Soil Health Labs

This is a short-form episode pulled from a larger discussion with South Dakota NRCS specialists on the realities of managing through dry conditions across the Great Plains.

Across South Dakota, producers are watching an uneasy growing season unfold. Crops are emerging slowly. Cool-season grasses are heading early. And while long-range forecasts remain uncertain, concerns about drought persistence and heat are already shaping decisions on farms and ranches across the region.

In this episode, the conversation focuses on what resilient operations are doing differently right now—from contingency planning and forage management to adaptive grazing, plant diversity, cover crops, and protecting long-term soil function during drought.

One of the major themes throughout this discussion is that resilient operations are rarely built in the middle of crisis. They’re built beforehand—through flexibility, planning, diversity, and management systems designed to adapt when conditions turn difficult.

This discussion features:

Tanse Herrmann — State Grazing Lands Soil Health Specialist, NRCS

Marcia Deneke — State Agronomist, NRCS

Emily Rohrer — State Rangeland Management Specialist, NRCS

👉 For the full long-form drought discussion, stream the complete episode here.

📌 Topics Discussed in This Episode

• Drought contingency planning for farms and ranches

• Adaptive grazing management during forage shortages

• Why diverse pastures recover faster during drought

• Native grasses vs. introduced monocultures

• Early indicators of moisture stress in crops and pastures

• No-till and cover crop advantages during dry conditions

• Practical barriers to changing crop rotations

• Using flexibility and adaptive management to build resilience

Additional Resources Mentioned:

👉 Our first podcast episode in this series on drought: https://growingresiliencesd.com/podcasts/episode/1be26141/the-drought-playbook-for-resilient-farms-and-ranches

👉 South Dakota Grazing Exchange: https://sdgrazingexchange.com

👉 SD Grassland Coalition Drought Planning Tools: https://droughtplansdgrass.org

If you found this episode valuable, consider leaving the podcast a five-star review or sharing it with another producer navigating dry conditions this season.

Drought doesn’t begin when the grass turns brown.

It begins much earlier—when producers continue operating as though rain is guaranteed.

In this short-form episode, three experienced South Dakota Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) representatives—Tanse Herrmann, Marcia Deneke, and Emily Rohrer—share practical strategies for navigating dry conditions before they become a crisis.

This conversation is focused on one central idea:

Hope is not a drought plan.

The discussion moves beyond panic and reaction into practical decision-making for both livestock and crop producers. From delaying pasture turnout and adjusting stocking rates to rethinking fertility timing, yield goals, crop plans, and forage options, this episode is about staying flexible while protecting both the resource and the bottom line.

The speakers also explore how drought can create opportunities for collaboration between crop and livestock systems—including grazing standing crops, alternative forage options, and tools like the South Dakota Grazing Exchange.

Throughout the episode, one message remains consistent:

Act early. Stay flexible. Protect the resource.

 

What You’ll Learn

Why drought planning must begin before conditions become severe

The importance of delaying turnout when grass is “green but not growing”

Why realistic yield goals matter during dry years

How split fertilizer applications can reduce risk

Practical contingency planning for failed or stressed crops

How grazing standing crops can create value while protecting soil

Why residue management matters during drought

The role of flexibility and alternative enterprises during uncertain years

 

 Key Insight

Drought doesn’t just test a season.

It tests the system.

The operations most likely to weather difficult years are often the ones that planned early, stayed flexible, and protected their soil and forage base before conditions worsened.

 

Go Deeper

This conversation also inspired an article. To read, go here:

👉 “When the Rain Doesn’t Come: A Practical Drought Playbook for Farmers and Ranchers”

https://www.growingresiliencesd.com/post/when-the-rain-doesn-t-come-a-practical-drought-playbook-for-farmers-and-ranchers

 

Additional Resources Mentioned

👉 South Dakota Grazing Exchange: https://sdgrazingexchange.com

👉 SD Grassland Coalition Drought Planning Tools: https://droughtplansdgrass.org

 

About the Speakers

Tanse Herrmann is the South Dakota NRCS State Grazing Lands Soil Health Specialist, focused on grazing management, drought resilience, and long-term grassland function.

Marcia Deneke serves as South Dakota NRCS State Agronomist, helping producers navigate agronomic decisions related to soil health, crop management, and risk reduction.

Emily Rohrer is the South Dakota NRCS State Rangeland Management Specialist, working directly with producers on grazing systems, forage planning, and rangeland resilience.

Together, they bring decades of practical, field-based experience helping producers adapt to changing conditions while protecting the long-term health of their operations.

Salinity doesn’t show up overnight—and it doesn’t go away with a quick fix.

In this two-part series, Shane Jordan helps us connect the dots between what’s happening this year and what it will take to respond effectively.

Episode 1 explores why conditions are aligning for salinity to expand—wet years, rising water tables, and bare soil setting the stage.

Episode 2 moves into practical strategies—how to rebuild function in the soil and begin turning the tide.

Together, they tell a single story:
Salinity is not a spot problem. It’s a system problem.

 

The Big Takeaway

What looks like a white patch in a field is often just the symptom.

The cause lies in how water moves across the entire landscape—and how management either accelerates or slows that movement.

 

Go Deeper

If you’d like to explore Shane’s thinking in more detail, these two articles expand on the ideas in this series:

👉https://www.growingresiliencesd.com/soilsalinity

👉https://www.growingresiliencesd.com/post/soil-salinity-south-dakota-2026

👉https://www.growingresiliencesd.com/post/you-can-t-fix-salinity-with-a-box

These pieces dig further into the “why” and the “how,” including the limits of treating symptoms and the importance of whole-field thinking.

⭐ In this episode, Shane also discusses the Regenerative Pilot Program where the NRCS is investing $700 million to support regenerative agriculture. For more info, go here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/regenerative-pilot-program

 

About Shane Jordan

Shane Jordan is a Resource Conservationist with the NRCS Brookings Area Ecological Team, specializing in salinity management, soil health, and whole-farm conservation planning.

He grew up on a diversified farm in Iowa and holds a B.S. in Range Management from South Dakota State University. Over a career spanning more than three decades, Shane has worked across the Northern Plains in roles including range conservationist, district conservationist, and watershed project specialist. He served 23 years as District Conservationist in Redfield, South Dakota, working directly with producers to implement conservation systems on working lands. 

In 2025, Shane was awarded the Hugh Hammond Bennett National Planner Award, one of NRCS’s highest honors. The award recognizes outstanding leadership in conservation planning, long-term commitment to working with landowners, and excellence in applying resource management to real-world agricultural systems. 

Known for his practical, relationship-based approach, Shane emphasizes whole-system thinking—helping producers move beyond treating symptoms to addressing the underlying causes of resource challenges.

Salinity hasn’t gone away—and in some parts of South Dakota, it may be setting up for a comeback.

In this short, focused episode, Buz Kloot sits down with conservationist Shane Jordan to unpack why conditions are aligning for salinity to re-emerge as a serious issue this year. What looks like a dry start may actually be the trigger for something deeper—literally.

This episode sets the stage for understanding the problem before diving into solutions in Part 2.

 

What You’ll Learn

Why last year’s wet conditions are still affecting fields today

How a rising water table + dry conditions can amplify salinity

The role of capillary rise in bringing salts to the soil surface

Why bare soil and lack of living roots make the problem worse

How management decisions (tillage, crop loss, inputs) contribute to risk

Why salinity is ultimately a water cycle problem, not just a soil issue

“When we get a really wet year followed by a dry one… we actually see a lot of these salts get enhanced.” 

 

Key Insight

Salinity is not just a patch problem—it’s a systems problem.

What shows up as a white patch in a field is often just the symptom. The cause lies in how water moves (or doesn’t move) across the entire landscape.

 

Why This Year Is Different

Extremely wet conditions in parts of the region last year (30+ inches in some areas)

Saturated soils leading to elevated water tables

Limited plant growth or destroyed crops in affected areas

Fields left bare and vulnerable to evaporation

Early signs of a potentially dry season

Together, these create the perfect conditions for salts to move upward and accumulate at the surface.

 

What to Watch For This Spring

Areas with standing water last year

Field edges near wetlands, ditches, and drainages

Spots where crops were stressed, drowned out, or chemically terminated

Expanding patches of white or crusted soil

 

Learn More

We’ve compiled practical resources, videos, and producer insights here:

👉https://www.growingresiliencesd.com/soilsalinity

 

Coming Next (Part 2)

In the next episode, we move from problem to practice:

What you can do right now to slow salinity

Short-, medium-, and long-term strategies

Why early intervention makes all the difference

 

About Shane Jordan

Shane Jordan is a Resource Conservationist with the NRCS Brookings Area Ecological Team, specializing in salinity management, soil health, and whole-farm conservation planning.

He grew up on a diversified farm in Iowa and holds a B.S. in Range Management from South Dakota State University. Over a career spanning more than three decades, Shane has worked across the Northern Plains in roles including range conservationist, district conservationist, and watershed project specialist. He served 23 years as District Conservationist in Redfield, South Dakota, working directly with producers to implement conservation systems on working lands. 

In 2025, Shane was awarded the Hugh Hammond Bennett National Planner Award, one of NRCS’s highest honors. The award recognizes outstanding leadership in conservation planning, long-term commitment to working with landowners, and excellence in applying resource management to real-world agricultural systems. 

Known for his practical, relationship-based approach, Shane emphasizes whole-system thinking—helping producers move beyond treating symptoms to addressing the underlying causes of resource challenges.

This is a short-form episode featuring Natalie Sturm, pulled from our recent interview and focused on one of the most important—and often overlooked—drivers of soil health: crop rotations.
We’re launching these short-form episodes to better serve our audience. Instead of listening to a full 60–90 minute conversation, you can now jump straight into the most valuable insights—practical, research-backed takeaways you can apply immediately.
In this segment, Natalie explains why the tillage vs. no-till debate misses the bigger picture. Drawing from her research at the Dakota Lakes Research Farm, she shares how two side-by-side no-till fields—managed with the same equipment and soil type—can perform completely differently based on rotation history alone. The difference shows up not just in yields, but in soil structure, organic matter, and resilience.
For the full interview with Natalie, please stream the long-form episode here.
Natalie Sturm didn’t grow up in agriculture—she’s originally from suburban Chicago. Her early concern for climate, biodiversity, and human health led her to Montana State University, where she earned a B.S. in Agroecology through the Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems program.
She went on to complete her M.S. at South Dakota State University, studying long-term no-till crop rotations at Dakota Lakes Research Farm. Her thesis demonstrated that rotation diversity, small grains, cover crops, and livestock are key to improving soil quality and yields—not just no-till.
Natalie is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Washington State University, where she studies the effects of cropping systems on soil compaction in the Palouse region. In 2025, she will return to Dakota Lakes as its new Research Farm Manager.
📌 Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
📄 Natalie’s full M.S. thesis: “It’s Not Just No-Till: Crop Rotations Are Key to Improving Soil Quality and Grain Yields at Dakota Lakes Research Farm”
👉Read or download here
🎥 Natalie’s video on crop rotations
👉Watch here on Dakota Lakes site
🎥 Dakota Lakes 2020 Virtual Field Day Playlist (20 videos)
👉View full playlist here
📝 Related Blog Post:
Beyond No-Till: Why Crop Rotations Matter More Than You Think
👉Read the blog post