Doug Sombke, SDFU president, at 102nd SDFU convention, Huron, SD, 2017.12.01. Photo from @sdfarmersunion.
As President of South Dakota Farmers Union, Sombke leads the state-wide organization which works to enhance South Dakota’s number one industry of agriculture by developing policy to support the family farmers and ranchers who actively grow crops and raise livestock, their rural communities and protect future generations of farmers and ranchers.
“As a father to three young farmers in their 20s, I have skin in game. Every day, our livelihoods are at risk from regulations, policies or markets,” Sombke said. “As the leader of this organization, I will continue to fight each day to ensure that those in control hear the voice of South Dakota’s family farmers and ranchers. I am not afraid to be the mouthpiece of our family farmer and rancher members – even when what we have to say is not popular” [SDFU, press release, 2017.12.04].
Grumblers remain: dissenters Facebook group Save Our Farmers Union complains that the SDFU board used the 102nd Farmers Union convention last week in Huron to railroad a “massive rewrite” of organization bylaws that were rejected at the 2016 convention:
Here is what is so galling and sleazy about this last minute stunt. First of all, delegates soundly rejected the changes last year because they gave even more power to the SDFU President, removed incentives to build stronger county and district Farmers Unions, undermined the SDFU cooperative education program, and reduced transparency. Second, the bylaws rewrite included a large group of people who spent a couple days in Pierre to write it in the summer of 2016, but they lacked any kind of hearing process to give individual members an opportunity to discuss them at County and District meetings during 2016 or during 2017. The last thing SDFU needs is less transparency and more power transferred to the Huron Brain Trust.
Third, this Pearl Harbor surprise attack against the membership limited any discussion of the proposal to only those who arrived in Huron on Thursday. Those who arrived Friday had zero chance to open a discussion on the bylaws changes. Had the Huron Brain Trust had the decency and competence to alert delegates that bylaws would be discussed during the first day, there would have been a lot more people at the convention to join the discussion. Instead, the delegates on Friday were handed a ballot to vote yes or no to the rewrite. It was at the bottom of the ballot, which included the list of candidates for state officers and the SDFU Board.
The proposed rewrite of your SDFU Bylaws, which is the ONLY document that protects your rights as a voting member of SDFU, passed. The vote total was not announced.
You just have to take their word for it that they had enough votes [Save Our Farmers Union, Facebook post, 2017.12.02].
But even this dissenting faction cheers the election of Lisa Snedeker as the second woman on the SDFU Board of Directors.
I can’t speak for all of West River, but in the far West FU has been nonexistent for at least 10 years. A major reason behind this was the nonsupport from the state organization. The state office demanded alot from its local members with nothing in return. A healthy organization’s respect is a 2 way street
jerry
2017-12-05 10:21
Maybe a West River Farmer’s Union could have a strong voice in how things are done.
I can’t speak for all of West River, but in the far West FU has been nonexistent for at least 10 years. A major reason behind this was the nonsupport from the state organization. The state office demanded alot from its local members with nothing in return. A healthy organization’s respect is a 2 way street
Maybe a West River Farmer’s Union could have a strong voice in how things are done.