Federal Grant Awards in South Dakota

SD Farmers Union, RCI-Rural Community
Innovations Jointly Announce Grant Awards

HURON, SD – South Dakota Farmers Union and RCI-Rural Community Innovations announced today that the two organizations are recipients of Federal grants totaling $960,000. Both groups were present at a press conference with Congressman John Thune and USDA to officially announce the awards.

"We are extremely pleased to be the recipients of these grant awards, and I want especially to thank Congressman Thune for his leadership and commitment to our state to bring these awards where they are most needed," said Dennis Wiese, President of SDFU and RCI. Vice President, Guy Rusche added, "both organizations represented today sincerely appreciate the influence and dedication provided by Congressman Thune to proactively build the rural economy of our state."

The South Dakota Farmers Union, an 87-year-old farm and ranch organization, is the recipient of a $450,000 award given under USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service’s Value-Added Agricultural Product Market Development Grant to work with Prairie Bioenergy Producers in southern Clark County to explore the feasibility of combining ethanol production and anaerobic waste digestion with dairy production. Wiese remarked, "the South Dakota Farmers Union Board of Directors should be commended for their leadership and foresight to apply for this grant."

RCI, a 501(c)(3) economic development corporation, will receive a $510,000 grant award from USDA-Rural Housing Service through the Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) to provide community capacity building assistance to several underserved communities through the United States. Project areas include community development assistance for the Upper Moenkopi Village of the Hopi Tribe in the southwestern US and community development efforts towards dairy production and branded beef processing and marketing in South Dakota.

Contact: Guy Rusche, 605-358-6761

Michael Utter, 406-587-0783