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What caused the drought of 2012?

No one can say for certain what caused the drought of 2012, but grass management guru Allan Savory has an opinion.    The following is an excerpt from an article he wrote in July.

 

“That so many farmers and ranchers over vast areas of the United States are suffering in 

the current widespread drought should be of no surprise. U.S. agricultural policies and 

practices ensure such tragedies not only in the U.S. itself but also in many other nations. 

I can guarantee such tragedies will increase unless policy and practices change. I am not 

indulging in hindsight or guesswork as many know because I have been warning, 

teaching and preaching about this ever since putting foot on U.S. soil in the late 1970s.”

-Allan Savory, July 2012

 

To learn more about Allan Savory, visit his website at savoryinstitute.com.

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Pheasant habitat in South Dakota

Pheasant hunting is not only a good time, but also a big part of South Dakota’s economy. As farming practices change, the pheasant population and the state economy can be affected as well. Lyle was recently interviewed about this issue by the Mitchell Daily Republic. Read the article here.

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Harvest time

It's not all moving cows and fixing fence around here. We have a little bit of farm ground as well. We have some good neighbors that we hire to do the planting, spraying, and combining. I get to help sometimes, today being one of them. Sometimes I get to drive the combine (scary isnt it), but today I'm a truck driver. This picture was taken at the dump site in town as I'm waiting to unload. Harvest can be hurry-up-and-wait; I left home at 7 am with my first load and didn't get back until 10:30 am. There was only an hour of driving time, the rest was waiting in line.

20121003-173729.jpg The crops are down a little this year due to the drought, but yields have been better than most expected. With the high commodity prices, it should still be a good year for most farmers in our area.