(Continued from page 3)

148,000 words.  This legislative session, I've signed 21 repealer bills so far - a few of which were brought by legislators themselves - eliminating over 30,000 more words of unnecessary rules.
• We've repealed outdated provisions dealing with a wide range of subjects, from petroleum products, to county prisoners, to the federal census, to traction engines, to the medical department of the National Guard, and more.
• I hope we continue this new tradition of spring cleaning in state government. Our efforts to cut red tape may not be grabbing a lot of headlines, but they're important. Just as we must eliminate the clutter in our homes for the sake of our own health and wellbeing, we must eliminate the clutter in state government for the sake of the health and wellbeing of South Dakota. 

• The recent Census of Agriculture shows that there is tremendous potential for growth among the smaller producers that make up the middle of American agriculture, but they need our support to get there.
• That can mean a lot of different things. Some small and mid-sized farms and ranches are happy just the way they are, and simply need stability to help them keep afloat during tough times. Others want to grow and expand, but don't know how to access support that meets their specific needs.
• Recognizing these challenges, we have launched a new package of education, credit, technical assistance, and marketing tools and resources geared specifically to small and mid-sized farmers and ranchers.
• One major challenge that can make or break an operation is access to capital, so USDA has recently updated some of our loan programs to make them more accessible and navigable for small and mid-sized farmers and ranchers.
• For example, our hoop house cost share program is now available in all 50

(Continued on page 5)