Farm Management

All Farm Management Content

Three calving books on display: Rite in the Rain book, SDSU Extension IRM Redbook, and the K-State cow/calf record book.

Calving Books: Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover

Calving books are an essential record-keeping component for cow-calf operations. Learn some expert tips for finding a book that best suits your operation and employees.

Heather Gessner gestures to her classroom. She's wearing a blue shirt and standing in front of a white board with the bullet points homework, exam plus homework due, do both parts, after this week

SDSU Extension programs address economic questions

March 07, 2024

More than 1,000 people have attended Sustaining the Legacy since it started in 2006. The estate planning conference series helps farmers and ranchers successfully transfer their operations to the next generation. The conferences are held several times a year across South Dakota, typically for one day per week for three weeks.

Aerial view of a cattle operation.

Carbon Markets and Beef Production: Overview

Learn about the Carbon Markets and Beef Production program, which aims to demystify many of the aspects of greenhouse gas emissions, climate-smart agriculture practices, and carbon markets for producers and landowners.

Two sheep producers observing sheep in a corral.

Direct Marketing Lamb: Estimating Finish Weights

Determining when lambs should be harvested is critical for optimal quality and consumer satisfaction.

Two white, newborn lambs under a red heat lamp in a barn.

Sheep Facilities and Moisture

Fact sheet for keeping a barn comfortable and dry to increase lamb survival.

Four sheep feeding at a sheep feeder.

Nutritional Considerations for Flocks During Breeding Season

Optimizing flock nutrition throughout the breeding season can help improve conception rates, lambing percentages and ram longevity.

Drought-stressed corn field.

Drought and Heat Effects on Corn Production

Nearly every season in South Dakota there are periods of hot, dry weather in at least parts of the state. While we have no control over the weather, producers can prepare for drought stress by using proactive practices.

Red combine harvesting corn at an SDSU Extension CPT plot.

Using Data for Better Seed Selection

As harvest wraps up across the region, winter preparation and planning for next year begins. Yield trial results are a key component when making sound seed selection decisions.

Young corn emerging in a no-till field.

Corn Planting Populations: A Deeper Dive

Corn is grown all across South Dakota, and the optimal target population varies depending on location. In a nutshell, there is a lot more to seeding population selection than what meets the eye.

Young corn emerging in a no-till field.

Estimating Corn Emergence With Growing Degree Days: Data from May 7, 2021

With corn planting well underway in South Dakota, the next step is monitoring its emergence. One of the factors that can speed up or delay corn emergence is air temperature.