Rural Economy Implications of Farms Converting to Sustainable Agriculture Practices: Some Estimates for South Dakota

The purpose of the research reported in this monograph is to examine the hypothesis implied in that argument, i.e., that adoption of sustainable farming systems would adversely affect rural economies. Effects examined can be conceptualized in terms of the backward and forward linkages shown in Figure 1. The direct (or primary) effect of a conversion from conventional to sustainable farming systems in a local area is the effect on net incomes of agricultural households. Agricultural households are defined here as farm proprietors and their families and hired laborers. Secondary effects result from backward and forward linkages to the farm sector

Long-Term Productivity and Profitability of Conventional and Alternative Farming Systems in East-Central South Dakota: A Case Study

A small body of evidence has begun to emerge over the last 3 to 4 years on the comparative productivity and profitability of conventional farming systems and alternative systems which (1) avoid or use very small amounts of synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and (2) place greater emphasis on crop rotations, especially rotations which involve forage and green manure legumes. Most of the evidence thus far has been based on only a few years of data, however. In contrast, South Dakota State university (SDSU) has recently completed three relatively long-term studies comparing conventional and alternative systems. Two of the studies were conducted at SDSU\u27s Northeast Research station, north of Watertown, S.D. in Codington County. Conventional, reduced tillage, and alternative farming systems were compared there, over the period 1985-92 in one study and over 1985-93 in the other study. Results of those studies appear in Dobbs (1994a), Dobbs, et ale (1994), Smolik and others (1994), Smolik, et ale (1993; and forthcoming), and Smolik and Dobbs (1991)

Sustainable Agriculture in South Dakota

This is a report of the views and experiences of 32 South Dakotans who follow sustainable/regenerative agriculture practices on their farms. It is based on a mail survey undertaken during the summer of 1988. The research reported here complements that undertaken by South Dakota State University (SDSU) since 1984 on large experimental field plots at the University\u27s Northeast Research Station near Watertown

Economic Results of Alternative Farming Systems Trials at South Dakota State University\u27s Northeast Research Station: 1985-1988

This report contains baseline economic results for the first four years of a set of experiment station trials comparing particular low-input (alternative) farming systems with conventional and reduced tillage systems in which chemical inputs are used

Crop and Livestock Enterprises, Risk Evaluation, and Management Strategies on South Dakota Sustainable Farms

This report presents findings from personal interviews undertaken in January-March 1989 with 22 of the 32 sustainable/regenerative farmers in South Dakota who responded to a Summer 1988 mail survey concerning their sustainable farming practices. [For the mail survey results, see Taylor, Dobbs, and Smolik, 1989.] The major purpose of the personal interview part of the study reported herein was to gain greater insight into (1) the sustainable crop rotations and livestock enterprises on these farmers\u27 farms and (2) the judgments of these farmers about the riskiness and managerial strategies for meeting selected challenges of sustainable agriculture

Profitability and Nitrate Leaching Effects of Possible Farming Practice and System Changes Over South Dakota\u27s Big Sioux Aquifer: Case Farm No. 2 Summary

The overall goal of the SARE/Water Quality project was to determine whether economic incentives offered by recent environmental provisions of Federal farm program are sufficient to induce Western Corn Belt/Northern Plains farmers in environmentally sensitive areas to adopt sustainable fa practices and systems. To attain this goal, four case farms were chosen involved in this study based on their size, soil types, cropping systems, topography, and management in the Big Sioux Aquifer study area. Case Farm No. 2 is located in Moody County and followed a corn-soybean oats rotation on the acres focused on in the analysis prior to enrollment the Integrated Crop Management (ICM) program. It is a dry-land operation used conventional tillage prior to enrollment in the ICM program. The total operation consists of 1,858 acres, with 710 acres under the ICM program focused on 299 of those ICM acres in our analyses. Lamo and Clamo soils up the majority of the ICM crop acres. These are medium to fine-textured soils overlying a shallow drinking water aquifer

Profitability and Nitrate Leaching Effects of Possible Farming Practice and System Changes Over South Dakota\u27s Big Sioux Aquifer: Case Farm No. 4 Summary

The overall goal of the SARE/Water Quality project was to determine whether economic incentives offered by recent environmental provisions of the Federal farm program are sufficient to induce Western Corn Belt/Northern Great Plains farmers in environmentally sensitive areas to adopt sustainable farming practices and systems. To attain this goal, four case farms were chosen to be involved in this study based on their size, soil types, cropping systems, topography, and management in the Big Sioux Aquifer study area. Case Farm No. 4 is located in Brookings County and followed a continuous corn rotation prior to enrollment in the Water Quality Incentive Program (WQIP). It is an irrigated operation that uses a center-pivot system. Conventional tillage practices are used. The total operation consists of 838 acres, with 213 acres enrolled in the WQIP program. One hundred and fifty of those acres received irrigation management assistance. In one 73-acre field irrigated by a center-pivot system, 66 acres were assumed to be under the center-pivot system and the other 7 acres were assumed to be in the corners of the field where the center-pivot system could not reach. These 7 acres were designated as the set-aside acres for the baseline before scenario. This 73-acre field was focused on in our analyses. The majority of the soils in this field are a combination of coarse-textured (Fordville), and fine-textured (Marysland) soils. Both of these soils overlay a shallow drinking water aquife

Profitability and Nitrate Leaching Effects of Possible Farming Practice and System Changes Over South Dakota\u27s Big Sioux Aquifer: Case Farm No. 3 Summary

The overall goal of the SARE/Water Quality project was to determine whether economic incentives offered by recent environmental provisions of the Federal farm program are sufficient to induce Western Corn Belt/Northern Great Plains farmers in environmentally sensitive areas to adopt sustainable farming practices and systems. To attain this goal, four case farms were chosen to be involved in this study based on their size, soil types, cropping systems, topography, and management in the Big Sioux Aquifer study area. Case Farm No.3 is located in Minnehaha County and has corn, soybeans, oats, alfalfa, and clover. It is a dry-land operation that uses conventional tillage. The total operation consists of 168 acres, with 108 of the acres under the Water Quality Incentive program (WQIP) being focused on in the study. The acres are divided into two separate fields that are managed differently. A corn/soybean rotation is followed on the lower field and inorganic fertilizers were used. The upper field contains two different rotations. One rotation is a corn/oats,clover rotation and the other is a corn/oats,alf/alf/alf/alf/alf rotation. The majority of the soils on the lower field under WQIP are a combination of medium (Brandt), and coarse textured (La Prairie) soils. Both of these soils overlay a shallow drinking water aquifer. The upper field was mostly Moody soils (medium-textured). These soils don\u27t overlay an aquifer, but contribute to the runoff onto the lower field