BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to announce its fifth annual Specialty Crop Field Day at the SDSU campus in Brookings.
This fun, family-friendly event is an opportunity for anyone interested in fruit and vegetable production to tour eight unique research plots that feature peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, pumpkins and cut flowers. A variety of soil health, disease management and crop timing strategies will be discussed. Four newly constructed caterpillar tunnels and two existing high tunnels will be featured.
There will be a series of presentations along with the field tours related to small to mid-scale commercial vegetable production research trials. Throughout the event, SDSU faculty, SDSU Extension specialists and local organizations will staff educational booths to share resources to support the success of specialty crops in South Dakota.
It is from 5 to 8:30 p.m. CDT on July 29, 2025, at the SDSU Campus Specialty Crop Research Field-South, directly east of the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center. It is free to attend; registration is encouraged but not required. To register, visit the SDSU Extension Events page and search “specialty”.
Beginning and current specialty crop producers, non-profit organizations, technical service providers, Master Gardeners and home gardeners are especially encouraged to attend. All ages are welcome; please leave pets at home. The tour will include moderate distances of walking, so please wear appropriate shoes.
“I also love seeing kids attend; they honestly ask the best questions during the tour,” said Kristine Lang, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist.
Lang said the fifth anniversary of this event is a celebration of how SDSU Extension’s outreach and research teams have grown in the last five years.
“Our SDSU Extension horticulture team has added several new field specialists in the past two years, and this event is a great time to meet each person and learn more about their interests in permaculture, youth education, commercial vegetable and flower production and preventing plant diseases,” Lang said.
There are now multiple faculty members researching fruits, vegetables and cut flowers, focused on preventing and managing plant diseases, improving soil health and finding plants that thrive in South Dakota’s climate. Teams are also training graduate and undergraduate students, some of whom will be speakers at the event.
“The research projects we do are inspired by South Dakota producers and the questions they ask us, and you'll see many of those questions in action at the field day,” Lang said. “I'm especially excited about our wool mulch trial, which is a collaboration with farmers, Master Gardeners and multiple South Dakota organizations.”
Since 2021, Lang said a team dedicated to local foods has reached 7,000 people through virtual and in-person events – and she is confident that number will continue to grow.
“I love meeting new-to-me farmers and gardeners, whether they are very experienced or just getting started on growing a crop,” Lang said. “My favorite part of this annual field day continues to be the networking and connections that last well beyond the event.”
For more information, contact Lang, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist.
