By South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden
September 4, 2026
Summer is winding down. Folks are trying to capture the last days of warmth and long sunlight. Meanwhile, farmers are getting ready for their harvest, and ranchers are ready to show off the calves they’ve been raising this year. And it all culminates with our South Dakota State Fair!
The South Dakota State Fair always feels like home because of its focus on our state’s number one industry: agriculture. Ag means everything to me and my family. My family has ranched for four generations, making our living off the land.
Similarly, the State Fair takes time to honor family farms that have stayed in the same family for generations. Every year, I make sure to attend the Century Farms program, where we honor family farms that have remained in the same family for 100 years or more. Approximately 95% of South Dakota’s ag land is privately owned by family farms and ranches. That’s huge! Those farms are key to passing down our South Dakota work ethic and values to our kids and grandkids. And they are a huge part of keeping South Dakota agriculture strong, safe, and free.
Through my adult life, I’ve focused on cattle ranching. But when I was growing up, we had a much more diverse farm operation. We grew crops. We raised cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, and more. It gave us kids plenty of chores to do, and that’s where we learned the value of hard work!
At the State Fair, everywhere you look, you see young South Dakotans learning that same value. 4-H competitions and other youth competitions are teaching young South Dakotans the value of working with their hands and seeing a project through to fruition.
I joined many of those kids as we signed a ceremonial copy of the Declaration of Independence. It was the perfect way to celebrate America’s 250th birthday! And it was a treat seeing excitement and wonder in the eyes of so many students!
But none of this – not our nation, not our strength, not our celebrations – would be possible without the sacrifice of the veterans who came before us. And our State Fair recognizes that truth, as well. The Salute to Veterans event takes time out of our day to recognize veterans across our state. It was humbling shaking the hands of so many brave men and women who have served our nation in uniform. Hearing their stories of sacrifice was a sobering reminder that freedom is never free.
It was my great honor to serve our nation in the South Dakota National Guard, and it’s perhaps an even greater honor to serve as Commander in Chief of the National Guard today. My family has a long, storied history of military service to our nation, so it’s humbling anytime we pause and honor the men and women who served.
Agriculture, family farms, youth involvement, rodeo, and military service are just a few of the incredible aspects of our great State Fair. I didn’t even get into all the fried food or South Dakota ag products available to eat – my favorite is bacon-wrapped pork loin on a stick!
I hope you took the time to get out to the State Fair this year. And if you didn’t, we’ll see you next year. It’s the place to be!
— From South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden
