Federal Document highlight of the month

Sugar. A farm to table ingredient minimally processed. In 1887, a sugar beet crop was planted in Belle Valley where the soil was suitable for the root vegetable. In the 1920's, the Belle Fourche Sugar Plant was established, turning a profit until 1950. With various hurdles including rising costs and low sugar content from sugar beets brought in, the plant closed in 1965.

A senate hearing entitled Federal Sugar Program occurred in 2000, where a panel of people with varied views spoke of concerns with no free trade in the sugar market. Volatile sugar prices had hurt producers and consumers in the United States. In today's administration, President Biden has nominated a former Secretary of Agriculture from the Obama administration, Tom Vilsack, and a new incoming Agriculture Deputy Secretary, Dr. Jewel Bronaugh. If confirmed, farm groups applaud the many years of food and ag experience Bronaugh will bring.

Federal Sugar Program: hearing before the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, United States Senate, One Hundred Sixth Congress, second session on federal sugar program, July 26, 2000.

Excerpt from page 3 by US Senator from North Dakota

Y 4.AG 8/3:S.HRG.106-910 | OCLC#46877801 | http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS12085

The SD State Library is a federal depository library and provides access to print and electronic federal government publications. Print publications are available via interlibrary loan. Electronic publications are linked from the state library online catalog.

High speed internet needs in your community

image from https://www.usda.gov/reconnect

From the desk of Daria Bossman, State Librarian

This past December, 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that South Dakota would receive nearly $10 million of the money authorized by Congress to expand broadband infrastructure in rural America. This went to assist a major provider within our state. However, additional federal and state funds may be available in the very near future.

Our public libraries need to be informed and need to be ready. Does your community (public library) need high speed Internet? Is your Internet currently unstable and unreliable? Please have a discussion with your library board and with your city/county officials. Make your case for what your library needs now and in the future. DSL access is no longer acceptable. Your entire community may need high speed Internet or perhaps the local public library has just been overlooked and in need of an upgrade.

Contact Daria.Bossman@state.sd.us to learn more.

Christmas pests (not pets)!

Ah, the Christmas tree! Symbol of every holiday season. Some trees go up in early November and stay up until mid-January or later.

Those trees are probably artificial, but for many there is nothing like the smell of a real Christmas tree. However, your real tree, wreath, or garland greenery may bring more than Christmas cheer to your house. It may also, unfortunately, bring pests.

Your local Federal Documents Depository Library may have a copy of the Christmas Tree Pest Manual. If not, you can access it online at access.gpo.gov

In 2019, a new insect pest was detected on Christmas greenery sold in South Dakota. This was covered in the news on both KOTA TV and www.blackhillsfox.com.

If you have questions about greenery or trees in South Dakota, you can contact the SD Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry.

If you want a Christmas tree from the Black Hills next year, look for the federal publication Cutting a Christmas tree on the Black Hills National Forest.

The SD State Library is a federal depository library and provides access to print and electronic federal government publications. Print publications are available via interlibrary loan. Electronic publications are linked from the state library online catalog.