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A Little Free Library book box along a sidewalk in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Opportunities for Addressing Book Deserts in Rural Communities

By fostering a culture for reading, placing books into community spaces, and partnering with libraries to extend their reach, rural communities can transform book deserts into book-rich environments.

Sun rising over small town mainstreet.

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.

Three women sit at a booth in a small cafe.

Community Vitality helping train South Dakota board members for service with customized curriculum

June 15, 2023

The SDSU Extension Community Vitality team has created the Building Highly Effective Boards curriculum to teach South Dakota board members how to thrive in their roles.

South Dakota State University Extension, Community Vitality Home Starts Here podcast cover

SDSU Extension Community Vitality launches new podcast, ‘Home Starts Here’

December 18, 2023

The South Dakota State University Extension Community Vitality team is proud to announce the launch of their new podcast, "Home Starts Here". For its fourth episode, there will be a live recording of “Home Starts Here” at 1 p.m. on March 25 at the Heritage Hall Museum complex during the 2023 Schmeckfest festival in Freeman, South Dakota.

people shopping at a farmer's market

Requirements for Food Entrepreneurs Selling Food in South Dakota

Throughout the country and in the state of South Dakota, people are showing more interest in selling their own food products and starting their own business

Library shelf with various board games that can be checked out.

A Library of Things

Community libraries no longer carry just books. Guests can find all sorts of items to check out, including games, tools, and even camping and outdoor gear! These items are collectively called a Library of Things.

A group of people smiles underneath a huge Jackalope statue

2026 Energize conference touts benefits of youth staying in SD

June 09, 2026

South Dakota State University Extension hosted a successful 2026 Energize conference in Wall with 144 attendees.

Group of farm employees and managers gathered at a table.

Building and Retaining a Skilled Agricultural Workforce: Challenges and Strategies

Building a strong, motivated workforce is essential to the future of agriculture. A team from SDSU Extension is exploring the challenges and opportunities facing our agricultural community.

A small town main street.

Energize! Conference Rescheduled to October 7-8, 2020 in Milbank, SD

October 25, 2021

SDSU Extension is rescheduling the third annual Energize Conference to October 7-8, 2020 in order to comply with CDC guidelines and to protect the population from COVID-19.

A young native american man handing a customer a canvas bag.

Native American Gardens

Learn more about Native American community garden projects throughout South Dakota and access helpful resources with information on starting up Native American community garden projects.