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male dairy worker greeting a crowd of people inside a dairy processing facility

Preparing to Host a Farm Tour

Taking the time to prepare for a farm tour will result in a positive experience for those attending your farm but will also help build relationships with consumers of our products.

mixture of cover crops planted next to a corn field

Cover Crop Usage in South Dakota is on the Rise

The number of South Dakota producers who use cover crops has been increasing at an accelerating rate over the past ten years.

An oats field with numerous small rows of green, oat grass emerged throughout.

Oat Nitrogen Fertilizer Rate Guidelines: Do we use the yield goal or maximum return to nitrogen approach?

Nitrogen is an essential plant nutrient commonly applied to oat crops. It is important to apply an appropriate rate of nitrogen fertilizer to oats, as too little can reduce economic return, while too much can lead to potential negative environmental effects.

A red sprayer in a green field with a cloudy sky in the background.

How to Stop Drift

The goals of applying any crop protection products include: increasing effectiveness, mitigating drift, and maximizing profits. We will focus on mitigating drift, even though all three interact with each other.

Scouting Winter Wheat for Aphid Pests

Although we cannot predict aphid pressure in winter wheat, there are measures that may be taken to reduce the risk associated with these insects.

A bowl of iron-fortified breakfast cereal mixed with pices of dried fruit.

Iron: An Important Mineral

You may have heard or know someone who always speaks about being fatigued, weaker than they once were, or have a difficult time regulating their body temperature. There is a chance that they may be iron deficient.

Selling Fish at a Farmers Market in South Dakota

This article was developed to address some of the questions around selling fish at the farmer’s market and to ensure that seller’s may be well-informed to ensure they are selling fish that meet regulatory requirements as well ensuring the product is safe.

a graphic image of South Dakota with multiple colors

Grain Merchant and Processor Consolidation, Concentration, and Competition

A general trend in the last century has been for greater consolidation among Grain Merchants and Oilseed Millers and Processors. The U.S. Census Bureau tracks the number of firms and/or establishments and value of sales (market size) by industry sector every 5 years as a part of the Economic Census. In addition to the number of firms and sales, the Census Bureau publishes concentration ratios for each sector. One concentration ratio they publish is the amount of sales attributed to the four largest firms in that sector. The percentage of sales of the 4 largest firms is a measure that aids in identifying the type of market structure that exists.

Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus

Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus can be a problem in both field and greenhouse situations, and most frequently its effects in South Dakota are observed on tomatoes and peppers.

Red fescue, a red colored grass, in a meadow in the Black Hills National Forest.

Red Fescue (Festuca rubra), A New Grass in the Black Hills: Friend or Foe?

Red fescue (Festuca rubra), a cool-season, dominate rhizomatous grass, has started showing up on disturbed ground near meadows and forests. While it is not a state noxious weed yet, its spread has raised questions from producers.