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Deep Root Ranch: Making Soil Health a Priority Doug Sieck Doug Sieck, owner and operator of Deep Root Ranch located near Selby, South Dakota, has been implementing novel grazing practices such as mob grazing and bale grazing to improve soil health, grazing efficiency, and reduce expenses. He also has incorporated full season cover crop grazing on his cropland to improve soil health and cut feed costs. Doug is an active board member of the South Dakota Grassland Coalition and recently became the Chair of the newly formed South Dakota Soil Health Coalition. Doug was awarded the Excellence in Range Management Award in South Dakota at the annual meeting of the South Dakota Section in 2015. Doug grazes 1250 acres of native rangeland and 470 seeded pasture with 200 cows, 180 yearlings, and 12 bulls. He also farms 1000 acres of cropland and manages 250 acres of hayland. Winter bale grazing Grazing cage for studying mob grazing Head Quarters (South of Selby 8 miles) where Doug practices bale grazing on nearby hayland Lowry pasture (3 miles north of Lowry) where Doug practices mob grazing Full-season cover crop grazing Management Changes Cross fencing ʹ 14 miles Water pipeline ʹ 2 miles underground, 1 mile aboveground Later calving date ʹ from March to now in May Smaller framed cattle, lower milk EPD, 10 month weaning age Fewer shots, no insecticides Once to twice over land use with long rest periods Rotational grazing ʹ 1-5 day moves; year round 1/4 of cropland to full-season cover crops Grazing more hay ground ʹ buying more hay instead Seeded 470 acres of cropland back into grassland Selby South Dakota

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Deep Root Ranch: Making Soil Health a Priority

Doug Sieck

Doug Sieck, owner and operator of Deep Root Ranch located near Selby,South Dakota, has been implementing novel grazing practices such as mobgrazing and bale grazing to improve soil health, grazing efficiency, and reduceexpenses. He also has incorporated full season cover crop grazing on hiscropland to improve soil health and cut feed costs. Doug is an active boardmember of the South Dakota Grassland Coalition and recently became theChair of the newly formed South Dakota Soil Health Coalition. Doug wasawarded the Excellence in Range Management Award in South Dakota at theannual meeting of the South Dakota Section in 2015.

Doug grazes 1250 acres of native rangeland and 470 seeded pasturewith 200 cows, 180 yearlings, and 12 bulls. He also farms 1000 acresof cropland and manages 250 acres of hayland.

Winter bale grazing

Grazing cage for studying mob grazing

Head Quarters (South of Selby 8 miles) where Doug practices bale grazing on nearby hayland

Lowry pasture (3 miles north of Lowry) where Doug practices mob grazing

Full-season cover crop grazing

Management Changes

Cross fencing 14 milesWater pipeline 2 miles underground, 1 mile aboveground

Later calving date from March to now in May

Smaller framed cattle, lower milk EPD,10 month weaning age

Fewer shots, no insecticides

Once to twice over land use with long rest periods

Rotational grazing 1-5 day moves; year round

1/4 of cropland to full-season cover crops

Grazing more hay ground buying more hay instead

Seeded 470 acres of cropland back into grassland

SelbySouth Dakota