State to transfer Keep Farmers Farming program to South Dakota Ag Foundation with one‑year grant

Governor Kristi Noem told lawmakers she had reached an agreement to transfer the Keep Farmers Farming program from First Dakota National Bank to the South Dakota Ag Foundation, and that the governor’s office of economic development will provide a one‑year grant to help the foundation administer, market and grow the program.

Noem described the program as a tool for farm and ranch transition planning, helping producers pass land and operations to the next generation while preserving the family farming tradition. “There will be no loss of service for those existing program participants,” the governor said.

Why it matters: the program is intended to ease farm succession and keep farmland and operations in family hands. A state grant to a nonprofit administrator aims to preserve continuity while the foundation assumes program operations.

Details provided: Noem said the state reached an agreement with the South Dakota Ag Foundation and First Dakota National Bank for the transfer. The governor asked representatives of the South Dakota Ag Foundation to stand during the address; she did not provide the grant dollar amount or an implementation timeline.

Next steps: The governor’s office will supply a one‑year grant to support program administration and marketing; program participants will continue to receive services during the transition. Legislative oversight or appropriation beyond the one‑year grant was not mentioned in the address.