All ranchers are invited to a Rancher Appreciation Social to be hosted by members of the South Dakota Farm Bureau during the Black Hills Stock Show.

This year’s social, Farm Bureau’s second annual, will be held on Monday, Feb. 2 from 2:00 to 5:00pm in the Hockey Arena, Club Level, of the Rapid City Convention Center.

Members of the Pennington/Jackson County Farm Bureau came up with the idea for the social after the Atlas Blizzard of October 2013. They wanted to find a small way to show appreciation for their fellow ranchers and all they’d been through. They decided to make it an annual event after last year’s social was enjoyed so much by all who attended.

“We wanted to create an event where ranchers and farmers from across the region could network and enjoy fellowship with other people in agriculture,” said Josh Geigle, President of the Pennington/Jackson County Farm Bureau and a young rancher from the Wall area. “Please stop by the Farm Bureau booth for a complimentary ticket and join us for the social.”

Tickets to the social are available at the South Dakota Farm Bureau exhibit during the Black Hills Stock Show, located in booths #17-18 in LaCroix Hall. The tickets are available to ranchers free-of-charge.

The South Dakota Farm Bureau is the state’s largest agriculture association, representing more than 14,300 farm, ranch and rural families across the state.