PIERRE — The Value Added Agriculture Development Center (VAADC) invites you to attend the 25th Annual Value Added Agriculture Center Day at the South Dakota State Fair in Huron, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., on Thursday, Aug. 29.

The event will highlight local foods and products including South Dakota meats, ice cream, produce, jams & jellies, honey, salsa, sorghum flour, and more.

During the event, the Day Sponsor Tent will showcase value-added agriculture farmers, ranchers, specialty growers and processors and their products. This event also provides a great opportunity to learn about the latest developments in value-added agriculture from agricultural businesses and federal, state and local agencies.

The event will feature approximately 20 vendors, many of which were developed with support from the VAADC. The VAADC helps farmers, ranchers and specialty producers in South Dakota create and expand value-added agriculture businesses by offering a variety of technical assistance programs and services designed to help clients succeed. Additional exhibitors are members of the S.D. Specialty Producers Association (SDSPA), which provides education, industry promotion and connections for South Dakota raised specialty foods and products.

Participants can network and take in several mini-seminars and local food demonstrations. The event concludes with local Berrybrook Organics ice cream, brought to you in cooperation with Your South Dakota Dairy Producers.

The Day Sponsor Tent presentation schedule is as follows:
10:30 a.m.: Agritourism: How do I get started?, SDSU Extension and S.D. Department of Tourism

11 a.m.: Getting Festive: Wreath Building, IrmaLea Fields (Horizion’s Building Kitchen)
11:15 a.m.: Beyond the Coop: Taking Your On-Farm Poultry Processing to the Next Level, Prairiesun Organics
11:30 a.m.: Fun & Fruity: Instant Applesauce and Infused Water, SDSU Extension (Horizon’s Building Kitchen)
12 p.m.: Beginning Farmer Rancher: USDA Resources and Funding, USDA
12:45 p.m.: South Dakota’s Local Food System: Aggregation of Specialty Crops, S.D. Specialty Producers Association
1 p.m.: Preserving the Taste of Summer and Fall: Drying Fruits 101, SDSU Extension (Horizon’s Building Kitchen)
1:30 p.m.: Fair Food Reimagined: Explore the Deliciousness of Gluten-Free Sorghum Flour Funnel Cakes, Redstone Creek Flour Mill, (Horizon’s Building Kitchen)
1:30 p.m.: Sweet Success: A Beginner’s Guide to Beekeeping, Abb-Bee’s Honey
2:10 p.m.: Specialty Farm Production: NRCS Services & Programs, USDA-NRCS
3 p.m.: Value Added Ag Center Day & 25th Anniversary Ice Cream Social

This event is held in collaboration with SDSPA, S.D. Dept. of Agriculture and Natural Resources and NRCS to support the promotion of specialty crop vendors and events.

Support also comes from East River Electric Cooperative, Farm Credit Services of America, S.D. Bankers Association, S.D. Association of Cooperatives, S.D. Farmers Union, S.D. Rural Electric Association, S.D. Soybean Research & Promotion Council, S.D. Wheat Commission, Agtegra, and USDA-Rural Development.