Skip to main content

Farm Management

All Farm Management Content

Fans outside th SDSU Swine Education and Research Facility.

Understanding Fan Performance Metrics and Variability

As we move into the summer season, it is important to check for proper function of fans in your operation. When selecting new or replacement fans, it is critical to evaluate the flowrate requirement at the static pressure you will be operating, compare the efficiency of fan options, and ask your equipment supplier for detailed performance specifications.

Gravel road with swine barn in the distance.

Air Infiltration in Swine Barns

Air infiltration in large, confined swine operations has been an on-going problem for producers for many years. Regardless of technological advancements in building design and construction, unwanted air penetration continues to be a consistent problem.

Farmer calibrating a yield monitor insde a combine cab.

Calibrate Your Combine Yield Monitors!

The equipment associated with precision farming is a considerable investment and is a great tool for gaining knowledge about your farming operation. The yield monitor is often overlooked as the critical piece of equipment when the crops are ready for harvest.

A statue of a dairy cow on a landscaped terrace in front of a long dairy barn.

South Dakota Odor Footprint Tool

Two-part fact sheets explaining the South Dakota Odor Footprint Tool. Part I: Principles and Tools and Part II: Examples.

A large swine barn at the edge of a field.

Optical Dust Meters May Misestimate Dust Concentrations in Animal Barns

Fact sheet aiming to address the measurement bias issue associated with optical dust meters.

A group of ranchers meeting out in the range.

Strategic and Scenario Planning in Ranching: Managing Risk in Dynamic Times

A changing marketplace, price volatility, labor availability, record high feeder calf prices, the effects of the ethanol industry: How will your ranch operation adapt?

A group of soybean seeds drying on a paper towel. A small group of 13 damaged, swollen seeds is set aside from the pile.

The Clorox® Soak Test

This test is used in the field to determine the percentage of soybean (Glycine max) seed damage due to combining or threshing. It is also adaptable to use in the laboratory. The test can be used for beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and other large dicotyledonous seeds which may be injured in combining, threshing, or seed cleaning.

Rancher applying an implant inside a cow's ear with an implant gun.

Questions and Misconceptions Surrounding Implants

Growth promoting implants are among the most widely used technologies in the beef industry. The first implant received FDA approval in 1954, yet in spite of a long history, there are still myths and misconceptions surrounding their use.

South Dakota soybean late plant date map. View pdf map: https://legacy.rma.usda.gov/fields/mt_rso/2018/final/sdsoybeans.pdf  View text in Excel: https://legacy.rma.usda.gov/fields/mt_rso/2018/final/sdsoybeanstext.xlsx

Multi-Peril Crop Insurance: Delayed and Prevent Plant Choices

Crop insurance late plant dates are fast approaching for planting crops in South Dakota. The weather and soil conditions this spring will likely lead to some prevent plant situations for farm producers.

Black caterpillars with white stripes feeding on green Canada thistle.

Thistle Caterpillars Showing Up on Canada Thistle

This week we received reports of caterpillars feeding on Canada thistle. After taking a look at the caterpillars, we determined that they are thistle caterpillars. However, we typically don’t see thistle caterpillar activity in S.D. until July or August. So why are they showing up so early this year?