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About Us
The purpose of the Eastern South Dakota Soil & Water Research Farm (ESDSWRF) is to provide suitable land and facilities for the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Brookings to conduct studies on various agricultural plants and processes. The studies are directly or indirectly related to clean water, clean air, soil stewardship, and sustainable agriculture.
History
In June 1960 the U.S. Congress passed an appropriations bill that included funding for a research laboratory in Brookings, SD. The newly created USDA laboratory needed land to perform plot studies. In response, the ESDSWRF was formed in 1959 to facilitate the purchase of 105 acres of property near Madison, SD. Each of the 15 sponsoring Conservation Districts loaned $1,500 each to make the purchase possible. In 1987, the land near Madison was sold and 144 acres of land near Brookings was purchased, which is near the ARS research laboratory.
In addition to providing suitable land for the ARS to conduct research, the ESDSWRF sponsors an annual field day to highlight ongoing research projects each summer and sends a delegation to Capitol Hill in Washington, DC to convey local support for the ARS research activities in general and for the Brookings facility specifically. In addition, a focus group of producers, industry, commodity groups, conservation organizations, and other stakeholders meet twice a year to share ideas and feedback for potential future research projects.Partners with the ESDSWRF and the ARS Brookings facility include the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), South Dakota State University, and the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station.
The Eastern South Dakota & Water Research Farm, Inc. is a non-profit organization consisting of a Board of Directors elected from each of 15 South Dakota Conservation Districts in eastern SD.
The participating Conservation Districts include Brookings, Codington, Clark, Day, Deuel, Hamlin, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, Marshall, McCook, Minnehaha, Minor, Moody and Turner.