Governor's Office of Economic Development

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, December 18, 2002

For More Information: Mary Lehecka Nelson, (605) 773-5032

Pierre - The Governor’s Office of EconomicDevelopment, South Dakota Department of Agriculture, The Value-Added Agriculture Development Center and South Dakota State University are teaming up to co-sponsor the 2002 statewide Value-Added Conference. The annual conference will be held at the Multicomplex in Brookings, SD on Thursday, January 31, 2002. 

Innovations for Success is the theme for this year’s conference, which was developed primarily for producers and ranches. The topics of the program are also relevant to community leaders, lenders, new and emerging value-added businesses, researchers, elected officials and students who have an interest in creating value-added opportunities.

"Agriclture is South Dakota’s largest industry and it is important for producers and ranchers, as well as the communities in which they live, to utilize value-added agriculture opportunities that will capture additional wealth," said Chris Braendlin, commissioner, Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

The goal of conference coordinators is to help farmers and ranchers take advantage of opportunities beyond the production of agricultural commodities and benefit from the value to be captured further up the food chain. An excellent mix of speakers and panel members will discuss the changes that are occurring in agriculture and across the state of South Dakota, and provide ideas on how to create value-added opportunities.

Speakers include: Dr. James Satterlee, Professor Emeritus in Rural Sociology at South Dakota State University; Dr. Robert Warren, Professor and Director of the Asper Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Manitoba; and South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture Larry Gabriel. Several panel discussions will be held to give producers ideas on how to a value-added ag project from concept to reality.

Conference registration is $40 in advance and $50 the day of the conference. Transportation and tuition reimbursement for the conference is being provided in some locations with help from Rural Electric Cooperatives and other community organizations. For more information about the conference, please contact the Value-Added Agriculture Center by telephone at 605-226-7710 or by e-mail at agales@erepc.com.

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Registration fee $40 in advance and $50 the day of the conference. The conference fee covers the cost of speakers, materials and meals. (Morning coffee and rolls, noon lunch, and afternoon coffee and cookies will be provided.)

Please return the registration form and registration fee (payable to the Value-Added Agriculture Development Center) to:

Amy Gales

Value-Added Agriculture Development Center

416 Production Street North

Aberdeen, SD 57401