NCR-SARE 2025-26 Plan of Work for South Dakota (SD)

Commodities

Practices

In the recent past, SD SARE has concentrated its efforts in the areas of Soil Health, Local Foods, Integrated Crops-Livestock, and Beginning Farmer/Rancher, and we plan to continue these emphases. Additional focus will be on ‘Paths to Sustainability with Farm Labor’ which is our current regional initiative.

There will be five initiatives namely-

1. Paths to Sustainability with Farm Labor

2. Beginning Farmer/Ranchers and Historically Underserved Communities: Identifying needs and strengthening sustainability

3. Soil Health

4. Sustainable Livestock Production/Crops-Livestock Integration

5. Local Foods

1. Paths to Sustainability with Farm Labor

 As a part of NCR-SARE regional initiative for 2025-26, we will put particular efforts on enhancing sustainability through farm labor. Farm labor is a critical part of agriculture production systems and long-term sustainability is possible when both land and labor working on the land are well taken care of.

a.) Expected outcomes. Short term: We will gain a better understanding of the factors influencing sustainability of farm labor.  Current programs and resources will be identified, and agricultural professionals will be provided with training on how to better assist not only farm owners/operators but also employees. Intermediate term: Programs related to sustainable practices will start incorporating topics and activities that will address the issues of farm labor. Knowledge gaps and need of additional resources will be identified and addressed. Long-term: Producers and the ag advisors who will have increased access to programs and knowledge about farm and farm labor.

b.) Activities. We will send a team of educators from South Dakota to a regional NCR-SARE training on the initiative to be held in 2025 at a Midwest location.  State SARE funds will be used to provide travel support to the educators attending the training.  Following the training event, we will convene the participating educators from our state to further discuss and plan how we can provide professional development on this labor topic for our state.  We will also stay in communication with other states in the region working on this, including participating in further information exchange facilitated through the NCR-SARE PDP program.  Before the end of the two-year funding cycle, we will implement one or more state-based professional development programs related to the regional initiative topic for educators and farmers in our state. State SARE funds will be used to partially or fully cover the cost of delivering this professional development program in SD. We will form a working group of producers, board members, and ag professionals, who are interested in (or already has) in working with systems that employ large number of farm labor.

c.) Evaluation. The working group will plan to increase the access of educational materials and knowledge resources relating to sustainability of farm labor. At events, we will survey participants to assess their overall learning from the event, and plans to implement the things they learned. The survey will also seek out suggestions to improve the program(s). Travel sponsorship awardees will be asked about the new information they have learned and their plan to utilize this knowledge in SD. Recipients of mini-grants will also be asked to administer and report results of event surveys. Participants will be invited to participate in post-event surveys to determine changes in behavior.

2.  Beginning Farmer/Ranchers and Historically Underserved Communities: Identifying needs and strengthening sustainability

Empowering beginning farmer/ranchers and underserved communities is necessary to sustain and better our ag systems. The NCR-SARE had identified strengthening beginner farmer/ranchers as their major initiative for the 2021-22 work plan. The 2017 Census of Agriculture reported that 45% of vegetable growers, 36% of fruit growers, and 32% of sheep growers in South Dakota are beginning growers (less than 10 years). Other farming categories (oilseed/grain, hay, beef, and hogs) range around 20% for beginning producers.

a.) Expected outcomes. Short term: We will gain a clearer understanding of the particular needs of beginning producers and historically underserved communities in our state. Current programs and resources will be identified, and ag professionals/advisors will be provided training on how to better assist these groups and those who have had limited access to general ag services. Intermediate term: Sustainable agriculture program areas will take into account the special needs of new producers in their program development and delivery. Gaps of resources will be identified and addressed. Long-term: Beginning producers, historically underserved communities, and the ag professionals/advisors who serve them will have increased access to programs and knowledge pertaining to the needs of these producers.

b.) Activities. We will identify general and specific educational needs for beginning producers and underserved communities in South Dakota, as well as identify existing resources and programming, both in-state and regionally or nationally. This may include workshops, study tours, webinars, or other educational programming for both producers and the ag professionals serving them. We will offer travel scholarships, and where appropriate, mini-grant support to further educational programming that increases the sustainability and success of beginning farmers/ranchers and historically underserved population.

c.) Evaluation. At events, participants will be surveyed to assess what they have learned, what they plan to implement, and for any suggestions to improve the program(s). Recipients of travel sponsorships will be asked to report how they have shared knowledge gained. Recipients of mini-grants will be asked to administer and report results of event surveys.

3.  Soil Health

 a.) Expected outcomes. Short term: extension, public sector, and private consultants will be provided with opportunities for training on increasing soil carbon, reducing soil erosion, enhancing soil water infiltration, efficiency of nutrient and water cycling, and use of cover crops. Intermediate term: 50% of trained extension, public sector, and private consultants will provide training to producers on topics related to soil carbon, soil erosion, soil water infiltration, efficiency of nutrient and water cycling, and use of cover crops.

Long-term: 25% of producers attending training will adopt practices related to the above topics.

b.) Activities. Various opportunities will exist through SDSU Extension, SDSHC, SDGC, NRCS, and other local organizations to provide meetings, workshops, and schools on soil health, cover crops, no-till, water quality, and efficient nutrient cycling on both crop and grazing lands. We expect to support two to three soil health workshops which will occur in the winter of 2024-25 and the SDSHC Soil Health School each summer. Participants will learn basic principles of: soil structure, soil microbiology, effects of no-till, crop rotations and cover crops management. One hundred fifty participants are expected, including SDSU Extension, NRCS personnel, NGO’s, private industry and farmers. SARE will continue to provide travel scholarships to assist individual educators to attend regional meetings on sustainable agriculture. Educators will use the information gained at workshops to educate producers about sustainable agriculture.

c.) Evaluation. Participants will be surveyed to assess what they have learned, what they plan to implement, and for suggestions to improve the program(s). Recipients of travel sponsorships will be asked to report how they have shared knowledge gained.

Recipients of mini-grants will be asked to administer and report results of event surveys. Participants will be invited to participate in post-event surveys to gauge changes in behavior.

4.  Sustainable Livestock Production/Crops-Livestock Integration

 a) Expected outcomes. Short term: extension, public sector, and private consultants will be provided with opportunities for training on sustainable livestock production practices such as rotational grazing, livestock-crop integration, low stress livestock handling, novel technology adoption and implementation (i.e. drones, virtual fencing, animal behavior/movement monitors). Intermediate term: 50% of trained extension, public sector, and private consultants will provide training to producers on the topics listed above. Long- term: 25% of producers attending trainings will adopt practices related to sustainable livestock

b) Activities: Support workshop(s) for extension, public sector, and private consultants that focus on grazing and forage production best management practices and will include hands-on field exercises and We will also help support a Grazing School and a pasture walk, with 60 participants from the same audience. We plan to provide funding for mini-grants and travel scholarships supporting sustainable agriculture. Extension personnel will utilize gained knowledge by sharing it with producers.

c.) Evaluation. Participants will be surveyed to assess what they have learned, what they plan to implement, and for suggestions to improve the program(s). Recipients of travel sponsorships will be asked to report how they have shared knowledge gained.

Recipients of mini-grants will be asked to administer and report results of event surveys. Participants will be invited to participate in post-event surveys to gauge changes in behavior.

5.  Local Foods

a.) Expected outcomes. Short term: extension, public sector, and private consultants will be provided with opportunities for training on local vegetable and fruit hubs, production techniques, marketing, and pest management. Intermediate term: 50% of trained extension, public sector, and private consultants will provide training to producers on topics related to vegetable and fruit cooperatives, production techniques, marketing, and pest management. Long-term: 25% of producers attending training will adopt practices related to local food production.

b.) Activities. Field tours: Support field tours and workshops of organizations working in the area of local foods, such as the South Dakota Specialty Producers Association (SDSPA. We anticipate more than 100 participants consisting of SDSU Extension, NGO’s, private industry and farmers. The audience should better understand the principles of sustainable food production; general production, high tunnel management, marketing, food hubs and CSA’s. We will support the South Dakota Local Foods Conference held in November each year. SARE will support travel scholarships and mini-grants concerning high tunnels, general production practices, producer food safety, and producer cooperation and. Educators will use information gained at workshops to advise and educate producers.

c.) Evaluation. Participants will be surveyed to assess what they have learned, what they plan to implement, and for suggestions to improve the program(s). Recipients of travel sponsorships will be asked to report how they have shared knowledge gained.

Recipients of mini-grants will be asked to administer and report results of event surveys. Participants will be invited to participate in post-event surveys to gauge changes in behavior.