We get together with ranchers Drew Anderson (Lemmon, SD), Bart Carmichael (faith, SD) and Harold and Jodie Gaugler (Grant Co., ND, also ranching near Thunder Hawk SD.) to discuss their experiences with bale grazing. Drought Management Resources As South Dakota faces the challenges of drought in 2025, Growing Resilience is here to support ranchers and producers with valuable resources to manage and mitigate its impact. This page serves as a comprehensive hub for drought management information, offering videos, podcasts, PDFs, and blog posts designed to provide practical insights and solutions. Additionally, we are proud to partner with the South Dakota Drought Plan , a vital resource for preparing for and responding to drought conditions across the state. We encourage you to explore their site for more in-depth information on drought strategies, mitigation, and support available to you. With help from the USDA-NRCS , together we can build resilience for the future. Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied All VIDEOS Drought Management Podcasts All PODCASTS Drought Management Blog Posts When the Rain Doesn’t Come: A Practical Drought Playbook for Farmers and Ranchers 2 days ago 5 min read When Cattle Bring the Desert Back: Alejandro Carrillo’s Regenerative Ranching Story Jan 7 2 min read Drought Tolerance, Diversity, and Déjà Vu: What Dakota Lakes Is Teaching the World Dec 19, 2025 2 min read Ray Archuleta on Bare Soil, Fungicides, and Rethinking Soil Health Sep 2, 2025 5 min read Mastering Drought: The Sustainable Secrets of a South Dakota Rancher May 7, 2024 5 min read Rancher Prepares Drought Plan to Save Grass, Soil and Cows Apr 6, 2022 2 min read ALL BLOG POSTS Drought Management Resources DROUGHT 2025 - ADVICE AND TOOLS Click here to download! DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN Q&A Click here to download! DROUGHT MANAGEMENT FACT SHEET Click here to download! DROUGHT TOOL Click here to download! DROUGHT TOOL INSTRUCTIONS Click here to download! DROUGHT MONITORING MAP Click here to view! ALL RESOURCES Drought Management Shorts ALL SHORTS

We get together with ranchers Drew Anderson (Lemmon, SD), Bart Carmichael (faith, SD) and Harold and Jodie Gaugler (Grant Co., ND, also ranching near Thunder Hawk SD.) to discuss their experiences with bale grazing. Bale Grazing Videos Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Now Playing 14:12 Play Video Now Playing 03:07 Play Video Now Playing 02:35 Play Video Now Playing 01:20 Play Video We get together with ranchers Drew Anderson (Lemmon, SD), Bart Carmichael (faith, SD) and Harold and Jodie Gaugler (Grant Co., ND, also ranching near Thunder Hawk SD.) to discuss their experiences with bale grazing. Special thanks to Drew Anderson and Jodie and Harold Gaugler for additional still images and explanations which were so crucial to this story and to the USDA-NRCS for helping us get this story out! Bale Grazing Podcast All PODCASTS Bale Grazing Blog Posts Winter Grazing in South Dakota: Reid Suelflow’s Practical Approach to Corn Grazing and Bale Grazing In January 2021, Joe Dickey visited Reid Suelflow near White Lake, South Dakota, to document how winter corn grazing and bale grazing reduce feeding costs while improving soil health. We are going to listen. sushmita62 Why Bale Grazing Makes Sense in an Open Winter This open winter can be a unique opportunity to experiment with bale grazing without making a complete system change commitment. Winter management can be made easier than you might think by starting small, lowering daily feeding pressure, and letting the land do the work. sushmita62 All BLOG POSTS Bale Grazing Resources BALE GRAZING FACTS Click here to download! BALE GRAZING Q&A Click here to download! All RESOURCES Bale Grazing Shorts All SHORTS

Labor and equipment needs, economics, calving, grazing practices, grassland diversity, soil health, livestock, lifestyle––virtually everything can change for the better when you evolve to year round grazing. Year Round Grazing Videos South Dakota ranchers Pat Guptill and Bart Carmichael, pioneers of year round grazing, share their journeys into the practice along with the top obstacles and insights gleaned along the way. These valuable resources were created in partnership with the USDA-NRCS. Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied All VIDEOS Year Round Grazing Blog Posts Year-Round Grazing in South Dakota: Lessons from Pat Guptill & Bart Carmichael Can you really graze cattle year-round? South Dakota ranchers Pat Guptill and Bart Carmichael say yes — not through miracle, but through mindset. By calving on grass, managing for plant diversity, and timing their moves with nature, they’ve cut feed costs, restored their soils, and rediscovered joy in ranching. Watch the Year-Round Grazing video . Buz Kloot, Ph.D. The Range According to Bart At Wedge Tent Ranch near Faith, SD, Bart Carmichael shows how adaptive grazing, humor, and humility can turn harsh prairie country into a thriving, resilient landscape. kloot1 Fire, Grazing, and the Long Patience of Grassland Restoration Pete Bauman In the Field In July's Our Amazing Grasslands video , courtesy of SD Grassland Coalition, we marveled at the hidden value in so-called weeds — goldenrod testing out as rich as alfalfa, prairie clovers, and milkweeds that feed both cattle and monarchs. That story, framed by Joe Dickie's steady lens, left us thinking of diversity not as decoration but as sustenance. This August's Our Amazing Grasslands video features SDSU's Pete Bauman walking us onto different Buz Kloot, Ph.D. All BLOG POSTS Year Round Grazing Resources YEAR ROUND GRAZING FACT SHEET Click here to download! ALL RESOURCES Year Round Grazing Shorts ALL SHORTS

Eastern red cedar trees have invaded as much as 30 percent of the grassland along the Missouri River in southern South Dakota, and are slowly invading grasslands to the north. This is not unique to the Missouri and we are seeing similar encroachment in other river valleys in South Dakota, including the James River. Eastern red cedar trees have invaded as much as 30 percent of the grassland along the Missouri River in southern South Dakota, and are slowly invading grasslands to the north. This is not unique to the Missouri and we are seeing similar encroachment in other river valleys in South Dakota, including the James River. Fire is an ecological process and recognized control method, but many ranchers are hesitant to use it because of the fear of a runaway fire. As a result, the conversion of grassland to forest is equal in scale to the loss of grassland to row cropping. In this these videos, we visit with Rod Voss (NRCS), Sean Kelly (SDSU) and Ranchers Rich Grim (Gregory Co., SD) and Doug Feltman (Brule Co., SD) to talk about the eastern red cedar and the use of fire to restore rangeland. In this video we summarize the spread of the tree in the last 40-50 years and what it has cost us in terms of grazing, we talk about the role of fire in natural prairie systems, fear versus respect of fire, creating a burn plan, the Mid Missouri River prescribed Burn Association (MMRPBA) - the only one of its kind in South Dakota, and its role in helping producers prepare and execute burn plan, how to prepare the land for a fire including mechanical treatments, ensuring a good fuel load, in small situations where trees are small or large. Finally, we discuss fire return interval as it relates to the eastern red cedar and why it is important to begin addressing this problem now. Thank you to the USDA-NRCS for helping us share these stories on prescribed burning. Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Now Playing 09:57 Play Video Now Playing 02:54 Play Video Now Playing 02:10 Play Video Now Playing 02:29 Play Video All VIDEOS Prescribed Burn Podcasts All PODCASTS Prescribed Burn Blog Posts Fire, Grazing, and the Long Patience of Grassland Restoration Pete Bauman In the Field In July's Our Amazing Grasslands video , courtesy of SD Grassland Coalition, we marveled at the hidden value in so-called weeds — goldenrod testing out as rich as alfalfa, prairie clovers, and milkweeds that feed both cattle and monarchs. That story, framed by Joe Dickie's steady lens, left us thinking of diversity not as decoration but as sustenance. This August's Our Amazing Grasslands video features SDSU's Pete Bauman walking us onto different Buz Kloot, Ph.D. Resilience Rodeo - Doug Feltman- Controlling Missouri River’s “Green Glacier” with Prescribed Fire For this week’s “Resilience Rodeo”, rancher Doug Feltman tells us the importance of controlling Missouri River’s ever-expanding “Green Glacier” through the use of prescribed fire. About 7 miles southwest of Chaimberlain, SD, Doug Feltman lives on the land he grew up on alongside the Missouri river. He’s seen a lot of changes occur over the years, but none as threatening as the “Green Glacier”; the encroachment of the Eastern Red Cedar up the river and into the prairie. “It ju mtsausen Prescribed burn saves pastures from red cedar takeover Woody encroachment of trees can be managed to save cattle stocking rates and water loss. Rod Voss, NRCS Rangeland Management Specialist in Mitchell, South Dakota, discusses the importance of using prescribed burns to control red cedars in pastures—before they turn valuable grazing land into a forest. Listen to his podcast interview with Robin “Buz” Kloot on Growing Resilience podcasts . “South Dakota is on the front edge of a slow-moving tree glacier that, left unchecked, c mtsausen ALL BLOG POSTS Prescribed Burn Resources PRESCRIBED BURN FACTS Click here to download! PRESCRIBED BURN Q&A Click here to download! ALL RESOURCES Prescribed Burn Photos The MMRPBA is currently the only burn association in South Dakota. Click here to learn more about the association. 1/12 Prescribed Burn Shorts ALL SHORTS Prescribed Burn Videos

Discover expert insights, farmer-led strategies, and practical solutions to manage soil salinity. Transform depleted soils into thriving fields with Growing Resilience. Soil Salinity Resources Soil salinity has quietly reshaped agricultural landscapes for decades, posing a growing challenge for farmers and ranchers. Anthony Bly, a seasoned soil scientist and agronomist, unpacks the complex factors behind this issue—how shifts in rainfall patterns, evolving land management practices, and economic pressures have contributed to rising salt levels. Drawing from his career working alongside producers, Anthony shares how past approaches, such as diverse crop rotations and integrated livestock systems, once kept salinity in check. He recalls lessons from the early ’90s at SDSU, when grasslands and perennial systems played a crucial role in managing soil health. But as more land was converted to cropland, water tables rose, bringing salt to the surface. This resource hub is about solutions—practical, research-backed strategies to help farmers and ranchers reclaim their land. From adjusting crop rotations to reintroducing perennials, the path forward lies in understanding the land’s natural processes and working with them. Explore the insights shared here and discover real-world approaches to mitigating soil salinity. With the right knowledge and stewardship, depleted soils can be restored, ensuring productive fields for future generations. Together with USDA-NRCS , we're tackling soil salinity and building healthier soils. Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Discover how the Hamilton brothers tackled salinity on their farm through innovative vegetation strategies and farming practice changes, transforming once unproductive land into thriving acres. Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Soil salinity has been creeping into agricultural landscapes for decades, and Anthony Bly explains why. Drawing from his long career in soil science, agronomy and firsthand work with farmers, he explains how changes in rainfall, land management, and economic pressures have contributed to rising salt levels. Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Discover the dramatic transformation of salinity-affected soil at the Cain Creek Project. Kent Vlieger shares detailed salinity and sodicity data from 2015 to 2023, revealing how strategic revegetation restored productivity and soil health. All VIDEOS Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Join Kent Vlieger as he explores the Cain Creek Project’s success in radically reducing soil salinity. With real data and years of progress, see how innovative strategies are restoring productivity to the land. . Soil Salinity Podcasts All PODCASTS Soil Salinity Blog Posts You Can’t Fix Salinity with a Box Why Soil Salinity Is Likely to Worsen This Year — and What You Can Do About It Learning About Salinity: A Journey from Confusion to Clarity Building Resilience in Family Farms: South Dakota's Innovative Salinity Solutions All BLOG POSTS Soil Salinity Resources BEADLE COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT DEMO PLOT RESULTS Click here to download! HOW TO MORE PROFITABLY MANAGE SALINE SOIL SPOTS Click here to download! A BETTER WAY TO MANAGE SALINE SOILS FACT SHEET Click here to view! NRSC SALINITY AND SODIC SOIL MANAGEMENT Click here to download! SOIL SALINITY MANAGEMENT Click here to view! ALL RESOURCES Soil Salinity Shorts ALL SHORTS

Through Growing Resilience, healthy crops and soils mean healthy farmers and consumers. Regenerative Farming is the idea that if farmers change the way they manage the soils, you can improve environmental conditions through less disturbance, have more profitable faming, and more time with family. GROWING RESILIENT SOIL Learn soil health practices from ranchers and farmers to make your operation resilient and profitable. Made possible through partnership with the USDA-NRCS in South Dakota. USDA-NRCS in SD We’re Changing the Way Ranchers and Farmers Think About Soil Ranchers and farmers are often told that better production means higher inputs—but at what cost? In the face of skyrocketing input costs, many producers across the nation are being forced to ask this question. Does a better and more cost-effective way to regenerate exist? Ranchers and cropland managers are telling us yes, it does even as they reduce operating costs and increase their bottom line. Read More Read More Featured Content Farmers Journey to Find the New Cropland Grazing Model See how South Dakota farmer/rancher Brian Johnson and his family are discovering increased profits, decreased workload, and enhanced land and operation resilience through an innovative approach to grazing. Here's How Ranchers Are M aking Their Ranches Drought Proof. Prescribed Grazing —Our ranchers are rotating livestock, resting grazed land, and thereby allowing their land to recover. Increasing Diversity —A great indicator of healthy soils is diversity. Our ranchers are managing their land for diversity so that their forage base includes a wonderful mix of native warm and cool season grasses and forbs. Grazing More, Feeding Less —As their forage base increases, our ranchers are making more money per acre by grazing more and feeding less. Being Adaptive — Our ranchers embrace the fact that nothing in life is set in stone and that flexibility is an asset. As SD rancher Bart Carmichael says, “We make plans, assume we’re wrong, then adapt as the weather or livestock dictate”. Plan, observe, adapt, repeat. Changing their Mindsets —Through embracing free resources, such as those provided by the SD NRCS, the SD Grassland Coalition, the SD Soil Health Coalition and this platform, our ranchers are changing their thoughts about what successful, profitable ranching can be. The range management techniques we highlight are tools that any rancher can use to change and improve their land. Drought Resources Our partners at the South Dakota Grassland Coalition just launched their "Pray for Rain. Plan for Drought." project. Click below to find out more; Struggling With Drought? Click Here The ranchers and technical advisors listed in the downloadable document below are ready talk with anyone interested in weathering the worst impacts of drought. Give one of them a call. Talk To A Drought Expert Download Now What Ranchers Are Saying The time savings doing something like this has for me. I was going to have my wife come out and talk to you. She’s complaining I’m around too much now. Reid Suelflow, Rancher When the Rain Doesn’t Come: A Practical Drought Playbook for Farmers and Ranchers 2 days ago 5 min read Are We Fertilizing for a Nitrogen Shortage That Doesn’t Exist? 7 days ago 4 min read Being Hung by the Tongue: How Tillage Language Shapes Soil Outcomes Apr 13 3 min read “When Rising Costs Meet Tight Timelines” Apr 13 4 min read You Can’t Fix Salinity with a Box Our Posts Apr 1 3 min read The Wind You Don’t Notice (And What It’s Taking from Your Soil) Our Posts Mar 31 4 min read Be first to know about new blog posts! First Name Last Name Email Subscribe Thanks for subscribing! Watch Don't Know Where to Start? Ask A Mentor! If you're looking for an agricultural expert to help you improve or expand a certain area of your operation, consider joining our Mentor Network where you can reach out the experienced producers in various agricultural fields who provide technical and planning assistance to South Dakota farmers and ranchers. I'd like a mentor! Less Time in the Field = Less Stress (and More Time With Family) Two things are always out of a rancher’s control: the weather and the cost of doing business. But ranchers who have changed the way they think of the land are finding themselves more in the driver’s seat of their operations and their wallets. Through understanding the soil health principles and implementing these to suit their operations, our ranchers are waking up to fewer operating costs, less time needed ‘working the land’ and more down-time enjoyed with their families. That’s less worrying about money and less time working—all by simply allowing the land (and livestock) to work for them. Read More MORE CONTENT PODCASTS VIDEOS RESOURCES OUR PARTNERS

The mission of Growing Resilience Through Our Soils is to help ranchers and cropland managers maximize soil health to deliver profitable farming and ranching and well as soil resilience. This educational platform–led by passionate researchers and storytellers—uses videos, photos, and words to showcase the trials and successes of ranchers and farmers as they continue along their soil health journeys. Recipes Filter by Level Number of recipes found: 0

Healthy soils and healthy crops, mean healthy farmers and consumers, never mind an ever-improving environment. One idea we are embracing is that of Regenerative Farming where we embrace the idea that if farmers change the way they manage the soils, they can actually improve, or regenerate environmental conditions through less disturbance, keeping soils covered with residue or canopies, keeping live roots I the soil year round and be reintroducing animals into the whole system. Free Resources All resources are created in partnership with USDA NRCS Adaptive Grazing All Bale Grazing Calving On Grass Climate Smart Drought Management No-Till Prescribed Burn Soil Salinity Healthy Soils for Sustainable Cotton - Soil Health Institute GO TO SITE Dakota Lakes Interview VIEW OR DOWNLOAD Soil Salinity Management VIEW OR DOWNLOAD A Better Way To Manage Saline Soils Fact Sheet VIEW OR DOWNLOAD Climate Smart Ranching & Farming Q&A VIEW OR DOWNLOAD Soil Food Fact Sheet VIEW OR DOWNLOAD Grazing Lease Q&A VIEW OR DOWNLOAD Drought Contingency Plan Q&A VIEW OR DOWNLOAD Bale Grazing Fact Sheet VIEW OR DOWNLOAD Beadle County Conservation District: Cain Creek Saline Sodic Soil Health Demo Plot VIEW OR DOWNLOAD Conservation Agriculture: Yield Limits & Potential VIEW OR DOWNLOAD NRSC Salinity And Sodic Soil Management VIEW OR DOWNLOAD 2023 NRCS Grasslands Planner VIEW OR DOWNLOAD Adaptive Grazing Fact Sheet VIEW OR DOWNLOAD Soil Food Q&A VIEW OR DOWNLOAD Year Round Grazing Fact Sheet VIEW OR DOWNLOAD South Dakota Drought Tool VIEW OR DOWNLOAD No-Till: Common Questions & Straight Answers VIEW OR DOWNLOAD When No-Till Yields More: Global Analysis VIEW OR DOWNLOAD How To More Profitably Manage Saline Soil Spots VIEW OR DOWNLOAD Climate Smart Ranching & Farming Facts VIEW OR DOWNLOAD Adaptive Grazing Q&A VIEW OR DOWNLOAD Grazing Lease Fact Sheet VIEW OR DOWNLOAD Drought Planning Fact Sheet VIEW OR DOWNLOAD Drought Monitoring Map VIEW LIVE MAP CONTACT US Profitable Farming - Profitable Ranching - Farming Community - Soil Heath - Bale Grazing

We get together with ranchers Drew Anderson (Lemmon, SD), Bart Carmichael (faith, SD) and Harold and Jodie Gaugler (Grant Co., ND, also ranching near Thunder Hawk SD.) to discuss their experiences with bale grazing. Not Just No-Till: Sorting Fact from Fiction in a Lively Debate Few topics on our site spark as much interest—and as much spirited debate—as no-till farming. Scroll through our Facebook threads and you’ll see it: farmers, agronomists, gardeners, and even a few armchair soil scientists weighing in with strong opinions. Some argue no-till is the clear path forward; others point out it’s no silver bullet. We get it. For some, no-till sounds like the White Queen in Alice in Wonderland —asking you to “believe six impossible things before breakfast.” Perennial roots going 12–20 feet deep? Diverse soils that act like sponges instead of concrete? It can be hard to picture if you’ve never seen it. But producers who’ve lived through the transition know it’s possible—and profitable. That’s because no-till isn’t meant to stand alone. As Dr. Dwayne Beck has spent decades demonstrating, when no-till is paired with rotations, cover crops, and sometimes livestock, it becomes part of a system that restores natural pore space, improves infiltration, and often lowers costs. And while regional soils—from South Dakota silt loams to Kansas clays—behave differently, research and farmer experience show that context-driven management makes all the difference. Our goal here isn’t to push a single narrative, but to share the science and stories so you can sort through the information for yourself. You’ll find podcasts with innovators like Dr. Dwayne Beck, Gabe Brown, Ray Archuleta, and Dr. Ray Weil, alongside South Dakota farmers who’ve put no-till to work in their own operations. You’ll also find blogs where we dig into questions like: Does no-till really improve water infiltration compared to tillage? How do crop rotations affect no-till outcomes? What do large-scale studies (and real farmers) say about yields and profits in no-till systems? When does no-till work—and when doesn’t it? Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner, a skeptic, or somewhere in between, we invite you to explore, question, and draw your own conclusions. Thank you to the USDA-NRCS for collaboration on these valuable no-till stories. Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied All VIDEOS No-Till Podcasts All PODCASTS No-Till Blog Posts The Wind You Don’t Notice (And What It’s Taking from Your Soil) Most soil loss doesn’t happen in storms—it happens on ordinary spring days. In dry conditions across South Dakota, steady winds are quietly moving soil, nutrients, and long-term productivity off exposed fields. Mar 31 4 min read Cows on Cover Crops: South Dakota Farmer Adds $86/acre and 70 Bu Corn On our spring tour of South Dakota farmers integrating livestock, my partner in crime, Joe Dickie, and I left Huron, and a couple of hours later crested the rise where Ryan Urban lives. Ryan identifies himself as a fourth-generation Pukwana crop-and-cattle producer—he jokes that they’re “cattle people who farm on the side.” With a name like Urban, I half expected him to grab a guitar and sing us a country tune. Instead, he grabbed the keys to his pickup, and we rode out into Aug 11, 2025 3 min read No-Till vs. Tillage: Which Really Lets the Water In? Jeff Hemenway, former Soil Health Conservationist, pointing out Roots in the Subsoil at 80” in a No-till, Cover-Cropped Field in Brookings, SD When a commenter wrote on one of our recent videos Dwayne Beck, no-till , he put it bluntly: “Without tillage water won’t penetrate. I rented 400 acres that was zero till for decades and it was like a concrete block.” That comment — echoed by others in our threads — hits at one of the most common criticisms of no-till. If the soil is h Aug 11, 2025 4 min read No-Till, No Yield? Are We Putting Corn Above Soybean Yields? As a response to several requests for more peer-reviewed material on the economics of no-till (NT) vs. conventional tillage (CT), I went digging into the usual suspects — input costs, yield comparisons, and long-term trials. That’s when I stumbled on research from South Dakota State University’s Beresford Research Farm that made me realize: I had a bias . In an earlier blog , we cited a meta-analysis showing no-till yields averaging 5.7% lower overall compared to conventiona Jul 21, 2025 3 min read Beyond No-Till: Why Crop Rotations Matter More Than You Think Natalie Sturm By the Growing Resilience Team For decades, no-till has been hailed as a cornerstone of regenerative agriculture—an essential practice to protect soil while still producing food, feed, fuel, and fiber. However, a groundbreaking thesis by soil scientist Natalie Sturm, conducted at the Dakota Lakes Research Farm in central South Dakota, shows that no-till is only part of the equation. It’s not just about reducing disturbance. It’s about what you grow—and how you g Jun 16, 2025 3 min read When Does No-Till Work? Two Major Studies and What Farmers Told Us By the Growing Resilience Team When we posted a video of Dr. Dwayne Beck explaining how tillage destroys soil structure and reduces infiltration, we expected a little pushback—but not hundreds of comments. What followed was one of our most active conversations yet, with producers from across the region offering both challenges and praise. It confirmed something we already suspected: There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to tillage and yield. So, we did what we alw May 27, 2025 3 min read ALL BLOG POSTS No-Till Resources No-Till: Common Questions and Straight Answers Click here to download! ALL RESOURCES No-Till Shorts ALL SHORTS

Test your soil health knowlege and enter in to recieve a $25 giftcard every week! First Name Last Name Email Test your soil heath IQ, and enter our drawing for a $25 digital gift card. Take The South Dakota SOIL HEALTH CHALLENGE Choose An Interest CHALLENGE QUESTION A diverse crop rotation is one of the greatest tools farmers have to: Supress weeds Build healthy soil Reduce the need for chemicals All of the above Submit! Weekly Soil Health Challenges are brought to you throughout 2023 by the organizations below. We thank Publication Services, LLC for donating gift cards to help us promote soil health across South Dakota—your name and email will be used to notify you if you win a drawing, and will not be given to Publication Services.

Growing Resilience has produced dozens of videos ranging from many farming and ranching topics such as Bale Grazing, Drought Management, Year Round Grazing, Prescribed Burning, Calving On Grass, and many more. Check Out Our Most Viewed Shorts! Created in partnership with USDA/NRCS, this work wouldn’t be possible without their support—be sure to check out their YouTube page for even more valuable videos and insights @NRCSSouthDakota! Like what you see? Click the logo below to see ALL of the shorts created in partnership with NRCS!

We get together with ranchers Drew Anderson (Lemmon, SD), Bart Carmichael (faith, SD) and Harold and Jodie Gaugler (Grant Co., ND, also ranching near Thunder Hawk SD.) to discuss their experiences with bale grazing. Calving On Grass Video Many ranchers/farmers have grown tired of the increasing animal (and financial) losses and the associated human stress caused by calving during more extreme February and March weather. Calving on grass has become the management tool of choice for many ranchers in South Dakota. This video features Mike Blaalid (Micthell, SD), Candice Olson Mizera (McLaughlin SD) and Larry Wagner (Chamberlain/Pukwana, SD) discussing the advantages of calving on grass, why they changed calving dates, a few pointers to success on calving on grass, cattle traits for grass calving, calf health, reductions in costs (also reductions in capital for infrastructure ), and the knock on effect in terms of reduced labor and human animal stress. This short video (10 ½ minutes) is really a small sample of the benefits of calving on grass. One final question: what does calving on grass have to do with soil health and healthy rangeland. One of the biggest threats to rangeland in South Dakota is conversion to cropland and this land use change is especially tempting when corn prices are higher. May calving allows (1) folks like Larry Wagner to stay in the cow business and (2) reduces the barriers to entry for new producers to come into the cow business because of lower infrastructure costs (covered in the final section of how calving on grass can work for you) – in short, keeping the prairies in ranching and recruiting more folks into ranching allows us to keep the grass green side up, allows us to preserve the prairie, a national treasure and finally, allows us to preserve a way of life. We're grateful for our partnership with USDA-NRCS to share stories just like this. Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied All VIDEOS Calving On Grass Podcast All PODCASTS Calving On Grass Blog Posts Calving in Sync with Nature: How One South Dakota Ranch Rebuilt Its System After years of winter calving and rising feed costs, the Kammerer family of western South Dakota shifted their system to align calving with green grass. The result? Lower weather risk, reduced hay bills, and a renewed focus on land, labor, and family.We are not going to extract content. We are going to listen. sushmita62 Grass, Grit, and Generations: The Kammerers of Piedmont, SD On a seventh-generation ranch near Piedmont, South Dakota, Jimmie and Riley Kammerer manage grass, cattle, and family together—building resilience through thoughtful grazing, husbandry, and shared work. sushmita62 All BLOG POSTS Calving On Grass Resources CALVING ON GRASS FACTS Click here to download! CALVING ON GRASS Q&A Click here to download! ALL RESOURCES Calving On Grass Shorts ALL SHORTS