The Gregory County FFA Chapter attended their first South Dakota State FFA Convention in Brookings at the SDSU campus from Sunday, April 24, through Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Twelve students from our chapter qualified in Career Development Events (CDE’s) in four different areas, including ag mechanics, agronomy, meat evaluation, and veterinary science.

In this issue you will find the annual publication of financial summaries of insurance companies licensed to do business in South Dakota. Insurance companies doing business in South Dakota are required by state law to publish these financial summaries each year.

It’s easy to mock and be critical, and unfortunately, our human nature loves to judge unfairly and display negative thoughts about others. If we could only remember that many people are going through some type of painful trial which usually explains why they seem peculiar. I often counsel those who are struggling with personal problems, and it changes our perspective when we know the bigger picture. As Christians, we are called to be a light that represents God’s nature, and this includes forbearance, understanding, and compassion. This is so that everyone can see Christ, and hopefully, we will inspire them to learn more about who He is. When we act ugly and rude, we are actually turning others away from the message of grace and love that we proclaim what the lost world desperately needs. Whether you’ve noticed it or not, those around us are carefully observing us, which is having a direct impact on what they think about God and who we are. Every day we have opportunities to do what Jesus would do.

The planting season will be upon us in another month or two,so now is a good time to remind producers and planters to be aware of herbicide carryover. Every year we have a few new tree belts fail or do poorly because of high residue concentrations of herbicides in the soil. The most common herbicide carryover issues in South Dakota are from Atrazine (Atrazine) and Picloram (TordonR).

One of the leading reasons why shelterbelts fail is inadequate weed and grass control. Weed and grass control are very critical from the time the trees are planted until they are three to five years old. Weeds and grass that are not controlled compete with the trees for the moisture, nutrients and light. Even during years when there is lots of moisture, the shelterbelts do best when the weeds and grass are controlled. It is best to control the weeds and grass for as many years as you can. Weed and grass control is required on all trees that are cost shared through the Farm Service Agency or the Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Once your new trees are planted, there are some things that can be done to improve their chances of survival. The first thing is to pack the trees immediately after they are planted. This removes the pockets from the soil and establishes good soil/root contact.