Farming

As populations decline in rural South Dakota, the demand for rural veterinarians to serve livestock has not. The state vet says a significant portion of today's rural veterinarians are preparing to retire.

The USDA announced it's investing $2.8 billion in 70 projects to expand market opportunities for U.S. food producers that use climate-smart practices. Some producers question whether it does enough.

The USDA announced $100 million in grants to build biofuel-related infrastructures such as pumps, dispensers, and storage tanks as part of an effort to sell higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel.

The merger of two watershed management districts in northeastern South Dakota is raising questions and concerns. Some say the change will create a district that’s too big to handle.

A record breaking 3.1 million acres have been enrolled into this year’s federal grassland conservation program.

The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service has patented a new cloud seeding technology using electrically charged water.

Sioux Falls residents vote this fall whether to approve a new meatpacking plant in the city. The regional livestock industry supports the plant saying its technology will address concerns about odor and pollution.

A new documentary tells the history and stories of Native American children taken to a boarding school in Rapid City. Oglala Lakota filmmaker Jim Warne joins us to talk about his new film. His mother, Bev Warne, also joins us to talk about her own boarding-school experience and the damage boarding schools caused in Native American lives.

County commissions can assess and permit water drainage projects on farmland in the state. However, many feel ill-equipped to make those decisions — leaving many counties with no oversight of water projects.

According to a new report from the USDA, farm and ranch production expenditures for the Plains Region totaled $99.2 billion in 2021, up from $85.3 billion in 2020.