Farmer. Rancher. Instructor. Advisor. Legislator. Jason Frerichs of Wilmot, SD wears many hats in his booming career, a balancing act that he handles with ease. As a 2007 graduate from South Dakota State University (SDSU), Frerichs has since pursued his goals with a fierce determination, putting his passion for agriculture in action with his many activities.

The Frerichs family owns a farm and ranch in Roberts County. His father, Kent, teaches agriculture education in Wilmot, and his mother, Faye, is a nurse. They raised four children – Aaron, Jason, Ryan and Miranda – and the boys are all involved in the family operation. Aaron, 31, oversees the crop side, and Jason, 25, owns and manages the cattle, and younger brother Ryan, 22, works as a cattle-hand and mechanic on the place.

A farmer and rancher

Jason feels fortunate to live in South Dakota, where young producers have the opportunity to diversify their operations with both livestock and crops. He currently manages both a fall and spring calving season, with 100 commercial stock cows in the fall program and another 50 spring-calving cows owned on a share basis. He raises corn and soybeans on 600 acres of cropland and manages 1,300 acres of pasture and hay ground for his cattle.

“My true passion and focus is in production agriculture,” said Frerichs. “I'm hopeful about the future of agriculture, and I believe it looks bright. I think it can work for young people to pursue careers in production agriculture, but it takes a lot of hard work, support from friends and family and having your finances in order.”

Frerichs took advantage of the FSA Beginner Farm and Ranch Loan, as well as an EQUIP grant to place watering systems and fences to set up a rotational grazing system in his pastures. He firmly believes in supplemental income to support any operation, and he credits the help of his family and friends for helping him accomplish his goals.

“Supplemental income is so helpful and is nothing to be ashamed of,” noted Frerichs. “My advice to anyone starting out is to make sure you get a quick return on your dollar to prove to the banker that you can handle the financial responsibilities of ranching. Also, don't be afraid to try new things and do things differently. Don't pressure yourself to have everything all at once. Improve your operation in increments, and keep your input costs down. These are things we can control.”

An instructor and advisor

While juggling his other career obligations, Frerichs keeps one foot on the ranch and another in the classroom, where he is an instructor at Lake Area Technical Institute (LATI) in Watertown, SD. With a 40-minute commute to work, Frerichs has to manage his time well to take care of his obligations on the ranch, while dedicating quality time to his students. Frerichs not only teaches several courses in the fall to the post-secondary students at LATI, but he also serves as the Watertown Area FFA Advisor. He instructs in a dual-credit program for high school students and post-secondary production students who plan to go back to the farm in the future.

“I think it's important to be totally accessible to my students,” said Frerichs, who encourages his students to call his cell phone at any time with questions. “I believe in hands-on, real life learning situations. Sometimes, I will troubleshoot something going on at the farm with the students. Perhaps it's figuring out whether to dry out corn or use it as silage. These are real life equations we work out in the classroom.”

Frerichs teaches Seed and Grain Technology, Crop Science and Precision Ag. He works out on the school farm and tries to visit his students and their operations in his spare time. He enjoys working with the students and helping them navigate the challenges they face in pursuing careers in production agriculture. Someday, he hopes to extend his reach to full-time producers, working as a consultant to help improve other operations. For now, he is focused on shaping young minds in agriculture, a natural extension from his FFA days, where he served as a state officer.

A legislator and politician

If juggling teaching and ranching isn't already a handful, Frerichs said he takes his civil responsibilities seriously and serves as the state's youngest legislator in the South Dakota House of Representatives from District 1. As a young person in the minority party, Frerichs is a Democrat, who prides himself in working on both sides of the aisle. And, he tries not to let his age deter him from getting the job done in Pierre.

“Of course, being young and a member of the minority party, I meet opposition in many of my priorities, but I never let that stop me from pursuing my goals,” said Frerichs.

As a legislator, Frerichs' main priority is in education, especially with career and technical education. He also works for the agriculture industry, and he follows the advice of a veteran legislator: Don't speak on all issues in government; stick to the ones where your expertise lies. For Frerichs, there are plenty of things to accomplish in the areas of education and agriculture, and he is more than happy to focus on those areas.

“I'm a huge fan of competition in the marketplace for agriculture,” explains Frerichs. “Auction markets are extremely vital to our South Dakota economy, and I utilize them to market my own cattle. I'm also a true believer in Country of Origin Labeling and ethanol production and increased usage in our state. I believe in crop insurance, and I seek advice from marketing services. Whether in government or agriculture, we need to utilize our available resources.”

To spread the word on his priorities in Pierre, Frerichs uses social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter. His information can be found on his website at www.jasonfrerichs.com, and fellow South Dakotans can follow his activities on www.twitter.com/jasonfrerichs and www.facebook.com/jason.frerichs.

“I believe wisdom is the hardest thing to achieve, whether it's on the farm or in government,” said Frerichs. “For me, wisdom is being able to know when is the right time to breed cows or plant corn, and to be able to understand the affects of my decisions when I vote on a bill. It all comes down to learning.”