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A series of swine pens at a state fair.

It’s Showtime, Get Your Show Box Ready!

It’s time to head off to the show, but before you can go everything needs to be loaded into the truck and trailer. You get a supply of feed and hay, load some bedding, put in a fan, add the trimming stand and now it’s time for the show box.

Three people sitting around a table writing

SDSU Extension, SD Humanities Scholar to host obituary writing workshop

June 25, 2024

The next obituary writing workshop is on April 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. MT/ noon to 2 p.m. CDT online via Zoom. It is free to attend, but registration is required. To register, visit extension.sdstate.edu/events and search “heirlooms”.

taylor grussing giving a presentation

Finding Females for the Cowherd

The type and kind of females chosen for your cowherd is an important decision that can have long-term implications and great impact on the economic viability of the operation.

Cover Crop Adoption: Farmers’ perceived benefits & barriers

Cover crops are generally defined as crops planted between cash crops to cover and protect the soil. Some demonstrated benefits of cover crops include: reduced soil erosion, increased soil organic matter, increased biological variety, increased nitrogen supply, and weed control. Depending on the farmers’ objectives, different species of cover crops can be planted. For example, if a farmer’s main objective is to increase nitrogen supply, then legume cover crops best suited to the farm area should be selected.

small group of sheep standing in a pasture

The Effects of Ewe Nutrition on Lamb Performance

In the livestock industry, profitability is determined by the efficiency of production; with growth and development of offspring having a large impact. In sheep production, ewe nutrition is one of the biggest factors in fetal growth, milk production, and lamb performance; therefore, determining how profitable a production system will be. Not only does the ewe depend on proper nutrition for fetal development but also udder development and milk production.

Three, four-wheel drive John Deere tractors, pushing up chopped corn silage into a drive over pile on a dairy farm.

Harvesting Silage on a Wet Year: Moisture is Critical

Fall is on its way in South Dakota. However, with many flooded and saturated fields, some producers are growing concerned that there will be little opportunity to harvest silage before corn dries down past desired moisture levels or frost occurs.

Dairy cow bonding with newborn calf.

Calving in Dairy Cows: Step by Step

Calving is a critical time in the lifecycle of dairy cows and calves. Learn about the key stages of calving to help ensure healthy, high-performing cows and calves.

Tan grasshopper with light colored stripes on its back sitting on the soil surface.

Grasshoppers May Cause Problems for Winter Wheat During Fall 2023

As winter winter begins emerging, it is important to monitor field edges for grasshopper activity and feeding injury. This is especially true in areas where large populations have been observed throughout the summer.

A bowl of iron-fortified breakfast cereal mixed with pices of dried fruit.

Iron: An Important Mineral

You may have heard or know someone who always speaks about being fatigued, weaker than they once were, or have a difficult time regulating their body temperature. There is a chance that they may be iron deficient.

A closeup shot of a sheep's eye.

Small Ruminant Abortions: Cleanup and facility considerations

Sheep and goat producers in the upper Midwest rely on annual lamb or kid crops to maintain economic viability. Reduction in the lamb or kid crop due to abortion (premature birth) and stillbirths are a common occurrence on many farms. Some of these problems have implications for human health as well as animal health.