DE SMET, S.D. — A rural South Dakota county known mainly as the former home of beloved author Laura Ingalls Wilder is onIf the planned projects — the state’s largest individual dairy farm with up to 25,000 cows and a nearly $1 billion biofuels plant — both come to fruition, Kingsbury County in east-central South Dakota could see a sudden surge in its population, economy and tax base.
Jensen said he expects that if both projects become operational, the county would see a jump of at least $500 million and up to $1 billion in its tax base, which could lead to development of new schools, better roads and overall improved infrastructure. The addition of new workers has also brought to light the need to develop more housing in the county, an issue many communities in South Dakota struggle with, though the dairy operation is expected to provide on-site housing for some workers.
In May 2023, the South Dakota Economic Development Finance Authority within GOED approved a $187 million bond to Gevo Net-Zero 1 for waste management at its proposed plant. That project, according to the company, would process locally grown corn into jet fuel on a 240-acre swath of farmland north of U.S. 14 a couple miles east of Lake Preston in central Kingsbury County.
“South Dakota’s economy is thriving thanks to continued growth for the ag industry and for our small businesses,” she said. Kingsbury County, and De Smet in particular, are prime locations for new industry in part because the area has long taken a progressive, welcoming approach to new businesses and new residents, said Jamie Lancaster, economic development director for the De Smet Development Corp.