Vermillion hosts Dakota Farm Show amid pandemic

Vermillion S.D. (Dakota News Now) - The Dakota Farm Show looks different than in years past.

With people wearing masks and some vendors passing out hand sanitizer. To the people that have been to this event before one difference is just the amount of people showing up.

“We just got here a little bit ago. It is a little smaller than what we have seen here. People are being cautious. Even the farmers are. Cause you can’t be sick, if you got livestock you have got to be there to take care of them,” said Randy Bargholz, a farmer who attended the show.

For the vendors, they know that the amount of people might not be as high, but they have high hopes for good sale numbers.

“The more numbers the better chance you have, but sometimes it’s not all about numbers either it’s about. It only takes one or two serious customers to make up for a lot of people that walk by who have no need for what you have,” said Brad Young, a vendor at the event.

While many businesses struggled in 2020, farming income across the nation may surprise you.

While they have faced challenges during Covid, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, gross cash income for farms in 2020 is expected to be at the highest levels since 2015.

“I think that farming is always up and down, but I think right now is probably a good time for farmers, they might have a little extra capital. At the end of the year, they may be looking to spend that or start something new. So yeah, right now I think they are sitting in a pretty good place, but farming is always tough,” said Scott Nagel, a vendor at the event.

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