South Dakota's Major Products: Ag, Minerals, Energy, Manufacturing

Prairie Economy in Four Pillars

1. Agriculture (Backbone)

• Crops: Corn (#6 US), soybeans (#8), wheat (spring & winter), sunflowers (#2), oats, sorghum.
• Livestock: Beef cattle (#5 US, 3.7M head), hogs (#11), dairy, sheep, bison.
• Value-added: Ethanol (15+ plants, #6 US), biodiesel, distillers grains.

2. Minerals (Black Hills Legacy)

• Gold: Homestake Mine (Lead) – historic, now science lab (SURF). Wharf Mine (Coeur) still produces.
• Silver, lead, zinc: Co-products.
• Industrial: Limestone (cement), sand/gravel (construction), gypsum, bentonite.

3. Energy (Transitioning)

• Coal: Lignite surface mining (limited, declining).
• Oil/Gas: Modest Williston Basin edge.
• Wind: #5 US potential; ~3,000 MW installed (2023), growing fast.
• Solar: Emerging utility-scale.
• Hydro: Missouri River dams (Fort Randall, Gavins Point, Big Bend, Oahe).

4. Manufacturing (Diverse)

• Food processing: Meat packing (Smithfield, Tyson), dairy, bakery.
• Electronics: Benchmark, Daktronics (scoreboards/displays).
• Machinery: Farm equipment, trailers.
• Firearms: HS Precision, custom rifles.
• Pharmaceuticals: Catalent, specialty.
• Plastics/Packaging: Raven Industries (now CNH).

Economic Profile

Low taxes, right-to-work, business-friendly. Challenges: workforce shortage, rural broadband, climate volatility. But diversification (ag + energy + tech) buffers cycles.