Much of our nation’s story is rooted in amber waves of grain and rolling livestock pastures. The people who care for that land often come from generations of farm and ranch families. However, over the next two decades, an estimated 24 trillion dollars in farmland and agricultural assets will change hands, according to the National Land Realty. That’s why the South Dakota Ag Foundation wants to help current farm families transition land into the hands of the next generations.

Agriculture is the backbone of South Dakota’s economy and culture. And Gov. Kristi Noem wants to keep it that way for generations to come. But that means more than planting and harvesting. Sometimes it involves lawyers, accountants and estate planners. That’s why South Dakota’s outgoing governor is asking state lawmakers to expand the Keep Farmers Farming program, an industry undergoing operational shifts as demand grows with the state’s aging ag-producer population.