Opinion: South Dakota Editorial Roundup

Good use for distillers grain

The push for a homegrown, sustainable, renewable form of energy has made the production of ethanol a hit in many rural states. Farmers like it because the production of ethanol provides a couple of uses for the corn they grow.

The first is the production of ethanol itself while the second is a byproduct of ethanol production, dried distillers grain, which is often used as feed for livestock. Now, it turns out, there may be another option for the dried distillers grain that could help fight global hunger.

South Dakota State University researchers have been working on versions of Asian flatbreads that are higher in protein and fiber than traditional flatbreads by substituting dried distillers grains for up to 20 percent of the flour. One of the most popular flatbreads is chapati, which is an unleavened, whole wheat flatbread common in parts of Asia.

Switching 10 percent of the flour in chapati with food-grade distillers grains boosts the bread’s fiber content from 2.9 percent to 7.8 percent and the protein from 10.5 to 12.9 percent.

A 20 percent mix in the dough increases the fiber to 10.3 percent and the protein to 15.3 percent, research found. The increased level of fiber and protein in flatbread could become a major factor in fighting hunger by simply making a traditional food source healthier.

The SDSU research also could have a practical application in this country. If a little bit of distillers grain can be incorporated into the foods we already eat, it could eventually lead to more healthful breads, tortillas, noodles and cookies.

All of this, of course, is still in the research and testing process and if it were to be introduced into the market, Charlie Staff of the Distillers Grain Technology Council at the University of Louisville said, someone would have to establish a new distribution, sales and marketing program. That’s not out of the question: all you have to do is look at how far ethanol has developed from its days as an idea with potential to the dozens of production plants across corn-growing states that now exist.

The research underway at SDSU is another step in the search for value-added products. ... On top of all that, there is the side benefit of helping fight global hunger while at the same time improving the nutritional value of a traditional third world food source.

Watertown Public Opinion

Wait for other states, S.D.

It’s one thing to posit that there’s a states’ rights element woven throughout this nation’s debate about how to battle illegal immigration.

If so, then the right avenue for South Dakota to argue that case is through its friend of the court filing as part of the legal clash between Arizona and the federal government over that state’s controversial immigration law.

What South Dakota doesn’t need is its own law resembling Arizona’s.

Top state and law enforcement officials here say there’s no large illegal immigration problem in South Dakota. And what issues are present certainly are quite different than those in Arizona and other border states. ...

But there’s a deeper, troubling element to the suggestion that South Dakota consider adopting a law similar to Arizona’s.

South Dakota has had a painful history of racial profiling, mostly against Native Americans. We know here how dangerous it is to turn a blind eye to efforts that technically are legal but also can lead to a slippery slope ending in injustice. And we’ve worked long and hard to largely move past that shameful era. ...

Because of our history, we know the importance of figuring out how to secure this country’s borders while simultaneously avoiding trampling over the rights of legal residents. ...

But make no mistake about it: Most Americans — and South Dakotans are no exception — want real, substantial progress in fighting illegal immigration. It’s just plain wrong to allow 10 million to 11 million people to live in this country illegally. As the legal battle begins over whether Arizona has the right approach, finding a resolution promises to be long and complicated.

So the best move South Dakota can make at this moment is to take a deep breathe and allow the states on the frontlines lead in figuring out a solution. ...

Only then will residents here best understand the route that’s right for South Dakota.

Sioux Falls Argus Leader

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