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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?

small group of cattle grazing on cover crops

Cover Crops & Livestock Integration: A Profit Opportunity for S.D. Farms

Cover crops have been gaining a reemerging acceptance over the last decade, with very few producers disagreeing about the potential soil health benefits of adding cover crops to their farming operation.

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

blades of brome grass with a brown to black, thumbnail-shaped growth on one of the blades.

Ergot: A Potential Livestock Poisoning Problem

Cool, damp weather followed by warmer temperatures favors grasses becoming infected with ergot bodies, which can cause a certain kind of poisoning that can affect cattle on pasture.

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.

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.

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.