John Thune

Agriculture is a way of life in South Dakota. Not only is it the state’s largest industry and the economic engine of our rural communities, but our state’s rural areas are where many families raise their children and mold the next generation of farmers and ranchers — making agriculture very important to our state’s future.

Sen. John Thune stopped short of calling the director of national intelligence a liar on Wednesday, while Sen. Tim Johnson declined to comment on the honesty issue.

The Saturday Evening Post writer, Clarence Budington Kelland, once said: “My father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.” The power of example is perhaps the most challenging and rewarding part of parenthood. While both of my girls are grown now, it doesn’t seem that long ago that their big blue eyes were watching my every move. This seemed to be particularly true at the times that I wasn’t feeling especially patient or friendly. It was on those occasions that I would think back to how my dad, who always understood the power of example, would handle himself in similar situations.

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.,was honored with the 2013 American Agri-Women “Champion of Agriculture” award during the organization’s annual legislative fly-in to Washington D.C.

Living in South Dakota, we know that the elements of nature can be our greatest friend and also our gravest enemy. On farms and ranches across the state it is not uncommon to see controlled burns in pastures. In these summer months, many of us enjoy roasting marshmallows and hotdogs over an open campfire, and lighting fireworks around the Fourth of July. Yet it takes just a small increase in the wind from the wrong direction, an extra-dry season, or careless eye on the campfire for small fires to spread quickly out-of-control.