Ranching

A generation ago the career title of rancher often conjured images of men. In 2022 this is changing. Today of all the students pursuing Animal Science degrees at South Dakota State University 80 percent are women.

Beneficial insects are all around us. It’s common knowledge that honeybees create a sweet treat while working to pollinate plants. And then there’s ladybeetles that eat many garden and crop pests like aphids. In this story an entomologist and rancher highlight yet another beneficial insect – the dung beetle. Its job is not glamourous. But it is essential. SDPB’s Lura Roti has this story.

Layne and LeeAnn Lux were among local dairy farmers near Leola struggling to get by. SDPB’s Lura Roti visited the Lux Ranch to learn how Layne and LeeAnn held on to their dreams through determination and creative grassland management.

Each fall ranch families across western South Dakota round up their cattle and move them to pastures closer to home where they can more easily provide feed and protection to their herd throughout the winter months.SDPB’s Lura Roti recently spent a day with the Painter family and brings you this story from their Buffalo ranch

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 South Dakota State Veterinarian reports several unvaccinated cattle died in Meade County. An SDSU lab confirmed anthrax as the cause.

A 'climate-smart' agriculture initiative from the USDA would enhance sustainable practices while focusing on underserved, minority producers. In South Dakota, that largely means tribal ranches and farms.

Republican Sen. John Thune and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar introduced legislation to bolster the Conservation Reserve Program including increased payments to farmers.

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.

Some ranchers say virtual fencing is revolutionizing the way they manage their livestock's grassland grazing.