Nearly 500 people turned out to hear more about the importance of livestock production to Yankton County and South Dakota at this weekend’s Families Feeding Families agvocacy event in Yankton. Josh Johnson with Johnson Farms LLC of Volin says the event was a success and helps them achieve their goal of uniting farmers to tell the story of agriculture, while bridging the gap with the community.
Josh’s wife Deanna Johnson says as a young farm couple they want to be able to run their small business just like anyone else. She says they want to be transparent about how they produce livestock and promote the significant economic impact that has in the county.
Featured speaker Trent Loos says the public pushback to livestock production is different than it was a few years ago, with the focus now on the impact to the environment. However, increasing that population is beneficial.
Loos told farmers to overcome the opposition to livestock production they need to engage with community members and have a conversation about their common goals.
The Families Feeding Families event included a meal and a silent and live auction to raise money for an education program for the public and students.
