Content by Krista Ehlert

Rolling Rangeland with patches of snow with a wire snow catch fence on the right.

Reading the Range in Winter: What Dormant Season Clues Reveal About Spring

For range and grazing management, winter is one of the most revealing times of the year. With a few hours in each pasture, managers can gather a season’s worth of insight and set themselves up for a more-resilient grazing year. 

: Black and white scan of Cottonwood Field Station soil map.

Range Roundup: Long-Term Grazing Records Can Guide Future Management

For nearly 80 years, researchers at the Cottonwood Field Station have monitored how different stocking rates have shaped plant communities. Today, these records are being compared with modern data to help us better understand how rangelands respond to long-term grazing management.

A group of people stands in a green pasture

White River ‘Pasture Chat’ offers unique experience for women in agriculture

September 17, 2025

South Dakota State University Extension’s new “pasture chat” event provided a unique experience for women involved in agriculture in the White River region.

Two young woman inspecting plants growing on a vast, open range.

Women on the Range

Women on the Range is a program that is open to all. Through hands-on workshops and peer learning, this program empowers landowners, ranchers, and natural resource managers to build confidence and leadership in grazing and land stewardship.

A logo of a cow with a calf over the words Sweetheart Ranch

SDSU Extension hosting hands-on soil health workshop at Iona ranch

June 18, 2025

South Dakota State University Extension is hosting an educational soil health workshop for women and couples involved in agriculture at the Sweetheart Ranch near Iona.

Two women inspecting grass in a field

Save the date for SDSU Extension Women on the Range grazing workshop July 22-24

May 20, 2025

Women in agriculture are invited to attend the 2025 South Dakota State University Extension Women on the Range Grazing Workshop on July 22–24 at Wedge Tent Ranch near Faith.

Two producers inspect the soil in a no-till field early in the growing season.

Gearing Up for the Grazing Season: Soil Health

Grazing season is around the corner and preparation before turning out is key. Understanding the intersection between soil health and grazing can help improve the function of your grazing system.

A lush, green riparian area adjacent to a wetland area.

Permitting Considerations for Riparian Areas

Streams and riparian areas are a valued resource to ranchers, providing, among other things, forage, water, and shelter for livestock. Unfortunately, their relatively low prevalence on the landscape and livestock’s heavy reliance on them has led to widespread degradation to many streams and riparian environments in rangelands worldwide.

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

A Guide to South Dakota's Rangeland and Soils Days

Fact sheet to provide an overview of the South Dakota Rangeland and Soils Days program.

Rancher on horseback moving a group of black cattle in winter pasture.

Preparing for Spring Grazing After a Dry Fall: Strategies for Ranchers

A dry fall presents significant challenges, but it also offers an opportunity to implement proactive and adaptive management strategies.