South Dakota Ag Connection - Resource Conservation Speech Contest Winners Announced

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Resource Conservation Speech Contest Winners Announced
South Dakota Ag Connection - 05/05/2016

The 55th annual State Finals of the Resource Conservation Speech Contest were held at the State Capitol in Pierre. The theme of this year’s contest was “Why Manage Water for Conservation.”

Winning first place and a $1,100 scholarship was Esther Swift. She was sponsored by the Gregory County Conservation District and is a home-schooled senior. She is the daughter of David and Fawn Swift of Burke.

Receiving second place and a $750 scholarship was McKayla Carda. She was sponsored by the South Brown Conservation District and is a sophomore at Aberdeen Central High School. She is the daughter of John and Brenda Carda of Aberdeen.

Receiving third place and a $450 scholarship was Reina Grimsley. She was sponsored by the Davison County Conservation District and is a junior at Mitchell High School. She is the daughter of Ron and Misty Grimsley of Mitchell.

Scholarships totaling $2,300 for the winners are provided by Touchstone Energy Cooperatives of South Dakota. The contest is co-sponsored by the South Dakota Department of Agriculture (SDDA), the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the South Dakota Association of Conservation Districts.

State contestants first participated in a local contest sponsored by their conservation district. Two students from each district were then eligible to participate in an area contest. From there, the top two winners from each of the designated areas were eligible to advance to the state finals. This year, nine contestants competed in the state finals.

Next year’s theme is “Soil Health: What Will You Leave?” For more information, contact your local conservation district office or SDDA at 605.773.3623.

Agriculture is a major contributor to South Dakota’s economy, generating $25.6 billion in annual economic activity and employing over 115,000 South Dakotans.

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