Governor Noem is a life-long farmer and rancher, and her Lieutenant Governor Larry Rhoden is a life-long rancher, as well.

Agriculture is the foundation of South Dakota's economy and our number one industry, by a significant margin. All in all, it contributes about $32.1 billion to the economy, accounting for almost 30% of South Dakota’s total economic output. So when ag prospers, South Dakota prospers; when droughts hit or markets slide, everyone feels that, too.

As a lifelong farmer and rancher, Governor Noem knows the challenges that come with the business. She knows that it’s a special job to feed the world. She also realizes the importance of securing our food supply -- our food security is really a matter of national security.

Governor Noem has championed our state’s largest industry by:

• Creating a $5 million grant program for meat processors to invest in new facilities and equipment. This will increase our capacity to process and store South Dakota meat products and reduce our dependency on “mega-packers,” many of whom are owned by foreign entities.
• Finalizing a Cooperative Interstate Shipment agreement with the USDA to allow
  producers to ship meat and poultry products across state lines
• Streamlining state government to make it more responsive to farmers’ needs with the
  new Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources
• Transferring ag development services to the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, ensuring that there is a future-focused team looking at enhancing ag businesses across South Dakota.
• Investing in and expanding our State Fair, including the new Dakota Events CompleX (DEX), which will make South Dakota a top destination for ag-related events.
• Advocating for ethanol by pushing the federal government to temporarily allow the sale of E15 (15% ethanol blends) year-round.
• Streamlining and simplifying the local approval process for major ag projects.

Governor Noem is committed to developing the state’s agricultural economy and passing the opportunity to thrive as farmers and ranchers in South Dakota onto our kids and grandkids. She will continue to take on the issue of food security, in particular, to ensure that our food supply remains homegrown, affordable, and diversified.

Governor Noem will continue to fight back against regulatory overreach by the Biden Administration that makes it harder for farmers to do their jobs. She will leverage her federal experience in this effort, as well as her relationships with agriculture producers, as well as officials in the Administration and Congress.