Director Spotlight: Steve Halverson
May 31, 2023
Steve Halverson is a fourth-generation farmer/rancher and operates a diversified farm consisting of winter and spring wheat, milo, corn and soybeans in Lyman County. He also runs a cow/calf operation and retains ownership of the calves. Additionally, since 1985, he has operated Halverson Hunts, a commercial pheasant hunting operation.
“We started Halverson Hunts while I was in college - it started out small but has grown substantially,” explains Halverson. “All of our groups have been coming for 20+ years. In fact, our original group continues to hunt with us annually.”
Halverson has an Associate of Arts degree in general agriculture from South Dakota State University and is a graduate of Class I of the South Dakota Ag and Rural Leadership program (SDARL).
In 2014, Halverson was involved with the Rails to the Future group and worked to rebuild the railroad from Chamberlain to Presho, which was fueled by his commitment to building a world-class grain and agronomy facility in his hometown of Kennebec. The group worked closely with the cooperative to help secure state and federal funding for the project. As a result of this collaboration, he became extremely impressed with the co-op staff and board and their commitment to the member-owners of rural South Dakota. A few years later, he was approached to run for its board of directors.
“I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of this organization,” states Halverson.
Halverson has sat on several boards for organizations such as South Dakota Wheat Growers, Rails to the Future, South Dakota Wheat Commission, U.S. Wheat Associates, South Dakota Corn, South Dakota Habitat Conservation Fund and the South Dakota Second Century Habitat Fund.
“My experience on these boards has given me exposure to how our grain flows and how production, transportation and policy impact our farms daily,” says Halverson. “I am especially proud of the investments Agtegra has made in our rural communities and have seen firsthand the effect that the new grain facility has made on my hometown of Kennebec. I have been honored to serve you the past six years and will continue to work for our farmer owners!”
Halverson has been active in the governance of the co-op for six years and currently serves on the executive and governance committees.
“The committee structure allows us time to take a deeper dive into the topics at hand,” reveals Halverson. “It works really well!”
Agtegra’s board of directors utilizes committees as a way to efficiently and effectively discuss key issues and make recommendations to the full board for its review and approval process. For example, the community relations and government affairs committee are charged with focusing on Agtegra’s business strategy and strategic plan, future development, community engagement and governmental affairs.
Some advice Halverson would offer for those interested in getting more involved in the agriculture industry would be to apply for SDARL, as he believes this program is a great start for anyone looking to become more involved. He also encourages people to attend local meetings and Agtegra’s annual meeting.
“Educate yourself on the industry and step up and run for a delegate or director position in your district,” says Halverson. “Agtegra needs leadership at the local level to be successful.”
“We started Halverson Hunts while I was in college - it started out small but has grown substantially,” explains Halverson. “All of our groups have been coming for 20+ years. In fact, our original group continues to hunt with us annually.”
Halverson has an Associate of Arts degree in general agriculture from South Dakota State University and is a graduate of Class I of the South Dakota Ag and Rural Leadership program (SDARL).
In 2014, Halverson was involved with the Rails to the Future group and worked to rebuild the railroad from Chamberlain to Presho, which was fueled by his commitment to building a world-class grain and agronomy facility in his hometown of Kennebec. The group worked closely with the cooperative to help secure state and federal funding for the project. As a result of this collaboration, he became extremely impressed with the co-op staff and board and their commitment to the member-owners of rural South Dakota. A few years later, he was approached to run for its board of directors.
“I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of this organization,” states Halverson.
Halverson has sat on several boards for organizations such as South Dakota Wheat Growers, Rails to the Future, South Dakota Wheat Commission, U.S. Wheat Associates, South Dakota Corn, South Dakota Habitat Conservation Fund and the South Dakota Second Century Habitat Fund.
“My experience on these boards has given me exposure to how our grain flows and how production, transportation and policy impact our farms daily,” says Halverson. “I am especially proud of the investments Agtegra has made in our rural communities and have seen firsthand the effect that the new grain facility has made on my hometown of Kennebec. I have been honored to serve you the past six years and will continue to work for our farmer owners!”
Halverson has been active in the governance of the co-op for six years and currently serves on the executive and governance committees.
“The committee structure allows us time to take a deeper dive into the topics at hand,” reveals Halverson. “It works really well!”
Agtegra’s board of directors utilizes committees as a way to efficiently and effectively discuss key issues and make recommendations to the full board for its review and approval process. For example, the community relations and government affairs committee are charged with focusing on Agtegra’s business strategy and strategic plan, future development, community engagement and governmental affairs.
Some advice Halverson would offer for those interested in getting more involved in the agriculture industry would be to apply for SDARL, as he believes this program is a great start for anyone looking to become more involved. He also encourages people to attend local meetings and Agtegra’s annual meeting.
“Educate yourself on the industry and step up and run for a delegate or director position in your district,” says Halverson. “Agtegra needs leadership at the local level to be successful.”