“Managing Grasslands for Profitability and the Next Generation” was the theme of the South Dakota Grassland Coalition’s annual conference held Dec. 5 in Rapid City, S.D.

The event featured tactical advice from several experts. Here are four powerful insights shared by the speakers:

Focus on soil health and diversity

Bart Carmichael, a rancher from Faith, S.D., shared his evolving journey in grassland management. “I thought I was a cattleman, but I learned I need to be a grass manager, and now I’ve learned I need to focus on soil health,” Carmichael said.

He encouraged producers to get hands on in their pastures. “Get down on your hands and knees,” he said. “Start looking at the smallest detail. Strive for diversity.”

Carmichael also recommended participating in South Dakota Grassland Coalition events to expand knowledge about grasslands and grazing management.

“The more you learn, the more you change. And the more you change, the more you learn,” he concluded.

Embrace change and risk

Luke and Natalie Kovarik, first-generation ranchers from Ord, Neb., highlighted the importance of taking risks. “None of our success would have come without risk,” Luke said.

CATTLE CYCLE: Luke and Natalie Kovarik from Ord, Neb., share at the conference their experiences and strategies to increase profitability opportunities in your herd. (Kindra Gordon)

The couple has grown their operation through leasing land, leasing cattle, custom feeding and engaging as social media influencers.

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From these experiences, Luke noted, “We’ve realized that change is messy, but it teaches us to tweak things, and most often we come out with a better solution because of it.”

For example, after challenges with wet spring calving, they moved their calving season to mid-May. During a drought year, he contracted corn stalks for fall grazing, a practice he continues.

Natalie added, “If you are too comfortable, you don’t evolve.”

Practice low-stress cattle handling

Veterinarian Tom Noffsinger from Benkelman, Neb., shared strategies for reducing cattle stress. “Taking care of grassland is important, but we also have to take care of cattle when we move them to new pastures or ship them to feedlots,” he noted.

When introducing cattle to a chute, he advised a practice run without vaccinations to acclimate them. After shipping, he recommended delaying vaccinations for a few days to minimize stress.

And when moving cattle to new pastures or pens, Noffsinger advised showing animals the water source. “Dehydration is the biggest limiter to the immune system,” he explained.

For cow-calf operations, Noffsinger emphasized moving cattle slowly so cows stay with their calves. “If a cow leaves her baby, something’s wrong,” he said. He also noted that cattle respond better to movement and pace than verbal commands.

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“The point of focus is the eye of the animal,” Noffsinger said. “If she can’t see you, how can she respond?” Thus, he advised working cattle from the front and moving in and out or along their side to get them to move where you want.

LESS STRESS: Tom Noffsinger is a veterinarian from Benkelman, Neb., who shared top tips on minimizing stress on cattle herds during the conference. (Kindra Gordon)

Finally, Noffsinger advised against letting a large herd stampede through a gate. Instead, let 20-30 head pass, then pause before letting more through.

Treat your ranch like a business

Clay Conry, a western South Dakota rancher, pastor and host of the “Working Cows” podcast, emphasized the importance of business-minded leadership. “Our ranches are businesses. We are business owners,” he said.

Although the ranching lifestyle is rewarding, Conry noted that profitability is essential. “Ranching does not have to tolerate poor returns,” he said. “We can seek good returns for our businesses.”

To that end, Conry encouraged attendees. “Consider what success looks like [for your operation],” he said. “Take time to analyze your business, know the target customer you are serving, and make a plan for production and marketing before you are in a crisis.”

Learn more about the South Dakota Grassland Coalition and its upcoming events at sdgrass.org. Grazing Schools in 2025 will be held June 16-18 in Wall, July 22-24 in Summit and Sept. 9-11 in Chamberlain.

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