By Mike Beck and Nina Pekron
Nestled on the prairies of Western South Dakota (SD) is home to Finn Farm Inc., operated by Shad and Jenna Finn, who are fourth-generation ranchers raising their children and cattle along the banks of the Bad River. In recent years, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) employees, Nina Pekron and Lealand Schoon, had the opportunity to work with Shad and Jenna to rehabilitate a field that had been in annual cropland since the early 1970s. Historically, this field was entered into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in 1987 and planted with a mixture of alfalfa and western and intermediate wheatgrasses. The Finns maintained this cover for 20 years to decrease erosion and provide habitat for wildlife.
When their CRP contract expired, the Finns added a pipeline and livestock tank to the field and began grazing. Over time, due to the proximity of a road ditch, the vegetation changed from tame, native species to invasive smooth bromegrass. The Finns expressed interest in renovating the field, and while on a field visit with an NRCS employee, Shad pointed out that this field was not producing enough for their animals, and they had to fertilize just to keep the forage at useable levels. They knew their long-term goal was grazing but first had to find a solution to the low productivity, so they enrolled in a Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contract in 2023.