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Rural Communities: Addressing Declining Population by Developing Entrepreneurial Communities

As the population decreases, schools close. Businesses close. Services become less and less. Research shows that people want to live in rural areas but don’t believe the opportunities are there. If communities develop a system to connect people to opportunities, rural communities can stabilize their population, keep their schools, businesses and services, and maybe even increase them.

Green soybean plant with holes on the leaves (indicated by red arrows) caused by bean leaf beetle feeding.

Scout Soybeans for Bean Leaf Beetle Feeding

We are receiving numerous reports and also observing very large bean leaf beetle populations this year. As a result, there is also a lot of concern about soybean defoliation due to the emergence and subsequent feeding by the overwintering adult population.

A green cover crop mixture grows on a calm day; mainly consisting of oats and peas.

Buying or Selling Oats for a Cover Crop? Be Sure to Follow the Rules

As a challenging 2019 row crop planting season wraps up in South Dakota, many producers are looking to plant cover crops on unplanted acres. One popular cool-season grass cover crop is oats. Most oats in South Dakota are grown as certified varieties, and it is important to be aware of the legal ramifications behind purchasing oat seed for use as a cover crop.

A map of South Dakota's counties with lines dividing the counties into eight regions

35 years of the SDSU Extension Farm Real Estate Market Survey

January 09, 2026

When Larry Janssen learned that one of his most frequently used land sales databases was no longer available, the South Dakota State University Professor Emeritus of Economics and his colleague, Burton Pflueger, former SDSU Extension economist, launched their own survey in 1991.

a teenage boy with short hair and glasses wearing a grey t-shirt and shorts stands next to a teenage girl with short hair and glasses wearing a bright green t-shirt and jean shorts holding an award plaque

Yankton County 4-H members receive SDSU Extension Hands to Larger Service award

October 23, 2023

Yankton County 4-H received the 2022-2023 SDSU Extension 4-H Youth Development Program Hands to Larger Service award based on their contributions to the statewide Paws for a Cause community service effort.

Tashina Red Hawk petting her horse.

Red Hawk First South Dakotan To Win National 4-H Youth in Action Award

October 04, 2021

Distinguished for her “drive to inspire her peers and give back to her Rosebud Sioux Tribe community through charitable veterinary work,” Red Hawk is the first South Dakota 4-H’er to win a Youth in Action award.

Bar Graph: South Dakota: Farm numbers by size in acres (1997-2017). For a complete description, contact Alvaro Garcia at 605-688-4940.

Farm Size in South Dakota: Where Are We Heading?

Agriculture is going through some difficult times not only in the United States, but globally as well. Aside from some short-lived price hikes for different products, the overall trend has been to higher costs of production and lower output prices.

Pea shoots growing in a seed flat.

Growing Microgreens at Home

The fall through early spring season can provide an opportunity to grow certain food indoors. Growing microgreens can be an excellent way to add nutritious, fresh vegetables to your diet without taking up a lot of space in your home.

a newly planted soybean field with white fertilizer sprinkled throughout

Application of Nitrogen Fertilizer in Soybeans

SDSU Extension conducted a study during the 2016 growing season at five Eastern South Dakota sites to evaluate the effects of added N fertilizer (as urea) on soybean yields.

herd of cattle in a muddy pasture

Mud Reduces Beef Cow Performance

Every late winter and early spring beef producers usually face the same problem. Whether it is pooled water resulting from melting snow or excessive rainfall, they both lead to mud accumulation.