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.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY? Conservation Clips is a collection of articles distributed by the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) that provides members and partners with the latest news in what’s driving conservation. These articles are not indicative of NACD policy and are the opinions of their authors, unless otherwise […]
PROFILES IN SOIL HEALTH Daniel, Andrew, and Ken Snyder Piedmont, SD “All the different bugs of the soil that are taking it apart, that are disassembling a complex item that the cow put on the ground, and they’re taking that back into the soil for the benefit of everything else that’s growing to make the […]
OUR AMAZING GRASSLANDS Bob and John Rittberger, Hermosa, SD “Take care of the land or it won’t take care of you” — Bob Rittberger 2019 Grassland Stewardship Communications Project Partners: The Nature Conservancy, Pheasants Forever, South Dakota State University, Audubon Dakota, Ducks Unlimited, Partners for Fish and Wildlife, SD Game, Fish and Parks, SD Soil […]
SOIL HEALTH SCHOOL September 4-6, 2019 Kurt and Kathy Stiefvater farm near Salem, SD Designed for agriculture producers and others interested in managing their soils for resiliency and profit, the Soil Health School brings together soil health experts, experienced producers and those new to soil health, to discuss tried and true management practices. “Attending the […]
PROFILES IN SOIL HEALTH Crop Diversity and Livestock Integration with Jesse Hall, Arlington, SD “Some of the land that we farm is quite hilly, and it’s been farmed now since the late 1800’s. A lot of those hills over the years, there’s no topsoil left. That type of impact is something we have to deal […]
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH CONSERVATION AROUND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY? Here’s the latest edition of Conservation Clips Conservation Clips is a weekly collection of articles distributed by National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) that provides our members and partners with the latest news in what’s driving conservation. These articles are not indicative of NACD […]
OUR AMAZING GRASSLANDS Gene and Kathy Ausland, Andover, SD “I had a guy ask me where I lived. I told him. He asked me why I didn’t move closer to my job. I told him I live in heaven. Then he came out here and he agreed with me…”— Gene Ausland 2019 Grassland Stewardship Communications […]
PROFILES IN SOIL HEALTH “Preventing Wind Erosion and Capturing Moisture” Chris Grubl, Sturgis, SD “We only have about 8 inches of topsoil in this area, 6-8, and that’s probably being generous. If every year you lose a little of that, pretty quick you’re left with hardly anything. Now after we’ve been doing this for quite […]
NACD EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) has an Educational Resources page on their website, and it’s now live and available to view! Education is a critical element of the conservation effort at the local, state and national levels. Educating young people about the benefits of conservation helps to ensure the next […]
