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two young males with their show goats at a competition

4-H Youth Experience in Animal Projects – Purposes

4-H Youth Development must place an importance on developing “youth experience” versus “contest participation and competition."

Color-coded map of the United States indicating predicted precipitation for July 2019. South Dakota is set to experience above normal precipitation.

July 2019 Climate Outlook: Challenges Continue

This year’s seasonal pattern of wetter than average conditions is projected to continue through July and the rest of the summer season. The latest climate outlook, released June 20, 2019, shows an increased chance of wetter than average conditions in the next one to three months for the state of South Dakota.

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.

small group of sheep standing in a pasture

National Sheep Improvement Program: Performance-based data you can rely on

Sheep producers continually look for opportunities to improve their flocks through the introduction of genetic traits that will contribute to both improve the performance and physical appearance of the offspring. For hundreds of years, producers used the phenotype or physical appearance traits to select replacement stock, followed by performance trials and wool testing to quantitatively define the traits a specific animal may possess.

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.

two black beetles rolling a ball of dung

Promoting Dung Beetles on the Range

In South Dakota, dung beetles help regulate rangeland health through dung dispersal.

a sprawling green plant with flowering yellow heads

Sweet Clover Poisoning

Hay that contains sweet clover can be an excellent feed as long as the dicoumarol level is known and feeding management is used to prevent poisoning.

female 4-H youth with her white dog and their pink rosette

4-H Dog Project

Are you a dog person? Want to learn how to train and handle a dog like a pro? Join the dog project!

male 4-H youth holding a model rocket

4-H Aerospace & Rocketry Project

Want to design, build, and launch your own rocket? Always been interested in airplanes and flight? Blast off to the aerospace and rocketry project area!

front end of a heavy ford truck

4-H Automotive, Small & Tractor Engines Project

Start your engines and get excited about the automotive, small and tractor engines 4-H project area! Explore your interest in tractors and cars and learn how engines work, what problems can occur and how to fix those problems, and even build your own small engine.