South Dakota

The Forage Insurance Policy: Why Diversity is Your Best Defense Against Drought

Thu, 14 May 2026 16:14:26 GMT

Periods of dry conditions often bring renewed interest in alternative forages, annual crops and cover crop mixes to maintain feed supplies and reduce reliance on perennial pasture alone. While no single strategy eliminates drought risk, diversifying the forage base can function as a practical “insurance policy” by spreading risk across species, planting windows and rooting depths.

Rather than relying on a single forage system, producers can improve resilience by incorporating a combination of perennial forages, annual crops and strategically selected cover crops that respond differently to moisture stress and temperature variability.

Thinking in Systems, Not Seasons

A diversified forage program works best when it is planned as a system rather than implemented in reaction to current conditions.

Perennial pastures provide a base level of production in most years, while annual forages can be used to bridge forage gaps during drought, after failed crops or when seasonal pasture growth slows.

Integrating these components allows producers to:

Extend the grazing season in the spring and fall.
Distribute your operation’s forage production across multiple planting dates.
Capture moisture and nutrients when perennial growth is limited.
Maintain flexibility in stocking rate adjustments during dry years.

Herbicide Carryover and Field History

Before establishing any annual forages or cover crops, herbicide application history must be reviewed carefully. Residual herbicides from previous cash crops may limit establishment or create grazing and harvest restrictions for forage use. This includes products applied during the previous growing season and, in some cases, earlier applications depending on the chemical and soil conditions.

Always consult current herbicide labels for rotational, grazing and harvest restrictions prior to planting alternative forages or cover crop mixes. If crops are not listed, it may be appropriate to perform a bioassay prior to planting to ensure the safety of your crop.

Matching Forages to Risk and Moisture Conditions

One of the most effective ways to manage drought risk is to match forage species to expected moisture availability and planting timing.

Using both cool- and warm-season annuals across an operation can reduce the likelihood of complete forage failure during a single dry period.

Cool-Season Annuals
Cool-season annuals typically provide early or late-season forage and may include species such as:
1. Oats, barley, triticale, cereal rye and winter wheat.
2. Peas, forage radishes, turnips and hairy vetch.
These species often perform best when planted early or late in the growing season, allowing them to take advantage of cooler temperatures and available soil moisture.
Warm-Season Annuals
Warm-season annuals generally provide mid-summer forage when cool-season pasture growth slows. Examples include:
1. Sorghum-sudangrass and forage sorghum.
2. Pearl millet, foxtail (including German and Japanese types) and proso millet.
3. Teff.
Once established, warm-season species are typically more water-use efficient and better adapted to hot conditions.

Strategic Use of Perennials

Perennial forages remain the foundation of most grazing systems. Although their productivity can decline substantially during drought, management strategies such as rotational grazing, deferred grazing and stockpiling can help extend pasture use during dry conditions.

Including deep-rooted perennial species, such as alfalfa on suitable sites, alongside grass-dominant pastures can also improve drought resilience. Differences in rooting depth and growth patterns allow these species to access moisture from different soil layers and respond differently to stress.

Soil Water Use and Recovery Periods

Diversified forage systems should account for how different forage species use soil moisture and how quickly they recover following grazing or drought stress. Rapid-growing annual forages can provide timely feed but may draw down surface soil moisture quickly. Perennials typically use water more gradually but often recover more slowly once moisture becomes limiting.

Combining annuals and perennials can help balance these effects by distributing water use across species with varying root systems and growth habits. Incorporating adequate recovery periods into grazing plans is especially critical during dry years to maintain stand persistence.

Establishment Timing and Flexibility

Planting flexibility is a key advantage of annual forages. Warm-season species can be planted after frost risk has passed, while cool-season species fit well into early-spring or late-summer planting windows.

In drought-prone conditions, delaying planting until a meaningful rainfall event may improve establishment success compared to planting in dry soils. Although this approach can reduce early-season forage availability, it often results in more uniform emergence and improved stand longevity.

Nutrient Management Considerations

Nitrogen management should be adjusted according to forage species, yield potential and available moisture. Under drought conditions, excessive nitrogen application can increase the risk of nitrate accumulation in certain forage crops, particularly grass species such as oats, sorghum and sorghum-sudangrass hybrids.

Soil testing, previous crop nitrogen credits and realistic yield expectations should guide fertilization decisions. In some situations, reduced nitrogen rates or no additional nitrogen may be appropriate when moisture is expected to limit growth potential.

Grazing Management and Risk Distribution

Diversification involves not only what is planted, but how forages are managed and utilized. Practices such as rotational grazing, stockpiling and flexible stocking rates allow producers to shift grazing pressure among forage resources as conditions change. Having multiple forage options available reduces dependence on any single pasture or crop and allows for more measured forage use during dry periods of environmental stress.

Drought is an inevitable part of forage production systems, but total reliance on any single forage type increases vulnerability to weather extremes. A diversified forage base — built from a combination of perennial pastures, annual forages and strategically selected cover crops — can improve flexibility, extend grazing opportunities and reduce production risk across variable growing seasons.

— Kim Ricardo, SDSU Extension forage specialist

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The Heifer Retention Blueprint: Why Preparation Starts Long Before Breeding Season

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 16:58:22 GMT

Preparing replacement heifers to breed starts earlier than deciding which bull to turnout or what semen to purchase. The long-term management of heifers directly correlates with higher conception rates and avoiding calving challenges, and nutrition is key.

When Should I Start Preparing Replacement Heifers for Breeding?

The process begins at birth. While it is common for heifers to be bred to calve at 24 months of age, nutrition management practices starting in the first months of life impact their entire reproductive future. Purina recommends heifers reach a body condition score (BCS) of 6 before calving to ensure a shorter postpartum interval and a successful breed-back the following season.

Weston Schrader says strong maternal genetics are incredibly important to their operation, and that’s where the process of heifer retention starts.

(Schrader Family)

What Are the Best Criteria for Selecting Replacement Heifers?

Schrader Ranch in Wells, Kan., manages around 400 to 500 purebred Charolais, SimAngus and commercial cows. Their replacement heifers are evaluated on strict criteria to maintain quality and efficiency. Well in advance of making breeding decisions, sorting replacement heifers is important to later success.

“Strong maternal genetics are incredibly important to our operation, and that’s where the process of heifer retention starts,” says Weston Schrader. “We keep detailed records of calving ease, udder quality, docility and body condition. Phenotypic quality has always been a priority for our operation; cattle must be structurally sound, functional and fit our environment. From there, we use EPDs (expected progeny differences) to confirm genetic merit and make disciplined, data-backed breeding decisions.”

Schrader identifies four foundational pillars for heifer retention:

Phenotypic quality — Cattle must be structurally sound, functional and fit the environment.
Maternal genetics —Detailed records are kept on udder quality and docility.
Data verification — Using EPDs to confirm genetic merit.
Calving history — Selecting for proven calving ease to minimize future labor.

Christina Christensen of Christensen Charolais Ranch recommends producers only keep their best heifers and avoid single-trait selection.

Located near Wessington Springs, S.D., Christensen manages more than 400 purebred and commercial cows, plus runs stockers on grass. Their breeding program is divided among embryo work, artificial insemination (AI) and using their herd bulls.

“Our primary focus is on carcass and performance while still maintaining functionality and soundness,” Christensen says. “We base our decisions off performance, phenotype and EPDs. This careful selection helps us pick the best of the best. Commercial heifers are selected on breedability, pelvic measurement, disposition and maternal qualities.”

(Schrader Ranch)

Why Is Nutrition Important in Heifer Development?

After sorting heifers, Schrader shifts to nutritional management strategies.

“Ensuring females attain appropriate body condition prebreeding is crucial and allows your best chance at shorter postpartum intervals and the ability to efficiently breed back the following breeding season,” he says.

Christensen echoes nutrition in replacement heifers is of utmost importance.

“Having a stable feed and mineral program is absolutely key,” she says.

The combination of selecting their best heifers for retention and a quality nutrition program is vital for Christensen. When breeding season is approaching, checking breedability and pelvic measurement helps ensure the heifers are ready for breeding.

“Don’t chase only certain traits; make sure to have balanced traits,” she says. “Don’t limit the selection process to single traits. Chasing single traits tends to take away from the broad picture.”

(Christensen family)

Why Is Early Calving Critical?

Another strategy Schrader uses is setting up first-calf heifers to calve in their earliest calving window, allowing them to keep pace with their mature cows the next year.

“Ahead of breeding season we identify proven, calving-ease sires for use in a 14-day CIDR (controlled internal drug release) protocol with a timed-AI option,” Schrader explains. “Then calving-ease bulls are turned out for 30 days.”

By calving heifers in their earliest possible window, producers give them the maximum amount of time to recover and rebreed as second-calvers.

Dakota Ranchers: New Program Available To Promote Data-Backed Grazing Management

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 17:36:10 GMT

Ducks Unlimited and AgriWebb are joining forces and taking aim at addressing the challenges of grazing on public lands in North and South Dakota.

Supported by a grant through National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the program provides livestock producers in cow-calf or stocker operations with digital tools and infrastructure to manage their public land, livestock and profitability more effectively. Ranchers enrolled in the program benefit from AgriWebb software combined with temporary and virtual fencing to holistically manage their livestock and land.

“Keeping grasslands intact is essential to the long-term sustainability of waterfowl and other wildlife,” notes Billy Gascoigne, DU senior director of agriculture & strategic partnerships. “Ranchers are the primary stewards of these landscapes, and it’s imperative that we develop solutions that help them implement adaptive, profitable grazing practices while ensuring the next generation can continue this important work.”

According to the organizations, the partnership will provide a streamlined way to report livestock numbers and managed acreage to NFWF. By capturing this data, the partnership is tackling some of the industry’s biggest challenges, including:

● Enhance grassland health: Promoting vibrant nesting cover for waterfowl through ample rest and rotation.
● Empower producers: Providing the “productivity-driving” insights needed to manage herds more effectively on complex public lands.
● Strengthen the food chain: Ensuring long-term land fertility to support a growing global population.

“Producers wear many hats, but none are more critical than feeding the world while stewarding the land,” says Campbell Mauchan, AgriWebb vice president of partnerships. “By combining DU’s conservation expertise with AgriWebb’s ability to turn simple data collection into actionable insights, we are helping ranchers nurture the ecosystems we all rely on. When a rancher is equipped to not just record their data, but use it, they are able to make decisions that help them nurture the ecosystems that support their legacies.”

According to the organizations, the initial roll out focused on Dakotas state trust lands is being considered a pilot for a scalable model in how technology and conservation can work to support ranchers across North America.

For more information, ranchers can visit ag.ducks.org .

Producer-to-Producer: That’s a Wrap on CattleCon 2026

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 18:57:56 GMT

As beef producers pack up and leave Nashville, Tenn., they are returning home with new strategies, renewed optimism and memories from a memorable CattleCon 2026.

Thank you to the five producers who were our boots on the ground and shared their perspective this week:

Jenna Fitzsimmons, Cunningham, Kan.
Rachel Gray , Blackduck, Minn.
Ken Odde , Pollock, S.D.
Logan Pribbeno , Imperial, Neb.
Kim Rounds, Johnstown, Colo.

Here are their final thoughts about this year’s event:

Fitzsimmons: “My first CattleCon was a great experience! I really enjoyed the overall positive energy at CattleCon that could be felt from meetings, discussions, presentations and interactions I experienced.

“My biggest highlights were the region and policy meetings, Cattlemen’s College sessions and the [National Cattlemen’s Beef Association] State of the Industry Town Hall. These felt the most impactful to me because they allowed producers’ voices to be heard, covered industry issues, expanded my knowledge, inspired me to be a leader and challenged me to improve my operation.

“I love learning and will always be a lifelong learner. CattleCon offered many various learning opportunities for any topic a producer could want. I was able to attend a few sessions I was interested in and even a couple that surprised me by providing knowledge I didn’t realize I needed.

“It is important to go outside of your comfort zone when learning because you never know what you might pick up to improve yourself and your operation. Learning also comes from networking, producer-to-producer.

“I was able to visit with several producers from all across the U.S. and Canada! Everyone was so genuine and kindhearted! Now, you have to take the next step and apply what you have learned, even if it can be daunting. It is pertinent to keep learning and improving as a beef producer for the benefit of the cattle and the consumer. This allows the industry to pave the way and move forward into the future.

“The beef industry is excited, passionate and ready to support the world.”

Gray: “I finished Wednesday attending some Cattleman’s College events. I learned a lot from the ranchers who were part of the legacy panel. Both gentlemen suggested Ranching For Profit and other classes. I am glad to hear the focus on education.

“Thursday, I enjoyed hearing U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speak and getting his thoughts on dietary guidelines . I then headed to the plane to return home for bull sales and calving.”

Odde: The biggest highlight for me was the education and celebration associated with the change in dietary guidelines. I think the change in dietary guidelines has long-term support for demand.

Pribbeno: “The biggest highlight was having [Kennedy] speak at the afternoon general session. He was greeted with a standing ovation. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Buck Wehrbein said it was the most packed he has seen a convention setting.

“Kennedy says he eats beef twice a day, and his favorite cut was the strip. He also touched on how and why he and his team rebuilt the food pyramid and the science behind putting proteins at the base.

“The early morning CattleFax session is a perennial favorite. I had an associate tell me that the CattleFax session alone is worth the trip to Nashville. Randy [Blach] and the team presented on a theme that I would call cautious optimism.

“After the CattleFax session, we hit the trade show floor for some networking.”

Rounds: “My biggest takeaway was that I spent the majority of my day with emerging leaders and leadership, and I’m so excited and positive about the future of the beef industry and knowing that our futures are in these kids’ hands.

“They are so hungry, and they want it so bad. Every single conversation that I had yesterday blew me away, and I know that we have a lot of fun and exciting things on the horizon.

“And, of course, the networking. The beef industry is full of the best people, and when we all get together in a room like we did yesterday, you can’t help but have so much fun.”

Producer-to-Producer: The Lessons We've Learned During CattleCon

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 21:26:52 GMT

It’s day two of CattleCon 2026. It’s been an exciting day of educational sessions, time on the trade show floor learning about new products, live AgriTalk broadcasts and taping of U.S. Farm Report.

To help us provide a producer’s perspective, we’ve invited five CattleCon attendees to be our boots on the ground and help us capture highlights from their experiences in Nashville, including:

A first-time CattleCon attendee, Jenna Fitzsimmons, from Cunningham, Kan.
Rachel Gray of Little Timber Farms, Blackduck, Minn., who specializes in developing heifers, is attending her fifth convention.
Ken Odde , South Dakota commercial cow-calf producer from Pollock, who has attended more than 30 NCBA Conventions and Trade Shows.
Commercial cow-calf producer Logan Pribbeno of Wine Glass Ranch, Imperial, Neb., will be attending his third CattleCon this year and is bringing his entire family to experience the event.
Kim Rounds, Five Rivers manager of talent acquisition and social media, is looking forward to her seventh CattleCon.

Tuesday morning two of our producers — Pribbeno and Gray — joined Chip Flory on “AgriTalk” for the Farmer Forum.

Congratulations to Pribbeno and his family on being named the 2025 Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) national winner on Tuesday evening.

Here’s what the producers have to say about their CattleCon experience thus far:

What have you attended since you arrived in Nashville?

Fitzsimmons: I attended the NCBA policy meetings on Monday and Tuesday, specifically “Live Cattle Marketing” and “Cattle Health & Well-Being”. I also attended the opening general session and the trade show. I highly enjoyed being part of the policy discussion. The specialist speakers within the policy meetings offered great insight. The grassroots discussions throughout this week are so important to the future of the industry. The opening general session with Dale Earnhardt Jr. was very inspiring. I appreciated how he advised those who are at a beginning stage to enjoy it, because you won’t have that time again, and it has its own uniqueness. I loved seeing exhibitors in the trade show of businesses of all kinds and sizes. I cannot wait to learn more about what they all have to offer.

Gray: I attended the opening general session featuring Earnhardt. I’ve also been going to some cattle chats and the learning lounge sessions.

Odde: Probably the session I spent the most time at Tuesday was international trade, and it was a very good session. I learned a number of things. I also thought the BQA producer forum was really good. The BQA program has now gotten much stronger legs than what it actually had earlier in my career. I could really see that at the session, especially taking on the transportation issues, you know, taking this issue far beyond how we use animal health products.

Pribbeno: We went to the Dale Earnhardt Jr. session and turnout was great. I’ve been busy with ESAP discussions following last night’s award ceremony. I am speaking on a panel later this afternoon, and I’m going to the AI (artificial intelligence) Cattleman’s College session. I do think it’s going to be kind of a game changer. So, I’m looking forward to going to that and seeing how to more fully use AI.

Rounds: I spent most of the morning today preparing for my Cattlemen’s College presentation “Work that Works,” where I discussed finding jobs and keeping employees. So, I haven’t actually had a chance to attend too many informational meetings. The majority of my time here has been catching up with my connections I only see here and really seeing what the advocacy side of the industry looks like right now.

Big takeaways so far?

Fitzsimmons: The specialist speakers within the policy meetings offered great insight. I was very impressed with how they were beyond excited for producers to be involved with their processes. These specialists want to make sure what they are doing is working correctly for the producers they serve.

Veterinarian Dr. Sierra Guynn, from Clemson University, presented on the Asian Longhorn Tick (ALHT) in the “Cattle Health & Well-Being” policy meeting. Something I found very interesting was that, unlike most all ticks, the AHLT is resilient in the way that they will go back to feed on a host even if they were knocked off already. Guynn offered several ways of practical tick prevention and control that producers should already be doing through cattle and environment. Within our beef operation, we already are completing those steps through the cattle side. After Guynn’s presentation, I am inspired and challenged to add the environmental prevention and control to our operation plan. I am looking forward to attending her Cattlemen’s College session on New World screwworm on Thursday.

Gray: My key takeaway from Earnhardt’s comments was when he was talking about taking risks and using innovation. It’s okay to be a little bit of a risk taker. The educational sessions on trace minerals were good. It makes me wonder if we are paying enough attention to that in our rations. I will go home and check that.

Odde: No. 1 is the situation we’re in with regard to trade, and particularly the loss of the China market. I think we all kind of know that happened but didn’t really maybe understand the magnitude of that effect. That’s really a big deal for our industry. Our industry will be working hard over the next several years to see if we can recapture that China market.

No. 2 is the importance of the change in dietary guidelines . I’m old enough to remember the war on fat in the ‘80s. And what we started learning, especially in the ‘90s, is that it’s really not fat. It’s really sugar. Sugar is the big, bad, evil item associated with diet. I think this change in the pyramid is a really big deal. It’s not just a big deal for Americans — it’s a big deal globally.

Pribbeno: Earnhardt did a really good job talking about his career and when he knew to hang it up and focus on family. I really appreciated that as a high-performing athlete, and he just at a certain age decided to completely shift his focus, and now he’s really into the people development — his team and the cars that he runs. He’s not about getting the victories anymore. He’s about getting people into their prime positions and outside of his company and developing people. He did a really nice job.

Rounds: I’m always curious to see what the messages are being shared by the advocates of our industry, and that’s kind of where I’ve been focused so far today.

Farm Journal's Michelle Rook named 2025 Friend of the Beef Industry

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 21:16:58 GMT

Currently the national news and market reporter for Farm Journal, Michelle Rook , has spent her career covering the beef industry and South Dakota agriculture in general.

Rook was recognized on the field during the 2025 South Dakota State University (SDSU) Beef Bowl football game on Sept. 13. The Friend of the Beef Industry award is given by the SDSU Department of Animal Science and the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.

“I am honored to be recognized as a friend of the beef industry and humbled since there are so many people that deserve this award,” Rook says. “I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to report the news and markets that are important to cattle producers, tell their stories and at the same time help promote the importance of the beef industry to the public.”

The press release says Rook is one of the top farm broadcasters in the country. She produces daily market and news broadcasts on “ AgDay ,” Farm Journal’s nationally syndicated, daily television program. Topics of these shows include cash cattle updates, futures prices and market analysis to provide producers with the information they need to make management decisions.

She also hosts a longer-format version of these market reports on her Markets Now podcast. Prior to joining Farm Journal, Rook served as farm director at WNAX Radio in Yankton, where she carved out her market niche and broadcast nearly 30 daily market and ag news reports to the station’s listeners.

Rook has received numerous awards for her work including being named the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Farm Broadcaster of the Year in 2008 and receiving the South Dakota Governor’s Ag Ambassador Award in 2016.

In addition to her full-time job, Rook also produces consumer-facing educational news pieces for a variety of commodity organizations, including the South Dakota Beef Industry Council. After broadcasting thousands of market shows, interviews and feature stories, it would be understandable if they all ran together, but Rook can recall the ups and downs of the markets and the impacts on South Dakota farmers.

Most memorable was the sudden reduction in meat-processing capacity brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in record-high boxed beef prices but historically low cattle prices. With WNAX Radio at the time, Rook began hosting live call-in programs with legislators to increase awareness about the issue in Washington, D.C.

“Cattle producers were devastated and frustrated. The live shows provided an outlet for them to discuss their plight and market disparities, plus explore solutions the federal government could provide, including financial assistance,” Rook says. “Those broadcasts helped lay the early foundation for Congressional hearings on ways to improve transparency and fix what was at that time considered to be a broken cattle market.” In contrast, she says reporting on today’s record-high cattle prices has “certainly been more enjoyable.”

More than a job, Rook’s success in farm broadcasting likely comes from her true love of the industry. She grew up on a dairy and crop farm in eastern South Dakota, where her family raised purebred dairy cattle. Heavily involved in both 4-H and FFA, she was an FFA state officer and a national FFA officer candidate and earned the American FFA degree.

She earned multiple degrees from SDSU, earning bachelor’s degrees in dairy manufacturing and agricultural journalism and a master’s degree in journalism. She says all were experiences that allow her to thrive in her role to share the South Dakota beef industry’s stories today.

“Agriculture is my passion, and the best part of my job is being able to report on all facets of the industry,” Rook says. “South Dakota cattle producers and their families have worked for generations to raise high-quality seedstock that result in the highest quality beef for consumers. They care for their animals, and they take care of the land and the environment because they want to be sustainable to pass their operations to the next generation.”

Agriculture in the Bull's-Eye: Raids Reportedly Resume on Farms, Meatpacking Plants

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:40:22 GMT

After President Donald Trump reportedly ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE ) to pause raids on farms and meatpacking plants last week, new reports say the administration is reversing course again. The on-again, off-again reports regarding ICE raids is sowing confusion for those who rely on immigrant labor and already causing labor shortages due to employees not showing up for work.

There was an update again late Friday, with President Trump saying he’s looking at new immigration policy steps that would allow farms to take responsibility for people they hire.

The Washington Post first reported Monday that ICE officials told leaders representing field offices across the country they must continue to conduct raids at worksite locations, which is a reversal from guidance issued just days earlier.

Officials with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wouldn’t confirm the Washington Post’s report, but an agricultural association told Farm Journal the article is accurate based on their discussions with the administration.

Instead, DHS told us this:

“The president has been incredibly clear. There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE’s efforts,” says DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safe guard public safety, national security and economic stability. These operations target illegal employment networks that undermine American workers, destabilize labor markets and expose critical infrastructure to exploitation.”

By Friday, there was another update. Reuters reported President Trump said he was looking at immigration policy steps that would allow farms to take responsibility for people they hire.

“We’re looking at doing something where, in the case of good, reputable farmers, they can take responsibility for the people that they hire and let them have responsibility, because we can’t put the farms out of business,” Trump told reporters. “And at the same time we don’t want to hurt people that aren’t criminals.”

According to Farm Journal’s Michelle Rook, the recent ICE raids are already creating absenteeism and labor shortages that could severally disrupt the U.S. food supply. Ag groups are again calling for immigration reform with hopes the issue will finally come to a head.

Ripple Effect of Immigration Crackdown

Joe Del Bosque, owner of Del Bosque Farms in Firebaugh, Calif., is experiencing the rollercoaster with labor, saying the shifting policy strikes fear in farmers and workers.

“There’s so much uncertainty as to what the administration’s going to do,” Del Bosque told Rook on AgriTalk this week.

Del Bosque says the raids on California produce farms are disrupting the harvest of perishable produce.

“They haven’t been really huge sweeps. They’re usually picking up a few people. But it creates a lot of fear, and people don’t show up to work. That’s just as bad as if they were taken away,” he says.

According to an exclusive report by Farm Journal’s The Packer , the ripple effect of Trump’s immigration crackdown on agriculture could be far-reaching — if the administration revives its focus on ag.

Kevin Kelly is the CEO of Emerald Packaging — the largest flexible packaging supplier to the leafy greens industry. Based in Union City, Calif., the company has been in the packaging business for 62 years. Kelly says the immigrant workforce in California is feeling uncertain and afraid.

“We’ve certainly heard folks aren’t turning up to work in the fields, and we’ve seen it in our facility. We verify everybody, so we know everybody in our facility is documented and can legally work in the United States,” Kelly tells Jennifer Strailey, editor of The Packer. “In our case, it’s brothers and sisters being deported, and other family members being afraid. Our employees are staying home to help their family members move, to take care of them or to take them to see an attorney — that kind of thing.”

Dairy operations in several states have also been raided recently. Dairy producers say they rely on immigrant labor to provide a stable year-round work force and to keep the U.S. food supply stable.

“We need these people to take care of our animals so we can produce food. Without animal care, we won’t have milk, cheese, butter — nothing,” Greg Moes, MoDak Dairy in Goodwin, S.D., told Rook.

The recent ICE arrests at Glenn Valley Foods of Omaha, Neb. have also led to absenteeism at meat processing plants.

“At the beginning of the Trump administration, we had this same worry with the crackdown — whether this was going to impact absenteeism and things like that,” says Brad Kooima, Kooima Kooima Varilek in Sioux Center, Iowa. “So, hopefully we can put that in our rearview mirror.”

By the Numbers: A Heavy Reliance on Immigrant Labor
The news this week of the Trump administration putting a pause on raids of farms and meat processors is welcome news for those in agriculture. From dairies and produce farms, to meatpacking plants across the U.S., these sectors rely heavily on immigrant labor.

Immigrant labor makes up a substantial portion of the meat processing workforce, with estimates ranging from 37% to over 50%. However, states like South Dakota and Nebraska have even higher concentrations of immigrant workers in meat processing — reaching 58% and 66%, according to the nonprofit Migration Policy Institute.

And a large portion of U.S. dairy farms rely on immigrant labor, with estimates indicating that over half of all dairy workers are immigrants. Specifically, these workers account for 51% of the total dairy workforce and are responsible for producing 79% of the U.S. milk supply.

Farmworker Justice estimates 70% of the produce industry’s farmworkers are immigrants. USDA’s estimates are lower — closer to 60%.

This South Dakota Rancher Is Prepared To Seize Each Opportunity

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 13:30:00 GMT

South Dakota farmer and rancher Christine Hamilton doesn’t point to one person or one particular event that has brought Christiansen Land and Cattle (CLC) success. But rather, she credits systems for outfitting her team to be prepared to seize each opportunity.

“Everything is a system with lots of moving parts. We try to find leverage in the system to make things better. I believe in choosing the right people and empowering them because talented people appreciate the opportunity to make the daily decisions to move forward on a task,” Hamilton says.

Rooted in her on-farm upbringing alongside a strong entrepreneurial streak passed from generation to generation, Hamilton constantly surveys the landscape and prepares her farm and ranch for its next plateau of success. Due to her achievements in farm management and excellence in leadership, Christiansen Land and Cattle was recognized as the 2024 Top Producer of the Year, an award sponsored by BASF, Case IH and Rabo AgriFinance.

With an unassuming pursuit of excellence, Hamilton leads the team driven by the pursuit of doing things in a better way but not for the sake of being the best.

While she has taken on a number of leadership roles on and off the farm, Hamilton says some of her greatest sense of achievement comes from leading from the background and not being the one in front. In that way, she’s a bit of a reluctant Top Producer of the Year — instead she wants the spotlight on what the team has achieved together.

Today, the core team includes her husband Eddie Hamilton; Shawn Reis, livestock manager; Matt Huizenga, crops manager; and Christie Rasmussen, accounting manager.

“Personally, I’ve learned I don’t have to have a big family in the business in order to have a work family,” she says. “Our team effort is the result of values created by the work family, striving for excellence and acting with integrity. They show up every day and do the work to make us successful; they aim for the fences and they value the process of improving.”

She says there is an important detail in the success at CLC — it’s not the job that is done but rather how that job is done.

“Each of our decision time frames is straight forward — planting, weed control, harvesting, purchasing. When a team has the latitude within those decisions to do it their way, the best way, it’s more fulfilling,” she says.

As leader, she says the greatest achievement is in the relationships among the team and the extended relationships out into the community. For her role, she aims to be an enabler of such success. Hamilton has offered her time as a mentor and encourages her team to step up to expand their own opportunities as well.

“We tend to think of businesses as task oriented,” she says. “People would be surprised to learn how much time I spend talking with other people.”

2024 Top Producer of the Year Christine Hamilton

(Alexis Nicole Photography)

Journey Back Home
“I always knew the business was larger than any one person,” she says.

Hamilton has had her own trajectory from learning tasks to being given responsibility to taking on stewardship. As a child, she worked alongside her parents and at 8 years old would help by pushing the button to start the leg at the grain elevator. Then she’d ride on horseback with her father twice a day to sort and check cows. At the age of 21, her parents gifted her some property to manage.

Hamilton left the farm first to attend boarding school for high school. She stayed on the East Coast to complete her degree in philosophy from Smith College, which was then followed up with an MBA focused on entrepreneurship from the University of Arizona. After her father passed away, and when her mother needed more hands-on help managing the business, she returned 20 years later full time. As their only child, Hamilton was the sole heir after her mother’s passing in 2001, which began an eight-year process of settling the estate in courts.

“The agricultural land we owned had appreciated significantly during the time my parents had owned it, which resulted in estate tax challenges,” Hamilton says. “It was imperative we find a way to assimilate the estate taxes in order to continue the business. Among other tools, the 6166 tax provision was used to spread out the payments.”

She also worked with a team to direct efforts to sell, buy and therefore rearrange land holdings better suited for the operation.

“After my mother passed away, my immediate goals for the farm and ranch were personal,” Hamilton says. “It was about succeeding with the transition in management and ownership from my mother to me, one generation to the next. I was afraid of failure — and probably success, too.”

She says the duration and intensity of this series of events began to intertwine her personal and work identities.

“From 1993 onward, the farm and ranch became a core part of my work and identity, as those of us who are in agriculture as a lifestyle business know all too well,” she says. “My goals for the farm and ranch evolved, as well. I began to see that the farm and ranch continuity depended on more than just me.”

2024 Top Producer of the Year Christine Hamilton and team

(Alexis Nicole Photography)

Key Performance Metrics
With the farm and ranch structure ironed out, Hamilton set to work to refine its operation and optimize its performance.

When Hamilton met her future husband, he was serving on the Farm Financial Standards Council (FFSC), and this organization not only was a gathering of bankers, accountants, academia and consultants but was also a key driver to bring activity-based accounting guidelines for production agriculture.

To build a firm foundation of understanding the business of the farm, Hamilton brought in Steve Hofing of Centrec, who became a valued team member and mentor.

“Centrec has been a part of the management team since 1999, acting as our CFO and performing many tasks from risk analysis, assisting in capital purchases, to modeling various scenarios and other services,” Hamilton says.

CLC became an early adopter of activity-based accounting, a practice they continue to expand on the farm today in the decision-making process.

“We collaborated with the software company Centerpoint, now owned by Red Wing, and we have incorporated it into the way we operate and measure our results,” she says. “We have developed cost and activity centers with monthly meetings with managers to know our direct costs. We farm on the land we enjoy the appreciation of, but the challenge is to get returns on the operation.”

2024 Top Producer of the Year Christine Hamilton

(Alexis Nicole Photography)

A Pioneer Spirit
With the processes in place to ensure CLC performance tracking and reaching goals, Hamilton has been able to turn her attention to interests off the farm.

Her entrepreneurial spirit can not be tamped down. It could be a credit to a lineage of strong female business owners going back to her grandmother who took on ownership of a general store in the wake of her own brother’s murder by cattle rustlers.

Any stumblings have stoked the fire in her to continue to try to help build something else in a better way. Hamilton shares an example of a seed treatment business she invested in and mortgaged part of her farm holdings to become involved.

“I clearly remember getting to the end of the funds available and not being any closer in any way to pay them back — I had a pit in my stomach about wasting that money,” she says. “It motivated me to get my MBA.”

While she says it might have been her biggest failure in business, it refocused her efforts to become a better entrepreneur. She went on to start four companies: a gourmet meat store, a hay production company, a dairy development startup and a wholesale meat company.

The wholesale meat company is still in operation today: Dakota Packing, Inc., based in Las Vegas.

Hamilton believes diversification is a way to spread risk, grow the whole business and take lessons learned from one area and be able to apply them to another.

She helped start South Dakota Ag Producer Ventures, which was an investment entity for producers to invest in startup projects.

“Diversification definitely brings something to the table — ag asset portfolios can be improved with some diversification,” she says. “My husband, Eddie, and I also have additional business interests.”

As a couple, the Hamiltons helped start SAB Bio, a publicly traded biotech company based in South Dakota. Its technology aims to address infectious diseases, diabetes and some oncology targets by creating human polyclonal antibodies in bovine blood using genetic manipulation.

“We’re fortunate to be able to build on the foundation of Christiansen Land and Cattle to explore innovation in biotech and in a wholesale beef business in Las Vegas,” she says. “Several boards we serve on provide a window into innovations and the challenges of additional businesses and nonprofits. We find that diverse interests inform our values and enable us to gain insights into our own business.”

Hamilton currently serves on a second board for a publicly traded company, Titan Machinery, the largest Case IH dealership network. She currently sits on the boards of the Farm Foundation and Padlock Ranch Board. In the past, she’s served on the board for South Dakota State University Foundation, Federal Reserve Bank of the Ninth District, and the South Dakota State Game, Fish and Parks Department Commission.

In The Community
One of the business goals for Christine Hamilton is for Christiansen Land and Cattle to be engaged in its community. As such, CLC supports several local area food banks and volunteer fire departments, along with school fundraisers.

“We have also asked each of our CLC team to recommend a local nonprofit, and we have donated to the chosen organizations in their individual names,” Hamilton says.

In 2001, Hamilton created a 501(c)(3) organization. Named for her family last names: the Matson Halverson Christiansen Hamilton Foundation focuses on creating opportunities and supporting economic development and community vitality in rural South Dakota. The first initiative supported non-traditional students as they pursued their RN degrees.

“The thinking was that healthcare is an economic driver in rural areas, and local residents who want to pursue additional education can have the choice to pursue nursing,” Hamilton says. “That choice will enable them to work locally and also elevates the quality of opportunities in the area.”

2024 Top Producer of the Year Christine Hamilton

(Alexis Nicole Photography)

Continuous Improvement
With her various roles on and off the farm, no week is the same as the next. However, her intentionality in helping her team always remains the same.

“My goals now for CLC are around how CLC can be an example of thoughtful management that contributes positively to the people who work here, the soil/land health and the community, all while being a solid business with reasonable and consistent returns,” she says.

In 2015, she started the process to develop a sustainability management plan, which took a full look at the business with agronomy and livestock management consultants.

“Through a series of annual meetings that involve the entire management team, we have created a living document that represents the goals and considerations of all the stakeholders of the business,” she says. “This includes the community perspective and thinking about how CLC gives back to the community.”

The team just completed its meeting for 2024, but they don’t call it the sustainability management plan any more — now it’s the continuous improvement plan.

“Of course, there has to be sustainability in everything,” Hamilton contends. “Continuous improvement says it better.”

The meeting includes all business division managers as well as Ag To Go, which are the farm’s agronomic consultants. The meeting lasts about a day and a half, and they go over areas of improvement for the next year. As such, 2025’s list includes: riparian buffers, tree plantings, nutrient management inefficiencies, and soil erosion and control programs.

Hamilton says the biggest motivator for her in business is seeking out the potential for continuous improvement — it helps serve her natural sense of curiosity.

“What we’ve built and how we’ve found success have been offshoots of curiosity and momentum,” she says.

No one knows better than you that the future of your farm depends on balancing practices and profits that sustain your land, resources and family . The stakes are evolving based on weather patterns, technology, market demand and more. What actions are you taking to remain resilient?

Why John Thune's Election as Senate Majority Leader is Considered Beneficial for U.S. Agriculture

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 19:50:43 GMT

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) wins Majority Leader race. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) was eliminated on the first ballot. And Thune beat Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) 29-24 on the second ballot.

The Thune selection is good for the U.S. ag sector. He has one of the best staff in Congress.

The leadership race unfolded in two rounds of voting: 

In the first ballot, Scott was eliminated. 
In the second and final ballot, Thune secured 29 votes, defeating Cornyn, who received 24 votes.

Donald Trump stayed out of the contest but did make public demands that the incoming majority leader allow him to make recess appointments to his Cabinet. All three men quickly agreed.

Thune’s election as Majority Leader is considered beneficial for the U.S. ag sector for several reasons: 

Agricultural background: Thune has a deep background in ag policy and is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. 
Farm bill experience: He has been involved in writing several farm bills, demonstrating his expertise in agricultural legislation. 
Conservation programs: Thune is an avid supporter of conservation title programs like the Conservation Stewardship Program and Conservation Reserve Program.
Bipartisan approach: He is a skilled negotiator, working for the benefit of all.
Constituency focus: Coming from South Dakota, an agriculture-based state, Thune is likely to keep agricultural interests at the forefront of his agenda.  • Experienced staff: Thune has one of the best staffs in Congress, which can be crucial for effective policymaking and implementation.

Of note: This leadership change marks the end of Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) 18-year tenure as the Senate’s Republican leader. Thune will assume the role of Majority Leader for the next two years, coinciding with President-elect Donald Trump’s second term. While Thune has had differences with Trump in the past, he has recently worked to improve their relationship and has pledged to advance Trump’s legislative agenda.

South Dakota Ranching Couple In A High-Stakes Fence Line Dispute With U.S. Forest Service

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 16:49:56 GMT

For ranchers who rely on public lands grazing for their cattle, a recent indictment of a South Dakota couple brings up concerns.

Kaitlynn Glover, Public Lands Council (PLC) Executive Director, recently shared about a land dispute between Charles and Heather Maude and the U.S. Forest Service with AgriTalk’s Chip Flory.

“This situation is almost unfathomable,” Glover says. “You have a husband and wife, mother and father to two young children. They have been grazing permittees, not only demonstrating the value of grazing, but being really good partners with the Forest Service for quite some time. They have grazing allotments. They have a small hay operation to put up some forage for the winter. Earlier this year, that really productive relationship with the Forest Service took a hard left turn when they were sort of the victim of an overzealous law enforcement pursuit and federal criminal charges for theft of federal land.”

Glover says the details of the case defy reality.

“These charges are the result of a boundary dispute between private ground and the Forest Service grasslands,” she explains. “This poor family is really trying to defend not only themselves, but their right to graze adjacent to federal lands, and that’s really, really troubling.”

This situation is normally resolved through administrative means, she adds, but the agency moved outside of the normal process, Glover says. The Maudes have each been indicted on separate criminal charges.

What Triggered the Dispute?

“Law enforcement typically deal with things like human trafficking and drugs on federal land,” Glover says. “They don’t deal with fence line disputes. Those fence line boundary survey issues go through an administrative process. But the law enforcement team in South Dakota decided this was going to be their issue of the day, took it out of the administrative process, targeted this family and set about a course of events that has made a lot of federal grazing permittees, those cattle and sheep producers, questioning their own relationships with the Forest Service across the West.”

This sort of dispute might make other ranchers hesitant to work with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), another federal agency with federal lands

“BLM and Forest Service are sort of painted with the same brush because they’re both federal agencies,” Glover says. “They’re both supposed to be federal partners. These federal grounds mean the forage on these acres is incredibly valuable for Western ag production.”

Nearly 40% of the western cattle herd and about 50% of the nation’s sheep herd spend time on public lands, Glover says.

“If you compromise those relationships, it has rippling consequences that are felt, not just by the families who have stewarded these grounds forever, but also by rural communities, and then ultimately by people, even here in Washington, D.C., who look up at the sky in the fall and wonder why there’s smoke in the air,” she adds.

At this time, the Maudes have each had to hire separate counsel and are going through the legal process.

“We here in Washington, the Public Lands Council, our national affiliates, the National Cattleman’s Beef Association, the Association of National Grasslands have been working with the congressional delegation from South Dakota and other partners in Congress to bring attention to this situation, making it clear this absolutely should not be a criminal case,” Glover says. “These parents, this husband and wife team, should not be facing 10 years in prison over a fence line. Finding a resolution that’s suitable for this family is a huge priority.”

Additionally, PLC and other organizations want to make sure this case doesn’t set a precedent.

“We’re making sure the agency doesn’t make this a policy where you go to law enforcement before using all of the other tools at your disposal,” Glover says. “There is a two pronged approach here. That’s why our national associations are here. We have the avenues to have these conversations and to get some things done. We’re using all the tools at our disposal to make sure we’re not going to see a whole-scale change in how federal lands are managed and how disputes are resolved.”

Listen to the entire AgriTalk episode.

Statement from U.S. Forest Service
Wade Muehlhof, spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service, shared this following statement with Drovers: “The Forest Service values its relationship with our neighbors and where possible we try to resolve any issues through administrative actions prior to taking any legal actions. It is important for us to work together to steward these lands and that work depends on strong relationships between the Forest Service and permittees. If permittees have concerns or issues with the terms and conditions or other aspects of their permit that need to be resolved, they are encouraged to work with their local District Ranger.”

Additional background on timeline of events:

The USDA Forest Service handled this situation according to normal operating procedures for lands trespass situations.
The Maudes were first informed in December 2020 that their plan to install a pivot sprinkler would trespass on National Forest System lands. The Forest Service provided notice of trespass to the Maudes in March 2024 after they installed an unauthorized fence and pivot sprinkler impacting the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. Subsequently, the Forest Service observed crops had been planted and an irrigation system installed on National Forest System land without authorization, despite the Maudes having been informed that they were trespassing.
The agency was unable to resolve this matter through administrative means and therefore referred it to the US Attorney’s office, which as is normal protocol.
The Department of Justice is the agency responsible for determining whether to bring criminal charges.
In June 2024, a Grand Jury issued a True Bill of Indictment on Charles and Heather Maude for violations of 18 U.S.C. §§ 641 and 2, Theft of Government Property.
In June 2024, Forest Service Law Enforcement served Charles Maude and his wife, Heather Maude, a summons in the criminal case at their residence. At no point during this contact was anyone placed under arrest or taken into custody, nor did any officer utilize any tactical uniform, gear or assault weapons.

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Brad Greenway Named SDSU 2024 Eminent Leader in Agriculture, Family and Community

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 14:58:35 GMT

By Lura Roti

Advice Brad Greenway received from his college adviser 40 years ago guides him to this day.

“He told me, ‘Don’t ever start something you are figuring on failing at,’” recalled the third-generation Mitchell farmer.

It was the Farm Crisis of the 1980s, and Greenway wanted to farm full time but thought he should get a welding degree just in case farming didn’t work out.

After the conversation with Myron Sonne, he decided to major in agriculture and joined the Mitchell Technical College Livestock Judging Team.

“Myron’s was just the upbeat message I needed — if you put your mind to something, you can succeed,” Greenway said.

With the success of his family’s farm as his focus, Greenway worked to build a sustainable, diversified crop and livestock operation.

Together with Peggy, his wife, and partners Brent Greenway, their son, and Thomas Smith, today Greenway Farms raises row crops and a cow/calf herd, is a partner in a sow farm and owns a wean-to-finish hog operation, raising 14,000 pigs each year.

Greenway Farms team members are proud to sell about half of their pigs to Wholestone Farms, a packing plant they co-own with 230 other pig farmers.

“Our farm truly is a full-circle, sustainable operation. The manure from our pigs is applied to the corn fields. The corn is harvested and fed to our pigs,” Greenway said. “Our cattle graze land that should not be farmed.”

Wind turbines are yet another sustainable aspect on their farm, generating energy for the confinement barns.

Sustainability motivated Greenway’s 2006 decision to transition from raising pigs outdoors and in hoop barns to modern confinement barns.

“We were not producing enough pigs to earn a living,” Greenway said.

After decades of raising pigs outdoors, investing in a large confinement barn was a big decision. Greenway credits the support and encouragement he received from progressive producers he met through involvement in South Dakota Pork Producers.

“It really was the support from other pork producers that gave us the confidence we needed,” Greenway said.

In the first year of operation, Greenway could see the move to confinement was the right choice. “Our pigs’ comfort used to keep Peggy and me up at night. If there was a blizzard or an extreme heat event or rain event, we could only do so much to keep the pigs comfortable,” he explained. “Today, I don’t have to worry because we can keep our pigs’ environment constant and comfortable.”

And because his parents, Tom and Janice, were still raising pigs outdoors, Greenway was able to see the cost savings. “Feeding pigs in the hoop barns was more than double the feed cost than what it was in our new modern confinement barn. The only difference was the more comfortable indoor environment.”

When the Greenways put up their first confinement barn, they used it as a way to share their story of animal comfort, environmental stewardship and sustainability of South Dakota’s No. 1 industry with the more than 400 community members who came out to their farm for the open house.

Advocacy is yet another way Greenway works toward a sustainable future. “Farmers have done a tremendous job improving how we take care of the environment and our animals, but we have done a really poor job of telling consumers how we do it,” Greenway said.

He first became involved in Pork Producers after receiving a $200 college scholarship from Davison County Pork Producers. Local involvement led Greenway in 2000 to serve on the South Dakota Pork Producers Council. He was elected state president in 2005 and 2006.

In 2003, Greenway became involved in the National Pork Board, serving as an Operation Mainstreet presenter, sharing his farm’s story with more than 150 civic organizations, dietitian groups, meat packers, retailers and others throughout South Dakota and across the nation.

“Even in Mitchell, S.D., consumers have questions about how we raise their food,” Greenway said.

Although Greenway received advocacy and media training from National Pork Board, he said he is comfortable speaking in front of people because of public speaking experience he gained as a 4-H member and collegiate livestock judge.

Recognized for his service to South Dakota agriculture, in 2014 Greenway was named the Governor’s Ag Ambassador. In 2016 and 2017 he was elected vice president of the National Pork Board. He served as chairperson for U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance in 2016-2018. And in 2016, the National Pork Board named Greenway America’s Pig Farmer of the Year.

“My passion has always been raising pigs, farming and talking to people about what we do,” Greenway said.

Celebrate Greenway during Eminent Leaders banquet
Greenway will be honored for his contributions to South Dakota during the 2024 Eminent Leaders in Agriculture, Family and Community recognition banquet held at the McCrory Gardens Education and Visitor Center on the SDSU campus Sept. 20.

Greenway will be honored alongside Floyd Hansmeier, Bristol; Steven Rommereim, Alcester; and Pam Geppert, Kimball. During the banquet, portraits of the award recipients will be unveiled. These portraits will be displayed in a virtual gallery at https://www.sdstate.edu/eminent-leaders .

Honorees are selected by the SDSU colleges of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and Education and Human Sciences.

Your Next Read: USFRA’s Brad Greenway Helps Farmers Find Their Voice

New Methane Digester Complete at Tri-Cross Dairy, Begins Supplying RNG

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 19:15:26 GMT

Renewable natural gas (RNG) is certainly making a big appearance in 2024. Tri-Cross Dairy, a 5,000-cow operation located in Viborg, S.D., is the second dairy in the state within the last two months to begin supplying RNG to the natural gas pipeline via a methane digester.

According to Clean Energy, Tri-Cross Dairy’s partner for the project, the new facility is forecasted to produce 1 million gallons annually of negative carbon-intensity RNG.

The construction costs of the RNG production facility, which includes the build of digesters and processing plant, totaled $34 million and was completed in December 2023. The injecting of pipeline-quality RNG began shortly after completion. Clean Energy is in the process of filing the necessary applications to generate federal and state environmental credits. The facility is one in a series of projects in the Midwest for which the companies have partnered together.

“We anticipate 2024 to be a pivotal year in the demand for RNG fuel in the transportation market with the introduction of Cummins’ X15N natural gas engine for heavy-duty trucks. Clean Energy’s fueling infrastructure is expanding to meet that demand and we’ll need a constant source of additional low-carbon RNG to supply those stations. The new production facilities at Tri-Cross Dairy and the other farms in the Midwest that are now producing RNG is a critical component to our strategy,” said Clay Corbus, senior vice president for renewables.

Earlier this year, Drumgoon Dairy, a 6,500-cow operation in Lake Norden, S.D., also began producing RNG through its methane digester project. The facility has since begun injecting ultra-low carbon RNG into the interstate natural gas pipeline system. According to a Clean Energy press release, Drumgoon Dairy is expected to supply 1.66 million gallons of negative carbon-intensity RNG annually to the transportation market when at full capacity.

How It’s Made

While dairy cows are known for their ability to make milk, they’re also scrutinized for their ability to produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, agriculture accounts for nearly 10% of U.S. GHG emissions. However, the dairy industry plays a big role in being part of a global climate solution.

“Renewable natural gas is chemically the same as the natural gas you might get in your stove, but what makes it renewable is that it is sourced from landfills or dairy farms,” says Will Flanagan, vice president of strategic development at Clean Energy. “What we’re doing is gathering manure and putting it in a digester, which captures the raw methane, or biogas, that would otherwise be going into the atmosphere. Then we pipe that raw biogas to an on-site gas processing plant where we clean it up by taking out the unwanted constituents.”

Once the methane has been converted into RNG, it is injected into a local natural gas pipeline and distributed to one of Clean Energy’s 540 fueling stations.

For more on sustainability, read:

New Survey Shows Labor is Serious Challenge for Ag Industry

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 18:00:19 GMT

A new survey from the Minneapolis Fed found ag bankers rank labor availability as a top concern for their farm clients.

The survey, which was conducted with ag bankers from the ninth district (Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin), found the issue is viewed as a “serious challenge” for 63% of respondents and a minor challenge for the majority of the remaining 37%.

“It’s becoming more and more difficult to obtain the labor needed to operate,” a Minnesota-based banker told the Minneapolis Fed.

The availability of livestock workers was seen as more limited than crop workers and those surveyed also shared that finding long-term help is more difficult than temporary help due to the seasonal nature of the ag industry.

As far as how this compares to past conditions, 39% of respondents said labor availability has gotten “much worse” over the past five years and 44% said it’s “a little worse”.

The Minneapolis Fed attributes this challenge to the region’s low influx of migrant workers and aging workforce.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, 10% of animal production employees in the area are foreign born, compared to 18% nationally. The number is even lower for crop production with just 5% of workers being foreign born, compared to 32% nationally.

The region also has some of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S.

(Farm Journal)

At the same time, the median age of workers in the region rose from 51 to 56 in 2021. The number of workers between 45 to 54 has declined over the past decade with a small increase of those between the ages of 25 to 44 and a large increase of those over 55.

(Farm Journal)

Wholestone Farms Halts $500M Sioux Falls Plant Project, For Now

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 21:35:10 GMT

Rumors of doubt have been shared regarding the new construction of the Wholestone Foods pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, S.D.—a proposed $500 million pork processing plant that’s jumped numerous hurdles, including a ballot initiative, a lawsuit and over $1 million in donations against it, to get the green light.

While the projected looked to be full steam ahead, earlier this week, Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken expressed his doubts about the site to a local news source .

“If I had a crystal ball, do I think we’ll be breaking ground on a pork plant during my term in office? I don’t, based on all the things that have happened even in the last six months, but we’ll see,” said TenHaken to the local news source.

Additionally, a Sioux Falls council member described the plans for the plant as being temporarily on hold, the article said. The custom butcher shop on the site is also now closed until further notice.

With questions in the air regarding the Sioux Falls location, the company recently shared news of its union with Prestage , an Iowa-based company. This includes a joint plant in Eagle Grove, Iowa, which is expected to be operational by early 2024, Meatingplace reports.

Luke Minion, Wholestone Farms chairman, clarified in an interview with Meatingplace, that the company has indeed put a hold on the Sioux Falls facility, but only as a result of the joint venture that has taken precedent for the company.

“It does mean we’ll do Sioux Falls later. It obviously will move back,” Minion told Meatingplace. “And so right now, the simple answer is we own the site in Sioux Falls. Obviously, we endured a great deal of events to continue to have that site and our possession and have it permittable. And we love the site, we love the community. We don’t have any plans to not keep it in our business plan, but the next best move for us was to do the joint venture with Prestage.”

Minion also explained that the Eagle Grove site provided an opportunity for the company to capitalize on the geography and be operational more quickly. However, the site “doesn’t fully satisfy what we have in our business plan, and that’s why I like to continue to emphasize that Sioux Falls is a ‘later,’” Minion told Meatingplace.

Wholestone Farms’ projects continue to grow as plans for renovation and expansion of its Fremont, Neb., location was also recently announced.

Read More about Wholestone Farms:
Wholestone Farms and Prestage Foods Embark on Joint Venture
Wholestone Farms Shares Big Plans of Renovation and Expansion in Fremont

$9-Million Loss In 45 Packing Plant Thefts Uncovered, Three Suspects Arrested

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 14:46:15 GMT

Uncovering approximately 45 thefts totaling over $9 million in loss, three Florida men have been arrested for stealing semi-loads of frozen beef and pork from packing plants across the Midwest.

Starting June 27, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the events occurring in Nebrask a.

Soon realizing the case reached further than Nebraska, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, along with Homeland Security Investigation (HIS) Omaha identified approximately 45 thefts totaling $9 million in loss beginning in June 2021. Investigators described the theft ring as a “sophisticated and ‘highly organized criminal enterprise,’” reports a local news source .

Additionally, the investigators determined the criminal enterprise to be based in Miami and targets beef and pork packing plants specifically in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.

While investigation began in June, thefts continued to occur across the region. In September, more than $100,000 in pork products were reported stolen from the JBS plant in Ottumwa, Iowa .

Utilizing cell phone records and GPS tracking devices, on Oct. 20, investigators identified and arrested three targets in the enterprise, recovering three semi-trailers with stolen merchandise valued at $550,000, says the news source. Yoslany Leyva Del Sol, Ledier Machin Andino and Delvis L. Fuentes were charged with the transportation of stolen goods and money laundering in Florida’s federal court.

A Minnesota news source reports each of the men possesses a valid Class A commercial driver’s license.

At this time, it is unknown what the men did with the stolen meat, however, the investigation remains ongoing.

Trump Pardons South Dakota Ranchers

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 22:35:40 GMT

President Donald Trump, in one of his last official acts as President, granted full pardons to Gregory and Deborah Jorgensen, and a posthumous pardon to Martin Jorgensen, Jr., all from Ideal, South Dakota and Jorgensen Land and Cattle.

The statement from the White House reads:

Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) and Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) support clemency for this family, which has an exemplary record of service to their community. In the 1980’s, Gregory and his father, Martin, gathered a group of South Dakota cattle producers to market and sold processed beef. The Jorgensen’s marketed their beef under the Dakota Lean brand and sold the premium product as heart-healthy and antibiotic- and hormone-free. When demand outstripped supply, Gregory, Deborah, and Martin mixed in inferior, commercial beef trim and knowingly sold misbranded beef.

Since their convictions in 1996, the Jorgensen’s have served their community devotedly. Gregory was elected twice to the Tripp County Board of Commissioners and spearheaded infrastructure projects to improve access for Native American communities. Deborah is a lifelong member of a non-profit dedicated to promoting educational opportunities for women. And Martin was named National Beef Cattleman’s Association Businessman of the Year. The Jorgensens have shown remorse for their previous action, and in light of decades of exemplary public service, they are well deserving of these pardons.

“Ideal Pioneers,” the memoirs of Martin Jorgensen, Jr., and a history of Jorgensen Land and Cattle Co. was published in 2017, written by former BEEF editor Joe Roybal. The book is available on Amazon and is described below. Martin Jorgensen, Jr, passed away in August, 2019 .

Jorgensen Land & Cattle (JLC) is located on the rolling short-grass prairie of south-central South Dakota. Headquartered in Ideal, SD, JLC is a unique synergy in which 20,000 acres of cropland and pasture underpin a world-class beef cattle program that annually markets around 3500 commercial Angus bulls. It’s estimated that 100,000 calves bearing Jorgensen genetics are born each year. The patriarch is 93-year-old Martin F. Jorgensen Jr., the son of homesteading parents who first broke this prairie sod in 1909. Growing up in the destitution and hardship of the Great Depression and Dirty ‘30s, Martin stands at the center of a remarkable story that spans four generations of achievement and service. This book is a combination of his memoirs, as well as a history of JLC and the Jorgensen family. It’s the story of a remarkable man and family, and their growth, challenges and successes as their agricultural operation evolved from a simple homestead at the turn of the 20th Century to one of the world’s top farming and livestock operations.

South Dakota Cattleman Martin Jorgensen Passes

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:50:58 GMT

Martin F. Jorgensen, Jr., 95, of Ideal, SD passed away on Friday, August 9th, 2019, at the Winner Regional Long-Term Care Facility in Winner, SD. A Celebration of Life for Martin was held Sunday, August 18th, 2019 at the Saint Mary’s Hall in Winner, where the family invited all to share stories and honor Martin’s life. Martin was preceded in death by his wife Mary.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, October 15th, 2019 at 10:00am at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Winner. Burial will follow in the Winner City Cemetery. A visitation will be held on Monday, October 14th, 2019 from 6-7 pm at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Winner with a Rosary beginning at 7:00 pm.

In 2002 the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) honored Martin and Mary with the Pioneer Award at the organization’s 34th annual meeting in Omaha, Neb. The award recognizes individuals who have made lasting contributions to the improvement of beef cattle. The following was issued at the time the award was presented.

The Jorgensens live on the farm that his family homesteaded in 1909. They have four children, Judy, Mary Jean, Greg, and Bryan. Greg and Bryan are actively involved with Martin in the operation and management of Jorgensen Land and Cattle. This is a dynamic and productive operation that includes commercial and seedstock beef production, commercial swine production, and numerous row crops.

The Jorgensens are truly pioneers in the development of innovative management practices and the implementation of new technologies. They were one of the first to embrace the concepts of integrated resource management (IRM), and Martin served as the first chairman of the National IRM Coordinating Committee during the early 1990s.

From its inception, Jorgensen Land and Cattle has been operated as a whole, with each enterprise contributing synergistically to the success of the entire farm. Martin was an original member of the South Dakota Livestock and Production Records System. Production and performance records have provided the foundation for the development of the famous Jorgensen Angus herd as well as of their other enterprises. Martin has been involved with BIF since its inception in 1968. He served as president of the BIF Board from 1976-78.

Martin and Mary have given unselfishly to public service activities associated with improving agriculture and rural life. They have served on numerous local, state and national boards and committees. They have been instrumental in the construction of numerous community buildings and in helping to bring rural water to their community. Martin was appointed to and served on the South Dakota Board of Economic Development for nine years. He also served as a speaker in several of the Agri-Service Foundation Stockmen Schools, including a trip to Russia and the Ukraine in 1993.

Martin Jorgensen has received many honors and recognitions. These include the Eminent Farmer of South Dakota Award from South Dakota State University (SDSU), the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Businessman of the Year Award and the South Dakota Master Pork Producer Award. He was inducted into the Angus Heritage Foundation of the American Angus Association in 1990 and was chosen as an honorary member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in 1995.

Eastern South Dakota Authorities Probe Cattle Shootings

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:48:58 GMT

Authorities in eastern South Dakota are investigating incidents in which cattle have been shot in pastures.

Moody County Sheriff Troy Wellman Tells the Argus Leader that a calf in the eastern part of that county was shot in the hip this week. Authorities believe a small-caliber gun was used. The calf is being treated.

Wellman says other cattle in the area have been shot and have died, and a woman in South Shore, about 20 miles southwest of Milbank, says her family lost five calves to bullet wounds last week. Each calf was shot multiple times.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Moody County Sheriff’s Office .

Drought in Dakotas Worsens, Selling Cattle in Mile-Long Lines

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:48:42 GMT

Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R-SD) has declared a statewide emergency because of the ongoing drought conditions in his state.

The most recent drought monitor shows 80 percent of the Mount Rushmore State is at some level of dryness or drought.

As part of the state of emergency, South Dakota will ease haying and transportation restrictions to assist ag producers.

Meanwhile in North Dakota, Doug Goehring, state agriculture commissioner, got a first-hand look at the drought conditions. Goehring says there was a four to five inch rainfall deficit from March 10 to June 10 in central North Dakota.

He says it is “heartbreaking” to see livestock producers lined up for almost a mile at auction markets. With a lack of adequate grazing and feed, they’re selling their genetics that took years to build.

There have been calls to open Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres to early haying and grazing.

Some South Dakota Producers Raising Pricey Japanese Cattle

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:42:32 GMT

A few South Dakota producers are giving expensive Japanese cattle a try.

The Tri-State Neighbor reports that some producers in the state are raising specialty Wagyu (wa-goo) cattle.

Farmer Reid Jensen first got his hand on Wagyu cattle in 2010. He now has 70 cows and a couple of breeding bulls in his pastures in Burbank. Jensen says he started his herd for a pricey $5,000 a head. Most of his beef goes to high-end hotels and restaurants.

The best-known breed is the black breed that comes from a region near Kobe, Japan. Kobe beef is a type of Wagyu.

A Wagyu steak can go for more than $100. The meet is lower in cholesterol. Most of the Wagyu cattle in the U.S. are in Texas and New Mexico.

South Dakota's Help for Northern Beef was About $4.3M

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:39:02 GMT

The state of South Dakota pitched in approximately $4.3 million to assists the idled Northern Beef packing plant.
By: Dirk Lammers, Associated Press

U.S. Senate candidates talking about the idled Northern Beef Packers plant in northeast South Dakota have tossed out figures for taxpayer losses ranging from nothing to $80 million, but a breakdown from state agencies shows the actual number is closer to $4.3 million.

Northern Beef opened on a limited basis in 2012 after years of delays, but filed for bankruptcy protection in July. Investment banking firm White Oak Global Advisors submitted the winning $44.4 million credit-and-cash bid for the plant in December and closed on the sale earlier this month.

Much of Northern Beef’s investment money was raised through the federal EB-5 program, which encourages foreign investment in exchange for qualifications to secure permanent residency.

During a Republican primary candidate forum Saturday hosted by the South Dakota Newspaper Association, Gov. Mike Rounds said: “We have not lost any taxpayer money.”

Yankton attorney and soldier Jason Ravnsborg, however, said during Saturday’s debate: “We lost approximately $80 million. I don’t think that’s good, responsible government to lose that much money.”

Figures from the South Dakota governor’s office show that about $3.5 million in state Future Fund Grants supported the Northern Beef Packers project. The Aberdeen plant also received nearly $845,000 in state construction-tax refunds, according to the South Dakota Department of Revenue.

Ravnsborg said Wednesday the figure he was referring to was the difference between the $115 million to $120 million total money raised to build the plant and the $44.4 million recovered during the bankruptcy sale.

“I would dispute Governor Rounds’ contention that the program has been a success,” Ravnsborg said. “I don’t know too many businesses that end up in bankruptcy that consider themselves successful.”

Rounds said Wednesday that the state’s investment in the plant is offset by taxes generated from its construction and the property takes paid to local jurisdictions.

The Governor’s Office of Economic Development estimates that Northern Beef would account for at least $3 million in sales and use taxes and contractors excise taxes paid to the state, based on filings made during the bankruptcy proceedings.

Rounds added that he expects that the plant will eventually be processing cattle.

“In essence, the taxpayers of South Dakota did not lose any taxpayer money on the bankruptcy of the Northern Beef plant,” Rounds said. “And we still have the plant. It has been built, and it will be operational.”

Five Republicans, one Democrat and one independent are running for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Tim Johnson.

According to the South Dakota governor’s office, the state Future Fund Grants included grants of:

— $67,600 to the Mentor Group in November 2010 for the appraisal of the plant required for the financing package;

— $150,000 to the Aberdeen Development Corporation in December 2010 to conduct an economic impact study and perform marketing services;

— $1 million to Northern Beef Packers in December 2010 to assist with construction costs;

— $200,000 to Brown County in December 2010 for costs associated with road construction;

— $300,000 to the South Dakota Department of Agriculture in January 2011 for the South Dakota Certified Beef Program.

The plant also drew $582,000 from a January 2011 grant of $843,000 to train full-time employees.

Two additional Future Fund Grants were given to the South Dakota Development Corp. to help Northern Beef, but one of them was fully repaid.

One was a $1.2 million grant in June 2010 to provide a conditional loan to Northern Beef Packers for construction costs and employment recruiting. The other was a $2 million grant in December 2011 to assist the development corporation in providing a $3 million bridge loan to Northern Beef Packers for operating costs. That loan was paid in full in September 2012, the governor’s office said.

The failure of the plant to ramp up to full production shut off other potential public funding sources.

A $5 million loan commitment from the state Board of Economic Development was canceled because it was contingent upon the completion of construction and certain financial and operational milestones. A $20 million loan commitment from the Economic Development Finance Authority, in which 60 percent would have been guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development’s Business & Industry Guaranteed Loan Program, also was canceled, according to the governor’s office.

Closing Scheduled on Sale of Failed Beef Plant

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:38:39 GMT

A bankruptcy judge has set a closing date for the sale of a failed South Dakota beef packing plant.

A San Francisco-based investment banking firm still holds the top bid of $44.4 million for Northern Beef Packers, the Aberdeen plant that filed for bankruptcy last summer because it lacked money to buy cattle for slaughter.

Judge Charles Nail set April 4 as the deadline to close on the sale.

The Aberdeen American News reports that if White Oak Global Advisors cannot finalize the sale, the closing deadline for the other company that submitted a lower bid at the bankruptcy auction will be April 11.

White Oak has not said what it plans to do with the plant.

New South Dakota Company Launches Grass-Fed Beef Effort

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:37:59 GMT

Source: Associated Press

NuAgra, a Brookings, S.D. based company, has begun selling grass-fed South Dakota beef directly to households throughout the United States — and the company’s beef starts out in central South Dakota.

Formed just 10 months ago by John and Kyle Robinson, NuAgra seeks to carve out a niche by trying to enhance “consumer health and lifestyle through a holistic, sustainable approach to food products,” according to the company.

Once a dominant practice, grass-fed beef production is an alternative to the traditional corn-fed beef most people are used to, Kyle Robinson told the Capital Journal .

“The product represents what many desire — high-quality nutritious food that is traceable and raised with sustainable values,” she explained. “We also make it convenient for families by delivering directly to their doorstep.”

In contrast to grass-fed beef, the meat from cattle finished with a corn-based diet tends to be higher in saturated fat and omega-6 fat and lower in omega-3 fat, said Dr. John Robinson, an M.D. who also has a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular genetics. A healthy diet includes fewer saturated fats, according to 2010 USDA dietary guidelines.

“On average grass-finished beef has 8.3 times more protein than fat,” John Robinson said. That is 5.4 times higher than salmon and 4.2 times higher than tofu, he added.

Grass-finished beef dominated the U.S. beef industry from its beginnings in the 1800s until the 1960s, according to Eric Mousel, a cow and calf specialist at the University of Minnesota.

“Feeding corn to cattle during the last two months of the finishing stage began on a larger scale in the 1960s. Corn-finished beef was deemed a more cost-efficient method of producing beef by producers and a higher-quality eating experience by consumers. Thus, as grass-finished beef was gradually replaced by corn-finished beef, grass-finished beef has become a niche market for restaurants and enthusiasts who prefer the sharper flavor and more rigid texture of beef finished on grass,” said Mousel, a former range livestock production specialist at South Dakota State University.

Approximately 3 percent of beef consumed in the United States is grass-finished, he explained.

The Robinsons said research on the effects of grass-fed beef is what led them to create their business. Then in March, Robinsons were introduced to Carter Johnson and Cody Zilverberg of EcoSun Prairie Farms. The Colman-based nonprofit corporation has been restoring wetlands and native plants on its farm since 2007. The farm explores ways to turn a profit from restored grassland, including through such products as grass-fed beef.

The Robinsons said the cattle being grass-fed on EcoSun land were supplied by former South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association president Todd Mortenson of Eagle Butte. A Leopold Conservation Award winner, Mortenson previously entered into a three-year agreement with EcoSun to finish his cattle on native prairie grass.

After tasting EcoSun’s beef, the Robinsons said they knew they were on to something special. “EcoSun had so many things worth admiring — an entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for environmental stewardship and the willingness to step outside conventional comfort zones,” said John Robinson.

Shortly after their tour of EcoSun, the Robinsons formed NuAgra. By May they had established a relationship with another Leopold Conservation Award winner — Pat and Mary Lou Guptill, from a ranch in Quinn that would later become a part of the process involving EcoSun and NuAgra.

The Robinsons later attended the Grassfed Exchange Conference in Bismarck, N.D. The conference reinforced their ideas. “It helped us become part of a network that was interested in pursuing change,” said Kyle Robinson.

After developing relationships with members of the grass-fed beef industry, the Robinsons turned their focus to the consumers. With a background in marketing, Kyle Robinson determined the best entry point. “The beef industry very much focuses on the male,” she said. For that reason, Kyle Robinson said she wanted a totally different approach for NuAgra. “We needed to market to women because 80 percent of food decisions are based on the head-of-household purchases,” she explained.

Upon identifying their new approach, Kyle Robinson determined through market research that a market for grass-fed beef existed in metro and suburban areas. The East Coast became their main focus due to the fact that grass-fed beef is difficult to find in that area of the country, she said. Robinson also said the potential health benefits for consumers in a region with high rates of obesity was another factor she considered.

The company will send 5,000 pounds of premium grass-fed beef from South Dakota to a fulfillment center in North Carolina this week. It will then be shipped directly to the doorsteps of clients in cities throughout the East Coast, including Washington and Atlanta.

Although the East Coast is NuAgra’s initial primary focus, the company can ship anywhere in the United States.

Dakotas Rancher Relief Fund Accepting Applications

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:37:48 GMT

The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association has begun accepting applications from ranchers seeking relief aid to help offset losses incurred during an early October blizzard.

The storm that hit with surprising intensity on Oct. 4-5 dumped up to 2 feet of snow in southwestern North Dakota. There is no official count of the number of dead cattle, but the Stockmen’s Association believes the number is more than 1,000.

“It’s still pretty fresh in our minds,” said Julie Ellingson, executive vice president of the association. “Our hope is to be able to provide some help to those hardest hit.”

The Stockmen’s Association and the Stockmen’s Foundation each contributed $10,000 to start a relief fund for affected ranchers. With other donations, the fund totals nearly $50,000, and donations are still being accepted.

Ranchers can apply for aid for themselves or for others. Application and nomination forms can be found at http://www.ndstockmen.org . The deadline for submissions is Jan. 31. The Stockmen’s Association plans to disburse the money to producers early next year based on need.

The association also has contributed $10,000 to a relief fund for South Dakota ranchers, who lost between 15,000 and 30,000 livestock in the storm.

“Many ranch families were impacted by this incredibly destructive storm,” said Towner, N.D., rancher Jason Zahn, who serves as president of the Stockmen’s Association. “The Stockmen’s Foundation wanted to reach out and provide support to producers on both sides of the border.”

The South Dakota fund, which was set up by the state Stockgrowers Association, Cattlemen’s Association and Sheep Growers Association, has surpassed $2 million. The fund being administered by the Black Hills Area Community Foundation began accepting assistance applications in mid-November, with a deadline of Dec. 31. Forms are available at http://www.RanchersRelief.org .

Ranchers in both states hurt by the storm have not received disaster aid from the federal government because Congress has not yet passed a new farm bill.

“It’s going to bankrupt some operations,” said Bob Fortune, who ranches near the South Dakota town of Belvidere.

South Dakota Ranchers Embrace Needed Livestock Donations

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:37:40 GMT

Source: Associated Press

A 50-year-old South Dakota man who lost nearly one-third of his cattle to a surprise October storm fought back tears as he talked about livestock donations that he and other ranchers have received in recent weeks.

“This is a very humbling gift. It’s a blessing,” said Brian Flatmoe, of Meadow. “People have been so generous, it’s mind boggling.”

More than 450 bred cattle and 150 heifer calves have been donated to South Dakota ranchers who lost livestock in the rare blizzard, the Rapid Journal reports . The cows have come from at least 10 states and 300 donors.

The response to the Heifers for South Dakota project has been “absolutely incredible,” said Miles City, Mont., rancher Ty Linger, who spearheaded the giveaway.

“It has just been so incredible the volume of people who have volunteered to help and no one is asking for a single penny,” Linger said.

South Dakota livestock officials have reported losses of more than 20,000 cows and calves, nearly 1,400 sheep, 299 horses, 40 bison and one goat.

Justine and Megan Long, of Red Owl, lost half of their heard they had spent seven years building. They took home a group of donated heifers last week.

“It was like hanging from a cliff without a foothold,” Megan Long, 28, told Heifers for South Dakota organizers. “Heifers for South Dakota came along and you gave us a foothold now.”

Renetta Phillipi drove 90 miles from Hammond, Mont., to deliver a bred-heifer to Tom Brunner’s feed yards near Nisland, where the cattle have been sorted. Phillipi and her husband, Lester, lost 130 calves and 34 cows in a 2009 blizzard. Donating a heifer to a South Dakota rancher was a way to “pay it forward,” she said.

“We know what it’s like. We don’t want anyone to quit because of this,” Phillipi said.

The effort is being regulated by the South Dakota Brand Board. South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s office is collaborating with the board, the state Department of Agriculture and the Livestock Industry Board to cover the costs.

At least four pieces of paper accompanied each animal. The cattle were brand and health inspected before leaving and after arriving in South Dakota on Thursday and Friday. A final inspection was made before the cattle left Nisland.

Brand inspectors and veterinarians donated their time, Linger said. Several cattle recipients took cattle home, only to return the next day to help sort and load cattle going to others.

“It’s a wonderful, wonderful thing that is happening,” said Sherri Cass, program assistant with the North Central Resource, Conversation and Development District in Pierre which is donating its staff time to help with paperwork. “There are some awesome people out there.”

Bidders Qualifying for Beef Plant Auction

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:37:32 GMT

Potential buyers of an idled, bankrupt South Dakota beef plant have until Friday to apply to become qualified bidders for the upcoming auction.

A minimum bid of $12.75 million was set for Northern Beef Packers — a fraction of the roughly $115 million invested on the plant and equipment.

The sale includes the Aberdeen plant’s property, fixtures, improvements, machinery, equipment and supplies.

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court will determine which applicants can participate in the Dec. 5 auction at the federal courthouse in Sioux Falls. An investment banking firm working with Northern Beef, White Oak Global Advisors, is automatically deemed a qualified bidder.

Northern Beef opened on a limited basis in 2012 after years of delays but closed after it didn’t have enough money to buy cattle for slaughter.

Bovine Trichomoniasis Found in South Dakota Beef Cattle Herd

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:25:51 GMT

Two bulls in a South Dakota beef cattle herd have tested positive for bovine trichomoniasis, also known as trich, a disease that can be economically devastating to cattle producers.

The South Dakota Animal Industry Board (AIB) announced on May 30 that the bulls had been detected in Oglala Lakota County after testing positive for the disease. Officials from AIB are working with the owner of the cattle and the local veterinarian to develop a management plan to control the disease. Neighboring cattle ranchers will also be notified so that potential contact with infected animals does not occur.

Trich is a protozoal parasite that is transmitted from cows and bulls during breeding. Bred females that contract Trichomonas foetus can result in early term abortions.

There are no physical signs of the disease. However, a cattle producer might become aware that they have trich when a high number of females are open (not pregnant) or late calving.

To prevent having trich in a cattle herd, producers can buy virgin bulls for breeding and run them on a clean herd of females. If purchasing non-virgin bulls it is recommend that they be tested for trich prior to breeding. Bulls already in the herd can also be tested to determine if there is trich present in the herd.

Routine pregnancy checking and selling of open females is also recommended to reduce the spread. Maintaining good border fences on pasture is another way to reduce the risk of cattle commingling that might have trich.

The AIB has implemented the following rules for South Dakota in cooperation with cattle producers to reduce the spread of trich:

Non-virgin bulls must be tested negative for trich prior to being sold, loaned or leased in South Dakota for breeding purposes;
Any non-virgin bull entering South Dakota must be tested negative for trich;
Non-virgin, non-pregnant female cattle (open cows) may not be imported, loaned, leased nor acquired for breeding purposes in South Dakota.

Cattle producers in South Dakota who are concerned about trichomoniasis should contact their herd veterinarian or the AIB at 605-773-3321.

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