LINCOLN, Neb. — Plan now to attend the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society’s Healthy Farms Conference, Jan. 31-Feb.1 at the Ramada Midtown Hotel in Grand Island, Nebraska. Online registration is available at www.sustainablenebraska.org.

BROOKINGS — SDSU Extension will host private pesticide applicator trainings throughout South Dakota beginning in early January through March.

BROOKINGS — Learn about the most recent beef-related research at South Dakota State University during the first annual SDSU Beef Day on Jan. 16, starting at 10 a.m. in the Club 71 meeting room of the Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings.

It’s the difference between a boss and a manager, explains Matthew Harnisch of the working relationship he and his brothers have with their parents, Lynn and Sharleen. “A boss tells you what to do. A good manager includes you in on decisions. Growing up, my parents never told us we had to do…

From the UNMC, Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, Omaha, Neb.

SIOUX FALLS — Despite one of the most-challenging growing seasons ever, eight contestants in a contest sponsored by the South Dakota Corn Growers Association raised corn that yielded more than 270 bushels an acre.

BROOKINGS — SDSU Extension will facilitate a “Communicating with Farmers Under Stress” workshop Friday, Jan. 10, at 11  a.m. in the Huron Regional Medical Center Auditorium. SDSU Extension will present the workshop in partnership with Community Counseling Services, the Huron Chamber & Vi…

By Lura Roti

PIERRE — All are invited to attend the fourth annual South Dakota Soil Health Coalition (SDSHC) Soil Health Conference & Annual Meeting Jan. 15-16, 2020 in Watertown at the Ramkota Hotel & Watertown Event Center (1901 9th Ave. SW).

WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy has announced that USDA is accepting applications for grants to help farmers, ranchers and producer-based businesses nationwide develop new products and expand marketing opportunities.

As a child, Franklin Olson’s grandma told him the way to tell if it’s going to be a wet year is to look at the Big Dipper. “If the Dipper sits on its handle, then it’s not going to rain. If the Dipper is pouring out, then it will rain,” explains the 86-year-old Pierpont farmer and longtime F…

BROOKINGS — SDSU Extension encourages dairy producers to register for the I-29 Moo University Winter Workshop series, “Prosperity of Dairy Calves,” to be held in five locations across the region beginning Jan. 6, 2020.

WAGNER — At their Dec. 14 meeting in Wagner, the District1 South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU) delegates unanimously adopted a resolution of support for increasing the permitted height of hay haulers in South Dakota.

BROOKINGS — SDSU Extension will host winter agronomy meetings in Mitchell, Sioux Falls and Yankton in January.

Seeding and harvest equipment play a large role in farmers’ ability to implement two important soil health principles:

It looks like 2019 will go down as one of the toughest years to be in agriculture. The weather made things difficult across the entire Great Plains, leading to lower gains and unexpected costs. Surviving this period is going to take more than hard work—it also requires a sharp pencil.

BROOKINGS — SDSU Extension and the South Dakota State University Animal Science Department will host Beef 2020 on Jan. 7-9, at the Animal Science Complex on the SDSU Campus in Brookings.

Agricultural producers now can enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs — two U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) safety net programs — for the 2019 and 2020 crop years.

Based on 125 years of South Dakota weather data, 2019 is the wettest on record, says SDSU Extension State Climatologist, Laura Edwards.

BROOKINGS — Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Transportation is the latest certification needed for beef cattle haulers and producers who deliver cattle to major packing plants.

BROOKINGS — SDSU Extension will host the Power of Women as AgVocates Conference on Jan. 10-11, at the Arrowhead Cedar Shore Resort and Conference Center in Oacoma. The theme of the conference is “The Power of Advocating: Estate and Transition Planning — The Difficult Conversations.”

BROOKINGS —  South Dakota State University and SDSU Extension are hosting the first annual SDSU Beef Day on Jan. 16, starting at 10 a.m. in the Club 71 meeting room of the Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings.

The Yankton County Farm Service Agency is planning informational meetings for 10 a.m. Dec. 3 at the Tyndall Community Center and 10 a.m. Dec. 2 at JoDeans in Yankton.

BROOKINGS — An environmental training session for operators of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) will be held Dec. 11 at the Crossroads Convention Center in Huron. Specialists from SDSU Extension, the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Natural R…

PIERRE — The South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association (SDCA) will honor members for their dedication to the organization and for environmental stewardship efforts during the upcoming 71st annual Convention and Trade Show scheduled for Dec. 3-4 at the Ramkota Hotel & Convention Center in Pierre.

PIERRE — Contestants in the 2020 State Finals of the Resource Conservation Speech contest are eligible to win a total of $2,300 in college scholarships.

WASHINGTON — Farmers and ranchers take home just 12.1 cents from every dollar that consumers spend on their Thanksgiving dinner meals, according to the annual Thanksgiving edition of the National Farmers Union (NFU) Farmer’s Share publication. The popular Thanksgiving Farmer’s Share compares…

PIERRE — Don’t miss the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association (SDCA) Trade Show, coming up Dec. 3-4, 2019, at the Ramkota Hotel and Conference center in Pierre.

BROOKINGS — Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Transportation is the latest certification needed for beef cattle haulers and producers who deliver cattle to major packing plants.

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska Extension and USDA Farm Service Agency in Nebraska will host a series of Farm Bill education meetings next month to assist producers as they begin to make farm-bill related program decisions. The 2018 Farm Bill, signed into law last December, reauthorized the existin…

BROOKINGS — SDSU Extension will host the “Managing Soil: Maximizing Profit” workshop in Colton on Dec. 3. Registration begins at 8:45 a.m. and the workshop runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

HURON — South Dakota’s farmers may think they’ve applied for all the programs they can to help mitigate some of the losses brought on by extreme weather and the trade war, but South Dakota’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Paul Shubeck says there may be other resources available.

PIERRE — The Agricultural Land Assessment Implementation and Oversight Advisory Task Force, chaired by Sen. Gary Cammack (R-Union Center), will hold its second meeting of the 2019 Interim on Friday, Nov. 15, 2019, beginning at 10 a.m. (CT) in Room 413 of the State Capitol in Pierre.

BROOKINGS — To help beef producers meet Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certification expectations, SDSU Extension will host an in-person BQA certification course on Thursday, Nov. 21, from 2-4 p.m. in the Technology Center Amphitheater at Mitchell Technical Institute (MTI) in Mitchell. SDSU Ex…

PIERRE — Contestants in the 2020 State Finals of the Resource Conservation Speech contest are eligible to win a total of $2,300 in college scholarships.

LINCOLN, Neb. —The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is once again encouraging Nebraska farmers to “keep the stubble” on their harvested crop fields and improve soil health during No-Till November.

Keith Bolsen, Professor Emeritus, Kansas State University, says very emphatically that, “silage avalanches happen … believe it!”

For decades, state and local governments have provided incentives to businesses to locate or expand operations in communities. In South Dakota, these incentives have been extended to a range of businesses from big box retailers to small manufacturing plants. Oftentimes, these incentives are …

PIERRE — South Dakota Department of Agriculture (SDDA) is revising the 2012 Coordinated Plan for Natural Resources (the Plan) and is requesting public input.

PIERRE — Registration is now open for the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association’s 71st annual Convention and Trade Show scheduled for Dec. 3-4 at the Pierre Ramkota.

Every year, Aberdeen cow/calf producers Jeff and Rachel Kippley visit their local Kessler’s grocery store and pick up prime rib for Christmas dinner.

PIERRE — In September, the South Dakota Department of Agriculture awarded $342,880 to six specialty crop projects around the state. The funds come from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

PIERRE — The 2019 South Dakota Local Foods Conference (SDLFC) will feature keynote speaker Kelsey Ducheneaux on Friday, Nov. 1. Ducheneaux is a fourth-generation beef rancher, member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, and Natural Resources Director for the Intertribal Agriculture Council.

PIERRE — As harvest season is underway, the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission encourages grain producers, buyers and warehouses to review state laws and rules regarding the purchase and storage of grain. Understanding these state policies is an essential step for producers and buyers …

BROOKINGS — Significant losses happen every year in silage bunkers and piles across the United States. Losses of 15 percent or more of the harvested dry matter commonly occur, representing significant financial costs. Storage losses also affect the feeding value of the remaining silage. Feed…

HURON — Advancements in agriculture research and technology are essential to tomorrow’s farmers and ranchers. To support the future of South Dakota’s family farmers and ranchers, South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU) Foundation provides a $2,500 scholarship annually to a South Dakota graduate st…

COLUMBUS, Neb. — Spring flooding has caused Nebraska farmers to have an unusual growing season, but as operators head out to harvest crops, Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) wants to remind farmers to look up and look out for power lines.

HURON — In response to the recent flooding impacting many parts of the country, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announces the availability of $217.5 million to 11 states, including South Dakota. The emergency funding is speci…

BROOKINGS — With many flooded and saturated fields in South Dakota this fall, harvesting silage before corn dries past desired moisture levels or frost occurs may be a challenge for some producers.

With the abnormal amounts of rainfall we’ve received in 2019, planting, combining and hay harvest has been a struggle. This, in turn, has left feed in tight supply for some producers, while others are looking at a surplus of some feeds. For those who are looking at a shortage and need to cut…