By Scout Nelson
At the 2025 South Dakota State Fair, family farmers and ranchers served lunch to 1,000 fairgoers for only 52 cents each during the annual Farmers Share Lunch hosted by South Dakota Farmers Union.
Why just 52 cents? It represents the farmer’s share of the cost of ingredients in the meal. The event highlights the gap between grocery store prices and what farmers actually earn.
The goal of the event is to raise awareness about the challenges facing family farmers and ranchers while giving fairgoers the chance to meet those who produce the state’s number one industry product – agriculture.
Many visitors were surprised. Megan and Derek Pedersen of Lesterville said they had not realized how little farmers earn. “It sounds like a lot of hard work for nothing,” Derek said, while Megan added that changes are needed so farmers benefit more fairly.
Alongside the meal, Farmers Union members handed out stickers and backpacks while sharing personal farm stories. “If we don’t make time to tell our story, someone else will,” said rancher Scott Kolousek.
The Farmers Share Lunch was part of a larger presence at the fair. Farmers Union also hosted the Farm Safety Quiz Bowl, encouraging youth to learn about farm safety, and a forum on property tax, allowing fairgoers to join the discussion with state leaders.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-sisoje
Categories: South Dakota, General