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4/27/2006
South Dakota Stockgrowers Teach City Youth about Cattle The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association (SDSGA) hosted a “brand” station and displayed a horse and calf at the children’s Ag and Natural Resources Day held on April 21, 2006 at the Central States Fairgrounds in Rapid City, S.D. The SDSGA showed third graders from Knollwood, Grandview and Wilson Elementary Schools what a branding iron looks like, how it is used and why it is a necessary tool on a ranch operation. Bob Heidgerken, SDSGA member from Rapid City, S.D., also showed the students how eartags work and why, although they can be useful, they are not a permanent form of identification like a hot iron brand. “Ranchers might use an eartag for some things, but not
for identifying ownership because they can easily be lost, and then the
rancher could lose those cattle,” he explained. Children had the chance to
ask questions, and then to build their own “branding irons” with pipe
cleaners, then dip them in paint and “brand” a poster board.
While most of the children were unfamiliar with brands, they all understood the need to mark their assignments with their name in order to receive credit for their schoolwork, and to identify their pet dogs with tags so that a lost dog can be returned. SDSGA President Rick Fox, Hermosa, S.D., and District 8
Director, Bill Kluck, Mud Butte, S.D., also helped with the event. Fox
displayed a horse and calf in a pen, and answered questions while the
students petted the livestock. In addition, Fox brought a saddle and calf
bottle to display. Kluck led a group of students from station to station,
where they viewed the horse and calf, and learned about honey production,
milk production, range Fox said the beautiful weather rounded out a great day of education for about 240 of Rapid City’s kids. “Those of us in agriculture have learned that there’s no need to ‘preach to the choir,’ instead, its important that we educate those who are unfamiliar with agriculture, and I can’t think of a better group of people then third-graders, who are at their most impressionable age. It was a good day – the weather just added to the kids’ enjoyment of seeing and touching the livestock, painting their own brands, and learning about the other aspects of production agriculture, like where hamburgers, milk and bread come from.” Fox said that SDSGA member Tammy Basel, Union Center, S.D., helped organize the event.
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conservation, wheat products and beef products in addition to branding and
brand inspection. 