CSC alumna runs for Mrs. America

Derga is the founder and CEO of Wild Prairie Solutions LLC, where she works as a licensed crop insurance agent. According to Derga, her company specializes in helping ranchers and grass managers create grazing strategies and soil health that increases the profitability of operations and increase the ecological viability of their grassland ecosystem. 

Derga was crowned Mrs. South Dakota in April, but her journey began a couple of years ago when she reached out to a former Mrs. South Dakota on social media inquiring about what the title required.

“I knew I didn’t have the ability to give up my career to pursue the title,” Derga said, “but she (former Mrs. South Dakota) let me know that the title should be considered a hobby and should not require your full-time investment. I decided this year would be a good time to give it a shot.”

She said she felt called to talk about the things that are important to her. Additionally, she said she enjoys the pageant lifestyle. Working in agriculture in rural South Dakota, Derga said she doesn’t have a lot of opportunities to get dressed up.

“I spend most of my days in jeans and boots out on the land,” Derga said. “I love that I can be a country girl who is comfortable in jeans and boots as well as a woman who enjoys doing full glam hair and makeup and putting on a ballgown. Both of these things are a part of me, and they each create unique opportunities to connect with people in completely different ways.”

As Mrs. South Dakota, Derga has been able to highlight topics and events related to agriculture such as South Dakota Cattlemen's Prime Time Gala, an event that fundraises for Feeding South Dakota, an organization where cattlemen provide beef for food security programs in South Dakota. She has also been able to speak about the South Dakota Grassland Coalition and its work to empower ranching families and grass managers.

All state title holders in the Mrs. America System compete in the Mrs. America Pageant, but Derga’s desire to hold the title stems from her passion for rural America and her belief that the area is often underrepresented.

“I knew going into the Mrs. America Pageant that the same reasons I wanted to be Mrs. South Dakota apply to why I want to be Mrs. America,” Derga said. “I’m passionate about rural America and I think that the people in rural America are often not represented on a national platform, yet we have amazing and unique stories to tell.”

Derga, originally from Ericson, Nebraska, graduated from CSC with a degree in Rangeland Ecology.

After graduation, Derga spent time working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as well as the U.S. Forest Service for 10 years. She has worked in agriculture in New Mexico, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, and South Dakota. She left her career as a grazing specialist for NRCS when the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation introduced new programs geared toward livestock producers and grassland managers in the late 2010s.

Derga said she started Wild Prairie Solutions LLC because she didn’t want to leave behind the work she was doing on rangelands with ranchers as a grazing specialist and her new business allowed her to continue as a grazing consultant in South Dakota and surrounding states.

Derga also noted that a large number of her clients come from graduates of the South Dakota Grassland Coalition grazing schools where she teaches each summer.

Derga believes that her Rangeland Ecology degree has helped her in many ways during her time as Mrs. South Dakota.

“My degree ultimately took me into five different states for my career and countless others in pursuit of continued knowledge or experience,” Derga said. “The experiences I had are what makes me so passionate about rural communities and the work happening within them that I strive to highlight as Mrs. South Dakota.”

Although the Mrs. America Pageant is over, Derga looks forward to the remaining seven months she has as reigning Mrs. South Dakota and intends to continue to positively impact South Dakota and beyond with the time she has left.