Skip to main content

Search

a new small plant growing out of the soil

SDSU Extension to Address Economic and Marketing Issues in Crop and Livestock Production During Ag Economic Dialogue Series

August 06, 2020

SDSU Extension will host monthly Ag Economic Dialogues throughout 2020 to assist farmers and ranchers in making the best and most profitable decisions for their operations.

A blanket, book and cup of hot tea arranged on a sofa.

Self-Care for Youth and Families

Self-care is so essential for all individuals, young and old, to partake in regularly. Often, self-care gets placed on the back burners during our regular daily lives with our vast, jam-packed schedules. We get so wrapped up in our go-go-go routines and forget to take time for ourselves until we absolutely need it to continue onward.

A box filled with sack lunches available for children to take home.

Food Resources in Your Community: Schools and Organizations Mobilize to Provide Food as a Response to COVID-19

The USDA has approved the serving of food in South Dakota at school sites and non-congregate settings while public schools remain closed during the COVID-19 outbreak. Different communities throughout the state are using programs to provide meals to kids that may not have access to food while school is closed.

Two side-by-side fields. The left field is planted with perennial grass. The right field is bare with salty soil exposed.

Managing Weeds While Transforming Marginal Land Into Perennial Forages Production

There are currently millions acres across South Dakota impacted by saline and sodic conditions. Research has shown that salt-tolerant perennial grasses are a possible way to bring land back into production.

Two women preparing take-out containers for drive-up meal service.

Creative Ways to Serve Community Meals

At a time when we all need to use caution with human contact, the ideas of human fellowship remains important to our mental health. People are getting creative with ideas of serving their rural communities in new ways.

A man inspecting a field with salty soil.

Perennial Solutions for Alkali Areas

Reclaiming marginal lands, especially those considered saline or sodic can be very challenging and may take many years to accomplish. The key to turning around salt or alkali areas in your fields, begins with getting a living root established in the affected area.

A group of cattle grazing on crop residue.

Farm Practices That Improve Soil Health: Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems

An integrated crop-livestock system can provide an alternative management strategy that benefits producer’s income, soil health, and the environment—all while increasing production.

A field with patches of soil exhibiting poor water infiltration.

Farm Practices That Improve Soil Health: Cover Crops and Crop Residues

Planting cover crops and returning crop residues (stover) to the soil both adds nutrients and improves overall soil quality. These practices are common with producers across South Dakota and have been recently studied by researchers to identify how they impact the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

A patch of switchgrass growing at the edge of a field.

Farm Practices That Improve Soil Health: Planting Switchgrass on Marginal Lands

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a tall, native, prairie grass that is often seeded on marginal lands in South Dakota. It has gained growing popularity over the past decade not only as a source of biofuel and feed, but also as a method to improve soil properties.

A green tractor planting seeds in a no-till field. Courtesy: United Soybean Board [CC BY 2.0] via Flickr

Farm Practices That Improve Soil Health: Crop Rotations and No-Till

Implementing diverse crop rotations and no-till practices are common suggestions to reduce erosion, control pests, and improve yields. These practices can also improve soil health through an increase in soil carbon levels.