Conference Speakers

As the South Dakota NRCS state soil health specialist, Kent Vlieger works to help producers and landowners across the state improve the health of their soil and the resiliency of their operations. Kent also helped organize a no-till community garden in Huron that incorporates cover crops.

Roy Thompson, a 33-year-old farmer from Akaska, South Dakota, faced a challenging health situation when he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the age of 20. Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel condition that can be both painful and debilitating. Despite the most advanced treatments available, Roy’s symptoms persisted. However, he decided to take matters into his own hands and address the potential cause by changing his diet. Roy shifted to consuming nutrient-rich foods grown using practices that support soil biology. Over several months, his condition improved, and his symptoms faded away. Astonishingly, lab results showed a textbook, 100% healthy colon and liver after he adopted this approach. It’s a powerful reminder that soil health plays a crucial role in human health. Roy’s journey led him to embrace regenerative agriculture practices, focusing on soil health and sustainable farming methods.

Victor Tuschen is currently the state Agricultural Economist for South Dakota NRCS-USDA. He attended South Dakota State University from 2012-2018 majoring in Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Agriculture business, and minoring in Accounting. He started with NRCS in 2018 as a soil conservationist, since then he has worked as District conservationist in both South Dakota and Maine. The experience of District Conservationist and his background in economics lead him to this current role as an Economist.

Barry Little grew up on the second farm his father, Donald Little, purchased in 1958 on the banks of the Big Sioux River north of Castlewood, SD. Don's legacy was planting trees and an appreciation for nature, especially bird watching. During his lifetime he planted thousands of trees, a tradition carried on by his family. Conservation along the mile length of the Big Sioux through their farm became a priority over the past 65 years.

Barry graduated from SDSU in 1981 with degrees in Chemistry, Biology, and Microbiology, having concentrated on science classes in a failed attempted to qualify for veterinary school. He worked for 3 years as a research chemist at Vulcan Chemicals in Wichita, KS. It was there that he met his wife, Carolee, and they moved back to Castlewood in 1985 where Barry started farming in a partnership with his brother Donnie, following the retirement of their father.

Barry and Carolee have two sons, Isaac and Eli. Eli received a degree in AG Econ from SDSU in 2013 and is now a partner and lives on the farm next to the Big Sioux. He and his wife, Jessica, have three daughters and a fourth child on the way this fall.

Maggie Syversen is a District Conservationist with South Dakota USDA-NRCS. In 2020, she graduated from Tennessee State University and moved to Minnesota: where she worked as a farmhand, volunteered with the NRCS through the Earth Team Volunteer (ETV) program, and was later hired-on as a Soil Conservationist. As of March 2023, she’s been serving Butte County & Lawrence County, South Dakota out of the Belle Fourche Field Office. 

Maggie is eager to share what the NRCS has to offer in the urban and small-scale setting because Urban Agriculture is a passion of hers. The passion stems from a joint upbringing between a fourth-generation farm in SE North Dakota and the suburbs of Des Moines, Iowa. She embraces the contrast of the two places that she calls home through her work with NRCS. She hopes to help bridge the gap between the NRCS and the urban/small-scale farmer.

Paul is the Black Hills Operations Manager.  I’m a Certified Forester who has been practicing forestry since 2001.  Paul graduated from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry with a dual B.S degree in Forest Resource Management and Environmental Forest Biology.  Paul started with Neiman in 2009 as a forester. Paul worked as their Resource Forester in Hill City from 2013-2016, and then in Spearfish from 2016-2021 before stepping into my current role.  Prior to working for Neiman Enterprises, Paul worked in the Catskill area of New York as a Procurement Forester for Baillie Lumber Company. Paul and his family enjoy spending time in the outdoors hunting, fishing, and camping.

Michelle & Rick Grosek grow certified organic vegetables, eggs, and hay and organically grown (but not certified) grass-fed/finished lamb and goat at Bear Butte Gardens, 5 miles outside of Sturgis, SD. The addition of a year-round farm stand and commercial kitchen in 2020 has allowed for seasonal Farm to Table dinners, cooking classes, and a variety of other agritourism activities. Bear Butte Gardens networks with approximately 60 other local producers for produce, meat, honey, and value-added items. 

Specialize in Urban and Community Forestry but he also works with rural landowners on windbreak and other tree management issues.  He graduated from University of MN in 2010 and worked a variety of seasonal natural resource management jobs for the NRCS, National Park Service, Army Corps of Engineers, ND State Parks, USFS and the State of South Dakota.  

He have been in my current position since 2015 and greatly enjoyed his time working with and educating his fellow citizens in South Dakota on how to better care for there trees and the landscape around them.