VERMILLION, S.D. (KTIV) – 2025 is here, and farmers are flocking to Vermillion, South Dakota, for the 41st annual Dakota Farm Show.

Over 230 vendors are on site inside the Dakota Dome in Vermillion. Products ranged from tractors and tools to fencing for livestock, and holding tanks. This year, 40 new vendors are on hand to display their products from several Midwest states including Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Minnesota.

The show isn’t limited to display. In fact, attendees can go to seminars to learn about the latest practices in the industry. Organizers say the Dakota Farm Show grows every year.

“A lot of these companies have been with us for a long time so they can talk about an era when I wasn’t around but a lot of newer companies coming in with new products that didn’t exist 40 years ago. It’s a nice annual event to get together at the Dakota Dome is always great, they’ve made a lot of improvements to make this a comfortable space to host a show such as this,” said John Riles, Vice President of Midwest Shows.

One of the big innovations in farming technology is the use of drones. Mark Quall, with Dakota Ag Solutions, said in the last five years drones have burst onto the ag scene and improved a lot within the business, serving multiple uses for farmers.

“Farming is all about efficiency and cutting your costs as much as you can. So these systems replace a lot of systems that you normally use multiple applications for. Whether it be hiring for an airplane to come out or having someone plant your cover crop for you this will do all the pesticides, fungicides, and the cover crops for you,” said Quall.

The Dakota Farm Show continues Wednesday, Jan. 8 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It ends Thursday, Jan. 9 with hours from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Copyright 2025 KTIV. All rights reserved.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – A bill that would require the Ten Commandments to be posted and taught in public schools will make an appearance in the 2025 legislative session.

First-term lawmakers usually don’t carry much legislation, if at all, but Senator John Carley out of Piedmont said it’s important to recognize the historical significance of the Ten Commandments in U.S. history.

If Carley’s bill were to pass, it would require schools to have the Ten Commandments posted in classrooms and taught as a historical document.

“We need to illustrate our history and truth, some people may want to say, ‘We don’t want to talk about these topics,’ but the Ten Commandments certainly were a part of the founding of our country,” Carley said.

Carley hopes the Christian document is taught alongside other prominent documents, including the United States and South Dakota Constitutions, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

He said the mention of God does not equate to a push of a religion and points to the Christian God’s role in prominent documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Magna Carta. He also points to the stories of many historical U.S. figures as proof.

“We call him Reverend Martin Luther King. We are illustrating the historical context that he was a reverend. he wasn’t a Muslim cleric or a Hindu priest. We put his title of what it is to illustrate truth.”

Carley added that although this bill is meant to point out the historical significance of the Ten Commandments, he recognizes that there could be some cultural impact as well.

“If we find kids honoring their father and mother, a lot of parents will be happy about that. If we find people are not stealing, lying or murdering, I think our Sheriff Department and law enforcement will certainly be happy,” said Carley.

Legislative activity continues to pick up with over 50 bills filed with the 100th session just over a week away.

While Senator Carley’s bill has not been posted yet on the South Dakota legislature website, he expects it will be by the end of the week.

Copyright 2025 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.