I love it when farmers do things that earn them some good will from townspeople. Here’s one: The Minnehaha County Farm Bureau and the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation’s Centennial Community Initiative each recently donated $5,000 to McCrossan Boys Ranch for five beef cow-calf pairs.

McCrossan, located near Sioux Falls, provides a home and special education for troubled boys and young men to help them get their lives back on track.

"This donation will allow us to expand the livestock program, giving our boys hands-on experience and the responsibility of caring for cattle and learning more about the beef industry,” says Christy Menning, of McCrossan Boys Ranch.

"McCrossan Boys Ranch has a long tradition of using ranch activities to help boys who have had some trouble in their lives turn into responsible young men," says Ron Krogstad, a Baltic, S.D., dairyman and Minnehaha County Farm Bureau president.

The ranch’s horse therapy program has been successful in helping give boys confidence, self-esteem, responsibility and a good work ethic.

“McCrossan’s beef program seemed like a perfect fit for the SDFB’s Centennial Community Initiative,” he says. 

In celebration of its 100th birthday, SDFB will be re-investing $100,000 in communities through the Centennial Community Initiative. Applications for funding are being accepted through county Farm Bureaus. The deadline for applications is Aug. 31. Contact Western Regional Manager Lowell Mesman at 605-280-1319 or Eastern Regional Manager Helen Geppert at 605-770-8581 for more information, or visit sdfbf.org/Get-Involved/Centennial-Community-Initiative.