Edge, Agropur, and Valley Queen National Study Seminar
Day 1
It was early morning on Saturday, April 6, 2024, when Class XII kicked off the Edge, Agropur, and Valley Queen National Study Seminar. A majority of the class began their travel journey to Washington, DC, from Sioux Falls Airport. Two other groups traveled from Aberdeen and Rapid City airports. Class members used the opportunity during travel time to catch up with one another, form unforgettable relationships and memories, and also catch up on sleep.
After arriving at Washington Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), the Sioux Falls group enjoyed one of the perks of having a 5:40am departure flight and arriving early by visiting Arlington National Cemetery. Class members had the chance to pay our respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers and witness the changing of the guard ceremony, as well as visit the tombs of President John F. Kennedy and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This was a poignant reminder that freedom isn’t free and to be grateful to live in America.
Once all the groups arrived at the airport, the class regrouped as a whole and commenced their journey to Gettysburg, PA. After arriving at the hotel and getting settled, the class seized the opportunity to spend some time exploring the town of Gettysburg, PA. Later in the evening, Class XII enjoyed an exquisite meal in the oldest building in Gettysburg, the historic 1776 Dobbin House Tavern. Meanwhile, one adventurous class member, Melisa Goss, organized a group to partake in a Ghost Tour, delving into the Civil War history and spooky tales of the town.
Day 2
Class XII commenced the second day by welcoming Gettysburg historian Terry Fox. Terry is a strong passionate and knowledgeable certified tour guide of the Gettysburg Civil War battle. The class engaged in a leadership seminar to explore the lessons learned from this confrontation. Many historians and colleges consider this battle to be a significant leadership lab where the principles applied in July 1863 are still relevant and taught in leadership today.
After an interesting conversation, the class visited the Gettysburg National Military Park, Museum and Visitors Center, where we watched the documentary "A New Birth of Freedom," digging deeper into the causes of the Civil War and its historical context. In addition to the film, there was a rapid presentation on the 377-foot-long Battle of Gettysburg cyclorama painting, the largest oil painting in the world. Class XII had the opportunity to explore the museum before lunch.
Following the visitor center, class members continued to learn meaningful lessons from Terry Fox by visiting the significant sites where the Battle of Gettysburg unfolded over three days. At each site, Class XII learned about the strategic plans, the leadership decisions made, and the technical knowledge of each army throughout the battle. Class members were impressed by the multitude of commemoration markers along the roads, serving as a poignant reminder that as leaders, the decisions we make can have profound consequences.
With hearts full and having gained historical leadership insights, Class XII departed from Gettysburg, PA, and returned to Washington DC, where the class exchanged their impressions and feelings about the day.
Day 3
Class XII was very excited to start their first day in DC. We eagerly took the Metro to American Farm Bureau Federation. We were welcomed to DC and AFBF by Bernt Nelson who gave insight to the class about the history and goals of Farm Bureau. The second speaker was Mike Sistak. Sistak gave the class a presentation on how to advocate for their own interests and the interests of South Dakota. After Sistak, we heard from Johnna Miller who helped the class learn how to navigate through tough topics. Miller challenged the class to think about “When was the last time YOU changed your mind?” and showed how to gain the trust of an individual to help change someone’s view on agriculture. After the morning speakers, Class XII got to tour the Farm Bureau offices that were decorated with different agricultural sectors in mind such as barn wood, pictures of each state, a silo, and glass panels decorated with wheat images. We were able to go on the roof and take in the DC skyline.
Class XII had a busy afternoon listening to government relations briefings at the American Bankers Association offices. We heard from Ed Elfmann at ABA, Jake Westlin and Jack Long of National Association of Wheat Growers, Chase Adams (SDARL Class VI) with National Pork Producers Council, Christy Seyfert of the American Soybean Association, Chris Galen of the National Milk Producers Federation, Ethan Lane of National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and Wayne Stoskopf, National Corn Growers Association. Each of these individuals spoke to the class about the goals of their association and the hot-button issues they are currently navigating. The overarching theme of all these conversations was the importance of the Farm Bill. They are all focusing on trade, transportation, and a safety net for producers. During the afternoon session, the class was able to go to the roof and watch the solar eclipse with many others working in the ABA building.
After an exciting day of meeting and learning from our great speakers, the class went on a night tour of the monuments. We visited the monuments and memorials for Abraham Lincoln, the Vietnam War, World War II, Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Korean War, and George Washington, with a stop outside the White House. Class XII had a wonderful day learning new leadership skills, important policies affecting the agricultural world, and being reminded how important it is to talk and build a relationship with our representatives.
Day 4
Class XII started the day off with small groups of 3 to 4 and went to learning discussion appointments. Here the class members were able to better understand the beliefs, tactics, and goals of different advocacy groups around the country. Some of these meetings were with groups such as PETA, Animal Welfare Institute, Friends of the Earth, and many more. The class was able to use their training from the day before with Johnna Miller to navigate these discussions with others who don’t have similar views on agriculture.
After the class finished their small group meetings, we headed over to Senator Mike Rounds’s office. Class XII learned some of the policy that Senator Rounds is working on and had some time to ask him questions. The questions asked were about the Ellsworth expansion, and what could be done on the national level to help improve EMS services in South Dakota. The class then headed over to the US Capitol where we met with Senator John Thune and Representative Dusty Johnson. While talking with Senator Thune the class learned about the policy he is working on but primarily his thoughts on the Farm Bill. Representative Johnson was the last meeting of the day. He spoke to the class about his take on the Farm Bill, which was a little more optimistic than others the class had spoken to. Class XII was able to ask questions about H2A visas and if there will be a change in those to better suit operations such as dairy, pork and beef cattle that are year-round not just seasonal. Another question was “What keeps you up at night?” which he joked about then gave a detailed answer about showing up for the job.
After our discussions with South Dakota’s national delegation a few takeaways the class had were to stay connected with them and help advocate for the state and yourself and share your story. Senator Mike Rounds told the class, “You do a better job sharing your story than someone else does.” If you aren’t showing up to share your story and the story of agriculture someone else is, and that might not be in the same light that we would.
The last thing the class did on day four was a night tour of the Capitol with Representative Johnson. This was a highlight of the day for the class. Representative Johnson shared a wealth of knowledge about the building and different events that happened there over the years. The class was able to see a few special places in the Capitol not all tours are able to. We were able to go out on the Speaker’s Balcony, go down and see the crypt where President Washington was originally intended to be buried, and onto the House Floor.
Days 5-6
On the 5th day of our seminar the SDARL class met with USDA. Julio Maldonado from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) gave us an update on all the things that they are working on across 100 offices spanning over 180 countries. They are the eyes and ears in these countries that we rely on for the valuable information such as potential diseases and crop production information across the world. The class also heard from Chase McGrath, a South Dakotan working on behalf of the FAS in Argentina. Later Class XII met with fellow South Dakotans, Administrator Zach Ducheneaux of the Farm Service Agency and Administrator Marcia Bunger of the Risk Management Agency, where we discussed some agricultural issues at the national level. After the updates from FSA and RMA we had an open discussion about some issues that we’re facing in our local offices with support staff short and multiple Farm Bill questions.
After lunch Class XII had the opportunity to tour the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum. It was a very sobering experience that we will all never forget. One of the quotes that was on the wall that a lot of the class members talked about was, “There were not 6 million Jews murdered; there was one murder 6 million times,” from Holocaust Survivor Abel Herzberg.
In the evening we had dinner with Gráinne Roughan, Agriculture and Food Counsellor, Embassy of Ireland, and Christine McKee, Agricultural Counsellor, Embassy of Canada. Both highlighted the importance of trade between the United States and their countries. Michael Crinion (SDARL Class IV), a dairy producer from Brookings, SD, and Zach Ducheneaux and staff from FSA, joined us as well.
On the final day of the seminar the SDARL class gathered in the morning to have breakfast together before departing our separate ways. Lane LeBrun did his STL public speaking, where he talked about the benefits of a carnivore diet. Frank Kralicek also did his STL public speaking duties, where he highlighted the benefits of bison meat in a diet. We discussed everything that we did over the past five days together; the overwhelming themes of the Washington seminar were the importance of the Farm Bill and the need to come together as a country and learn how to compromise again so that we can solve many issues coming ahead. Also as a class we looked forward to the upcoming Custer seminar at the end of June.
Special thanks to the Class XII leaders at the Edge, Agropur, and Valley Queen National Study Seminar:
Seminar Team Leaders: Luke Henrich, Jenna Ripp, Elliot Kinnander, Mariah Kessler, Frank Kralicek Jr., and Lane LeBrun
Reporters: Nick Passone, Hailey Bies, and Johnathon Noonan
Photographers: Tina Erickson, Rhett Miller, and Willie Hinker