SDSU Extension to host soil health meeting in Freeman

BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State University Extension will host a Managing Soil: Maximizing Profit meeting on Dec. 9, 2025.

The meeting is from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST at the Freeman Academy Arboretum in Freeman and will include the Southeast Research Farm annual business meeting. The educational portion of the day will focus on managing soil fertility and its importance to crop producers.

“Unbiased crop production information is important for profitability,” said Anthony Bly, SDSU Extension Soils Field Specialist.

Continuing education credits for certified crop advisors will be available. Advance registration is requested and is $25 per person. The cost includes lunch. To register, visit the SDSU Extension Events page and search “managing soil”.

The day’s program will include an update from Ray Ward with Ward Labs, in Kearny, Nebraska, and Kurt Stiefvater, a farmer from the Salem area, will talk about his experiences in profitably managing soil health on his own operation.

Other expert presentations will include Laura Edwards, SDSU Extension Climatologist, with a long-term weather outlook; and Madalyn Shires, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Plant Pathology Specialist, will talk about the costs and returns of fungicide use in corn.

Peter Sexton, associate professor, SDSU Extension Sustainable Cropping Systems Specialist and Southeast Research Farm Supervisor, will provide an update on the Southeast Research Farm, part of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station.

The afternoon will conclude with a panel discussion featuring Sexton, Bly, Ray Ward and South Dakota farmers Stiefvater, Rich Luebke, Dick Nissen.

For more information, contact Anthony Bly, SDSU Extension Soils Field Specialist, or Sasha Huether, Southeast Research Farm Senior Secretary.