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South Dakota governor issues challenge to Ag Foundation

South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard and some of the state’s agriculture industry leaders say they’ll contribute a combined $1 million if the South Dakota Agriculture Foundation can raise $4 million in the next five years.  The bulk of the money will be used to spread agriculture knowledge, according to Chris Maxwell, executive director of the foundation.

“Where we want to start; the first step of investing in the future,” Maxwell told Brownfield Ag News, “is investing in our youth and investing in ag education.”

POET is among the agri-businesses supporting the challenge with a donation of $250,000.

In addition to the money earmarked for ag education, some, said Maxwell, will be added to an endowment fund.

“We don’t know exactly what we’re going to need to invest in five, ten, twenty, thirty years down the road,” he said, “but we know we need to start building a fund today to have dollars there for that.”

AUDIO: Chris Maxwell (10 min. MP3)