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Some of the forbs in Darrin Michalski’s pasture that form part of nature’s Pharmacy for Livestock. In a short clip taken from the recent SD Grasslands Amazing Grasslands video , we shared Mike McKernan, SDSU’s Pete Bauman, Madison Kovarna, and Josh Lefer’s work clipping and testing dozens of native forbs and grasses to study their nutritional value throughout the season. That video triggered a flood of thoughtful—and skeptical—comments. One in particular stuck with me: "Lots of plants are nutrient dense but it doesn’t mean anything if [they’re] not palatable to livestock." This raises an important point—but maybe not in the way the commenter intended. It reflects a lingering assumption that livestock, especially cattle, are essentially grass-eating machines. And if that’s the worldview we start with, then sure, sampling 30 different plants might sound irrelevant. But what if we’re missing something bigger? Cattle Eat More Than Grass Let’s start here: cattle don’t just eat grass. Pete Bauman says it flatly in the video: "The assumption that they're only eating grass is really a falsehood." The South Dakota Grassland Coalition has been working with researchers and ranchers to understand the nutritional contribution of non-grass species. The results are eye-opening. Pete and Mike tested goldenrod and found protein levels rivaling dairy-grade alfalfa. The same was true for native thistles. Cattle select plants, often taking a bite or two off goldenrod, for example, without visibly damaging the plant. This is targeted, strategic grazing behavior. It may not be obvious, but it matters. Provenza and the Wisdom of the Herd This is where Dr. Fred Provenza’s work becomes essential. Provenza, an animal behaviorist and author of the book Nourishment , has spent a career studying how livestock learn what to eat. In his research with rumen-cannulated animals, some cattle on diverse pastures had up to 60 species in their rumens. That’s not just about calories. That’s about medicine. Provenza argues that animals use plant diversity not just to meet nutritional needs but to regulate their health. Different compounds in different plants help buffer digestion, balance energy, manage parasites, and support mineral needs. This isn’t fiction; it’s ecology. Rethinking Palatability Palatability isn’t fixed. Pete Bauman and Kathy Voth co-authored a valuable guide called Cows Eat Weeds , which walks producers through practical steps to help animals learn to eat plants once thought unpalatable or toxic. It turns out, animals are excellent learners—if given the chance. The bigger question is: Are we managing in a way that allows animals to express their full potential? Or are we limiting their choices to a narrow slice of what the pasture could provide? Bottom Line There’s a growing body of evidence—from South Dakota to Utah to Texas—that livestock are capable of complex foraging strategies. Sampling 30 species, as McKernan, Lefers, and others are doing, isn’t about just proving plants are nutritious. It’s about understanding the full buffet nature offers. And when animals can access that buffet, they get healthier. Inputs go down. Profit potential goes up. It might be time to retire the idea that grass is all they need.   Further Reading: Nourishment by Fred Provenza Cows Eat Weeds (Bauman & Voth) Plan Now to Control Weeds by Grazing Next Season (Pete Bauman) Our Podcast Series with Dr. Fred Provenza Podcasts: ·      Tap into the Hidden Wisdom of Livestock ·      Top tips for unlocking Land and Livestock Potential ·      Reimagining Agriculture: Retinking our Relationships with Nature and the Land ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

Dr. Ray Weil Professor of Soils in the Department of Environmental Science & Technology at the University of Maryland, in a Soils Pit (no tilled for 30+ years) on the Steve Groff Farm in Pennsylvania. When I first started learning about soil, I wasn’t a trained agronomist—I just knew we were supposed to take soil samples down to 6" or 6¼". I didn’t question it at the time. Later, I learned that this 6" layer represents the old plow layer—the zone where most agronomic roots live. But here’s the kicker: they live there not because it’s ideal, but because the plow created a compacted “plow pan” beneath it. This dense, platy layer restricts root growth, moisture movement, and gas exchange. In effect, we were farming in flower pots. I remember standing with Dr. Ray Weil (co-author of The Nature and Properties of Soils ) in October 2014 at Steve Groff’s farm in Pennsylvania. The no-till field we were looking at had been farmed without tillage for over 30 years . We were in a seven-foot-deep soil pit —well over my head, and I’m six feet tall—looking at roots, soil layers, and what Ray called “a huge tank” of deeper water and nutrients separated from crops by a compacted zone. Ray’s message was simple: in many fields, roots can’t reach that tank. They’re blocked by the compaction left behind by decades of tillage, and without a path down, crops hit summer stress and yields drop. A lively debate When we shared Ray’s comments in a short video, the conversation took off online. Here’s a sampling of what people had to say: “Really, who doesn’t know about compaction. Thanks for telling us that.” “Ummm… yaa… ok… sooo, what are the latest potential remedies to loosen up compaction at that depth..???????” “What’s the fix?” “Around here a lot of folks use rippers.” and “Subsoiler is the answer.” “Depends on where you are and the soil type. Rippers are not recommended where I am in Australia.” “And that’s why one could grow a taproot variety of alfalfa if the economics fit. Ours fractured, add nitrogen and built organic matter.” “I’ve no-tilled for over 40 yrs I don’t have compacted soils.” “All well and good. Now make it cash flow. Because without that, it means nothing.” What surprised me was that no one mentioned cover crops —especially since Ray was instrumental in helping Steve Groff import tillage radish seed from Brazil in the early days, showing how biological solutions could address compaction naturally. What’s the fix? Mechanical fixes, like ripping with large shanks, can fracture the compacted layer for a season, but they’re expensive, fuel-intensive, and temporary, since tillage destroys the natural channels roots and earthworms create. Biological fixes, like deep-rooted cover crops , can be permanent—living roots and soil life build and reinforce these pathways year after year, making them easier for future roots to follow without the need to start over. If we want deeper, healthier roots, we have to think beyond the top 6 inches. That means looking at the biology, not just the mechanics , and asking ourselves: What are we missing beneath our feet? 💡 Curious how no-till stacks up in the real world? see how research, field trials, and farmers themselves weigh in:, and the “why” behind the practices: No-Till vs. Tillage: Which Really Lets the Water In? (4 min read) No-Till, No Yield? Are We Putting Corn Above Soybean Yields? (3 min read) Beyond No-Till: Why Crop Rotations Matter More Than You Think When Does No-Till Work? Two Major Studies and What Farmers Told Us What We’re Really Arguing About When We Talk About Tillage?   Other Useful Resources from Dr. Weil If you want to dig deeper into Dr. Weil’s work and the role of cover crops in addressing compaction, here are some excellent starting points: ·      Cover Crops & Soil Compaction – Ray Weil Presentation (Slideshare) ·      YouTube Dr. Weil Taking Cover Crops to the Next Level for Better Management of Nutrients ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

We recently posted a video short of Pete Bauman talking about goldenrod on the July "Our Amazing Grasslands" video, and it took off! 110,000 plays and 1,000 likes in just 11 days. With that reach came a tidal wave of comments, and not surprisingly, many folks had strong opinions about goldenrod. They ranged from “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Let’s feed shoe leather” to “Spot on—my sheep will hit the goldenrod, sunflowers, amaranth, giant ragweed, and mares tail first.” In between those extremes were dozens of goldenrod-curious folks—people asking honest questions like, “But do cattle eat goldenrod?” or “Isn’t goldenrod toxic?” Some commented that goldenrod is especially dangerous during the second trimester of pregnancy. Others swore their goats wouldn’t touch it, despite planting it for pollinators. So let’s unpack this. Sorting Out the Toxicity Question Let’s start with what we’re talking about when we say “goldenrod.” If you’re in South Dakota or most of the eastern or central U.S., you’re almost certainly dealing with Solidago  species—Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima), Missouri goldenrod (Solidago missouriensis), and others. These are non-toxic native forbs . On the other hand, if you’re in parts of Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, or Arizona , you may be dealing with rayless goldenrod — Haplopappus heterophyllus (also known as Isocoma pluriflora). That’s an entirely different plant, and yes, it is toxic. Rayless goldenrod contains tremetol , a compound that can build up in an animal’s system and cause a condition known as "trembles." But here’s the key: according to USDA’s Poisonous Plants bulletins, livestock have to consume 1 to 1.5% of their body weight daily  for two to three weeks for symptoms to show up. So ask yourself: what kind of grazing management allows animals to spend that long on a pasture where that’s the only thing to eat? This isn’t just a plant problem—it’s a management problem. Pete Bauman and I talked about this exact point. We both agree that when animals are forced —say, midwinter in the Southwest with no other forage—then yes, toxic plants become dangerous. But on healthy pastures where animals have choices, it’s a different story entirely. Knowing the Range (and Your Animals) Fred Provenza talks often about how animals that are familiar with their home range behave differently than those that aren’t. In fact, he shared a story about a rancher who split his herd during drought—half stayed on their familiar range, and half were moved just one county over. The cattle on the new range suffered severe losses from locoweed, while the animals that stayed put were unaffected. Why? Because the home herd knew the landscape. They knew what to eat and what to avoid. This same idea applies to goldenrod and other so-called weeds. Animals raised on a pasture with goldenrod (the Solidago kind) simply don’t overeat it. Even goats will learn what’s edible and what’s not—but that learning happens in the context of familiarity and choice. Bottom Line If you’re seeing goldenrod and are worried about toxicity, the first step is to get your ID right; the accompanying image may be of use to you. If it’s Solidago, you’re not dealing with a toxic plant. If it’s Rayless goldenrod (Haplopappus heterophyllus), then yes—take precautions, especially during limited forage seasons. But before reaching for the herbicide jug, I’d echo Pete Bauman’s advice: ask why the weed is there in the first place.   Spraying edible “weeds” is money you’ll never get back . Changing the plant community—through grazing management—is where the real return lies. Coming up next, I’ll dig into the forage potential of goldenrod and what Pete has learned through years of observing cows graze it in South Dakota pastures. You might be surprised by what the protein tests show. Our Podcast Series with Dr. Fred Provenza Podcasts: Tap into the Hidden Wisdom of Livestock Top tips for unlocking Land and Livestock Potential Reimagining Agriculture: Rethinking our Relationships with Nature and the Land Useful References USDA/ARS “Poisonous Plants in the Western States,” Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 415 (discussion of tremetol risk and control recommendations). NMSU Bulletin B 114: Rayless Goldenrod and Livestock Poisonings  – describes biology, toxin, and control. USDA ARS Poisonous Plant Research page on Rayless Goldenrod (Haplopappus heterophyllus): detailed toxicosis features and management. USDA NRCS Plant Fact Sheets / Plant Guides for Solidago canadensis and S. missouriensis  – forage palatability, habitat, and uses. SDSU’s Pete Bauman article: Plan Now to Control Weeds by Grazing Next Season . ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

This past Friday morning, I was sitting in my local coffee shop, enjoying a cup of joe and catching up on the latest Our Amazing Grasslands  video from the South Dakota Grassland Coalition. As I watched, I saw a few familiar faces pop up on the screen—SDSU’s Pete Bauman, that larger-than-life dynamo (seriously, where does he get his energy?); Josh Lefers, the rancher-philosopher who also happens to be Audubon Dakota’s Director of Conservation; Mike McKernan, a boots-on-the-ground East River rancher; and a new voice to me—SDSU’s Madison Kovarna, a beef nutrition specialist with a fresh and practical perspective. Now, the message in this video isn’t necessarily new. But it still managed to blow my mind. This group has been collecting data on nutrients and minerals in native grasses and forbs, alongside the usual cool-season grasses: smooth brome, Kentucky bluegrass, and crested wheatgrass. They’ve sampled these plants across their life cycles—from spring flush through mid-summer slump to fall dormancy—and they’ve put hard numbers behind what many of us have only guessed at. And here’s the kicker: we’ve got folks, with the best will in the world, spending real money  to spray out “weeds” like goldenrod or native thistle. Then, a few months later, when their cool-season-invaded pastures have lost nutritional punch by late June, they turn around and spend more money  on feed supplements. What if the very plants we’re trying to kill are the ones that can save us money? Pete Bauman drops a truth bomb in the video: “We tested [goldenrod] simply for protein analysis, and it graded out as high as dairy-grade alfalfa—somewhere around 24% crude protein.” Are you kidding me? And Josh Lefers puts a fine point on it: “You can actually put real dollars into the value of that native plant forage.” This is not diversity for diversity’s sake. I’ve sat at ranch kitchen tables with folks who beam as they talk about 60, 70—even 100 species—in a single pasture. That’s not just biological richness. That’s resilience. That’s forage that feeds, heals, and saves money. My friend Dr. Fred Provenza puts it best: “The soil takes sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water and turns the land into a grocery store and a pharmacy.” But that only works if we manage for diversity. This video lays that out plainly. It’s not abstract. It’s not theoretical. It’s field-tested, South Dakota-grown evidence that diverse pastures are profitable pastures . Watch the full video: Catch the July episode of Our Amazing Grasslands  here:👉  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKHYzerG-QA&list=PLg6Jx7lcOmB2YcAWtowbjWSVTRBlCt17o Short on time? We’ve pulled a few of the best moments into video shorts on SD NRCS’s YouTube page . One of my favorites? Pete Bauman calmly explaining that goldenrod rivals alfalfa in protein . You won’t look at “weeds” the same way again.  ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

Over the past few weeks, the tillage and no-till debate has sparked surprising and passionate discussion among our readers. We've responded with a series of blogs diving into the science, farmer experience, and stewardship questions at stake [1–5]. As part of this effort, we're highlighting two key South Dakota studies, both based at the Brookings research station, that offer important, complementary insights into why longer crop rotations can make not just agronomic but economic sense. Two Complementary Studies, One Big Takeaway Recent peer-reviewed work by Bansal et al. [6] and Feng et al. [7] compared long-term no-till systems: continuous corn, corn–soybean (CS), and diversified four-year rotations with small grains, peas, and sunflowers. While they explore similar themes, the two papers differ in focus and together provide a fuller picture: Bansal et al. (2024)  focus on yield and profit comparisons , showing corn yields up to 89% higher after peas vs. continuous corn, soybean yields ~38% higher after wheat, and net revenues holding steady or improving in diverse systems. They emphasize reduced nitrogen and seed costs as profit drivers. Feng et al. (2021)  zoom out to a systems-level view , examining not only profits but economic resilience over time , especially under limited fertilizer or weather stress. They show diversified systems buffer farms against risk and input price swings, offering stability beyond just yield numbers. Why It Matters for South Dakota Farmers Both studies agree: longer rotations offer more than agronomic perks—they bring real economic advantages.  While small grains or peas may have lower per-acre market value, they improve soil health, lower input needs, and set up following crops for success. Diversified systems also weather market and environmental ups and downs better—critical for long-term profitability. A Personal Note In an interview I did with Dr. Dwayne Beck at Dakota Lakes Research Farm back in October 2013—as the Atlas storm rolled into South Dakota—he summed it up simply: "Corn is a good thing. We can keep a high percentage of corn in the rotation. But we're throwing this other stuff in there just to mix it up, and it makes the corn better and much cheaper to grow."  Beck has long emphasized that diversity gives economic advantages you don’t always see on paper—until you experience the system yourself. To us, these new Brookings studies beautifully corroborate what Beck was saying more than a decade ago. Other Resources We also reviewed summaries from USDA-ARS and SDSU Extension [8,9]. These provide useful overviews, and we hope our blog helps whet readers' appetites to explore the full research landscape even further. Our Take For producers wondering if it’s worth expanding beyond corn and soy: the evidence says yes. The challenge ahead is translating these findings into practical, region-specific tools that help farmers on the ground. If you think we should dive even deeper into the literature or explore additional questions, let us know—we welcome your input! References Growing Resilience Team. What we’re really arguing about when we talk about tillage. Growing Resilience SD. Available from: https://www.growingresiliencesd.com/post/what-we-re-really-arguing-about-when-we-talk-about-tillage Growing Resilience Team. When does no-till work? Two major studies and what farmers told us. Growing Resilience SD. Available from: https://www.growingresiliencesd.com/post/when-does-no-till-work-two-major-studies-and-what-farmers-told-us Growing Resilience Team. No-till and chemical inputs: What the research tells us. Growing Resilience SD. Available from: https://www.growingresiliencesd.com/post/no-till-and-chemical-inputs-what-the-research-tells-us Growing Resilience Team. Beyond no-till: Why crop rotations matter more than you think. Growing Resilience SD. Available from: https://www.growingresiliencesd.com/post/beyond-no-till-why-crop-rotations-matter-more-than-you-think Growing Resilience Team. No-till, no yield? Are we putting corn above soybean yields? Growing Resilience SD. Available from: https://www.growingresiliencesd.com/post/no-till-no-yield-are-we-putting-corn-above-soybean-yields Bansal S, et al. Yield and profit comparison of diversified versus conventional crop rotation systems in South Dakota. Agron J. 2024;116(2):1012–1030.  DOI/full text: https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21688 Feng X, et al. Yield and economic performance of crop rotation systems in South Dakota. Agrosyst Geosci Environ. 2021;4:e20170.  📄 Full text (open access): https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20196 USDA-ARS. Economics of different crop rotation systems in South Dakota. 2022. Available from: https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=402752 Wang T. Economics of different crop rotation systems in South Dakota. SDSU Extension Bulletin. Available from: https://extension.sdstate.edu/economics-different-crop-rotation-systems-south-dakota ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

By the Growing Resilience Team I’ve visited Vermillion, South Dakota, several times, usually under slate-gray skies and spring winds that sweep across the flats without asking permission. But in May of 2025, I made my first trip 26 miles west to Yankton—a place I had long overlooked, nestled near the Jim River and Missouri confluence. As Joe Dickie and I drove from Vermillion toward Yankton—and between Joe’s exclamations of “rooster!” or “hey, two hens!”—I noticed how quickly the landscape began to shift. What started as flat, row-cropped uniformity gave way to rolling ground—some of it still in row crops, but much of it was given over to pasture and tree-lined creek bottoms. Like a good conversation, it was as if the land began to open up the farther west we drove. This reminded me that context is everything in farming, as in life. We met Nate Hicks on his family’s farm, and I soon realized I wasn’t just speaking to a farmer, but to an engineer who honed his profession through study and fieldwork—first in college out West, then on the job in Idaho and Colorado—before returning home with a mind wired for systems, tinkering, and close observation. Nate’s father, a transplant from West River ranch country, brought his cows—and his mindset—to Yankton. That influence still lingers. Nate brands his calves and moves livestock through a web of cross-fenced paddocks, and while they no longer stack hay the old-fashioned way, they do use a loaf stacker to harvest and store cornstalks. That blend of traditions—West River grit meeting East River green—has shaped Nate’s approach. He’s not afraid to experiment, and it shows. Take his transition to no-till. Rather than invest in a drill, Nate modified his old Kinze planter for 19-inch rows. He added hydraulic downforce and adapted it to plant everything from cereal rye to radishes to millet. “Controlled spill,” he called it. And it worked. He now plants green into rye and often lets his fall-calving herd graze the residue beforehand—but he draws the line after planting. “I don’t let cows graze after planting,” he said. “Haven’t tried it anyway, but not sure it’s on my list of things to try at the moment.” The cows are central to his system, not just livestock but land managers. They graze harvested fields, cereal rye, and diverse cover crops. He turns them out in dry springs early and captures value from what little forage grows. He lets the rye grow tall in wetter years, laying down biomass and thatch to feed the soil. His grazing rhythm follows the terrain: bottoms to hillsides and back, moving with moisture and regrowth. We stood in a test strip where rye had grown chest-high the year before. Nate pulled back the thatch to reveal dark, moist soil and earthworms by the dozen. In that single field, he had harvested silage, grazed cows, planted rye, and returned with soybeans. The soil held together like a piece of chocolate cake—structured, but alive. Nate doesn’t preach about soil health. He’s too practical for that. But it matters. Nate and his wife, Kristen, are raising their young family on the farm. “Kristen and I don’t want to miss our kids growing up,” he said. “So if I can run the planter instead of the feed wagon, that’s the time I get back.” And when the rye rises fast or beans emerge through mulch, he takes note. He doesn’t overhaul everything at once. He tests, observes, and adapts. That kind of attentiveness feels rare these days. Out here, where row crops meet rangeland and the wind carries both promise and warning, Nate Hicks is building a system that fits his place—not someone else’s model. His own. And that, too, is a lesson in context. ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

Anthony Bly In 2023, NRCS’s Marcia Deneke and Kent Vlieger generously took time to guide me through the salinity challenges of South Dakota. We visited the Beadle County Dale Demonstration Farm, Cain Creek, producers like Scott and Jeff Hamilton — and finally sat down with Anthony Bly in Sioux Falls. At first, I couldn’t make sense of one question: Why would salinity increase when rainfall does too? More rain should be good, right? It took conversations with Kent, Ducks Unlimited’s Matt Hubers, and especially Anthony Bly to open my eyes to the bigger picture. The turning point came when I understood that salinity isn’t caused by any one thing — it’s a perfect storm. The geology of the James River Valley — salty Pierre Shale soils just below the surface — sets the stage. The geography — a broad, slow-draining valley — compounds it. The climate — several decades of wetter-than-normal years — lifts those hidden salts closer to the surface. And then, over the past few decades, necessary and understandable changes in agriculture added to the pressure: Loss of pasture, rangeland, and perennial systems that once helped use excess water. Fewer small grains and more soybeans , crops that don’t draw down water tables the same way. Market signals encouraging certain rotations and land uses, in response to larger global needs. As Anthony put it: “Farmers are receiving market signals to do certain things. What creates the market signal? It’s the support from the system. So is it anyone’s specific fault? No, it’s not. It’s a societal problem”. That helped me see: Increased rainfall didn’t cause salinity — it revealed vulnerabilities shaped by geology, geography, climate, and years of honest, well-intentioned management decisions. When we tried to talk about salinity early on — with blog posts, long videos — the response was modest. After all, salinity isn’t a flashy topic. But when we shared short, 30-second video clips distilling Anthony’s holistic perspective, people engaged. Maybe it was the format. Maybe it was Anthony’s clarity. I think it was because the message wasn't about blame — it was about seeing the land clear-eyed , and with hope. In the end, salinity is a symptom of a broken water cycle — landscapes that were once in balance are now more variable. It’s not anyone’s fault. But it is everyone’s opportunity — to respond, adapt, and move forward with the land in mind. ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

By Buz Kloot An old friend of mine grew up in Utah’s Cache Valley, where his dad, a worn-out dairyman, would shake his head after a long day and mutter, “I sure hope there ain’t no cows in heaven.” But I’m not so sure anymore—especially after visiting Cody Merrigan, a young farmer just a stone’s throw from the University of South Dakota’s Vermillion campus. Cody runs a mixed operation of row crops, cover crops, and stocker cattle in Clay County, where most folks stick to corn and soybeans and leave the livestock to someone else. “Other than Mr. Nissen,” he said, “no one else around here does what we do. It’s like living in a bubble.” On this “island,” Cody is doing something different: blending no-till, cover crops, and stocker cattle  in a way that doesn’t just cut inputs—it regenerates the land.  A Journey Sparked by a YouTube Video Cody didn’t start out with no-till or grazing covers. “I grew up conventional,” he says. But a soils teacher planted a seed, and a David Brandt video  on cover crops lit the spark. “It looked fun. Simple. So I gave it a shot. Planted some wheat and a cover crop. Total failure—no moisture. But I was hooked.” That curiosity led him to the Ranching for Profit school  and the South Dakota Grazing School . “Every year I’ve gotten better at grazing—on native range, cover crops, everything,” he says. “But it really started with one video.” A System That Regenerates, Rotates, and Flexes Cody's system is built on keeping living roots in the soil year-round and grazing strategically. Here’s how it works: “Full year, whether it’s corn or soy—it doesn’t matter what it is—it’s getting a cover crop of some kind in the fall.” In spring, as those covers green up, he grazes them for 45–90 days, then sends the cattle to native range while he plants a full-season warm-season cover crop  (like sorghum-sudan or millet). That full-season cover is then grazed in summer, followed by a cool-season mix in the fall . “I come right back around again in September and put it into a cool-season mix. My goal is to have something growing on the land year-round.” Originally, he followed a corn-soy-wheat rotation, but struggled to grow anything in August. “Trying to grow something in August in Southeast South Dakota was a terrible time. So I shifted to planting in June—when we usually have more moisture.” Why Stockers? Why Now? Cody’s move from cow-calf to stockers was all about flexibility. With grazing windows shifting and drought always a possibility, stockers let him adapt on the fly. “If we start to go dry, I can sell them. I can match my stocking rate to the forage I have. Cow-calf guys don’t have that option in June and July.” He admits stockers come with their own challenges—training and health being top among them—but he enjoys the work. And then there’s Kevin , the unexpected leader steer: “Kevin has made it awesome. I’ll put him with a new group and he knows when I show up—hey, we’re going somewhere new. I follow him, and they follow me. Sometimes he goes the wrong way, but most of the time he’s a huge asset.” The Most Important Priority What struck us most wasn’t the soil or the yields—it was the time . Cody has restructured his entire system around what matters most: his wife and three daughters. “I have an order of priorities: family is number one, work is number two. I can’t say five years ago that’s how I operated.” Every decision—from adopting no-till to running stockers—is shaped by that mindset. “Give me 45 minutes to move cattle, check fence and water,” he said, “and you’ve got me for the rest of the day.” If his wife and daughters want to go camping, he just gives the cattle a bigger paddock. The system bends with life, not the other way around. Cody Merrigan’s farm may be an island in Clay County, but it’s no silo. His story is part of a broader movement we’re hearing again and again—farmers designing systems that fit their lives, regenerate their land, and still leave room for dinner with the family. It’s hard work. It’s not perfect. But it might just be a little heaven-sent. ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

Please note: If   any of the references below   are unavailable, please   let us know, and we can access them through our university library. In recent weeks, we've delved deep into the peer-reviewed literature to understand better the complex relationship between no-till agriculture and chemical inputs like herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers. This topic has repeatedly come up in online discussions, and we were genuinely surprised to see how, for many, no-till has become synonymous with increased chemical spraying. Either way, here’s what we do know: this topic deserves more than a quick soundbite. We aim to promote stewardship, not dogma, which means being honest about what the data says and what it doesn’t. Herbicide Use in No-Till Systems No-till farming generally reduces the need for mechanical weed control, but often increases reliance on herbicides. According to a 2025 Friends of the Earth report, 93% of U.S. no-till corn and soybean acres  rely on synthetic herbicides, contributing to 33% of all pesticide use nationally ( Friends of the Earth, 2025 ). This reliance on chemicals is not without consequence, and like it or not, our community can’t ignore these numbers. As Beyond Pesticides notes, herbicide residues from no-till systems have been detected in nearby water bodies, raising red flags for ecological and public health ( Beyond Pesticides, 2021 ). While some organic systems advocate for strategic tillage, institutions like the Rodale Institute demonstrate that systems built on cover crops and crop diversity can outperform conventional no-till in terms of soil carbon, microbial life, and resilience ( Rodale Institute, 2023 ). However, it's important to recognize that some sources use the data to support a strongly ideological viewpoint. Reports like those from Friends of the Earth and Beyond Pesticides often use the data to advocate for a shift to fully organic systems. While we admire the long-term goals of organic agriculture, we also believe that a more balanced view is needed for our audience, that is large-scale row crop farmers on the Great Plains. When used judiciously and as part of a broader system of soil stewardship, chemicals may have a smaller environmental footprint than the soil disturbance and erosion associated with conventional tillage, as Dr. Dwayne Beck has said, tillage—especially when repeated and deep—is a “catastrophic event” for soil. Pesticide and Fertilizer Dynamics While no-till practices reduce erosion and can decrease runoff of soil-bound chemicals, pesticide runoff is not always reduced. A meta-analysis by Elias et al. (2018) found that pesticide runoff depends more on the chemical's properties and rainfall timing than tillage per se. “Overall, the concentration and load of pesticides were greater in runoff from NT fields, especially pesticides with high solubility and low affinity for solids. Thus, NT farming affects soil properties that control pesticide retention and interactions with soils, and ultimately their mobility in the environment.”   ( Elias et al., 2018 ). The study looked primarily at conventional no-till systems without incorporating additional soil health practices like cover crops or rotation. Similarly, fertilizer use remains high in many no-till systems. Friends of the Earth reports that 92% of no-till corn acres in the U.S. use synthetic nitrogen at an average of 150 pounds per acre. This undercuts the notion that no-till alone  guarantees  a lower-input system. The Power of Integrated Approaches Here’s where more hopeful research offers better insights. At the Dakota Lakes Research Farm, Dr. Dwayne Beck has emphasized that “no-till alone won’t get us there.” Instead, he and cooperating farmers focus on full systems: diverse rotations (especially with small grains), living roots, soil armor, cover crops, and livestock integration. Combined with minimal disturbance, these practices can dramatically reduce the need for synthetic inputs and improve long-term soil health. Similarly, Dr. Jonathan Lundgren’s work at Ecdysis Foundation shows that regenerative farms—those integrating soil health principles—can significantly lower insecticide and herbicide use while maintaining or even improving profitability and ecological function. A long-term study at Iowa State's Marsden Farm ( Nguyen 2016 ) found that diversified rotations with reduced chemical inputs not only maintained yields but also improved soil health and reduced weed pressure ( Wired, 2012 ). So, What Should We Make of This? No-till alone isn’t a silver bullet. When practiced in isolation, it can create new dependencies on synthetic inputs. But when integrated into a full soil health system, no-till can reduce labor, improve soil structure, and, with the right practices , begin to reduce chemical reliance too. While we appreciate   the genuinely valid concerns about herbicide use in no-till, focusing only on chemical impacts ignores the very real damage caused by tillage, especially erosion, nutrient loss, and particulate phosphorus runoff into water bodies. If our goal is stewardship, we must weigh both sides of the scale. We’ll continue exploring the complex realities of tillage, inputs, and soil health in the coming weeks. For now, we hope this blog provides a clearer, more honest look at the tradeoffs—and opportunities—in today’s no-till systems. References: Friends of the Earth. Pesticide-Intensive No-Till Agriculture: A Report on Environmental and Health Risks. 2025. Available from: https://foe.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Report_No-Till_Report.pdf Beyond Pesticides. Herbicide Use in "Regenerative" No-Till Agriculture Contaminates Water Bodies. 2021. Available from: https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2021/02/herbicide-use-in-regenerative-no-till-contaminates-waterbodies Elias EM. Pesticide Runoff in No-Till Systems: A Meta-Analysis. Indiana University ScholarWorks. 2018. Available from: https://scholarworks.indianapolis.iu.edu/bitstream/1805/17406/1/Elias_2018_meta-analysis.pdf Nguyen H. Reducing herbicide use through cropping system diversification: A case study at the Iowa State University Marsden Farm, and some recommendations for the Mekong Delta of Vietnam [master's thesis]. Ames, IA: Iowa State University; 2016. Available from: https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/entities/publication/3fc0e87c-7466-4973-b3e2-910caf387735 Rodale Institute. New Report Identifies Toxic Impact of No-Till Agriculture. 2023. Available from: https://rodaleinstitute.org/blog/new-report-identifies-toxic-impact-of-no-till-agriculture-inaccurately-referred-to-as-regenerative Keim B. Big, Smart, Green and Made in Iowa. WIRED. 2012. Available from: https://www.wired.com/2012/10/big-smart-green-farming Ecdysis Foundation. Research Highlights and Impact. 2023. Available from: https://www.ecdysis.bio/research ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

By Buz Kloot In late April, Joe Dickie and I traveled up to South Dakota, chasing a spring that felt just out of reach. Our first stop was with Dawn Butzer, and if there’s a better way to start a trip, I don’t know it. Dawn grew up with livestock in her blood—cattle were simply part of life. But after attending a South Dakota Grasslands Grazing School, something shifted. What had always been passion became purpose. She and her husband made the bold decision to buy cropland they had once leased and restore it to native prairie. It wasn't an easy path. Dawn shared how she had wrestled through the bidding process, how deeply personal the decision had been. "I fasted for three days so that somehow we could buy this land," she said. "I didn’t want it just to stay cropland. I wanted it to become something more." When they finally got it, it felt like more than a purchase. It felt like an answer. On Good Friday this year, they planted their first field back to prairie. As we walked the field with her, we dropped to our knees, scratching through the grain drill furrows for signs of life. And there it was—the thin white radicles of oats pushing through the black soil, and finer still, the threadlike beginnings of native grasses taking hold. Dawn smiled through tears and said, "Every seed that grows is a miracle." You could see it in her face—the mixture of awe, gratitude, and hope woven into every word. The seed mix she planted—designed with help from Pete Bauman and NRCS conservationist Jay Hermann—was carefully built for biodiversity and resilience. More than twenty-five native species were included, among them big bluestem, sideoats grama, switchgrass, and little bluestem, anchored alongside vibrant forbs like purple prairie clover, eastern purple coneflower, and black-eyed Susan. This wasn’t a quick cover crop. This was a prairie-in-the-making, a habitat for grazing, wildlife, and soil restoration. As we stood there, Dawn said, "You have to trust the process you can’t always see. It’s like faith—you believe in the promise before you see the harvest." Looking out across the rough new field, she added, "When I walk out here now, I don’t see crops—I see a future." It’s easy to be cynical about agriculture today. Markets go up and down. Margins tighten. But standing there with Dawn, watching those first green shoots push against the prairie winds, I realized that hope still grows wild and strong in South Dakota. Dawn Butzer isn't just planting seeds. She's planting a story—and it's just beginning. And I can't wait to go back. Download Dawn Butzer’s full NRCS-approved seeding plan (PDF) ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

Photo Credit: By Joe Dickie In western South Dakota, where the prairie stretches wide and the wind speaks in long, slow sentences, Karlie Kammerer has learned the most important lesson a young rancher can know: The land doesn't read a rulebook. It doesn't follow a calendar. It doesn't operate by formulas. It responds to care — attention — and patience. Karlie, 17, is the seventh generation to ranch on her family’s land near Piedmont, South Dakota — a place they’ve called home for over 140 years. Today, that legacy continues as her family leans hard into regenerative ranching — not as a trendy label, but as a way to stay rooted in the land they love and to ensure it thrives for generations to come."We had to change," Karlie says plainly. "We were doing what everybody else was doing — conventional management — but it wasn't working." A Shift in Thinking — From Control to Care Like many ranch families, the Kammerers once measured success the way they were taught — by production, efficiency, and numbers. But the land was telling them something else. So Karlie’s dad, Riley Kammerer, did what good ranchers do: He paid attention. He asked questions. He went looking for better ways — through grazing schools, Ranching for Profit , and conversations with ranchers already walking the regenerative path. Today, the Kammerers follow the five familiar principles of soil health — minimizing disturbance, keeping the soil covered, promoting diversity, maintaining living roots, and integrating livestock. But for them, the most important principle is the one that doesn’t always get listed on the handouts: Context. Context Changes Everything Context is what ties their whole operation together. It's not a practice — it's a posture. “Every pasture is different,” Karlie says. “You can’t treat them all the same.” Context means they don’t move cattle just because the calendar says it’s time. They move cattle because the grass  says it’s time, the soil needs rest, or a dry year calls for a different strategy. It means knowing that some fields respond to more animal impact while others need to be left alone. It means understanding that a practice that works 100 miles west on somebody else’s ranch might not fit here — in this soil, with this rainfall, on this ground. “You have to ranch with your eyes open,” Karlie says — quoting her dad but clearly taking the words as her own. Regenerative Ranching as Legacy Work For the Kammerers, regenerative ranching isn’t about appearances. It’s about leaving something behind that lasts. Their investment isn’t just in cattle or grass — it’s in the next generation. “My dad always says what we’re doing now isn’t just for us,” Karlie explains. “It’s for whoever comes after us.” Sometimes, that means slowing down. Sometimes, it means letting nature take the lead. Sometimes, it means walking away from short-term gain for long-term health. “That’s what context teaches you,” Karlie says. “It teaches you to look past the quick fix and ask what’s really good for the land.”t takes dogs. It takes daily checking. But it works. And it works because  it fits the context. Why Grasslands Matter The Great Plains grasslands — like the ones Karlie calls home — are among the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Millions of acres have been lost to cropland conversion, urban development, and woody encroachment. Yet these grasslands hold the key to clean water, healthy soil, wildlife habitat, and carbon storage. Without healthy grasslands, none of the rest works — not the cattle, not the wildlife, not the rural communities that depend on them. But Karlie believes there’s still time — and still people willing to listen to what the land needs. Listening to the Land — And To Each Other Perhaps what’s most remarkable about Karlie Kammerer is not just how much she knows — but how much she’s willing to keep learning. In a world hungry for fast answers, she stands in the long tradition of ranchers who know the truth of the prairie: The land doesn’t shout. It whispers. It takes a lifetime to listen well. That’s why Karlie talks about legacy — not just as a word — but as a way of life. “It’s not about doing everything perfect,” she says. “It’s about paying attention. Leaving it better. And teaching the next ones to do the same.” Photo Credit: By Joe Dickie By: the Growing Resilience Team ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com

By: the Growing Resilience Team I’ve long been a champion of the five principles of soil health — things like keeping the soil covered, minimizing disturbance, maintaining living roots, promoting diversity, and integrating livestock. These ideas have shaped my work and my conversations with farmers across the country. But it wasn’t until I interviewed Clinton Rasmusson out in White River, South Dakota, that the sixth principle — context — really hit home for me. Context means you don’t take a prescription and apply it blindly. It means you read the landscape. You learn its history. You listen to its limitations. And you recognize its possibilities. When Cattle Aren’t Enough I’ve always pictured livestock integration — the fifth principle — as cattle on cornstalks or cattle on cover crops. That’s been the mental model in my mind’s eye. But as I listened to Clinton describe what has happened in his part of the world — the slow, steady march of eastern red cedar across once-open grasslands — I realized that model doesn’t always fit. Eastern red cedar, sometimes called the “Green Glacier,” is swallowing up parts of South Dakota’s prairies. It shades out grass. It hogs water. It fills up pastures with dense, scratchy thickets. And in Clinton’s case, it makes a springtime search for calves in rough country a full-contact sport. Clinton’s words stuck with me: “I was crawling through that crap, trying to tag calves with pissed-off mamas.” This is no place for a cowboy on horseback to manage a hundred cows. This is a place that needs a different tool. Goats Fit the Context Clinton’s tool of choice? Spanish goats. He didn’t start out with a grand vision. Like most good ideas, it grew from experience. A neighbor convinced him to buy ten goats just to try them out. Soon enough, he had 60 head — tough, scrappy animals that thrive on the very plants cattle won’t touch. Cedar. Yucca. Skunkbush sumac. Goats go after all of it. “They strip everything,” Clinton told me. “Stuff you couldn’t walk through — after a week with the goats, I could get in and out no problem.” This is the work of 57 nannies on 15 acres with roughly 1000 cedar trees this spring. Almost every cedar tree had some damage. They stripped branches  from the skunk brush and destroyed every yucca plant. The lightbulb went on for me: this is livestock integration in context. Not every place is cattle country anymore — not after years of cedar encroachment. And if we’re serious about regenerating these landscapes, we need to integrate the right kind of livestock for the job. Sometimes that means cows. Sometimes it means sheep. And sometimes it means goats. Beyond Brush Control — Toward Land Healing Of course, Clinton isn’t just running goats for weed control. He’s also building a business — marketing goats into a growing demand for goat meat, especially among immigrant populations across the Midwest. But what strikes me most is that Clinton is doing something powerful for the land itself. Goats are buying him time — time before fire rips through cedar-choked draws, time before the brush takes over completely, time to heal and restore a landscape that once fed cattle and now feeds trees. And they’re doing it on rough country where machinery can’t reach, where chemical spraying isn’t practical, and where prescribed burning is often risky. It’s a labor-intensive way of working. It takes fencing. It takes dogs. It takes daily checking. But it works. And it works because  it fits the context. What This Means for Me — And Maybe for You For a long time, I resisted adding the sixth principle of soil health — context — to the list. I liked the simplicity of five. But after talking with Clinton, I’ve changed my mind. Context belongs there. And it belongs in our conversations with farmers and ranchers. If you’re farming in corn country, cattle on cover crops might be your best bet. If you’re on prairie that’s been overtaken by cedar and brush, maybe goats — or sheep — are your ticket to healing the land. The principle stays the same: livestock integration. But the practice changes — because the land changes. And if we’re paying attention — really paying attention — we’ll change with it. ______________________________________________ ______________________ Visit these “Growing Resilience Through Our Soils” information pages: 1. Podcast page for drought planning fact sheets, Q&As, news, podcasts, and more. 2. Video page to watch videos of other ranchers’ journeys toward improved rangeland/pasture. 3. Follow Growing Resilience on social media: Facebook - Growing Resilience Twitter - @GrowResilience_ Instagram - growingresilience.sd 4. Our homepage: www.growingresiliencesd.com