iGrow - A Service of SDSU Extension

On Thursday, May 10, USDA released its May World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE), which contained updated estimates for the 2011/12 marketing year and USDA’s first forecasts for the 2012/13 marketing year.

Summer months in the northern plains mean an opportunity for cattle producers to graze weaned calves on pasture.  While “grass calves” are considered to be under less risk of infectious diseases compared to calves weaned and concentrated into drylots in the fall, these calves still are at risk for certain disease issues while out on pasture.

Although it sounds cliché, lightning can strike during any season of the year.  It can be a significant hazard, both out in the open and near your home or office.  The highest danger is when you are exposed with very little protection, as when you are out in the field.

As the unusually warm winter of 2011-12 transitioned to a warm spring, a common topic of conversation has been that the winter wheat is getting too big too fast. The threat of a late spring frost, when wheat is in an advanced growth stage and impacts to yields are greater is still possible.

Precipitation over the last week has helped the potential planting situation adding moisture to some very dry surface soils and deeper soils in the places with heavier rainfall.  The rainfall has also slowed planting progress because of wet conditions, but also because of cooler soil temperatures.

The warm spring season this year has us all looking forward to planting our fields and home gardens.  Winter wheat has greened up, and flowers are making their appearance three weeks early or more.  Even though we are looking forward to getting our seeds in the ground, it’s still not too late for a spring frost to affect our plants.

The BIG question today – what will last night’s freeze do to my trees?  Short answer, not as much as you think.

The purpose of the iGrow Sheep website is to provide easy access to SDSU Extension for educational sheep information, research based recommendations, event scheduling and up-to-date industry news. iGrow Sheep has 5 specific categories: Range Flock, Farm Flock, Youth, Sheep 101 (Basic) and Industry News & Events.

According to the United Nations Food & Agricultural Organization the world’s population will reach 9.1 billion by 2050 (34 percent higher than today). Enhanced global food production without taxing the environment will become increasingly vital. Expansion of agricultural land is limited and thus it is critical to optimize yields through innovation and best management practices.

Estimating how much money will be needed for retirement years is challenging as there are several variables difficult to predict.  While there are a number of retirement calculators available on the internet, most ask you to guess the following variables: your annual spending budget, estimated inflation rate, expected lifespan, annual income from sources other than savings, estimated return on investments, and expected retirement date.

Is beef production today more efficient now than it was in the past?  Have the environmental impacts of producing beef improved over the years?  These questions were answered by Dr. J.L. Capper, Assistant Professor of Animal Science at Washington State University, who compared the environmental impact of modern beef production (2007) and beef production in 1977.  

If you have a child that will be graduating from high school this year or one continuing with their college education, it’s time to start thinking about financial aid for the 2012-2013 school-year. It may seem like it’s early, but colleges/universities have priority dates for forms to be completed. For example, public universities in South Dakota is March 10. This is NOT a deadline; it is a priority date for sending your information in. This may make the student eligible for certain types of aid (some grants and loans) that the school has limited funds for.

Producers make critical crop insurance decisions annually for each crop. Wheat is a major crop in South Dakota with the majority of acres insured annually.

“If you don’t know where you are going, you are certain to end up somewhere else.” this quote from Yogi Berra is a great reason for family ranch and farm businesses to develop their own vision and strategy.  Why is strategic planning important?  If a business or family has little idea where it is headed, it tends to wander with priorities changing constantly and employees and family members confused about their direction, purpose, and jobs.