The South Dakota Dairy Association records document its role in shaping the state’s dairy industry from the early 1900s to the early 2000s. This collection includes ledgers, administrative materials, financial records, and publications that provide insight into the association’s governance, advocacy, and industry impact. Annual reports, meeting minutes, and convention programs spanning a century highlight efforts to promote dairy farming practices, support producers, and establish industry standards.
Significant materials include governance documents such as the association’s constitution, amendments, and certificate of incorporation, as well as financial records detailing operations and contests. Convention programs from 1911 to 1999, along with reports on industry regulations, illustrate the association’s efforts to foster professional development and policy discussions. The collection also includes medals, photographs, and newspaper clippings, offering a connection to the association’s legacy.
These materials provide valuable context for understanding the evolution of South Dakota’s dairy industry, reflecting broader agricultural trends, economic contributions, and the collaborative efforts that shaped the state’s dairy sector.

The South Dakota Farmers Alliance Records document the early efforts of farmers in Dakota Territory to organize against economic and political challenges, particularly those posed by railroad monopolies. The collection includes an 1887 address by President H. L. Loucks and proceedings from the Alliance’s annual convention, reflecting the organization's advocacy for agricultural and economic reforms. Additionally, an undated advertisement for A Book for Farmers – Dunning’s Farm Ledger and Historical Account highlights the practical and educational resources valued by the farming community.

These records provide insight into the broader Farmers’ Alliance movement, which emerged in Dakota Territory in the early 1880s in response to declining wheat prices and perceived railroad injustices. The movement gained traction with the formation of the Dakota Farmers’ Alliance in 1885, expanding rapidly across the region. The documents in this collection offer valuable historical context on the Alliance’s objectives, leadership, and strategies during a critical period of agrarian activism in South Dakota.

The South Dakota Farmers Union Records provide a comprehensive account of the organization’s history, advocacy, and role in shaping agricultural policy from the early 20th century to the early 2000s. The collection documents the Union’s efforts to support family farmers, promote cooperative enterprises, and influence state and national agricultural legislation. Materials include organizational records, correspondence, meeting minutes, financial statements, educational materials, photographs, audiovisual recordings, and publications.

A significant portion of the collection pertains to the Union’s legislative and political engagement, featuring records from state and national conventions, speeches, campaign materials, and lobbying efforts. These materials illustrate the Union’s role in advocating agricultural policy reforms, rural economic development, and cooperative business models. Key figures such as Ben Radcliffe, George McGovern, Hubert Humphrey, and Eleanor Roosevelt are represented in convention proceedings, recorded speeches, and radio broadcasts. The 1972 Supreme Court case on public school funding through property tax is also documented through clippings, correspondence, and legal evidence.

The audiovisual materials consist of 13 audiocassettes, 156 open reel tapes, 6 wire recordings, and 34 16mm motion picture films, spanning from 1948 to 1992. These recordings capture state and national conventions, radio programs, speeches, and advertisements, along with footage of state camp activities, tours, picnics, and parades. Many of the materials promote legislative initiatives and endorse political candidates. In 2018, the South Dakota Farmers Union audiovisual collection was digitized with the support of a Recordings at Risk grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources. Due to the fragile state of many recordings, the Archives partnered with George Blood L.P. to ensure high-quality digital preservation in sustainable formats.

The Cooperative Legacy Project, spearheaded by Chuck Groth, communications director for the South Dakota Farmers Union from 1972 to 2008, provides an in-depth oral history of the cooperative movement in South Dakota. This project includes over 110 hours of digital audio interviews with Farmers Union members, cooperative managers, and farm organization leaders. The interviews, recorded in MP3 and WAV formats, are supplemented by documents, scanned photographs, and rough transcriptions, offering insight into the history and impact of the cooperative movement.

The collection also includes publications from the National Farmers Union and various state organizations, as well as South Dakota Farmers Union-produced materials such as convention programs (1938-1983), policy statements (1954-1988), handbooks, and brochures. The photographic collection, comprising over 33,000 photographs and negatives, documents youth programs, conventions, picnics, tours, and key moments in the organization’s history, as well as images published in the South Dakota Union Farmer.

Records from local unions throughout South Dakota provide insight into grassroots organizing efforts, consisting of charter records, attendance logs, minutes, and correspondence, with some materials accompanied by photographs. This material includes essential governance documents such as constitutions, by-laws, speeches, scrapbooks, and advertising materials, with Farmers Union annual convention minutes spanning from 1926 to 1946.

This collection serves as an invaluable resource for researchers studying agricultural policy, rural advocacy, cooperative movements, and the political and economic history of farming in South Dakota and the United States. Through its extensive documentation of legislative efforts, community programs, and cooperative business models, the South Dakota Farmers Union Records provide a unique perspective on the evolving landscape of American agriculture.