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Harvest time for wheat and hay on the plateau overlooking The Badlands of South Dakota, an area that was first farmed in 1909. Most of the farming on these thin soils is done with a no-till technique as the crop stubble prevents soil loss from wind erosion, and herbicides like Round-Up are used to for weed control. Crops are rotated regularly between hay, wheat, and sometimes corn. Rainfall averages 16 in/year.

This area has undergone extensive depopulation over the past century as mechanization has favored farming with less labor on larger plots. This area was first populated with farmers under the Homestead act of 1909, which gave newcomers 320 acres for free if they farmed the land for five years. Many of the small farms here have gone through extensive consolidation, like this one that now covers some 10-12k acres.

Just below the farmed plateau is the Buffalo Gap National Grassland, and beyond that, Badlands National Park.

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STNMTZ_20210714_0748.TIF
Copyright
©2021 George Steinmetz
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www.georgesteinmetz.com
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Harvest time for wheat and hay on the plateau overlooking The Badlands of South Dakota, an area that was first farmed in 1909. Most of the farming on these thin soils is done with a no-till technique as the crop stubble prevents soil loss from wind erosion, and herbicides like Round-Up are used to for weed control. Crops are rotated regularly between hay, wheat, and sometimes corn. Rainfall averages 16 in/year.<br /> <br /> This area has undergone extensive depopulation over the past century as mechanization has favored farming with less labor on larger plots. This area was first populated with farmers under the Homestead act of 1909, which gave newcomers 320 acres for free if they farmed the land for five years. Many of the small farms here have gone through extensive consolidation, like this one that now covers some 10-12k acres.<br /> <br /> Just below the farmed plateau is the Buffalo Gap National Grassland, and beyond that, Badlands National Park.

All images ©George Steinmetz. Please contact us for usage.