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Contact us at manager@dakotalakes.com.

AGRICULTURAL MEDIA SPECIALIST JOB OPENING

Dec 9, 2022 |

Description: Dakota Lakes Research Farm (Pierre, SD) is seeking an Agricultural Media Specialist at a 10% effort level (approximately 4 hours per week) on a one-year contract with opportunity to renew for up to three years. The media specialist will lead the...

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BEEF FOR SALE!

BEEF FOR SALE!

Dec 9, 2022 |

Dakota Lakes is selling quarters, halves, and full beef animals (approximately 18-21 months old) from our “field-finishing” program. Our field-finished animals graze in our pastures and fields throughout their lives. We provide hay when quality forage is lacking. We...

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INTEGRATING LIVESTOCK BACK ON THE LAND

Jan 25, 2022 |

Episode 1 https://soilhealthlabs.com/podcast/integrating-livestock-annuals/ Episode 2 https://soilhealthlabs.com/podcast/integrating-livestock-perennials/ Dr. Cody Zilverberg is not your ordinary rangeland scientist who grew up on the ranch knowing this was exactly...

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EXPLORING THE FUTURE OF AG

Dec 22, 2021 |

https://soilhealthlabs.com/podcast/ep-27future-of-ag-beck/ To most farmers in South Dakota, Dr. Dwayne Beck needs very little introduction, Dwayne is the manager of the Dakota lakes Research Station near Pierre, SD and has been an influential force in promoting...

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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.