I graduated from SDSU with a degree in rangeland science and have worked with the Natural Resources Conservation Service for almost 34 years. I have worked with producers mainly in western South Dakota on a variety of conservation and soil health issues. My focus has been on grazing management and how to improve species diversity, utilization, and plant and soil health. I also have experience with cover crops, no-till farming, and reestablishing perennial vegetation.
My wife, Jackie, and I have raised our five kids in Lemmon. Our oldest daughter is living in California. Our second oldest and her husband ranch north of Beach, ND, and have two children. Our youngest daughter (our fourth child) is a math teacher in New England, ND, but would like to get back to Lemmon and loves to help on the ranch. Our two sons (the third and fifth oldest children) are around Lemmon both ranching and working at different jobs in town.
My family and I ranch around the Lemmon area in northwest South Dakota. We practice the five principles of soil health on our operation and continue to look for ways to improve. After years of cash crop farming, we made the decision to concentrate on cattle and forages on our operation.
I am very passionate about soil health and conservation; I have told people that I can’t turn it off. I am looking forward to working for the South Dakota Soil Health Coalition and bringing information to the producers and consumers of South Dakota.
Me and my brother bought our first no-till drill in the early 90s, and I have been no-till farming ever since. I started planting cover crops about 20 years ago and still use them in our operation. We have also done some form of rotational grazing, starting at two or three pastures to around 50 pastures and I plan to divide them up more. My goal is to do one day or two day moves. We implemented bale grazing about 4 years ago and are very happy with it.
We are seeing changes in native species with the higher intensity grazing. We are reducing Bluegrass, brome, and crested wheatgrass, and we are seeing both cool and warm season grasses increasing – species like western wheatgrass, green needle, big bluestem, and even Indian grass, which we are not supposed to have here.
The more I learn, the more I realize how soil health is the foundation for everything we do and my work on improving the soil health on our ranch has helped to reduce input and improved the bottom line for our operation. My goal is to keep pushing what we are doing and see how much we can improve our soils and resources.
The most important lesson I have learned is that everybody’s ranch or farm is different. I have taken bits and pieces that other people are doing and brought back what I think would work for us. Trying stuff on a small scale then expanding if it works for us and our resources.
My best day is when a group or someone comes out to our place, and I can show them what we are doing. The questions and conversation usually bring up more ideas about different things to try. It also helps me validate what we are doing when I explain why we are doing things a different way and keeps my passion going.
