SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The South Dakota Farmers Union is turning to Facebook to share why people in the agriculture industry got the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I said well, I sure would be glad to try to encourage anyone that would listen to try to get vaccinated,” said Kent Frerichs, who helps with farming and cattle production in Roberts County.

“If me giving my opinion and view on this will help and help people say, ‘Yeah maybe I should take the vaccine or maybe I should recommend to someone else to take the vaccine,’ I thought it was a good way to share that information with others,” said Kurt Bindenagel, who farms and raises cattle in Spink County.

KELOLAND’s Dan Santella: “Doug, why did the Farmers Union make these posts?”

“Well, it’s just the right thing to do, first of all,” South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke said. “It’s a community effort, right?”

Sombke has an unambiguous message about the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We 100% would encourage you to do that,” Sombke said. “Again, it’s for yourself, it’s for your family, it’s for your community and, you know, it’s just, again, the right thing to do. And I’ve got a great family behind me, and I want to be around a few more years, and if nothing else do it for people like that, so that they can be with their family a few more years.”

“It’s something that I would hope everyone would get as soon as they’re, soon as it’s possible, because the sooner almost everybody gets vaccinated, the sooner we’ll be able to hopefully get back to somewhat normal, if that’s ever possible,” Frerichs said.