulations, national agricultural, trade, and monetary policies, rural issues, and international markets. The SDARL leadership program builds the skills, knowledge, and character of agricultural and rural leaders to meet these challenges. Our program graduates are having a positive and profound impact on their communities and on the success of a thriving agricultural community.

The flagship 18-month leadership program is a unique forum designed to provide leadership training to residents from farming, ranching, agri-industry, community development, and agricultural organizations. Additionally, educational programming for our graduates is provided to further build the leadership capacity in South Dakota.