Rural youth learned about civic engagement and policy development during the South Dakota Farmers Union 2025 Legislative Educational Retreat. Youth also had the opportunity to tour Mitchell Corn Palace. Youth pictured here are Aaron Kippley, Aberdeen; Gabe Florence, Aberdeen; Bryn Marvel, Aberdeen; Kyle Olson, Aberdeen and Chord Blotsky, Hidden Timber.
By Lura Roti
For as long as he can remember, 13-year-old Chord Blotsky wanted to become a leader in his community. So, he was pretty excited about the recent opportunity he received to meet the mayor of Mitchell, Jordan Hanson.
“It was really fun to meet Jordan because I like the idea of someday getting elected to run a city and help out my community,” explained Blotsky, who lives on his family’s ranch near Winner. “I got to ask him questions about his job as mayor and Jordan talked to us about how he takes things into consideration when making decisions.”
Blotsky was one of five South Dakota youth to meet with Hanson as part of a South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU) Legislative Educational Retreat reward trip designed to educate teens about grassroots policy development and civic engagement. The other teens to attend were: Bryn Marvel, Aberdeen; Kyle Olson, Aberdeen; Gabe Florence, Aberdeen and Aaron Kippley, Aberdeen.
“These youth are the future generation. They are the individuals who will one day take on these positions of leadership, so we want them to have an opportunity to learn from the local leaders, and understand what it means to be involved in their communities,” explained Samantha Bowman, Education Program Specialist.
In addition to meeting with Hanson, youth also got to meet with Davison County Commissioner John Claggett and sit in on SDFU Annual Policy Meeting.
“These teens have all been involved in Farmers Union camps, so they have learned a bit about policy development, but this is an opportunity for the teens to see firsthand what it means when we say that Farmers Union is a grassroots organization,” Bowman said.
“They got to see members discuss local issues and propose policy to address them.”
The youth earned the opportunity to attend this two-day reward trip by participating in Farmers Union camps and volunteering to help out during Farmers Union County day camps.
In addition to meeting with local leaders and attending the Annual Policy meeting, the teens enjoyed a tour of the Corn Palace and mini golf at Farmlife Creamery in Ethan.
Youth also toured Performance Pet, a manufacturer of canned cat and dog food and is one of several businesses owned by Farmers Union Industries. Sixty percent of all profits are returned to Farmers Union organizations, like SDFU.
“It was interesting to see how pet food is made,” said Bryn Marvel. Marvel was especially interested because she has a blue heeler mix named Luna.
Investing in the Future of Agriculture
For more than a century, providing hands-on educational experiences for rural youth has been a focus of South Dakota Farmers Union.
“We work every day to support the farmers, ranchers and their families because Farmers Union understands that the future of South Dakota’s No. 1 industry of agriculture is only as strong as the families who do the work,” explained Karla Hofhenke, Executive Director of SDFU. “Agriculture in South Dakota needs leaders of all ages.”
To learn more about South Dakota Farmers Union youth programming, visit www.sdfu.org.
