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A group of ranchers meeting out in the range.

A Five-Step Approach to Alleviating Farm Stress

Farm stressors can come from many directions including the agricultural system, farm and family finances, mental and physical health challenges, and relationship difficulties. A healthy response to these challenges involves paying attention to the stressors within all of these areas and determining coping strategies that are useful in each area.

A family going for sunset walk down a country road.

Fit on the Farm

Although regular job duties on the farm may include intense physical tasks, aerobic physical activity is still needed in addition to the short burst, physical tasks.

A group of farmers and ranchers sitting at a meeting

Communication: Importance of Social Support in Agriculture

Maintaining open communication and seeking social support can help producers get through difficult times.

A sprawling sorghum field ready for harvest

Sorghum Trial Results

In 2024, sorghum trials were conducted in 2 locations in South Dakota.

Small group of cattle at pasture.

Feeding at the Right Price

Managing feedstuffs efficiently becomes more important during drought conditions or low revenue years.

A calf resting next to its mother in a dry pasture.

Early Weaning as a Drought Management Strategy

Successfully managing drought conditions requires balancing the amount of forage demanded by grazing livestock with the amount produced.

Young calf resting at pasture.

Economic Considerations for Early Weaning

There is an excellent reason why ranchers use early weaning as a drought management tool: Weaning calves early reduces the amount of feed required to maintain the cow.

Dairy worker giving tour of dairy facility.

How Are You Empowering Others as Leaders or Employees?

You will be amazed how well people can perform as employees or leaders when you take the time to establish job expectations and then empower them to accomplish them.

Hay with a brown, carmelized color.

Minimizing Hay Storage Loss From Heating or Fires

Successful hay storage is essential to preserving high quality forage, while ensuring desired performance from livestock and deterring economic losses from unwanted hay storage fires.

Inside a swine barn.

Pig Barn Turnover Rates: Challenges & Costs

Employee turnover is inevitable, but how managers respond to it and learn from it determines the resiliency of a pig barn’s future and the level of productivity that is achieved.