Category Archives: News

SDSU Extension Urges Testing for Nitrate Due to Drought

More than 63% of South Dakota is now labeled as being in a Severe Drought (D2) or Extreme Drought (D3) region. While the intense heat and lack of precipitation is creating an adverse growing season for farmers, the weather conditions are also not conducive for putting up high-quality forage either.

“With the current drought conditions across the state, the risk of high nitrates in forages is increased due to slowed photosynthesis and conversion of nitrate into proteins,” says South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist Adele Harty.

SDSU Extension encourages producers to get standing forages tested before being harvested for hay or grazing. Available at various SDSU Extension locations and veterinary clinics across the state (extension.sdstate.edu/nitrate-quiktest-forages), the Nitrate QuikTest for Forages allows producers to make decisions based on the presence or absence of nitrates and appropriate timing for cutting.

“This is a qualitative test,” Harty says. “Therefore, if the results are positive, the recommendation will be to wait a few days and bring an additional sample in for re-testing. If it is negative, the hay can be cut without risk of nitrates.”

If the hay has already been cut and it tests positive, Harty says the recommendation is to send a core sample in after the hay is baled so that a representative sample can be collected and sent to a lab for quantitative analysis prior to feeding.

A representative sample needs to be taken from different areas across the field to reflect topography and soil differences, as these factors can affect nitrate levels. Harty advises selecting plants from at least 10 different areas and cutting the plant at ground level or pulling it out of the ground so that the lowest growth nodes can be tested, as the highest concentration of nitrate is in the lowest third of the plant. The more representative the sample, the better the test will work to identify potential nitrate concerns, she says.

“Be diligent about testing forages prior to haying or grazing to prevent the negative impacts that nitrates can cause, specifically in ruminant animals,” Harty says. “If crops, such as wheat, fail to make grain, and producers plan to utilize them for a hay crop, test them for nitrates prior to harvest to determine their safety level. The higher the level of nitrogen fertilizer that is applied, the higher the risk for nitrate toxicity. Always err on the side of caution and have feeds tested.”

To get a Nitrate QuikTest completed, contact your local Regional Extension Center (extension.sdstate.edu/nitrate-quiktest-forages). For specific questions on the test, contact Harty at 605-394-1722 or Adele.Harty@sdstate.edu or Jaelyn Quintana at 605-394-1722 or Jaelyn.Quintana@sdstate.edu.

South Dakota State University’s Southeast Research Farm to Host Field Day on July 6

South Dakota State University’s Southeast Research Farm annual field day will be held on July 6 at 1:30 p.m. The research farm is located at 29974 University Rd, Beresford, SD 57004.

The outdoor program and research plot tours will begin at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The indoor program will begin at 3:30 p.m.

Topics that will be discussed at the outdoor program include:

  • Herbicide Evaluations – Paul O. Johnson, SDSU Extension Weed Science Coordinator
  • Oat Nitrogen and Growth Regulator – David Karki, SDSU Extension Agronomy Field Specialist
  • Hybrid Rye at the Southeast Farm – Peter Sexton, Associate Professor and SDSU Extension Sustainable Cropping System Specialist
  • Cover Crop Herbicides – Gared Shaffer, SDSU Extension Weeds Field Specialist
  • Oat Breeding – Melanie Caffe, SDSU Assistant Professor and Oat Breeder
  • Alfalfa Trials at Southeast Farm – Sara Bauder, SDSU Extension Agronomy Field Specialist
  • Corn Fertility – Peter Kovacs, SDSU Assistant Professor in the Agronomy, Horticulture, and Plant Science Department
  • Soybean Gall Midge and Insect Updates – Adam Varenhorst, SDSU Extension Specialist Field Crop Entomologist
  • Corn Row Spacing – Bradley Rops, Southeast Research Farm Operations Manager
  • Soybean Maturity Group – Bradley Rops, Southeast Research Farm Operations Manager
  • Corn and Soybean Disease Updates – Emmanuel Byumkama, Associate Professor and SDSU Extension Plant Pathologist
  • Drainage Water Quality and Cover Crops – Kristeen Almen, Water Resources Research and Outreach Assistant

Topics that will be discussed at the indoor program include:

  • Feedlot Nutrition – Warren Rusche, SDSU Extension Beef Feedlot Management Associate
  • Market Updates – Jack Davis, SDSU Extension Crops Business Management Field Specialist
  • Weather Outlook – Laura Edwards, SDSU Extension State Climatologist
  • Horticulture Updates and High Tunnel – Kristine Lang, Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist

Back to School Community Resource Fair in Rapid City

South Dakota Parent Connection would like to invite your organization to be part of the Back to School Community Resource Fair, hosted at the Rushmore Mall in Rapid City on Saturday, August 21, 2021 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. MT.
Our purpose is to bring together local organizations and community agencies that are dedicated to helping & supporting families in Rapid City and surrounding areas to share about their services.
Free tables/linens/chairs provided. For further information or questions, contact Lisa Merchen at (605) 348-0305 or email lmerchen@sdparent.org

South Dakota Farmers Union Says Competition & Fairness Are Needed to Keep Farmers and Ranchers in Business

South Dakota Farmers Union urged the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to strengthen the nation’s food supply chain by restoring competition and fairness in markets that are dominated by a handful of multinational companies.
In comments submitted to USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, Farmers Union called for greater antitrust enforcement and outlined instances of growing concentration in agriculture and food supply chains that have jeopardized our nation’s food system resilience.
The most egregious event occurred during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing meatpacking plant closures that resulted in major financial losses to ranchers when the spread between fed cattle and boxed beef prices soared by more than 300 percent.
“Throughout my entire farming career, this has been an issue,” said Doug Sombke, a fourth-generation Conde crop and cattle producer and President of South Dakota Farmers Union. “I know that Congress has held hearings on this topic. But even after 40 years of hearings, we still have not moved the needle. The time for restoring competition and fairness in today’s food supply is now. The consumer is being gouged and the producers are facing price fixing. We believe there is strong evidence to support an independent investigation by the Department of Justice – with subpoena power.”
Sombke points out that today, 85 percent of all foods processed in the United States, are processed through two foreign-owned companies. “We need to take a hard look at this for food security reasons,” Sombke said.
For decades, South Dakota Farmers Union members’ grassroots policy has called for USDA to take antitrust action against anticompetitive behavior in consolidated ag markets. While Farmers Union continues to urge USDA to act, it also is calling for expanded local and regional processing and supply chains, stronger truth-in-labeling laws, and relaxed barriers to intrastate and interstate sales of meat.
Additionally, Farmers Union is calling on USDA to immediately leverage existing rural development programs for investment in local and regional processing projects, and greater support for farmer-owned cooperatives.
“If we want our state’s number one industry of agriculture to succeed – if we want our nations’ food supply to remain safe and strong, our farmers and ranchers need to be able to make a living raising food. Young people need to see a financial future if they return to their family’s farms and ranches,” Sombke said.

Pime Time GALA Presents Check to Feeding South Dakota for $253,827

On Saturday night during the Prime Time Gala, the South Dakota
Cattlemen’s Foundation presented a donation to Feeding South Dakota, on-stage at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, in the amount of $253,827.

Of the 15.4 million pounds of food that Feeding South Dakota distributes on an annual basis to all 66 counties in our
state, only about 10% of that is protein. High quality protein, like beef, plays an important role in overall health, including weight control, by increasing satiety and helping to build and maintain muscle mass.

Prior to Saturday night’s donation, funds raised at the Prime Time Gala have helped to purchase and distribute over 1,112,412 pounds of beef for those that need it the most across South Dakota.
During the Prime Time Gala, a total of $15,000 in scholarships were awarded to five students attending South Dakota schools interested in the improvement of beef production and promotion to aid in their education.

This year’s scholarship winners included:
• $1,000 – Brianna Duerre – Bristol, South Dakota
• $2,000 – Collin Powell – Chamberlain, South Dakota
• $3,000 – Ryder Mortenson – Winner, South Dakota
• $4,000 – Matthew Bogue – Beresford, South Dakota
• $5,000 – Danika Gordon– Whitewood, South Dakota

That night, the Fed Cattle Challenge winners were also announced. The goal of this program is to help develop the next generation of feed yard owners and managers in our state. The Fed Cattle Challenge provided an opportunity foryouth, ages 14 to 18, to learn about the science and economics of finishing cattle by participating in a cattle finishingprogram. Those youth that were awarded included:

• $500 – Reese Voorhees – Onida, South Dakota
• $1,000 – Matea Gordon– Whitewood, South Dakota
• $1,500 – Morgan Mackaben – Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Before dinner guests departed the Little Big Town concert featuring

Tyler Farr, the gala concluded with Billion Chevrolet of Sioux Falls truck raffle drawing. Exactly 1,000 tickets were sold this year for a chance to win a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Duramax Crew Cab 4WD LT. The lucky winner of the truck is Brandon Marlow of Sioux
Falls, South Dakota.

“The South Dakota Cattlemen Foundation is completely humbled by the generosity of everyone involved in the 2021
2021 Prime Time Gala,” exclaimed Ryan Eichler, President of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation.

“It was an atmosphere of genuine positivity and excitement. Gathering together after such tumultuous times in the name of giving was an unforgettable experience. The people that make up the beef industry in South Dakota can only be described
as exceptional. We’d like to thank every sponsor and attendee for making the gala great. We are energized by this
outpouring of support and can’t wait for June 18, 2022!”

For more information about the 9th Annual Prime Time Gala + Concert that will be held on Saturday, June 18, 2022
and for additional details about the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation, visit http://SDCattlemensFoundation.com.

City Meetings Tonight

The City of Winner will have their meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Winner City Council Chambers.

The Gregory City Council will meet tonight in regular session at 6:00 p.m. at Gregory City Hall.

The Chamberlain City Commission will meet at 6:00 p.m. tonight at the Chamberlain City Offices.

National Grasslands Visitor Center Reopens

The National Grasslands Visitor Center in downtown Wall is now open to the public, safely welcoming visitors from around the world to discover America’s four million acres of public prairies.

Open free of charge from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Labor Day, the center features exhibits, films, and ranger-led interpretive programs which explore the deep roots of America’s 21 national grasslands. Rangers also provide information about recreational opportunities on the Buffalo Gap National Grassland and adjacent public lands, including the Badlands and Black Hills. Visitors of all ages can earn their Grasslands Junior Ranger badge, and get their park passport stamped. The center’s Black Hills Parks and Forests Association store offers a variety of books, guides, apparel, and souvenirs to make a memorable and enjoyable trip.

To protect public health and safety, building capacity is limited to 20, and visitors who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 must wear a mask. Cooperation and understanding of these regulations is appreciated.

“We’re pleased to be able to safely welcome visitors back inside,” said National Grasslands Visitor Center Director Travis Mason-Bushman. “Our rangers are eager to share the many stories of the national grasslands, and to help visitors responsibly enjoy the sublime beauty of South Dakota’s public lands.”

Rangers are also conducting guided tours of the center’s outdoor Living Landscape, replicating a slice of restored native prairie, and providing interpretive programs through cooperative agreements with nearby Badlands National Park and Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.

The National Grasslands Visitor Center is the only visitor center and museum dedicated to telling the story of America’s 21 National Grasslands. Located in downtown Wall, South Dakota, the center offers exhibits, films, ranger-led interpretive programs, and a Black Hills Parks and Forests Association store which, together, foster public understanding and enjoyment of the 3.8 million acres of public prairies managed by the Forest Service nationwide.

South Dakota State University’s Dakota Lakes Research Farm Hosts Field Day on June 24

South Dakota State University’s Dakota Lakes Research Farm will host its annual field day on June 24, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. The field day will feature plot tours, highlight research happening on the farm, as well as presentation and demonstrations by SDSU faculty and SDSU Extension specialists.

Topics that will be discussed include:

  • Oats and Forage – Melanie Caffee, Assistant Professor in the Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science and SDSU Oat Breeder
  • Winter Wheat and Crop Variety Testing – Sunish Sehgal, SDSU Assistant Professor and Winter Wheat Breeder; Jon Kleinjan, SDSU Extension Crop Production Associate
  • Field Pea Variety Testing – Chris Graham, SDSU Extension Agronomist
  • Long-term Impacts of Crop Rotations on Soil Under Both Irrigated and Dryland Conditions – Natalie Strum, SDSU Graduate Research Assistant
  • Soil Phosphorus Testing – Brennan Lewis, SDSU Graduate Research Assistant
  • Livestock Integration and Long-Term Soil Health Retesting – Cody Zilverberg, SDSU Adjunct Professor; Sutie Xu, Assistant Professor in the Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science

A meal will be provided for attendees. There is no cost or required registration. Everyone interested is encouraged to attend.

The field day is sponsored by the Dakota Lakes Research Farm Corporation.

The farm is located approximately 17 miles east of Pierre on Hwy 34. For more information on the SDSU Dakota Lakes Research Farm Field Day contact Miranda Trautman at 605-224-6357 or at Miranda.Trautman@sdstate.edu.

SDSU Extension to Offer Another Obituary Writing Workshop

“Great info on a topic that is difficult enough for those that are prepared and frustrating for those unprepared.”

That was just one of the many responses Leacey Brown, South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension Gerontology Field Specialist, received after hosting the online obituary workshop, “Heirlooms: Creative Life Writing,” in April. On July 8 from 7 to 9 p.m. CST, SDSU Extension will once again provide adults the opportunity to preserve their life stories in their own words while crafting a document that is available for family and loved ones when most needed.

“After the April session, we had several participants mention they were not only going to start working on their own obituaries but planned to draft their parents’ and spouses’ tributes,” says Brown.

Free and open to the public, the workshop will be taught by Molly Barari. Originally from Kearney, Nebraska, the freelance writer has called Rapid City home since 2008. She has written for several local publications and also teaches creative writing classes for adults through Community Education of the Black Hills and the South Dakota Humanities Council. This summer, Barari will graduate with her doctorate degree in adult and higher education from the University of South Dakota. Barari believes that writing your own obituary is a unique opportunity to preserve your legacy.

“Obituaries should have personalities, just like the people they represent,” says Barari. “This workshop helps you write down important life events in your own voice. It’s never too soon to start preserving your legacy.”

For the workshop, participants should have access to a notebook and pen or a Word program on their computer. All ages of adults are welcome to attend.

This program is made possible by the South Dakota Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Space is limited, so participants are encouraged to register soon.

Registration can be found on the SDSU Extension Events page.

For more information, contact Brown at 605-394-1722 or Leacey.Brown@sdstate.edu.