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Environmental Training Session For CAFOs

An environmental training session for operators of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs, is set for Feb. 25, 2015 in Huron.
 
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Crossroads Convention Center (100 Fourth St. S.W.). The cost is $50 and includes lunch, breaks, and training materials. The program begins at 8:50 a.m. and concludes at approximately 4:45 p.m.
 
To register for the training, call Candy Rogness at 605.688.5141.
 
Specialists from South Dakota State University, the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service are offering the training.
 
This training fulfills the environmental and manure-management training requirement to obtain a livestock permit for CAFOs from the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Certified Crop Advisor credits are also available for attending this program.
 
Producers and any other interested individuals who are not currently applying for a permit, can also benefit from the information and are encouraged to attend.
 
Current federal EPA, USDA and state water pollution control programs encourage livestock producers, even those who do not need permits, to voluntarily adopt livestock production and manure management practices that protect water quality.
 
During the morning session, Erin Cortus, Assistant Professor & SDSU Extension Environmental Quality Engineer will discuss water quality. Bob Thaler, SDSU Extension Swine Specialist will lead a session on livestock nutrition options for reducing nitrogen and phosphorus content of manure. Jason Roggow, a natural resources engineer with the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, will give an overview of the South Dakota DENR Livestock Permit program.

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WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

Video: WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

WARNING! Sheep Breeding Season Begins With A Bang! Breeding season is officially underway at Ewetopia Farms, but it didn’t exactly start the way we planned!

This vlog begins with us sorting through our rams to find the perfect match for a customer’s breeding program. What should have been routine quickly turned dangerous when one of our more nervous rams panicked. In seconds, Arnie’s knee was injured, and then I was slammed hard onto the concrete floor — both of us taken down by one ram!

Thankfully, it was just bruises, but it’s a reminder of how unpredictable and powerful mature rams can be. Once we recovered, it was time to get back to the real work — the start of breeding season.

We sorted the ewes into four breeding groups (two Suffolk and two Dorset), checking parentage as they ran through the chute, deworming those that needed it, and setting aside thinner ewes for session two of breeding season in a month’s time.This staggered approach keeps lambing organized and prevents overcrowding in the barns.

From rogue rams to the excitement of new breeding groups, this episode is full of action. Stay tuned for the next vlog, where we’ll share how we chose the rams for each group!