Faces of Rural South Dakota is an Ag United feature that profiles rural South Dakotans and what they do in their everyday lives. The “faces” featured will range from farmers and ranchers to families that live on a few acres in the country-side. If you have an idea or a family that you would like to see featured please contact us info@agunited.org.

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Seth attaches a hood to a newborn calf to keep its ears from freezing during the cold temperatures of winter.

Holabird and Highmore, South Dakota, are two small towns supported by the rural farming community that surrounds them. When someone moves away from the area, the locals know; but it’s when someone moves back that people really start to take notice.

Seth Zilverberg, 23, decided to follow in tradition by returning to his family’s cattle operation 14 miles north of a Holabird. His great-grandfather settled in the state upon his arrival from the Netherlands, and when he’d saved up enough money he sent for his bride.

Four-generations later, Zilverberg is giving back to the Hyde county community that helped shape his character, like his father and grandfather before him.

“The cattle business, and particularly the purebred cattle business, has been really interesting to me. I like all the different aspects of it,” says the 2006 South Dakota State University (SDSU) grad.  “Not only do I do the hands on farm work, but I also get to do things like design ads, take pictures of the bulls and show cattle.”

“It adds to the excitement for me,” he said.

Zilverberg is starting to build up his own herd, but also plays an integral role in his parent’s, Don & Peggy Zilverberg’s, registered operation. The Bar JZ Ranch is home to 325 Polled Hereford, Limousin, and Lim-Flex females.

“Sometimes I think, ‘Boy there’s a lot that goes into this, from knowing how to weld your broken hay rake to using photo and design programs,’” he says.

Zilverberg’s tasks vary from the day-to-day chores, like feeding and checking cows, to designing their sale ads and making breeding recommendations. Zilverberg, an active animal science major, brought back knowledge from school to the ranch.

Seth loads a bull back into the trailer after photographing it for advertising.

“The most useful skill I learned has been being able to interact with people more comfortably and being more at ease at talking in front of groups of people,” he says. “Clubs and organizations, like FarmHouse Fraternity and SDSU Ag/Bio Ambassadors, definitely gave me opportunity to work on my social skills and leadership skills.”

Zilverberg was also involved in the Newman Center and Little International, and enjoyed stepping out of his comfort zone with theatre classes.

Now he is applying those leadership tools from college to his hometown. He’s leading his home church’s youth group, judged the science fair, and helped coach this year’s FFA parliamentary procedure team.

“It was fun to get back into that,” he says.

Zilverberg recently volunteered to help out with the school play at his alma matter, Highmore High School.

“I’ve really been looking forward to getting back into theatre,” he says.

As if he isn’t busy enough between the farm and volunteerism, Zilverberg started his own karaoke business. Weekend evenings will find him at establishments in Highmore and Harrold.

“I love to sing karaoke and nobody was doing it around here,” he says. “I saw a need for a service and now I’m providing it.”