DRG Media Group Beyond the Mic podcasts

On June 5, 2024, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced USDA is taking action to assist with efforts to strengthen Tribal food sovereignty. The programs include over $42 million for awardees under the Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program, $18 million for projects under the Tribal Forest Protection Act, and $2.3 million to support the service of Indigenous foods in school meal programs.

This week's episode is about Colonel Thomas Rose, the mastermind behind the 1864 escape from Libby Prison, the Confederate POW prison located in Richmond, Virginia.

The House Agriculture Committee passed their version of the next five-year farm bill. One topic that always comes up is financial assistance for weather-related natural disasters, something US Secretary of Ag Tom Vilsack says is important to include.

This week's Making of America is about William Henry Singleton.

A Stanley County School Board election will be held June 4, 2024. Four people are running for two, three year terms. I’m DRG Media Group News and Farm director Jody Heemstra. I interviewed all four candidates and asked them all the same two questions. As you listen, I’ll give the question, and then you’ll hear each candidate’s answer. Candidate order is alphabetical by last name and their responses have not been edited.

This episode is about Ben Franklin and freedoms we have in America.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service has released the Congressional District Profiles and Rankings from the 2022 Census of Agriculture. Gerlach says the data includes land, farms, market value of agricultural products sold, rankings, producer characteristics and more.

This week's episode is about Condoleezza Rice, who served as US Secretary of State from 2005-2009

May is National Beef Month. This year, a handful of groups in South Dakota have partnered to provide beef products to individuals facing hunger. Stacey Andernacht is with Feeding South Dakota.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is revising its current nutrition standards for school meals to include less sugar and greater flexibility with menu planning. in this episode of Agriculture In-depth, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack provides more information about the changes that will take place between Fall 2025 and Fall 2027.