South Dakota Ag Foundation Appoints Austin Havlik to Board of Directors

PIERRE, S.D. (August 5, 2026) — The South Dakota Ag Foundation (SDAF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening agriculture’s future across South Dakota, today announced the appointment of Austin Havlik to its Board of Directors, effective July 16, 2026.

Havlik brings more than 15 years of agricultural lending experience to the role, currently serving as Regional Vice President for Farm Credit Services of America. Raised on a family cow-calf operation near Mitchell, S.D., Havlik has spent a lifetime immersed in the industry he now works to support. He also proudly served in the South Dakota Air National Guard, including a military deployment.

"We are excited to have Austin join us on the Board of Directors," said SDAF Board Member Drew Peterson. "His passion for agriculture and commitment to service will make him an invaluable part of our organization as we strive to enrich agriculture for generations to come."

Havlik's appointment comes at a pivotal moment for South Dakota agriculture. An estimated wave of farm and ranch operations are expected to change hands over the next decade as the state's farmers and ranchers age, and without a clear transition plan, many multi-generational operations risk being broken up, sold off, or lost altogether.

"For more than a decade, we've talked about the coming generational transition in family farming operations. That transition is no longer on the horizon. It is happening today," Havlik said. "Through the Keep Farmers Farming program, the South Dakota Ag Foundation is well positioned to help farm families navigate the opportunities and challenges that come with transition planning, ensuring South Dakota farms and ranches remain productive, sustainable, and family-owned for generations to come."

Havlik's dual perspective, as an active partner in a working cattle operation and as a career agricultural lender, gives SDAF a rare combination of financial acumen and on-the-ground ranching experience. That vantage point positions the Foundation to sharpen its work through Keep Farmers Farming (KFF), its flagship initiative helping South Dakota farm and ranch families tackle the complex legal, financial, and emotional work of transition planning.