Range

All Range Content

Rancher viewing data on a laptop on the seat of his truck.

Online Tools To Help With Rangeland Drought Planning

Learn about some free online tools that producers can use to assess drought conditions, evaluate forage resources, and manage herds through periods of abnormally dry weather.

A man in a yellow shirt kneels in a pasture with a group of youth and teenagers standing in a circle around him

Annual youth Rangeland and Soils Days set for June 12-13 in Watertown

March 04, 2024

The 40th annual Rangeland and 19th annual Soils Days for youth is June 12-13, 2024, in Watertown.

A herd of cattle gather around a stock pond on a vast, lush grassland. Courtesy: USDA [CC BY 2.0]

Weed Control: Pasture and Range

There are 24 million acres of native and tame pasture and range as well as 1.4 million acres of grass hayland in South Dakota.

Sprawling rangeland enrolled in the conservation stewardship program.

SDSU Extension professionals win range management awards

February 12, 2024

Two South Dakota State University Extension experts have received awards from the Society for Range Management for their contributions to range science education and outreach.

Merino sheep grazing on grassy pasture.

Using Rangeland to Extend Lambs to Meet a More-Optimal Market

Coming off a year of record prices across all classifications of sheep, the current drop in prices has been a bit discouraging. Using historic pricing data, we can observe seasonal price fluctuations that may make holding onto lambs a little longer a more-profitable option.

Bobbi Eide poses with her awards

Gettysburg teen competes at international range management conference

February 09, 2024

Bobbi Eide, a sophomore at Gettysburg High School, represented the South Dakota chapter of the Society for Range Management from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1, 2024, at the meeting themed “Change on the Range.”

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

Weed Control: Noxious Weeds

Noxious Weed Recommendations: Herbicides for pasture, range, and non-crop areas, including roadside and other right-of-way that may be harvested for hay or grazed, are given a priority.

Vast, rolling rangeland with spring plant growth.

Investigating Rangeland Systems and Practices

Curriculum to teach students about the facets of rangelands.

Grazing exclosure constructed in a rangeland area.

End-of-Season Monitoring

The end of the grazing season is a great time to monitor your pasture/rangeland resources. Learn about some strategies and tools available to help assess where you stand at the end of the season.

Herd of mixed cattle grazing a vast, open rangeland.

History and Current Value of the Range Beef Cow Symposium

In December 1969, four extension specialists from Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, and South Dakota developed a symposium to provide cutting edge information to beef cattle producers. Years later, this valuable tradition continues at the biennial Range Beef Cow Symposium.