Dakota Lakes Research Farm

Owned by Farmers

To serve and educate sustainable land practices

OUR MISSION & PHILOSOPHY

The Dakota Lakes Research Farm’s primary goal is to identify, research, and demonstrate methods of strengthening and stabilizing the agriculture economy. The research enterprise at the farm is operated by South Dakota State University. The not-for-profit Dakota Lakes Research Farm Corporation manages the production enterprise and owns the land, the fixed facilities, and much of the field equipment. We work with Mother Nature to ensure our land is protected, fertile and produces yields to feed the world for many generations to come. This practice results in maintaining and encouraging living soils, clean water, healthy foods and ample wildlife.

By following diverse cropping rotations, keeping a living root in the ground as much as possible, integrating livestock, maintaining good soil armor, and keeping soil disturbance to a minimum, we are nurturing the soil microbiome and providing favorable conditions for the bacteria, fungi, nematodes, protozoa, insects, earthworms, and other living creatures that call the soil their home. Just a teaspoon of healthy soil can contain billions of microbes and our goal is to promote a natural, balanced environment that allows them to thrive.

Living Soils

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Clean Water

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Healthy Food

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Ample Wildlife

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Recent News & Articles

INTERNSHIPS DRIVE PASSION FOR RESEARCH

INTERNSHIPS DRIVE PASSION FOR RESEARCH

May 28, 2024 |

By Julia Gerlach Congratulations to former Dakota Lakes graduate student Clarence Winter on the successful completion of his master’s degree in plant science from South Dakota State University (SDSU). We wish you well as you embark on your next adventure as an...

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BUY AN ACRE: GROW THE LEGACY

BUY AN ACRE: GROW THE LEGACY

Mar 24, 2024 |

A little over 40 years ago, a group of farmers decided to start a farmer-owned agricultural research farm in central South Dakota. Despite many challenges, these farmers rallied behind their vision and raised the necessary funds.  In January of 1990 the Dakota Lakes...

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Farm Location

Our farm is located 17 miles east of Pierre on Highway 34.

21310 308th AvePierre, SD 57501

Ample Wildlife

Just like people, wildlife needs food, shelter, and water not just to survive but to thrive. The farming practices we follow at Dakota Lakes nurture a robust ecosystem that provide for the needs not only of the deer and pheasants that are popular with local hunters and nature enthusiasts but also a diverse range of species that ideally keeps pests at bay naturally without the need for intensive pesticide intervention.

Healthy Food

Much of the nutrient acquisition in plants is mediated by microbes, so soils that are home to a rich diversity of microbial life are better equipped to provide plants with their required nutrition effectively and efficiently. Recent studies have shown foods, including meat, grown under regenerative farming practices contain higher levels of certain vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals than those grown under conventional farming practices. While the science behind these studies is complex and sample sizes are small and highly variable, preliminary results suggest that regenerative practices can enhance the nutritional profile of many of the foods we eat.

Clean Water

Carbon is one of the best water filters known to man, and regenerative farming practices like no-till, cover crops, and livestock integration help to maintain or even increase soil carbon levels. Plants serve as natural “carbon pumps,” bringing carbon in from the atmosphere by way of photosynthesis and feeding it to soil microbes in the form of exudates. In addition, plants take up and hold onto nutrients that are mineralized in the soil, so keeping living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible goes a long way to preventing nutrient runoff into local waterways.

Living Soils

By following diverse cropping rotations, keeping a living root in the ground as much as possible, integrating livestock, maintaining good soil armor, and keeping soil disturbance to a minimum, we are nurturing the soil microbiome and providing favorable conditions for the bacteria, fungi, nematodes, protozoa, insects, earthworms, and other living creatures that call the soil their home. Just a teaspoon of healthy soil can contain billions of microbes and our goal is to promote a natural, balanced environment that allows them to thrive.