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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.

Female FSA employee reviewing paperwork with a male producer.

Counties Designated as Disaster Areas and Qualify for Other Programs

Five South Dakota counties have been given disaster declarations due to dry summer conditions. This declaration gives producers in these counties and those in contiguous counties access to USDA-FSA emergency loans.

Small herd of mixed cattle grazing rangeland in late fall.

Producer Views on Patch Burn Grazing vs. Winter Patch Grazing in S.D.

Traditional rangeland management promotes uniform forage utilization, yet causes detrimental effects on the richness of plant species and wildlife habitat. Therefore, management practices that increase heterogeneity in vegetation play an important role in developing diverse habitat types and preserving grassland wildlife species.

Four common South Dakota ticks: American dog, Rocky Mountain wood, blacklegged and Lonestar.

Be On the Lookout for Ticks

Ticks are one of the first pests to show up during spring. Learn some common ticks to watch out for in South Dakota, along with tips for preventing bites and removing ticks from your skin and clothing.

Color-coded drought monitor map of South Dakota. As of April 29, Northwest South Dakota is facing extreme drought, while the rest of the state is under abnormally dry to severe drought conditions.

SDSU Extension to Resume Drought Hour in May

April 29, 2021

According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, nearly 95% of South Dakota is in some level of drought, including 19.42% that is classified as Extreme Drought (D3) in the north central region.

A small black bug with tan margins on the wings. This insect is resting on a grass seed head.

Drought Conditions Magnifying Impact of Black Grass Bugs

With much of South Dakota continuing to experience moderate-to-extreme drought conditions, black grass bugs could become a concern in some areas. Large populations of black grass bugs can cause severe damage to pasture.

Herd of black-beef cattle being moved in drought-stressed rangeland.

Trigger Dates: Critical Decisions for Drought Management

Having a drought plan in place ensures that you can overcome the inhibitions surrounding a drought response, the basis of which is figuring out trigger dates.

Cattle grazing drought-stressed rangeland in western South Dakota.

Adaptive Management: One Strategy To Increase Your Operation’s Flexibility and Resiliency

Adaptive management is a strategy that livestock producers can use to manage year-to-year variability in forage production and build drought resiliency for their operations.

Man holding his wrist, which is afflicted with arthritis.

Arthritis and Agriculture

Did you know arthritis is a leading cause of work disability in U.S. adults? Learn some tips for managing pain and reducing arthritis risk while working in agricultural production.

A patch of switchgrass growing at the edge of a field.

Warm-Season Grasses of South Dakota

Fact sheet about warm-season grasses in South Dakota.