Top Drought Strategies That Help Farms and Ranches Recover Faster

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.