In the legislature we often discussed the fact that many of our children grow-up and move away to the big city and have asked the question, “what we can do to help bring young South Dakotans home?” After COVID-19, and the amazing job Governor Noem did to protect South Dakotans and keep us free, we are beginning to see children who grew up and moved away to the “greener pastures” of the big city, are beginning to move home. You see, they discovered that the big city can’t even begin to measure up to what they have waiting for them in South Dakota and this is where they want to raise their family! Many are moving back, stepping up, and taking over their third and fourth generation ranches that they grew up on. This week we will hear a personal story from a family in Custer, South Dakota who has done just that and now find themselves concerned about the future of farming and ranching in South Dakota.

“My husband and I just moved to his family ranch in July 2021 to help his Dad run the ranch. We are the third generation! We have children; one who is 12 and has grown to love working the ranch and wants to continue the tradition. We also have a two-year-old who is happy as can be living on the ranch with the cows. We moved from the city knowing that we would be going to a new adventure. When we moved two different people had approached my husband's father to buy the land to develop more houses. 

The proposed tax is completely unsustainable for any family ranch. The suggested tax would take the family rancher out of the equation leaving big industry to come in. We need to let ranchers raise our cattle! This is truly the American way. Ranchers and farmers are the backbone in our country! The shake of hand doing business, helping during branding season, the sense of community that comes with ranching would be gone as well. The country NEEDS ranchers!”

Ladies and gentlemen, it appears that we are at a crossroads. Our state is growing, and that is a good thing. Yet, with the new growth, there comes the need for more housing and more infrastructure (water, sewer, roads, etc). As South Dakotans we are committed to help meet the needs of our neighbors whether it is creating new infrastructure for new communities or solving the land tax issues that our ranchers are facing. As the 3^rd Generation Rancher stated above,” Our ranchers and farmers are the backbone of our country.” As a community, we need to fight to ensure that their ranches and farms survive the population growth of our state and that their land taxes are fair and equitable in order to ensure that they will be able to continue their family’s industry going forward.

Draft Bill 50 will help to do just that. As the Fall River County Assessor stated, “Draft Bill 50 would solve 85% of the issues currently facing our ranchers.” I don’t know about you, but I think that is a good start! 



Rep. Trish Ladner

Proudly Serving District 30

trish.ladner@sdlegislature.gov