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Reflecting on his childhood, fourth-generation Valley Springs farmer, Kevin Scott said for him and his cousins, farm life was idyllic.

“We were one farm with 10 kids, so there were enough of us to play baseball if we wanted,” explained Scott, adding up his five siblings and four cousins. “Plenty of work, but also lots of fun. My older siblings and cousins would say they did most of the work and I had most of the fun — and I would agree.”

It was a great place to grow up, but with older brothers and cousins, Scott knew there would not be room for him to return to farm with his dad, Richard, and uncle, Ron. So, in 1979, he headed off to Ģ������Ƶ.

And then his future father-in-law, Dean Gage, offered him a job. Jannell’s dad asked Scott to work with him on his farm.

“Until this time, I did not think farming was in my future. I became highly motivated, changed my degree to general agriculture and signed up for all the classes at SDSU that I thought would prepare me for farming,” Scott said.

Scott explained he was intrigued by the labor-saving farming techniques Gage was implementing in 1981. “My dad was always tinkering in the shop to make equipment work for our farm, and Dean was the same way. At planting, he had a tiller with a corn planter mounted on the back, so he would till and plant at the same time. His sprayer had a controlled droplet applicator, innovative for the time as a way to cut back on volume and still maintain excellent weed control.”

Scott farmed with Gage for two years. In 1983, he and Jannell began farming on their own. Scott continued the innovative approach to farming his dad and father-in-law exposed him to.

“Dean and my dad opened my eyes to innovate and change things to help get the work done,” Scott said.

To contribute to the farm’s income, Scott took over a seed dealership from a neighbor who was retiring. This piqued his interest in seed genetics.

“In the early ’80s, soybeans were the crop we planted to grow better corn. But there were all these new varieties that we did not know anything about, so we local farmers got together and formed a county soybean organization where we would grow a test plot for all the different varieties,” Scott said of soybean test plots and his seed dealership that led to involvement in South Dakota Soybean Association.

Soon advocacy for soybean farmers captured Scott’s passion.

“Policy developed in D.C. impacts our family farms — EPA decisions, USDA decisions, administration decisions — without somebody fighting for you, the ability to farm could be taken away from us,” explained Scott, who served as president of the South Dakota Soybean Association and the American Soybean Association.

In these roles he also had the opportunity to see firsthand how soybeans raised in South Dakota impacted the lives and livelihoods of individuals all over the world.

“Our soybeans go everywhere,” Scott said. “And we have a thousand different products soybeans are a part of. Learning about what soybeans become after they leave South Dakota is eye-opening.”

When his friend, Jerry Schmitz, was ready to retire as executive director of South Dakota Soybean this year, Scott was asked by the board to fill the position.

“When the qualifications for this job were sent out to me, I read through the list, and I felt like I had been training for this position my entire life. I have had the privilege of working with many great leaders, and I am excited to continue,” Scott explained. “And the timing was right. I have been farming with my son, Jordan, for more than a decade, and he is ready to take over the operation.”

Jordan is also following his dad’s footsteps in South Dakota Soybean. In 2022, he served as president of South Dakota Soybean and currently serves on the executive committee of the American Soybean Association.

“When Jordan said he was interested in farming full time, I count it among our family’s many blessings,” Scott said. “Farming together with my wife, son and grandkids brings a lot of joy and the opportunity to continue our family’s legacy.”

He and his wife Jannell have six grown children: David (MacKenzie), Jordan (Samantha), Anna (Jarek), Laura (Bret), Maren (John) and Whitney and grandchildren Quinn, Lincoln, Cora, Dane, Evelyn and Hazel.

Celebrate Kevin Scott during eminent leaders banquet

For his service and leadership, Scott will be recognized by the Ģ������Ƶ colleges of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and Education and Human Sciences with the 2026 Eminent Leader in Agriculture, Family and Community honor. A banquet will be held Sept. 18 at McCrory Gardens Education and Visitor Center. Scott will be honored alongside Mary Duvall, Pierre; Patty DeZeeuw, Elkton; and Jerry Schmitz, Vermillion.

For tickets, visit . Tickets need to be purchased on or before Sept. 4. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m. followed by a banquet and recognition program at 6:30 p.m.

To learn more about the award or to nominate an individual for the award, contact Angela Loftesness, Eminent Leaders in Agriculture, Family and Community chair, via email, at 605-688-6732 or visit Eminent Leaders.