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Black angus cattle in early spring pasture.

Breeding and Marketing Strategies

The debate as to when or if the U.S. beef cattle herd will begin rebuilding this year is yet to be determined. While cattlemen operate record low cattle inventory numbers, the decision to retain females will be unique to each operation.

group of cattle at feedbunk

Feeding Damaged Wheat to Cattle

Feeding damaged wheat to livestock is one way to salvage value from the crop. Wheat can work well in cattle diets with some limitations.

illustration of two hands reviewing terms inside an open book

Financial Terminology Refresher

You don’t have to be a finance whiz to understand basic financial terminology. Knowing the basics can help you interpret your own financial health and set goals for the future.

Lamb with older sheep in the background

Three outstanding operations receive SD Master Lamb Producer Awards

October 30, 2025

South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Master Lamb Producer Awards.

A snow-dusted corn stand.

Wet Corn: Storage and Late Harvest Options

With a very challenging harvest in many parts of south and southeastern South Dakota this year, farmers were faced with difficult decisions. Wet, unfrozen ground in many areas and high grain moisture forced many farmers had to make a decision: harvest the wet grain, or let it stand in the field.

Two young women observing a group of sheep in a holding pen.

Managing Sheep Keds

Sheep keds (Melophagus ovinus) are blood-sucking external parasites that can significantly impact sheep production.

Young woman reading the nutrition facts label on a large bottle of water at the grocery store.

Healthy Alternatives to Sugary Beverages

Consuming excess sugar can result in weight gain, increased chronic disease risk, and poor dental health. Learn some expert tips to ‘rethink your drink’ and choose healthier alternatives to sugary beverages!

Small, green teardrop shaped insects on a green, soybean stem with pink flower.

Soybean Aphids Detected in South Dakota

While scouting soybean aphids this week we observed small colonies of 5 to 10 soybean aphid nymphs. This indicates that the soybean aphids are just starting to arrive in South Dakota soybeans and weekly scouting for them should be occurring.

Green blades of rye growing amongst brown corn stalks.

Cereal Rye Cover Crop Between Corn and Soybean

Interest in cover crops has increased in recent times. Cereal rye has been a cover crop of choice among corn and soybean growers in South Dakota due to its superior tolerance to cold temperatures and ability to overwinter in a Northern climate.

A stunted planting of corn with purple coloring on its leaves.

Fallow Syndrome: What is it and how do I deal with it?

Fallow syndrome received its name from the dry plains states, where fields routinely benefited from the additional moisture available after a year where the ground was fallowed. Corn sometimes had symptoms of phosphorus deficiency when grown on this previously fallowed ground, thus it received its current name, “fallow syndrome.”