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 Grains |
Wheat
South Dakota produces three different types of wheat: hard red winter, hard red spring, and durum. Hard red winter wheat is planted in the fall and is harvested in mid-summer. Hard red spring and durum wheats are planted in the spring and harvested in late summer to early fall.
The hard wheats grown is South Dakota make some of the world's best bread-baking flour because they are high in protein. Wheat protein combines with liquid to form gluten, which provides the structure for baked products. South Dakota is one of six states to grow durum wheat, which is the type used to make pasta.
Corn
 Corn is the food of the Americas. Ancient Central American Indian civilizations were the first to cultivate corn. In the United States it is the major foodstuff and the major agricultural export.
Corn is vital to our diet. You will find refined corn products used in nearly 4,000 food items today. Corn syrups provide the major source of sweeteners in food. In addition, corn has hundreds of industrial uses, from plastics to alcohol additives in motor fuel.
In South Dakota corn is grown primarily east of the Missouri River, with the most corn being grown in southeast South Dakota. Corn is also our most frequently irrigated crop.
South Dakota is one of the top five ethanol-producing states in the nation.
Soybeans
 When farmers talk about "beans" they mean soybeans. South Dakota-grown soybeans are processed for protein meal and oil. A 60-pound bushel of soybeans will yield 48 pounds of meal and 11 pounds of oil, with uses as diverse as animal feed, bakery products, shortening and printing ink.
Short-season soybean varieties are grown here because they mature in climates with shorter nights, like the summer nights in South Dakota's northern latitudes. Soybeans are often planted in rotation with corn, and sometimes intercropped with a winter small grain. Farmers plant soybeans in the late spring, and begin harvesting in the early fall. In recent years soybeans have gained popularity with South Dakota farmers. Beans are grown primarily in eastern and southeastern counties.
Sunflowers
 On a summer drive you can easily recognize the fields of bright yellow sunflowers. You may also notice that in late summer sunflower heads no longer "follow the sun" as it moves across the sky. Domestic sunflowers have been bred to develop large heads, which get too heavy to follow the sun.
Two types of sunflowers are cultivated in South Dakota. The oilseed varieties are grown as a source of oil and meal. Confectionery, or non-oil, varieties are grown for human consumption and birdseed.
Other Grains
 South Dakota ranks among the top ten producing states in a variety of small grains. Our state frequently harvests more than 9 million bushels of oats in a year. This grain used to be grown primarily for livestock feed, but has enjoyed a renewed popularity in recent years as part of a healthy diet. Over the past decade, South Dakota has also been a major producer of flaxseed, with some harvests topping one million bushels.
For livestock feed, our state harvests up to 15 million bushels of grain sorghum and another six million tons of sorghum for silage per year. South Dakota produces significant amounts of hay. Alfalfa is the most popular, with annual cuttings amounting to more than 75 million tons.
 Livestock
Grains
Forestry & Environment
Ranking — 2007 USDA/NASS Report
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