South Dakota
Learn More About
South Dakota Farmers
- South Dakota Department of Ag
- South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service
- South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council
- South Dakota Beef Industry Council
- Midwest Dairy Association
- South Dakota Pork Producers Council
- South Dakota Wheat Commission
- South Dakota Corn Utilization Council
Learn More about South Dakota Agriculture
- South Dakota Cattleman's Association
- South Dakota Poultry Industries Association
- South Dakota Farm Bureau
- South Dakota Ag in the Classroom
South Dakota Farmers
Feed US
South Dakota Egg Farmer
“Our production is 365 days a year, and that’s to ensure a quality egg that we can put on your table.”
Scott RamsdellEgg Farmer
Name: Scott Ramsdell
Location: Flandreau, South Dakota
Years farming: I’m a 5th generation farmer. I am almost 60, so you could say I’ve farmed “for a long time!”
My family: My wife Lani and I have four kids. Our daughter Kari is married to Marc, and they have three children. Another daughter is Kelly, and her husband is Brandon. And another daughter is Allison, and then we also have a son, Jason.
How I came to be a farmer: My great-great grandfather farmed in Moody County, and our family has been involved with farming ever since.
The best thing about being a farmer: Being a farmer has a lot of benefits. First and foremost, it allows us to be good stewards of the land and air. We constantly look for ways to improve on sustainable and renewable efforts in our production. It is a great feeling to know that we are a part of feeding the nation and the world with safe and abundant food.
My personal philosophy on farming: We have to finds ways to adopt new technology while maintaining our commitment to the area we live in. We have more than one hundred families invested with us in Dakota Layers. Most of them either farm, or own farmland, and they grew up in the county or region. Capturing value of the corn and soybeans that they grow, and increasing the return on it for local farmers and the local community is important. Dakota Layers does that while always finding ways to do even better things for consumers, our partners, and our stakeholders.
Egg Production in South Dakota and the United States
- Agriculture has a $21.3 billion impact on South Dakota’s economy.
- There are 3 million laying hens in South Dakota and 282 million in the United States.
- Last year, South Dakota egg farmers produced 696 million eggs with a total value of $37.9 million.
- Each year, one South Dakota farmer raises enough food to feed 144 people in the U.S. and abroad.
- 90% of South Dakota’s land area (43.7 million acres) is dedicated to agriculture.
- An average hen lays about 300 eggs every year.
- A hen must eat four pounds of feed to make a dozen eggs.
- There is no nutritional difference between white eggs and brown eggs.
- Per capita egg consumption in the U.S. is around 250.
For more information about egg farming in South Dakota, please visit www.dakotalayers.com.
Adobe Flash Player is required to view this content.
Click the button below to download the latest version of this plugin for free.
