SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Roger Scheibe of Brookings, South Dakota, was named AgVocate of the Year by the board of directors for Agriculture United for South Dakota at the organization’s annual luncheon December 13 in Sioux Falls. The fourth annual AgVocate award recognizes South Dakotans for their work in sharing their story of modern farming with the public.
Roger was raised on a dairy farm near Wolsey, South Dakota, and attended South Dakota State University where he earned a B.S. in dairy science and manufacturing. Since then, Roger has held a variety of roles, always focused on helping dairy farmers. Roger has been a dairyman, an agriculture lender, and worked with the North Dakota and South Dakota Departments of Agriculture. For the past nine years, he has served as the Industry Relations Manager for Midwest Dairy and is also the Executive Director of the South Dakota Dairy Producers Association. Scheibe plans to retire from Midwest Dairy at the end of December 2017.
In his roles at Midwest Dairy and SDDP, Roger is a tireless advocate for dairy farmers. He works closely with Ag United to host many dairy open houses and bus tours to give South Dakotans a firsthand opportunity to tour dairy farms in the state. Whether coordinating programs for dairy farmers or serving ice cream at June Dairy Month open houses, he is always ready to take on a challenge to promote dairy industry and support dairy farmers.
“Ag United plays a valuable role in creating opportunities for conversations between South Dakota farmers and ranchers and consumers,” said Scheibe. “With so many people several generations removed from farming, they want to know where their food products are coming from. Farmers and livestock producers are the best people to answer their questions.”
Roger and his wife Kay live in Brookings. They have two sons and a daughter and three grandchildren.
“Roger’s dedication and service to agriculture in many roles make him very deserving of the award,” said Richard Vasgaard, Centerville farmer and president of Ag United. “His focus has always been on finding ways to support dairy farmers in our state. We wish him the best as he moves to retirement.”
The keynote address at the luncheon was delivered by Lucas Lentsch, a South Dakota native and former South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture, and current Chief Executive Officer of Midwest Dairy Association. Lentsch provided perspective on ways to build trust and have positive conversations about agriculture with consumers. He emphasized the importance of listening to concerns and working together to ensure a strong future for agriculture.
Ag United marked its 13th year of supporting South Dakota farm and ranch families and rural communities at the event. Since its founding, Ag United has enabled nearly 28,000 consumers to visit South Dakota farms and connected with more than 10,000 students though Adopt-A-Farmer and National Ag Week programs. In addition, Ag United staff have assisted families in 37 counties with permitting and zoning issues. Visit www.agunited.com, South Dakota Farm Families on Facebook, or @SDFarmFamilies on Twitter for more information on the annual luncheon or Ag United’s activities.
Ag United was developed through a collaboration of farm organizations that support livestock production and development and includes the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, the South Dakota Corn Growers Association, South Dakota Dairy Producers, South Dakota Farm Bureau, South Dakota Pork Producers Council, South Dakota Poultry Industries Association and the South Dakota Soybean Association.
— Ag United for South Dakota
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