AUGUST 17, 2023:
A woman from the Humboldt area has been chosen as the 2023 Dakotafest Woman Farmer/Rancher of the Year.
Nikki Prosch with SDSU Extension made the announcement about Kelsey Geraets during a forum yesterday (Aug. 17, 2023) at the annual farm show near Mitchell.
The other finalists this year were:
- Pam Geppert, Kimball area
- Calli Williams, Letcher area
- Judi Larson, Artesian area
- Julie Walloch, Lesterville area
Last year’s Dakotafest Woman Farmer/Rancher of the Year winner was Harrold area cattle producer VeaBea Thomas.
Kelsey Geraets
Read more about Geraets below.
Kelsey grew up on a family farm outside of Colton, SD. After raising her first batch of bottle calves on the family’s feedlot, she knew that a career in animal agriculture was in her future. She continued her education at South Dakota State University after graduating from Chester High School. In the spring of 2020, she graduated from SDSU with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and Agricultural Science with minors in Ag Business and Ag Marketing.
Soon after, her “passion project” of raising bottle calves became a career when her parents offered her a job to run the feedlot. She is currently the feedlot manager of a 2,500 head operation, feeding weaned calves, cull cows and everything in between.
She also helps in anyway she can with the row crop and ethanol production sides of the family business. Whether it is trucking fertilizer in the spring or trucking grain in the fall, she is always willing to learn a new skill to allow the farm to run a little smoother.
She plays a huge role in every aspect of the family farm and feedlot. She said, “One of my best qualities is my ability to adapt. No matter what time of year it is, if there is a role that needs to be filled, I am willing to do what it takes to get that role done and done right. I can do anything from feeding and taking care of cattle year-round, vet work like sewing up prolapses and doctoring livestock, raking cornstalks, and hauling grain in the fall, rolling beans, working ground, and hauling fertilizer in the spring.”
She is very active in the agriculture community holding a seat on the Beef Industry Council Board, president of the SD Cattlemen’s Auxiliary, and helping out with the local FFA chapter.
She is the first female on the South Dakota Corn Growers Association board. She is quick to lend her time and talents to the organization, whether that be recording Corn Comments, or being featured as a young, independent woman on a family farm in South Dakota. She is the first to raise her hand and share her voice to elevate farmers and ranchers in South Dakota.
JUNE 28, 2023:
A woman from the Kimball area is among the finalists for the 2023 Dakotafest Woman Farmer/Rancher of the Year Award.
The five finalists are:
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Pam Geppert, Kimball area
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Calli Williams, Letcher area
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Judi Larson, Artesian area
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Julie Walloch, Lesterville area
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Kelsey Geraets, Humboldt area
Along with raising cattle, Geppert has produced the Dakota Farm Talk radio program for decades. Her programs can be heard weekdays on DRG Media’s Group’s KGFX radio station. You can tune in at AM 1060, 103.1 FM, by streaming online on the DRG Media Group website or by using the free DRGNews.com mobile app.
These five women will be recognized at the awards ceremony as part of the Women in Ag Event Aug. 17, 2023, during the last day of this year’s Dakotafest show near Mitchell.
Last year’s winner was Harrold area cattle producer VeaBea Thomas.
Lean more about this year’s finalists below.
Calli Williams
Calli grew up on her parents farm near Aurora, SD where she was active in 4H and FFA. Calli graduated from Elkton High School in 2009. She attended South Dakota State University where she studied Agricultural Leadership and Communications. While at SDSU, Calli completed internships with Zoetis, and Certified Angus Beef. She met her husband at the South Dakota State Fair while showing Angus cattle. Cattle has been a part of their story from day one. They have two little helpers on the farm today following in their footsteps (while wearing cowboy boots of course). Calli also works full time for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup as a Livestock Field Representative assisting livestock producers and agricultural businesses with their marketing.
Calli and her husband Tate are first generation ranchers owning TW Angus, a purebred Angus seedstock operation located just north of Mitchell. Calli and Tate built TW Angus from the ground up. They also went from selling bulls private treaty to now hosting an online bull sale. She took on the responsibility of learning how to design and publish their sale catalog. She is also in charge of all preparations for the Black Hills Stock Show.
Calli has helped start the Young Cattlemen of SD program and is currently serving as Vice President. She helped start the Davison-Hanson Cattlemen’s Association and currently serving as President. She serves as a volunteer for the Davison Winter Calf Show and is a member of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association. She launched a direct-to-consumer beef business and manages the marketing and beef deliveries. Calli contributes her time to Achievement Days, Stockyards Ag Experience and even reads cowboy/girl books to kindergarteners.
Calli is so caring to all of their cattle and teaches the boys to treat all animals with love and kindness. Her nominator writes: “I envy her work ethic and love keeping up with their family via Instagram. She will wake up in the middle of the night when it’s below freezing to check on the cattle and make sure they are warm and have fresh water. She makes sure to spend quality time with her family and somehow manages to get chores, marketing, sales, and housework done all while working full time.”
Judi Larson
Raised on a farm at Spencer, SD. throughout her life, Judi helped her parents on the farm, and continued until they were 80, doing their accounting, land leases and vet work. After graduating from Spencer HS, she attended 2 years of college, and took LPN nursing classes at St. Joseph Hospital. In 1969 she married a farmer, and felt blessed to be able to pursue her love of the land, cattle, and horses. To their union, two sons and a daughter were born. In 1984, her husband felt burned out from farming, and purchased a business in Huron. She felt her strong faith in God helped her through the next 15 years of raising kids, paying off debts and managing the operation.
Her love is raising good cattle with good dispositions, and good quarter horses that are halter and cutting horse bred. She takes pride in having a neat farm, putting up continuous fences, and building working areas that one person can sort cattle by herself. She is very wise in handling and investing her income, stretching it to make the land payments, buying used machinery, and continuing the growth of the operation.
She is very avid about weed control, and also soil conservation. She has planted and cared for several shelterbelts on her farm. She is always willing to help a neighbor in need with vet work or other projects. She also shares the harvest of her garden with others. She is very active in and supportive of the First Lutheran Church in Artesian.
She is a hands on farmer. She is involved in every aspect of farming from raising livestock, putting up hay and taking care of her farm so it is a showplace in Sanborn County. She is a caring person who would do anything to help someone out. Her nominator writes: “When I think of a Woman of the Year in Ag, Judi is at the top of the list because of all her talents, abilities and strong faith in God.”
Pam Geppert
Pam was raised on a purebred Angus operation just outside of Groton, SD. She was the third of five siblings and was involved in 4-H, band, and helping on the farm growing up. She attended South Dakota State University majoring in Ag Journalism. While at college, she met and married her husband of Kimball, SD. They lived in Indiana until the fall of 1989 when they moved back to South Dakota and bought into her husband’s grandparent’s farm. There, she started her in-home business, Dakota Farm Talk (DFT), through which she interviews South Dakota ag checkoff organizations and reports on topics that are pertinent to the farmer and rancher communities.
Pam impacts her operation in many ways. She had started working with the SD No-Till Association on her radio show and connected with people to understand how to practice no-till and residue management on their crop ground. Her connection and knowledge helped with the farm goals and it has been the main type of management practice on their farm for 25+ years.
She also got their operation involved in the Mitchell Tech Farm Business Management Program in the early 2000s. Her foresight of being in this program has helped the operation make financially smart business decisions and be able to ride the waves of cyclical markets in a positive manner.
One of the blessings that she has from working in her own home studio is she can assist in tasks during the busy seasons on the farm. From cleaning pens during calving season to running for parts during the noon hour, She is very helpful. One of the most useful things is providing a home cooked meal made for whoever is on the farm every day. Her flexibility has allowed her to watch her children/grandchildren during the day and help in the community as well.
Pm has been a State Fair Commissioner for the South Dakota State Fair for 15 years, during which she helped run the fair and raise funds for buildings like the Nordby Exhibit Hall. She was also in Class 1 for South Dakota Ag Rural Leadership (SDARL) and is currently on the First Dakota Ag Advisory Board.
Pam exemplifies leadership in her personal and professional life and is deserving of this award. Her confidence in starting her own business took grit and determination to make something out of nothing and the connections she has created over her career not only helped her business but the farming operation too. Her nominator writes: “She exemplifies servant leadership, community involvement, and a passion for agriculture, and is the ultimate Woman Farmer of the Year.”
Julie Walloch
Julie grew up on a farm by Scotland, SD and graduated from Scotland High School. She married her husband and they have farmed by Lesterville, SD ever since. They have four adult children and twelve grandchildren. Three of their children’s families are actively involved in the farming operation.
When they raised hogs in the 80s/90s, Julie was often feeding hogs, cleaning pens or sorting and hauling the hogs to market. With the beef enterprise, you can find her feeding cattle, hauling manure out of yards and loading cattle to be hauled to market. Julie runs the combine during harvest in their corn and bean acres. She drives a truck hauling silage during silage cutting. She has worked up fields in the spring and has helped with equipment maintenance. Julie has a huge garden in the summer and sells her produce at the Yankton area farmers market and also donates her produce to those in need. She is also the accountant for the farm. She keeps track of feed fed so costs of gain can be calculated. She also completes the book work for taxes and pays the bills of the operation.
Her nominator writes: “Julie is amazing! She has shown her children and grandchildren that women can do any job in Ag that a man can do. She has a love of farming and has instilled that love in her children and grandchildren. She is very involved in her farm operation, family, community and church. She is often the first person to lend assistance whenever needed, often without being asked. She never expects anything in return. Her contributions to the family farm and her community are innumerable. She is a blessing to all those she meets.”
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