HURON, S.D. – Students compete to win up to $15,000 in scholarship dollars during the Farming for the Future Social Media Scholarship Contest sponsored by South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU).
Entry deadline is October 19, 2025.
“There’s a lot of misconceptions out there when it comes to agriculture,” explained Samantha Bowman, SDFU Education Program Specialist. “This scholarship contest gives students the opportunity to debunk the misconceptions, educate individuals about agriculture and win scholarship dollars.”
South Dakota State University pre-veterinary student Hailey Kizer, of Howard agreed. As the 2024 first place winner, Kizer received $3,000 in scholarship dollars.
“I enjoyed this contest. For me, it was not just about earning scholarship dollars – which are important because vet school is extremely expensive – but it was really about the opportunity to share about agriculture,” said Kizer, who served as the 2023-2024 State FFA Reporter. “Agriculture is what I love. It has always been a part of my life and this is the reason I want to build my career in agriculture.”
Kizer was one of many high school and college students to compete in the 2024 Farming for the Future Ag Advocacy Scholarship Contest.
“Education is a foundational focus of Farmers Union as we work to support family farmers, ranchers and rural communities,” explained Karla Hofhenke, SDFU Executive Director. “This ag advocacy scholarship contest educates consumers, while at the same time helping agriculture’s future leaders earn scholarships to help fund their education.”
Compete & Earn $100 weekly
Students enter the scholarship contest by October 19, 2025 and then each week they complete agriculture advocacy social media challenges. Weekly challenge winners receive $100 each challenge and on December 11, 2025 during the 2025 South Dakota Farmers Union State Convention the final winners will be announced.
Winners receive points and students with the highest points receive up to $3,000 in scholarships. Scholarship funds of $15,000 will be awarded.
To compete, visit www.sdfu.org, click on Farming for the Future link under the Education tab.