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PHILIP, S.D. – Bill Slovek inherited more than rolling acres of prairie from his father, Earl. He also inherited his legacy of careful land stewardship. Although his father didn’t have today’s water and infrastructure resources at his disposal, he did have the foresight to not overgraze the ranch. The Slovek Ranch is located in west […]
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has been granted four million dollars to go to landowners enrolled in the Water Bank Program. South Dakota NRCS Easements Coordinator Brandon Kottke says those funds are designated within the Prairie Pothole Region of South Dakota, Minnesota and North Dakota. The purpose for […]
North Dakota pastureland values were up 17.1% from 2022 to 2023 while pastureland rents were up 7.1% during the same time, says Bryon Parman, North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension agricultural finance specialist. Data for pastureland rents and values are from the North Dakota County Rents and Prices Annual Survey, and then put into weighted averages […]
PIERRE, S.D.- Cattlemen and other industry stakeholders met during the annual South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association Convention in Pierre, Dec. 12-13. The event serves as a platform for ranchers to debate and pass policy important to South Dakota and the U.S. as a whole including cybersecurity, which was on the agenda this year. Another part of […]
RAPID CITY, S.D. – The USDA’s Farm Service Agency has announced a historic agreement with several tribes in South Dakota. The Cheyenne River Sioux, Oglala Sioux, and Rosebud Sioux Tribes will work with the USDA to improve grassland productivity, reduce soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat on tribal land. Through the Conservation Reservation Enhancement Program […]
TYNDALL, SD – Tyler Van Winkle is passionate about raising cattle and he loves sharing the experience with his four young children. “Not much compares to seeing those little calves right after calving and getting to help care for them – the fact that my kids can enjoy this with me,” said the third generation […]
RAPID CITY, SD – For South Dakota ranchers this legislative session turned into something of a mixed bag, according to South Dakota Stockgrowers Association (SDSGA) Executive Director James Halverson. “We had some wins. We had some losses,” he observed. “Our lobbyist felt the SDSGA membership should be proud of what was accomplished. We definitely moved […]
LEMMON, SD – Turning the bales of summer into winter pasture grazing helps South Dakota ranchers save time, money, and reduce personal stress while improving rangeland soil health and hay production for future years. “We started bale grazing in 2014, just leaving bales in the hayfield and strung hot wire for a week’s worth of […]
BOZEMAN, MT – Record droughts in the West are causing the Biden administration to rapidly round up and move wild horses off public rangelands. Facing an increased risk of death from lack of water and forage, the Bureau of Land Management recently announced it is planning to remove more than 6,000 additional animals from the range […]
PIERRE, SD – South Dakota’s farm real estate value, a measurement of the value of all land and buildings on farms, increased from 2020, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Farm real estate value for 2021 averaged $2,190 per acre, up $180 per acre (up 9%) from last year. Cropland value increased 12% from […]
