Rural
Total 163 Posts
Special report part 3: Take a tour of a $12 million robotic dairy in South Dakota
LAKE NORDEN, S.D. – The Drumgoon Dairy in Lake Norden is one of only a handful of dairies in the state to use a fully robotic milking system. Here are some basics on the operation run by Rodney Elliott, a native of Northern Ireland who has run one of South
Special report part 1: SD dairy industry growing fast to meet needs of cheesemakers
South Dakota dairy producers have undergone a rapid expansion in recent years to meet the milk needs of the state’s growing cheesemaking industry, bringing a burst of economic prosperity to farm families and farming communities throughout the eastern half of the state.
Milk production in South Dakota rose by
Proposed health plan for SD farmers would fall outside state and federal regulations
South Dakota lawmakers have passed a bill that would allow agricultural industry groups to develop their own health-benefit plans that would be outside the purview and regulation of the state Division of Insurance and which would sidestep some federal consumer protections.
The measure is being pushed by the South Dakota
Outdoor recreation in SD sees big boost during pandemic
South Dakota’s billion-dollar outdoor recreation economy boomed in 2020, providing a much-needed economic boost in several business sectors while giving hope to wildlife management agencies that they can reverse a long-term decline in the number of licensed hunters and anglers.
As movie theaters closed, concerts were canceled, stores shut
SD sheep farmers hurting as pandemic reduces demand and processing capacity
In March 2020, the sheep-farming industry in South Dakota — the sixth-largest in the country — was humming along nicely.
After a few sluggish decades, prices for meat and wool were at or near all-time highs and markets were stable. Fine-dining restaurants and the cruise-line industry continued to fuel strong demand for
Concerns arise over merger of SD agricultural and environmental agencies
PIERRE, S.D. – Some South Dakota farmers, ranchers and environmental advocates are concerned about Gov. Kristi Noem’s plan to combine the state Department of Agriculture and Department of Environment and Natural Resources into a single agency and are wondering what the new agency could mean for the state’s
Pandemic increases demand for locally grown foods but small SD producers can’t keep up
The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting fears over the stability of the American large-scale food production industry have pushed more consumers toward locally grown and raised meats and vegetables, and so far, South Dakota producers of homegrown foods have been unable to keep up.
Demand for locally grown food soared as