Agriculture
California energy firm will turn S.D. farm wastes into usable natural gas
A new industry launching in South Dakota will use manure from dairy farms to generate usable natural gas, creating a new income stream for some South Dakota farmers and reducing greenhouse gas emissions along the way. California-based renewable energy company Brightmark Energy announced plans on Feb. 5 to capture, refine and sell methane gas rising off the decaying manure produced […]
A LOOK INSIDE A CAFO: S.D. farmers share stories of a life in livestock
The expansion of concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, in South Dakota is without a doubt one of the most controversial topics in agriculture. CAFOs are large livestock farms that generally house 1,000 or more animals in a confined, indoor space at any one time. Supporters say the CAFOs are mainly well-run, efficient operations typically owned by families that raise […]
Expansion of large ‘CAFO’ livestock farms causing division and concern across South Dakota
The livestock industry in South Dakota — among the state’s largest economic engines — is undergoing a fundamental transformation that may alter farms, farmers and rural communities for generations to come. Despite a rising wave of grassroots opposition, South Dakota is seeing a steady increase in the development of livestock operations known as CAFOs, concentrated animal feeding operations, in which […]