Melisa Goss

Sioux Falls

Assistant Editor at Tri-State Neighbor

Assistant editor at the Tri-State Neighbor. Pulitzer Center fellow. Global wanderer. Prairie girl. Tweets are my own.

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Articles

From meat to marketing, direct-to-consumer sales require creativity

1 month ago | agupdate.com | Melisa Goss

Over the last 10 years, there has been a significant uptick in producers selling home-raised meat directly to consumers. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, producers sold $17.5 billion worth of food through direct marketing channels in 2022, a 25% increase (adjusted for inflation) since 2017, with an annual real growth rate of 4.6%.
Letcher producer is a beef Trailblazer

1 month ago | agupdate.com | Melisa Goss

Calli Williams wants to help people understand the beef industry. Williams has been chosen as one of the 10 newest members of the Trailblazers program, a selective advocacy initiative spearheaded by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) that will help her do just that. As the first participant from South Dakota, Williams brings her deep-rooted passion for the beef industry and wealth of experience to the program’s fourth cohort.
Area producer sees the global power of soybeans

2 months ago | agupdate.com | Melisa Goss

For one South Dakota, soybean producer, seeing firsthand how soybeans can feed a hungry world gave her a new appreciation for the crop. April Bowar farms with her husband near Faulkton and is a board member of the South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. She was part of a recent See for Yourself tour, an initiative by the soy checkoff aimed at educating producers on global soybean markets and their role in feeding the world.
Exports key for milk prices, economist says

2 months ago | agupdate.com | Melisa Goss

Stability, innovation and collaboration between dairy producers, processors and policymakers will be key to managing milk prices in 2025. That’s according to Katie Burgess, director of risk management at Ever.Ag. Burgess spoke during a breakout session at the 2025 Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls in March. The dairy sector has faced significant challenges over the years, with fluctuating milk prices often creating uncertainty for producers.
Irrigation, tillage practices among top research efforts at Argentine institute

2 months ago | agupdate.com | Melisa Goss

As the hot summer sun radiated across the plains, fields of soybean variety trials waved in the wind. It’s not an American university extension research farm, but one could be forgiven for thinking it was. The soybeans were growing at Argentina's National Agricultural Technology Institute (INTA) facility, part of Argentina’s Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food of the Ministry of Economy and Production.
Argentina river port built for efficiency

2 months ago | agupdate.com | Melisa Goss

Argentina is regularly one of the top 10 corn and soybean export countries, with a vast majority of the grain going to Asia. More than 85% of soybean production is exported, mainly as soymeal and soybean oil rather than whole beans. Around 70-75% of Argentina’s corn production is exported and roughly 50-60% of wheat production goes to other countries.
Sleepy Eye Auction Market operates like a family

2 months ago | agupdate.com | Melisa Goss

Nestled in the heart of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, the Sleepy Eye Auction Market has long been a pillar of the local agricultural community. Established in 1947, the market has served as a crucial hub for livestock producers, providing a reliable space for buying and selling cattle, fostering relationships and maintaining a sense of community within the industry.
Thank you for the gift of healing

2 months ago | agupdate.com | Melisa Goss

I kind of can’t believe I’m writing this, but here I am, writing a farewell column. This will be my last issue as a full-time Tri-State Neighbor journalist. Don’t worry, I’m not going away completely. I’ll still freelance from time to time, and I really would like to continue my Livestock Legacies series. I’ll still show up at farm shows and other ag events because, as I’ve discovered over the last three and a half years, you’ve all become my family.
Celebrating all things dairy

Mar 22, 2025 | agupdate.com | Melisa Goss

The Central Plains Dairy Expo is set to return to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, March 25-27, at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. This annual event brings together dairy producers, industry professionals and enthusiasts for three days of networking, education and celebration of the dairy industry.
An Argentine adventure

Mar 12, 2025 | agupdate.com | Melisa Goss

If you’ve been following along with my columns, you’ll be aware that I’ve spent the last 18 months participating in South Dakota Agricultural and Rural Leadership (SDARL) Class 12. Like the 11 classes before us, our program culminated in an international trip with each class visiting a different location. I got to check a country off my personal travel bucket list when Class 12 landed in Argentina on a sultry February morning. Yep, sultry. If you ask me, we picked a perfect time to go.