Note: The event originally scheduled for June 20, 2025, has been postponed due to weather. Check back for a reschedule date.
BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State University Extension is hosting an educational soil health workshop for women and couples involved in agriculture on June 20, 2025, at the Sweetheart Ranch near Iona.
This hands-on workshop is a collaboration with the Svoboda family of Sweetheart Ranch and The Resilient Ranch Coach, operated by Sarah Svoboda, and will focus on the relationship between soil health, grazing management and cattle production.
Driving principles for the Svoboda family include building healthy soils, animals and families. The event will focus on understanding soil health, with a blend of hands-on field learning and classroom time. The day will include learning about different soil types, water holding capacity, taking and reading a soil test, record keeping and more.
Registration is required and is $40 per person, which includes lunch and a brix refractometer (one per operation) to help participants assess plant productivity. To register, visit the SDSU Extension Events page and search “soil health”.
This event is the first in SDSU Extension’s summer Roots and Ranching Road Show, a new way to learn from young ranchers across the state.
“Our team thought it would be fun and a great learning opportunity to visit some of our up-and-coming ranch families in South Dakota,” said Kaylee Wheeler, SDSU Extension Range Field Specialist. “We think it’s really inspiring to hear from young producers that are still learning and figuring out their best management strategies while balancing their businesses and families along the way.”
Wheeler noted that this workshop will be a great opportunity to learn from the Svobodas, connect with other families in the industry, and develop new skills in ranch and resource management.
“Navigating the challenges and uncertainties of the industry takes a toll on a family, and ours was no different,” said Sarah Svoboda, The Resilient Ranch Coach. “I have found joy and purpose in working with producers to find harmony with nature, within their families, and within themselves because it’s a journey I have walked myself.”
For more information or to get on the participant list, contact Krista Ehlert, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Range Specialist; or Kaylee Wheeler, SDSU Extension Range Field Specialist.
