Welcome to the education section of the SDFU website. The roots of the South Dakota Education Program stretch back to 1919 when Minnie Lovinger, of Ethan, South Dakota, inspired young people with her newspaper column, “The Children’s Nook”. That column soon turned into an education program headed by Mrs. Lovinger which has touched the lives of thousands of South Dakota young people.
The roll call of young people who have attended State Camp in the Black Hills or one of the County or District Camps is impressive and very long. Most have gone on in life to become successful in business, farming, academia, the clergy, the military and many other walks of life.
As the Rev. Bob Holum, pastor to the largest Lutheran Church in Washington, D.C., wrote to us recently: “The Farmers Union education program shaped my values in a real significant way and I want the values of cooperative enterprise to continue shaping the way following generations look at the world.”
The South Dakota Farmers Union’s symbol is the triangle and the foundation of that triangle is Education. We believe that everything builds on education and is the foundation of all success. In addition to our young people and specific education programs, members, elected legislators, government officials and consumers are educated on issues dealing with agriculture and South Dakota, cooperatives, family farms and rural communities.
Currently our education programs reach well over 2,000 young people across South Dakota. We invite and welcome anyone interested to join us at our camps which are held all across South Dakota.
Thanks so much for visiting – we hope to see you at one of our events!
~ Bonnie Geyer, Education Director