Education

Cows in the Corn Photos

Doug Sieck’s cows have grazed standing corn for the past four years. Terry Gompert and an Alberta Ag Youtube video introduced him to the idea.

Sieck researched the

What’s in a Label? Photos

In South Dakota, Demkota has two USDA labels, Demkota Ranch Black Angus and Demkota Ranch, each have the same requirements except that the Black Angus label has to

Optimum Over Maximum: Bart Carmichael’s Philosophy for Low-input Ranching Photos

When Bart Carmichael moved to the family ranch two days after graduating high school, his grandfather ran cattle through four seasonal pastures. Bart

Adapting to the Prairies: Larry Wagner on Ranching in the Great Plains Photos

Larry and Julie Wagner run a grass-fed beef ranch in the Bijou Hills near Chamberlain, South Dakota. When I asked Larry where his interest in prairie conservation came from, he told me

Top 5 Takeaways from the Lockner Pasture Walk Photos

Dust storms thick enough to hide semi trucks and flooded roads after heavy rains prompted Dean Lockner to convert his crop ground back to native range: “I really didn’t like what I saw. I decided I needed to plant something

Targeted Grazing Dalmation Toadflax with Sheep in the Ft. Meade Recreation Area Photos

Using funds from a Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) Grant along with financial support from the USDI – BLM’s Belle Fourche, SD Field Office, we conducted a targeted grazing exercise on an invader weed species known as Dalmation toadflax. SDSU Extension,

Maybe We Should Calve Later Photos

The cold snowy “spring” of 2018 will be remembered by many South Dakota cow calf producers as a night-mare calving season. Perhaps it’s time to think about calving later next year. Most proponents of later calving were influenced by Dr. Dick Diven, who published research in the early 1990’s advocating

Unintended Consequences of Organic Farming Photos

Many consumers are increasingly drawn to organic foods because of perceived benefits to their health and the environment. In response to market signals, organic crop production is also increasing. Under current market conditions, it is easy to understand why some producers or landowners are considering organic

The 10,000 Foot View: Brett Nix on Ranching with the Big Picture in Mind Photos

Brett Nix grew up a few miles south of Murdo, South Dakota on the same ranch he and his wife Lori live on now. I visited the Nix place in the thick of calving on a balmy, May morning. We

Dan stepped out of the pickup and waited for the evening songbird chorus to return after being hushed by our arrival. He parked on the top of Cedar Butte— a long, grassy plateau surrounded

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