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Group of children eating school lunch in a cafeteria.

Farm to (More Than) School

Opportunities for local food procurement go beyond just school lunch! Learn about several child nutrition programs and settings that may accept local foods.

A series of red barns and grain silos on rolling hills in a farmyard.

Farm Structure Trends

Farm decisions are often undertaken with a very long outlook. The purchase of land or a change in a cropping system are not choices done with short-run gains in mind. As a result, structural changes in agriculture are often slow to occur and to observe.

Male and female rancher reviewing clipboard in a cattle barn.

COVID-19 Tips for Farms and Ranches

Continuing to keep employees and family members healthy through the COVID-19 pandemic will require extra effort as you enter the busy time of fall harvest.

A family farm with the sun setting in the background.

Farm Size and Efficiency

Growth is a common denominator of various business objectives. A business may want to grow profits, sales, market share, etc. The growth of a business itself usually refers to growth in equity, or growth in assets after debts have been paid. Farms, from a business perspective, are no exception. Farmers seeking to grow equity need to be willing and able to retain earnings and cannot be overleveraged.

Vast, sprawling cornfield.

Large Farms Continue to Dominate South Dakota Crop Production

Based on the 2022 U.S. Census of Agriculture, large-scale farms operate more than two-thirds of the total cropland acres in South Dakota. Learn some expert insights about the trends driving this development.

stack of coins with faded chart lines showing in the foreground

Financial Measures for South Dakota Farms

Farm and ranch businesses have a sizeable investment in equipment, buildings, land, and livestock. These investments require their owners and managers to remain knowledgeable about the financial condition of their business. The information to calculate measures of financial performance can be found in their farm record books or accounting system.

Owners of a specialty crop farm smiling at each other in a small on-farm market as a customer shops in the background.

Resources to Stay Safe on Specialty Crop Farms

When was the last time you’ve thought about safety on your farm? View a collection of science-based safety resources for small and medium-scale commercial specialty crop farms from the field to the market.

Sunrise over South Dakota farmland.

Variances in Working Capital to Gross Farm Revenues

Learn some of the key differences in working capital to gross revenue among farm types, level of gross sales and by net income.

Sunrise over Lincoln, Nebraska skyline.

SDSU Extension Field Specialist Encourages Proactive Farm Transition Management

May 05, 2022

SDSU Extension and the International Farm Transition Network (IFTN) will host the 2022 IFTN Annual Conference, a professional development opportunity for estate planning and farm transition professionals, in Lincoln, Neb. June 8-9.

Two producers reviewing financial paperwork in a farm office.

Farm’s Target for Working Capital

Working capital provides a first line of defense for financial stress and an opportunity to take advantage of bargains that may arise. Learn how to calculate it and determine strategic targets for your operation.