Mitchell, S.D.– On Wednesday, August 20 and Thursday, August 21, Invest in Our Land, an organization that elevates the voices of farmers across the country to educate Americans about the importance of safeguarding the future of American farms, will hold a series of events during the 2025 Dakotafest taking place in Mitchell, S.D., underscoring the critical role federal agricultural conservation programs play in supporting the success and resilience of producers in South Dakota and across the nation.
On Thursday, August 21, Invest in Our Land will unveil an innovative and immersive art installation at The Corn Palace featuring large-scale portraits of producers who have benefited from federal conservation funding. After making its debut at the two South Dakota-based events, the display “Portraits of Conservation” will travel to exhibit in Washington, D.C. This trip from “The Heartland to the Hill” will culminate in the Fall at an event with lawmakers, where producers and Invest in Our Land will continue the conversation about how conservation practices are imperative to the future of agriculture. In addition to unveiling the art installation, the press conference will feature remarks by Invest in Our Land leadership, local leaders and South Dakotan producers, who will underscore the importance of conservation practices and programs to the success and vitality of agriculture in South Dakota.
On Wednesday, August 20, Invest in Our Land will host a reception celebrating the transformative impact of federal conservation programs that have helped South Dakotan farmers lower costs, strengthen their resilience to extreme weather, boost commodity yields and more. During the event, Invest in Our Land leadership and local farmers will deliver remarks.
Invest in Our Land’s events at this year’s Dakotafest come on the heels of the July 4th passage by Congress of tax and spending legislation, supported by U.S. Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds and U.S. Congressman Dusty Johnson. The legislation included a provision that significantly boosted federal funding long-term for conservation programs for American producers. South Dakota producers will have access to additional funding to help them implement transformational conservation practices that cut costs, increase production, bolster the resiliency of their operation to extreme weather and more. However, significant federal workforce reductions and cuts to conservation technical assistance proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Congress could jeopardize the ability of farmers to access this funding. In addition, conservation funding has been targeted for freezes and cancellations by USDA, putting it in further jeopardy.
The Corn Palace Festival Press Conference
WHEN and WHERE: Thursday, August 21 at 5:00 pm at The Corn Palace, 604 N Main St., Mitchell, SD 57301
Dakotafest Reception
WHEN and WHERE: Wednesday, August 20 at 1:45 pm at Dakotafest, booth #710, 2300 E Spruce St., Mitchell, SD 57301
Crystal Neuharth, who participated in Invest in Our Land’s 2024 campaign, is one of the South Dakota producers who has shared how these funds have benefited her operation and is also a top-five finalist for Dakotafest’s Woman Farmer/Rancher of the Year Award. She will be at Dakotafest August 21 for the ceremony and will share more about the positive impact these conversation funds will have on agriculture.
“I am honored to have been nominated for Dakotafest’s Woman Farmer/Rancher of the Year Award among such impressive nominees and I’m excited to be part of this effort and see the massive photo display of the faces of our amazing South Dakota agriculture producers,” said Neuharth. “The Invest in Our Land organization has done a great job promoting the importance of protecting our conservation funding, and the USDA programs have been so beneficial in getting producers like us the assistance we need to commit to applying sustainable practices that will help the environment and the producers together. South Dakota has some amazing organizations striving to help provide knowledge and tools to our producers to help them be successful.”
The organization invites the public to participate in The Inside Out Photobooth Truck by having their portrait taken to celebrate agriculture conservation in a larger-than-life activation at Dakotafest (August 19-21) and The Corn Palace Festival (August 20-24) in Mitchell, S.D.
SOURCE: Invest in Our Land News Release
