Rural

Total 163 Posts

Fraudulent farmers live lavishly until caught

BELLE FOURCHE, S.D. – Farmers and brokers who commit organic grain fraud have shown a propensity to spend big money on lavish lifestyles until the authorities catch up with them. When Belle Fourche organic grain broker Kent Duane Anderson turned to fraud, he made millions of dollars and used the

Fraud and weak USDA oversight chip away at integrity of organic food industry

Trey Wharton of Sioux Falls has made numerous sacrifices in his life in order to maintain a healthful lifestyle centered around a vegan diet and consistent consumption of organic foods. To afford organic products that are sometimes double or triple the cost of conventionally grown foods, Wharton works two jobs,

High diesel fuel costs hurting truckers and farmers in South Dakota

Record high prices for unleaded gasoline are getting much of the attention from the public and politicians across the country right now, but an even bigger financial impact is being felt by truckers and farmers in South Dakota who are paying far more at the pump than usual for diesel

Wet weather forcing South Dakota farmers to delay or cut back on planting of crops

Recent rains and flooding have forced many farmers in the eastern half of South Dakota to delay getting crops into the ground, and some are now well behind the typical planting schedule or have had to cut back the acreage they are able to plant. The heavy rains during a

High gas prices not expected to slow down South Dakota tourism industry in 2022

Even though fuel prices have hit an all-time high, state officials and business operators in the South Dakota tourism industry remain optimistic that the summer of 2022 will be another record-setting season for visitors and revenues. Tourism industry experts say the post-COVID desire to travel, South Dakota’s wide variety

Lack of enforcement of regulations allows some South Dakota farmers to illegally convert wetlands to croplands

Wildlife and water quality in South Dakota are sometimes put at unnecessary risk due to a lack of oversight and accountability of farmers who illegally drain their properties or convert protected wetlands into farmable acreage. In addition, those who violate the law frequently avoid punishment when they are caught or

Special report part 2: CO2 pipelines could affect the land, lives and livelihoods of SD property owners

Editor’s note: This article was produced through a partnership between South Dakota News Watch and the Solutions Journalism Network, a national non-profit group that supports rigorous journalism about responses to problems. This is Part 2 of a two-part series; Part 1 published on May 2, 2022. Peggy Hoogestraat is
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