MERIT OR MYTH: Engaging South Dakota’s Farming Community
In The Pursuit Of Healthy, Functioning Soils
In 2007, Doug Sieck of Walworth County, SD began his soil health journey. A little over a decade later, his soils, his operation, and his mindset have all transformed. In this 7-part series, Doug shares with us his eye-opening journey into soil health, how to make the transition easier, and why we all should consider the change ourselves.
Integrated Systems With Doug Sieck — Intro 1/7
Integrated Systems With Doug Sieck — Holistic Mindset 2/7
The big-picture idea of healthy, functioning soils is so appealing: more moisture available to the plant, more nutrients recycling, fewer weeds, lower inputs… what’s not to like, right? To the busy farmer, are the ideas of healthy functioning soils just that… ideas? Put another way we should ask: “what has merit and what is myth”? At Merit or Myth our mission is, through the social media, to engage with South Dakota-based farmers, researchers and conservationists to gain a better understanding of healthy, functioning soils. We want to engage in the context of the management issues that farmers most care about including residue, soil temperature, soil moisture and weed management.
NACD’S 2022 STEWARDSHIP WEEK MATERIALS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE Soil is maybe not something everyone thinks about every day. However, soil is an important resource in our lives. It’s the foundation for healthy food production, clean air and water, abundant crops and forests, diverse wildlife, and beautiful landscapes. For these reasons, it is extremely important to […]
RECENT STUDY SHOWS AGRICULTURE CONTINUES TO DRIVE SOUTH DAKOTA’S ECONOMY PIERRE, S.D. – The Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) in cooperation with AgUnited for South Dakota, South Dakota Dairy Producers, South Dakota Corn Utilization Council, Central Plains Dairy Foundation, and East River Electric Power Cooperative have released an economic contribution study of South […]
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THINKING COVER CROPS? WINTER RYE BETWEEN CORN AND SOYBEAN With much interest in soil health and crop diversity, interest in cover crops has increased greatly in recent times. By David Karki, SDSU Extension Agronomy Field Specialist Although the 2021 growing season in South Dakota has been impacted by widespread drought and record-high temperatures, especially in […]
SAVING TOMORROW’S AGRICULTURE RESOURCES Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources (STAR) is a FREE nationwide tool to assist farm operators and land owners in evaluating their nutrient and soil loss management practices on individual fields. STAR encourages farmers and landowners to use management practices and make decisions that will reduce the nutrient and soil losses on their […]
