A Focus on Soil Health Helps Farmer/Grazier Through Weather Extremes

Forecasters are predicting that extreme weather events are going to become more and more common in the future. This article from Lynn Betts and the South Dakota Soil Health Coalition provides an example of what we can do to "weather" this new reality. You can meet Craig in this 3:24 video where he talks about how his management has increased the productivity of his crops and pastures. Or read on for more about Craig and his operation. https://youtu.be/wd0Qj6liSgA Like most South Dakota farmers and ranchers, Craig Rau has witnessed both dry-as-a-bone and overflowing rain gauges the past few years. The extreme weather swings have understandably caused stress in the state’s farm population, but Rau hasn’t felt the same level of stress many other farmers have experienced. He credits healthy soils. “Whatever the weather, dry or above normal precipitation, you just don't have those big swings one direction or the other on our fields or pastures,” Rau said. “You have more resiliency in that ground; it can handle these wide swings in moisture.” “The soil just bounces back. When you have healthy soils, you build a resiliency into your farm and don’t have to worry as much about a profitable operation,” the north-central South Dakota farmer and cow-calf producer said. Rau’s soil health practices have increased the plant diversity in his pastures and improved his stocking rates. �