Range

All Range Content

An orange plastic hoop placed around a portion of tall grass on a range to provide a measurement.

You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure: Range Record Keeping

Range record keeping helps detect and demonstrate landscape changes that have a direct impact on your ability to maintain or grow your herd.

Red angus cattle gathered in a feedlot in winter.

Livestock

South Dakota is home to a dynamic livestock industry.

2026 Rangeland and Soil Days Contest brings 115 youth to Belle Fourche

June 30, 2026

South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to announce that 115 youth participated in the 42nd annual Rangeland and 21st annual Soil Days contests on June 9-10, 2026, in Belle Fourche.

a group of youth in a grassy pasture

Range and Soil Judging

SDSU Extension works collaboratively with local conservation districts, the natural resources conservation service, and the South Dakota Society for Range Management to facilitate the annual Rangeland and Soil Days event for youth.

Group of youth learning about rangeland plants
Jul 15

Rosebud Range Workshop

SDSU Extension will host a range workshop for adults and youth on Wednesday, July 15. The adult workshop will take place from 9:00 a.m.-noon followed by the youth workshop from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

A woman stands behind a white pickup's tailgate talking to a group of people in an open pasture

Save the date for Rosebud Range Workshop in July 2026

June 25, 2026

Save the date for this year’s Rosebud Range Workshop, which is July 15, 2026, at the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Ranch by Rosebud.

Multiple weed species growing in a grassy area.

Noxious Weeds Should Be Closely Monitored for Management

Pasture, rangelands and rights-of-way are starting to turn yellow, purple, or even a mix of both due to rapid growth of noxious weeds. Now is the time to implement management tactics to ensure the weeds do not outcompete desirable vegetation and invade adjacent land.

Red fescue, a red colored grass, in a meadow in the Black Hills National Forest.

Red Fescue (Festuca rubra), A New Grass in the Black Hills: Friend or Foe?

Red fescue (Festuca rubra), a cool-season, dominate rhizomatous grass, has started showing up on disturbed ground near meadows and forests. While it is not a state noxious weed yet, its spread has raised questions from producers.

Three producers having a discussion in a cattle pasture.

Keep Your Pastures Guessing: Why predictable grazing is costing you

Your cattle don't care which pasture they're in. Your pastures, on the other hand, care enormously. Give them something to work with, and keep them guessing.

Group of producers observing beef cattle in a pasture.

Setting Stocking Rates With Flexibility in Mind: A decision framework for uncertain years

Setting stocking rates during years when moisture is unpredictable does not require perfect information. It requires a framework that protects both your land and your options.