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Round hay bales loaded on transport trailers.

Haul the Feed or the Cows

Reduction in pasture forage availability may require producers to decide between hauling feed or hauling cows. Learn how to decide which option is best for your operation.

Prescribed burn taking place in a pasture.

Fire as a Management Tool

When planned for and implemented appropriately fire is a tool that can have tremendous benefits to your grassland community.

Small group of producers discussing a grassland management plan near a fenceline.

Fall Is the Time To Plan for Fire

Fall is the time to begin planning for spring prescribed fire. This article examines the three primary components to a successful burn: burn unit preparation, burn planning and burn implementation.

Woman using a grazing stick to measure forage status.

Using the ‘Grazing Stick’ To Assess Pasture Forage

Assessing pasture forage is a key step in planning grazing strategies. A grazing stick is a tool that uses simple math and measurements to determine herd size, stocking rates and available grazing days. We will address how to use a grazing stick in this article.

Well Completion Reports (WCR) site with interactive map and search engine

Finding Private Well Completion Reports

For those South Dakota residents that may have an interest in finding information on their private well if they have none, the South Dakota Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources has a database on their website where original Well Completion Reports can be found.

Small herd of mixed cattle grazing rangeland in late fall.

S.D. Producers’ Willingness To Adopt Patch Burn Grazing vs. Winter Patch Grazing

Patch-burn grazing and winter patch grazing are heterogenous rangeland management practices that aim to increase the diversity of grass composition to benefit wildlife and maintain livestock production. To learn about producers’ desire to adopt these practices, we conducted an online survey between November 2019 and January 2020.

pair of hands holding soil

South Dakota Soil and Water Conservation Society to host “Connecting Farm to Future” Virtual Conference

December 02, 2020

The South Dakota Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS), will host a free virtual conference.

The U.S. Drought Monitor map for South Dakota as of February 4, 2021. Courtesy: U.S. Drought Monitor

Understanding Drought: Information and Current Status

Producers can proactively manage drought impacts by staying up-to-date on current drought status through the United States Drought Monitor website. Weekly updates for South Dakota are posted each Thursday and allow producers to make proactive management decisions.

Water flowing from a drain tile pipe.

Nutrient Loss Calculator

Trying to figure out the nutrient loss in your tile drainage system? The Nutrient Loss Calculator can help. This useful tool helps landowners collect a snapshot of nutrient loss in their drainage systems.

A small herd of black angus cattle at pasture.

Basics of Body Condition Scoring (BCS)

Fact sheet about the basics of body condition scoring for cattle.