BROOKINGS, S.D. — SDSU Extension has a long tradition of meeting people where they are – from visiting farmers and ranchers in their own fields to hosting online webinars accessible from anywhere with Wi-Fi. So it makes sense that as podcasts continue to grow in popularity, SDSU Extension is willing to meet listeners there, too.

There are now three SDSU Extension podcasts: “Streamlines,” a deep dive into water management and its effects on South Dakota agriculture; “CattleHQ,” for cow/calf producers; and “Home Starts Here,” a showcase of South Dakotans at work in their home communities.

Streamlines

First came the water. John McMaine, SDSU Extension Water Management Engineer, launched the “Streamlines” podcast in July 2021 to provide water-related material to a wider audience. SDSU Extension Soils Field Specialist Anthony Bly serves as co-host.

McMaine said he had been interested in hosting or co-hosting a podcast for several years, but things didn’t start flowing until 2020. With in-person programming limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the time was right to launch a podcast.

“Streamlines” topics for the first season ranged from conservation drainage to a four-part series on phosphorous. Each episode features an expert interview, interspersed with discussion and commentary between McMaine and Bly. The format was carefully considered by McMaine and Bly, who didn’t want a typical “one-on-one, go-back-and-forth for an hour” podcast.

“Our intention is to have expert input as kind of the touchpoints of the story, but then Anthony and I are able to guide that and provide our own perspective and discussion,” McMaine said.

Water is a driving force in every component of agriculture, McMaine noted – either too much or too little can have disastrous effects for a farm or ranch. But water is a vital resource for everyone, and McMaine and Bly try to make each episode accessible to a non-agricultural audience, as well. Through “Streamlines” McMaine and Bly hope to get more people thinking about the importance of water quality – the effect it has on agriculture, and the effect agriculture has on it.

“Water is one of the greatest resources we have,” McMaine said.

He has already begun working on interviews for the new season, which is supported in part by the South Dakota Nutrient Research and Education Council. McMaine said this season will be more project-focused than last season, including interviews with researchers working on South Dakota Nutrient Research and Education Council-funded projects. It’s been a rewarding venture so far, and he looks forward to its continued growth.

“I’m pleased with what we’ve got,” McMaine said. “It’s been fun to do.”

CattleHQ

In the fall of 2021, a four-person team of SDSU Extension cow/calf field specialists launched “CattleHQ,” a twice-monthly podcast that looks at everything from direct marketing for small producers to reproductive research to best business practices.

All four of the SDSU Extension cow/calf field specialists at the time – Robin Salverson, Adele Harty, Kiernan Brandt and Olivia Amundson – had independently wondered about doing a podcast for cattle producers. When they realized it was a common goal, they quickly got to work.

Podcasts are popular for people of all ages, and are particularly well-suited for people always on the move – like a farmer or rancher working long hours in a pickup, truck or tractor. Salverson, who is based in Lemmon, said the team also wanted to have another way to connect with producers and share cutting edge research.

“CattleHQ” is for everyone who raises cattle, from beginners to long-established operations. The podcast features a mix of industry experts, like SDSU Extension Livestock Business Management Field Specialist Heather Gessner, and producers like Scenic-area rancher Heather Maude. They try to keep episodes relevant to the time of year and agricultural seasons, but also garner ideas from professional conferences, farmer and rancher questions, or their own personal experiences.

While industry knowledge is helpful on some topics, the hosts work to define jargon and explain complex, scientific terms to make things accessible for everyone. Brandt, Amundson and Salverson often interview people on topics outside their own areas of expertise, and said they must be willing to be vulnerable and to ask “dumb questions.”

It’s sometimes a melding of “cowboy science” and academic research, the hosts said. For more complex topics, Brandt said they often ease into the subject to provide as much context as possible.

Home Starts Here

SDSU Extension’s newest podcast is called “Home Starts Here,” which launched in February. It was established by Joshua Hofer and Kara Harders, both SDSU Extension Community Vitality Field Specialists, to explore South Dakotans’ work to develop the vibrant places they call home.

“Podcasts are an awesome way to have discussions with people doing great work,” Hofer said. “South Dakota is a large state, with so many vibrant creators and community champions scattered across the places we call home. We saw an opportunity to connect and learn from those changemakers across South Dakota while sharing their stories to the world.”

“Home Starts Here” offers monthly episodes, which are available on Spotify. The first episode features Billie and Kelsea Sutton talking about their work to build up their home community of Burke, South Dakota. One of the ways they’ve done that is through the development of Lenny’s Lily Pad, a community splash pad they helped build. It is named in honor of their daughter, Lenny, who died in 2020.

It’s a closer look at one community’s resilience in the face of personal tragedy, Hofer said, and a prime example of the podcast’s purpose to seek out the people, businesses and ideas that are sparking vibrant communities across South Dakota.

Future episodes will look at reconciliation between communities, challenges faced by minority populations in South Dakota, and the use of creative or artistic solutions to build vibrant places.

“One of my favorite parts of this project has been learning how the people we talk to have found their own unique roles in their communities,” Harders said. “Usually, they have a much richer story than we could imagine, and it is so exciting to hear how they got to where they are, both in life and as a place-maker in the community they call home.”

The podcast also explores the experience of South Dakotans as they transition the places they live from an address to one they call home.

“Many of us in South Dakota are fortunate enough to have an address. But we all have times where we don’t feel comfortable in the places we call home,” Hofer said. “Listen to this podcast for comfort in the challenges we all face, and inspiration that you have the skills to build a vibrant community.”

— SDSU Extension