South Dakota
New law makes selling homemade foods directly to consumers easier in South Dakota
A brand new regulation that makes it simpler for folks to promote do-it-yourself meals on to shoppers in South Dakota may increase enterprise alternatives for small producers and enhance product choices at properties, farmers markets, gala’s and roadside stands.
Home Invoice 1322 was handed unanimously by the state Legislature in 2022, and was signed into regulation by Gov. Kristi Noem. It took impact July 1, 2022.
The regulation goals to get rid of logistical and testing hurdles for individuals who need to promote sure do-it-yourself or home-produced meals, often called cottage meals. Proponents say it opens the way in which for extra folks to make a residing or improve their incomes by promoting merchandise they made at dwelling. The measure can also be seen by supporters as a solution to create new jobs, particularly in rural components of the state.
The measure removes some costly and time-consuming necessities that have been arbitrary in lots of circumstances and which made promoting do-it-yourself merchandise tougher than in lots of neighboring states, stated Rep. Marli Wiese, R-Madison, a farmer who launched the invoice earlier this 12 months.
“As South Dakotans get better from the pandemic, home-based meals companies can create jobs and increase entry to native meals, particularly in rural areas if they don’t seem to be restricted by pointless regulation,” Wiese stated in help of the measure.
The regulation particularly covers non-temperature managed meals ready at a residence, like home-processed canned items and baked items, although it extends to different merchandise, too. Meat-based merchandise and honey will nonetheless be topic to testing and regulatory approval previous to sale.
Beneath the previous language, solely do-it-yourself, shelf-stable baked and canned items could possibly be offered. The brand new regulation permits extra do-it-yourself merchandise like soup mixes, sweet, kimchee, frozen-cut fruit and veggies, salsas, kuchen, quiche and different gadgets to be offered. Wiese stated the regulation is required much more within the post-pandemic period as provide chain issues and rising costs have diminished availability of meals at some grocery shops.
“Our cottage meals legal guidelines are extra restrictive than legal guidelines in our neighing states,” Weise stated. “Throughout the nation, states are increasing their cottage meals legal guidelines to soundly create financial alternatives for meals entrepreneurs and to assist enhance entry to native meals.”
Lisa Nolan, a lobbyist for People for Prosperity, instructed lawmakers that the cottage meals regulation is required to increase “meals freedom” in South Dakota, whereas additionally eliminating a barrier to self-employment and entrepreneurship. Nolan testified that the regulation may increase earnings alternatives for individuals who could not have the ability to work conventional jobs, resembling disabled folks, army spouses, immigrant households or daycare suppliers.
“It’s a beautiful avenue for entrepreneurs and particularly for girls in rural district or rural areas,” Nolan stated. “There’s a myriad of advantages to merchandise and shoppers alike.”
All of these gadgets beforehand needed to be despatched to a lab for approval by a third-party processing authority, which was a prolonged and expensive course of. South Dakota has just one product testing lab and one worker overseeing testing, slowing the method even additional, Wiese stated.
Now, those that need to provide such do-it-yourself merchandise want solely to take an
on-line class
each 5 years. In addition they want to stick to state gross sales tax legal guidelines to promote their gadgets.
The coaching prices $40 and lasts between 4 and 6 hours, stated Curtis Braun, South Dakota State College Extension meals security specialist.
SDSU Extension introduced in late November that the coaching courses are actually accessible. The course has been accepted by the South Dakota Division of Well being and is obtainable on the
South Dakota Cottage House Processing Meals Security web page
, Braun stated.
Barbara Cromwell, supervisor of the Black Hills Farmers Market in Fast Metropolis, testified in favor of the invoice and believes it can loosen restrictions so extra folks should purchase and promote their do-it-yourself and home-processed meals. Throughout a December interview with South Dakota Information Watch, she stated it is going to be fascinating to see what new distributors and merchandise present up on the farmers market due to the laws.
The brand new coverage also needs to make it simpler for many who provide do-it-yourself meals to promote their companies or go them right down to a member of the family as a result of the inspection course of has been eradicated, she stated.
Thus far, there was little suggestions on the brand new cottage meals regulation, Braun stated, however discussions could decide up when the market re-opens in January 2023.
Individuals who make meals at dwelling that they hope to promote appear proud of the measure, he stated, as a result of there are fewer regulatory hoops to leap by way of. However completely different folks and teams may have completely different approaches to how they adapt to the regulation, he stated.
Some sellers might need some uncertainty in the case of low-moisture meals like jerky and honey, Braun stated. These gadgets may be produced in properties, however they’re nonetheless topic to inspection, he stated, as a result of they don’t seem to be addressed within the new regulation. Meat nonetheless must be inspected by way of a U.S. Division of Agriculture program, whereas honey must be inspected by the South Dakota Division of Agriculture, he stated.
However, Braun stated, there must be sufficient info to steer folks away from do-it-yourself and home-processed meals that may’t be offered with out inspection. And if there are questions, extension specialists can assist make clear the small print.
Throughout last committee debate in the course of the legislative session, no opponents spoke in opposition to the measure. Beforehand, the South Dakota Retailers Affiliation had instructed amendments for readability. These have been made and accepted and the invoice sailed by way of the Senate 34-0 and the Home 70-0 earlier than it was signed by Noem.
This story initially appeared at
South Dakota Information Watch
.
South Dakota
Flooding continues across Midwest; how ND DOT mitigates potential flooding problems
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Flooding has been devastating in parts of the Midwest recently, impacting the Blue Earth River in southern Minnesota, leading to the closure of I-29 in parts of South Dakota and Iowa, and causing millions of dollars in damages to small towns and farms.
While rainfall for many in North Dakota has been above normal, flooding problems haven’t been widespread.
The North Dakota Department of Transportation (DOT) tries to prevent problems each year with proper planning for projects.
“Anytime there’s a project that impacts a stream crossing— so that can be a pipe, a box culvert, a bridge— we have to do the hydraulic design to ensure that the minimum opening is met. North Dakota state law has specific requirements of what design event these different types of crossings need to be built to, they are dependent on the roadway classification. So, for instance, our interstate is our highest priority, so it has a larger flood event that we design it to, to help ensure that there’s resiliency for that roadway,” said Lindsay Bossert, assistant bridge engineer at the ND DOT.
The DOT follows strict design standards, going above state law by planning for 100-year flood events, especially when bridges are involved.
“We have a lot of bridge replacement projects, those we have to design hydraulically to make sure that that opening size is large enough to accommodate these floods. So, a lot of those projects are going on right now,” said Bossert. “We’ve also done quite a bit of grade raises over the past few years. So, we have specific roadways that we see inundate, go underwater quite frequently. So, we’ve really tried to start bringing those above where we see that flood typically occur to ensure that those stay dry.”
I-94 recently flooded from heavy rain near Cleveland, west of Jamestown.
“We are now looking at the hydraulics of that, trying to figure out how high we would need to bring that road up in order to ensure that that flooding doesn’t occur again,” said Bossert.
Being able to rapidly respond to flooding situations starts with preparedness within each DOT district.
“They visit with their maintenance crews early spring, make sure they’ve got all their signs and barriers ready to go so that we can react quickly if we need to shut down a road. Once the spring melt starts occurring, we typically pay close attention to the water levels at that site. We use USGS stream gauges or cameras to kind of help us track those water levels,” said Bossert.
Safety comes first, so road closures do happen sometimes and damage inspections are required once the water recedes.
Flooding can also delay ongoing construction projects, so DOT contractors need to maintain positive drainage throughout the construction site to mitigate these problems.
Eastern North Dakota is generally the most problematic for flooding. River levels remain high there and across much of the Midwest, with a bit more rain to come before dry conditions are expected in the longer term.
Copyright 2024 KFYR. All rights reserved.
South Dakota
Bicyclist dies week after being struck by vehicle in Custer County
PRINGLE, S.D. — An 82-year-old bicyclist succumbed to his injuries more than a week after he was struck by a vehicle in Custer County.
Shortly before midday on June 27, authorities in Custer County were called to the intersection of U.S. 385 and South Dakota Highway 89, within city limits of Pringle, for a report of a bicyclist who was struck by a vehicle.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol said an 82-year-old bicyclist was traveling northbound on Highway 89 when he failed to stop at a stop sign. The bicyclist was struck by a 2006 Chevrolet Impala that was traveling southbound on Highway 385.
The bicyclist was flown to an area hospital, where he died on July 3, more than a week after the crash.
The driver and passenger in the Impala, a 46-year-old female and a 21-year-old male, were not injured.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol continues to investigate the crash.
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