May rain makes for good hay in southeastern South Dakota

Janelle Atyeo
May 30, 2023
May 30, 2023

CW Burggraff (3).jpg — Blake Burggraff rakes hay. A mid-May rain made for a nice first cutting of alfalfa.
Submitted photo

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Heading into Memorial Day weekend, Crop Watcher Blake Burggraff was waiting to bale his first cutting of alfalfa, and it was looking good.

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CW Burggraff (4).jpg — Blake Burggraff makes the first square bales on the season May 25. He was pleased with his first alfalfa cutting after getting a nice rain on Mother's Day weekend.
Submitted photo

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CW Burggraff (1).jpg — Two hemp fields on the Burggraff farm show the differences caused by the previous crops. The field left of the draw grew of sorghum Sudan and has been in a diverse rotation for longer than the browner area to the right, which was planted to oats.
Submitted photo

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CW Burggraff (2).jpg — Goats and their kids at the Burggraff farm move to a new paddock frequently. Their hooves help trample the plants, creating an armor for the soil.
Submitted photo

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Blake Burggraff and his wife Sarah make up Grand Meadow Regenerative, raising small grains, hemp and other crops using regenerative methods in southeastern South Dakota. They also tend to grass-fed goats, chickens and Sim-Angus cattle and sell products locally through Dakota Fresh Food Hub. More about their farm is available at grandmeadowregenerative.com.