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Grazing tour features outstanding range managers

Amanda Nolz
Photo by Amanda NolzOver 40 producers gathered for the Kingsbury County Grazing Tour and even enjoyed a nice hay ride through Bruce Penner's pastures.

When pioneers first settled in the Western Plains, they saw endless rolling hills of grasslands, perfect for raising cattle. They saw an opportunity to make a living off the land, and they quickly became known as the original environmentalists. Today, the spirit of living and working off the land is still an important one for farmers and ranchers, and caring for the land is still top priority for the modern cattleman.

The Kingsbury County Grazing Tour, sponsored by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service, Kingsbury County Conservation District, Millborn Seeds and Prairie Ag Partners, was held on June 7, 2009 in DeSmet, SD. The event featured two cattle producers, Gary Noem and Bruce Penners, as well as speakers that addressed cover crops, rotational grazing, fighting weeds, calculating vegetation composition and more.

Although a spell of strong winds, hail and rain interfered with the afternoon agenda, leaving producers waiting out the storm in the basement of the local courthouse, the weather couldn’t stop the grazing tour. In a reprieve from the unpredictable storm front, over 40 producers loaded the busses to head out to the featured ranches.



When pioneers first settled in the Western Plains, they saw endless rolling hills of grasslands, perfect for raising cattle. They saw an opportunity to make a living off the land, and they quickly became known as the original environmentalists. Today, the spirit of living and working off the land is still an important one for farmers and ranchers, and caring for the land is still top priority for the modern cattleman.

The Kingsbury County Grazing Tour, sponsored by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service, Kingsbury County Conservation District, Millborn Seeds and Prairie Ag Partners, was held on June 7, 2009 in DeSmet, SD. The event featured two cattle producers, Gary Noem and Bruce Penners, as well as speakers that addressed cover crops, rotational grazing, fighting weeds, calculating vegetation composition and more.



Although a spell of strong winds, hail and rain interfered with the afternoon agenda, leaving producers waiting out the storm in the basement of the local courthouse, the weather couldn’t stop the grazing tour. In a reprieve from the unpredictable storm front, over 40 producers loaded the busses to head out to the featured ranches.

When pioneers first settled in the Western Plains, they saw endless rolling hills of grasslands, perfect for raising cattle. They saw an opportunity to make a living off the land, and they quickly became known as the original environmentalists. Today, the spirit of living and working off the land is still an important one for farmers and ranchers, and caring for the land is still top priority for the modern cattleman.

The Kingsbury County Grazing Tour, sponsored by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service, Kingsbury County Conservation District, Millborn Seeds and Prairie Ag Partners, was held on June 7, 2009 in DeSmet, SD. The event featured two cattle producers, Gary Noem and Bruce Penners, as well as speakers that addressed cover crops, rotational grazing, fighting weeds, calculating vegetation composition and more.

Although a spell of strong winds, hail and rain interfered with the afternoon agenda, leaving producers waiting out the storm in the basement of the local courthouse, the weather couldn’t stop the grazing tour. In a reprieve from the unpredictable storm front, over 40 producers loaded the busses to head out to the featured ranches.

When pioneers first settled in the Western Plains, they saw endless rolling hills of grasslands, perfect for raising cattle. They saw an opportunity to make a living off the land, and they quickly became known as the original environmentalists. Today, the spirit of living and working off the land is still an important one for farmers and ranchers, and caring for the land is still top priority for the modern cattleman.

The Kingsbury County Grazing Tour, sponsored by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service, Kingsbury County Conservation District, Millborn Seeds and Prairie Ag Partners, was held on June 7, 2009 in DeSmet, SD. The event featured two cattle producers, Gary Noem and Bruce Penners, as well as speakers that addressed cover crops, rotational grazing, fighting weeds, calculating vegetation composition and more.

Although a spell of strong winds, hail and rain interfered with the afternoon agenda, leaving producers waiting out the storm in the basement of the local courthouse, the weather couldn’t stop the grazing tour. In a reprieve from the unpredictable storm front, over 40 producers loaded the busses to head out to the featured ranches.

for more information on the usda nrcs environmental quality incentive program, check out http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/.