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Herd of mixed cattle grazing a vast, open rangeland.

History and Current Value of the Range Beef Cow Symposium

In December 1969, four extension specialists from Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, and South Dakota developed a symposium to provide cutting edge information to beef cattle producers. Years later, this valuable tradition continues at the biennial Range Beef Cow Symposium.

Two mosquitoes, the one on the left being darker in color and the one on the right having a white band on its extended mouthpart. The white band is indicated with a red circle drawn over the picture.

Will Mosquitos Be an Issue During This Summer?

Although it may seem like mosquitos won’t be an issue this year due to drought conditions, it is important to remember that they don’t require large bodies of water to reproduce. Mosquitos can utilize standing bodies of water, small puddles or even stagnant water in containers or old tires.

food thermometer being callibrated in oven

How to Calibrate a Meat Thermometer

A properly calibrated meat thermometer is key for achieving both meat safety and quality.

black angus cow with green tag on ear

Getting Replacement Heifers Ready to Breed

Producers should take some time to evaluate replacement heifers’ health, nutrition and reproductive status to ensure high-quality females entering the cow herd.

Cattle grazing a section of a vast, well-managed pasture.

Grazing Calculator

The SDSU Extension Grazing Calculator eliminates the guesswork and mess associated with doing calculations by hand. It requires a few inputs on your end, and you will be able to save a downloadable Excel file for your record keeping.

A meat packing facility.

Livestock Market Disruptions

COVID-19 has affected the market availability for finished cattle and hogs. Some beef and pork processing facilities have closed for cleaning and social distancing of their employees. While some of these facilities have scheduled a date to reopen at reduced capacity, others remain closed with no announced plans to resume operations.

Low larkspur and twogrooved poisonvetch plants growing in rangeland.

Poisonous Plants on Rangelands: Larkspur and Poisonvetch

Larkspurs are the second leading cause for all livestock deaths from toxic plant poisoning. Poisonvetches are considered accumulator plants that uptake excessive levels of selenium and cause toxicity problems in cattle.

Three Think, Make, Create mobile lab trailers are parked in a lot with a building behind them.

SDSU Extension presence growing in Sioux Falls-area youth development programs

May 26, 2023

The SDSU Extension team based in the Sioux Falls Regional Office is working to provide quality education and programming for youth in the Sioux Falls area.

Pile of freshly chopped corn silage.

Best Management Practices for Corn Silage Harvest

Ensiling involves many different components to ensure a successful harvest and high-quality, safe feedstuff. Learn some expert tips to consider when chopping and storing corn silage to maximize the value and quality of your harvest.

Multi-Species Grazing and Integrated Livestock Systems

In this episode of Cattle HQ, we visited with Jaelyn Whaley and Dave Ollila to discuss multi-species livestock integration and how sheep and cattle can work together to improve grazing management, forage utilization, and overall ranch resilience. Drawing from both Extension and producer perspectives, the conversation explores the opportunities, challenges, and practical considerations involved in incorporating sheep into grazing systems.