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Fall Grain Storage Tips

As the temperature drops, don’t forget to check on your stored grain. Although most of the South Dakota grain harvest was sufficiently dry this year, we still need to watch grain storage temperatures and conditions.

Woman using a grazing stick to measure forage status.

Using the ‘Grazing Stick’ To Assess Pasture Forage

Assessing pasture forage is a key step in planning grazing strategies. A grazing stick is a tool that uses simple math and measurements to determine herd size, stocking rates and available grazing days. We will address how to use a grazing stick in this article.

Cattle HQ

SDSU Extension's beef team provides valuable insights to improve the health, productivity and profitability of your herd through the Cattle HQ podcast and monthly webinars.

Group of mixed feedlot cattle resting in straw bedding during winter weather.

Strategic Feedlot Bedding

Providing bedding is one of the time-tested strategies for dealing with winter weather. But how does bedding affect the bottom-line?

A black angus bull standing in a hilly pasture.

How Many Bulls Do You Need When Synchronizing With Natural Service?

The use of estrous synchronization with natural service provides an opportunity to utilize the benefits of synchronization. However, the first question producers ask is, “How many more bulls do I need?”

Soybean field with volunteer corn stalks growing throughout.

Stalk Grazing to Combat Volunteer Corn

Fall aftermath grazing by livestock, particularly cows, can dramatically reduce the amount of volunteer corn in the field. Learn some key benefits that stalk grazing can bring to your operation.

Cattle Confinement Facilities: Management Considerations

Confinement barns provide some advantages to both the animals and caregivers compared to outside pens or pasture systems.

Color-coded map showing South Dakota Soybean Yield Average by County from 2015 to 2024. For a detailed description, please call SDSU Extension at 605-688-4792.

Statewide Soybeans Production and County-Level Yield Variation in South Dakota

South Dakota’s soybean production has experienced fluctuations in both planted acres and total production over the past decade.

Row of black cattle lined up at a feed bunk.

Live Cattle Basis

Futures prices are from organized trades that provide price information for buyers and sellers of commodities. Local cash prices can be compared to futures prices using a basis measure. With an expected basis measure, producers can observe futures prices and infer cash prices.

Black beef cattle at a feedbunk at an SDSU research facility.

Feeder Cattle Basis

Feeder cattle basis levels observed during 2025 specific to South Dakota locations were higher than expected throughout 2025 and sharply higher in November and December, perhaps reflecting a tight supply of feeder cattle nationally.