Search

A group of farmers and ranchers sitting at a meeting

Communication: Importance of Social Support in Agriculture

Maintaining open communication and seeking social support can help producers get through difficult times.

Are you ready for winter? ¿Està listo para el invierno?

The first winter experience can be a challenge if you don’t know what is ahead, except for that there will be snow and cold. Some simple tips will help you survive the snow, ice and low temperatures.

Feeding at the Right Price

Managing feedstuffs efficiently becomes more important during drought conditions or low revenue years.

A calf resting next to its mother in a dry pasture.

Early Weaning as a Drought Management Strategy

Successfully managing drought conditions requires balancing the amount of forage demanded by grazing livestock with the amount produced.

Economic Considerations for Early Weaning

There is an excellent reason why ranchers use early weaning as a drought management tool: Weaning calves early reduces the amount of feed required to maintain the cow.

grass with field bindweed, a viny green weed with white flowers

Cultural weed control practices must be included in weed management programs to optimize control and inhibit re-infestation. A healthy, dense turf cover is the best overall defense against weed invasion. Some common cultural weed control practices include planting the most adapted turfgrass species for your environment (i.e. shade, full sun, or hot, dry conditions), maintaining a mowing height of 2.5–3.5 inches, watering deeply but less frequently, and proper soil maintenance including fertilization and core aerification.

A field divided into two planting areas. The left area has young corn plants emerging from the soil. The right has no visible corn emergence yet.

Grassy Weeds

Grassy weeds are a problem in all field crops. They must be identified at early stages of growth so they can be controlled before crop yields are seriously threatened. Control measures are not the same for all grassy weeds, so accurate seedling identification is important.

stack of coins with faded chart lines showing in the foreground

Move the Cows or Move the Feed

This calculator is designed to aid producers making the decision to buy feedstuffs and haul the feed to the operation, or to haul the cattle to the feedstuffs.

a herd of brown and black cows in a field of green grass

Feed Nutrient Comparison Calculator

This comparison calculator is designed to assist producers with supplemental feed purchasing decisions for their operation.

Color-coded map of South Dakota and other Midwestern states. Colors indicate a higher risk of unplanted areas in Eastern and Northeastern South Dakota.

Stretching Corn Silage Supplies

During the 2002 drought there was a need to stretch corn silage supplies as a result of the drought that affected the U.S. Now we deal with the opposite scenario, where excessive spring rains have not allowed farmers to get to the fields. In both situations livestock producers face challenges.