In this eight-and-a-half-minute video, the South Dakota Grassland Coalition visits with the Dutton Family in Faith, South Dakota. The Dutton family have been stewards of the land for many years. The family wishes to leave the land better than they found it, both for their family and the wildlife on the landscape.
“My dad always said we’re just stewards of the land and that’s kind of how we approach it. We want to leave the land as good, or better, than how we received it. And so one of the things that my dad always did and I’ve continued that practice is trying to reserve some areas for wildlife the bird species. There’s nothing I enjoy more than seeing the deer, antelope, varieties of birds, upland grouse, and partridge as well as the ducks and geese that nest here.” - Mel Dutton
About the video series
The “Our Amazing South Dakota Grasslands” campaign was created in 2018 with the goal of better communicating the importance and value of grasslands and soil resources throughout the state. This campaign strives to better show what South Dakota farmers and ranchers are doing to protect and enhance these resources. Each video was created utilizing footage from interviews with South Dakota farmers and ranchers and showcases footage of their farming and ranching operations.
If you missed previous "Our Amazing Grassland" stories, the links are below:
January: Ollila Family, Newell, SD
February: Breyer and Wollschlager Families
March: Sander Family
April: Fagerland Family