SDSU Extension provides education, training for range management

BROOKINGS, S.D. – As ranchers and cattlemen in the region face drought-related grazing pressures, South Dakota State University Extension and its partners have a bevy of opportunities to help them manage this year and begin planning for 2027.

To address trees creeping into pastures and rangelands, SDSU Extension has a series of Woody Encroachment Summer Field Tours planned. Experts and producer testimonies will highlight practical control methods of eastern redcedar and other problematic species invading South Dakota grasslands, including prescribed fire, mechanical and chemical treatments.

2026 tours start at 5:30 p.m. local time on July 22 and Sept. 13 near Oacoma, Aug. 12 near Dimock and Aug. 27 north of Yankton. They are free to attend, and registration is not required. For more information, including detailed directions, visit the SDSU Extension Events page and search “encroachment”.

On Aug. 20, 2026, the South Dakota Grassland Coalition will host a tour of the Darling Creek Ranch near Meadow, South Dakota, which is this year’s Leopold Conservation Award winner. Given in honor of conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes landowners who inspire others with their dedication to environmental improvement.

This fall, the South Dakota Soil Health Coalition will host a Soil Health School on Sept. 15-17, 2026, at the David Kruger farm near Twin Brooks. The cost is $150 per person, which includes session materials, meals and the following year’s membership to the coalition. Attendees are responsible for their own lodging.

"Dry conditions require more management and planning than 'normal' years. The economic considerations for purchasing feed, reducing the herd size and planning for 2027 are big decisions," said Heather Gessner, SDSU Extension Livestock Business Management Field Specialist. “Working with SDSU Extension and our collaborators on these decisions is one way to evaluate what you know and maybe find a new method that will benefit your operation.”

For more information, visit the SDSU Extension Natural Resources and Conservation page.