News
Expanding Mesonet weather network to focus on soil moisture
By Stan Wise South Dakota Soil Health Coalition PIERRE, SD – What’s better than real-time weather data? More real-time weather data, of course. The South Dakota Mesonet currently has 32 weather stations in the state, according to Mesonet Director Nathan Edwards, and...
Finding the right water solutions for a rotational grazing plan
By Stan Wise South Dakota Soil Health Coalition PIERRE, SD – What does a pasture have in common with a marathon runner? According to Natural Resources Conservation Service State Grazing Lands Soil Health Specialist Tanse Herrmann, they both need time to recover. “A...
Reap the value of beneficial insects through soil health
By Stan Wise South Dakota Soil Health Coalition Fifty-seven billion dollars. That’s the annual monetary value a 2006 economic study published in BioScience attributed to just four services performed by wild insects in the United States – pest control, pollination,...
Soil health gardening: Less weeding, more fun
By Stan Wise South Dakota Soil Health Coalition Wouldn’t it be nice to have a large summer garden without all the weeding? By using a few soil health practices, South Dakota gardeners might just be able to pull that off while improving the structure and fertility of...
Planting green: Rethinking cropland management
By Stan Wise South Dakota Soil Health Coalition PIERRE, SD – If you overhear farmers at the local coffee spot talking about “planting green,” they’re probably not discussing the paint on their equipment. They’re more likely referring to a new way of thinking about...
His ground bounces back: Everything works a little better with healthy soil
Craig Rau produces a variety of crops and cattle on his farm in northcentral South Dakota. Image Courtesy of SDSHC and USDA-NRCS South Dakota. By Lynn Betts For South Dakota Soil Health Coalition PIERRE, SD – Like most South Dakota farmers and ranchers, Craig Rau has...
Producers receive financial assistance to improve their land
By Stan Wise South Dakota Soil Health Coalition For many producers, knowing that soil health is important just isn’t enough. The challenge for them is how to pay for it. “Conservation is not cheap,” Marshall County producer Dennis Fagerland said. Soil health is...
Soil health producers have more confidence in their systems
By Lynn Betts For South Dakota Soil Health Coalition As concerns continue to build about a widespread drought across South Dakota this year, the state’s farmers and ranchers face yet another stressful year. Two exceptionally wet years in 2018 and 2019 followed by...