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A flock of white sheep grazing in a small pasture.

Sheep Breeds

Everyone has heard the fairytale “Baa Baa Black Sheep Have You Any Wool?” but what about the double-coated California Red, the multi-colored Katahdin sheep with hair, or the East Friesian dairy ewe that produces over 1,100 pounds of milk a year? Sheep come in different shapes, sizes, and colors and all of them provide different functions and uses for producers. These can range from meat, wool, and milk production or a combination of characteristics.

Community Gardens: Budget & Fees

In order to have a sustainable project, it is very important to identify all of the expenses that are involved in the operation of your community garden. Are there costs associated with utilizing the site, site preparation (tilling, plowing, soil testing, or soil amendments), on-site resources (hose, fencing, or shared tools), marketing the garden, water usage, or insurance?

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

outside of the lake grocery store

Group-Effort Grocery

Although creating and running a community-owned grocery store is a challenge, Willow Lake, South Dakota’s Lake Grocery has been a beacon for the community for over five years.

filed of sunflowers in bloom

Why Add an Agritourism Enterprise to Your Farm or Ranch?

Agritourism is the practice of touring agricultural areas to see farms and often to participate in farm activities.

Julie Ross, Co-owner, Good Roots Farm & Gardens, Brookings, SD

Agritourism and Value-Added Agriculture: Legacy of a Tired Old Barn and 40 Acres

Driven by consumer interest, a growing numbers of farmers across the United States are embracing agritourism to improve their economic sustainability.

a mother and daughter putting labels on home-canned food products. Photo by Stephen Ausmus, USDA

Labeling of Prepared and Processed Foods in South Dakota

Labeling requirements vary in accordance with the type of food that is being sold and in several instances how or where it was prepared or processed.

small group of people outside a mobile food hub. Photo by Shakeitha Stone, USDA

The Benefits of Food Hubs

Food hubs provide another marketing option to producers who do not have time to participate in a farmers market or other direct marketing venues.

Two mosquitoe samples side-by-side. The one on the left is labeled "A". The right one is labeled "B".

Know Your Mosquitoes to Protect Yourself

Mosquito trapping efforts across the state in the last seven years showed that there are over 20 species of mosquitoes occurring in South Dakota, yet only two species dominate the surveillance data: Aedes vexans and Culex tarsalis.