Nominations Sought for 2026 Eminent Leaders in Agriculture, Family and Community Awards

Apr 09, 2026

By Angela Loftesness

The Eminent Leaders in Agriculture, Family and Community Selection Committee is seeking nominations of individuals for South Dakota State University's Eminent Leaders in Agriculture, Family and Community award program.

This year marks the 99th anniversary of the program, which was founded in 1927. The intent of this program is to recognize citizens for a lifetime of leadership and service for the betterment of the agriculture industry, families and South Dakota communities. The awards are presented by the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and the College of Education and Human Sciences.

The nominees should have made significant contributions to agriculture, family and/or their community; promoted agriculture best practices, family strengthening programs and/or community enhancement; made specific contributions to their county, state and/or nation; and should be known for giving unselfishly of their talent, time and leadership.

There is no age requirement, but the nominees must be living at the time honorees are notified. Spouses may be nominated, but a separate nomination form is needed for each individual. Recipients must be residents of South Dakota. If nominees were previously employed by SDSU, employment cannot have been within the last five years. Three to five letters of support are required.

Source : sdstate.edu

Video: Same Grit, New Name: A Conversation with Ryan Calistro of Bower Ag

Swine Leaders Live, we sit down with Ryan Calistro, President of Bower Ag, to discuss a major brand transition in the ag construction and solutions space—and what it means for swine producers. Bower Ag represents a new, unified identity, bringing together Ag Property Solutions, Dairy Specialists, and The Dairy Solutions Group under one name. But as Ryan explains, this isn’t about change for the sake of change—it’s about strengthening what already works and delivering more value to producers.

We dive into:

• What Bower Ag is and why the transition was made

• What stays the same for longtime customers

• How combining multiple businesses creates new opportunities for producers

• What today’s producers are asking for—and how Bower Ag is responding

• Key insights heading into World Pork Expo

If you’ve worked with APS before—or are evaluating partners for your next project—this conversation provides a clear look at where Bower Ag is headed and how they’re positioning themselves for the future.