Also, the County Extension Educators Association and the SD Seed Trade Association each appoint one member to the board. The executive director serves ex officio as secretary-treasurer. The board elects officers each year and has several standing committees. County Crop Improvement Associations are organized within the counties and elect their own directors and officers. The delivery of research through the release of public crop varieties has been, and remains, a major focus.
Seed is a product of research and the delivery vehicle for new and improved genetics.
While seed is basic to life and good seed is basic to sound agricultural growth and prosperity, it is not the only reason for the Association's existence. Fewer than 20 percent of the members actively produce varieties for sale as certified seed. The stability of the Association has been fostered by keen interest in research and education from within. As members learned from personal experience how they and their neighbors could benefit from research and education, they expanded these programs for the betterment of agriculture. The Association's strength depends not on a huge, but in a stable membership.