Pasture Systems: Economic Alternatives

Insufficient income to provide a satisfactory standard of family living is not uncommon among farmers and ranchers in South Dakota. The high cost of land rules out expansion for many. Consequently, they must look for ways to enhance income with their existing resources. For some, more intensive pasture management is an opportunity to increase income from their beef cow operations. This bulletin (1) investigates the economic feasibility of several pasture improvement systems and (2) estimates the impact of various productivity levels on returns to labor and management