Ryan Larson didn’t know what he didn’t know when he started farming in 2013. 

Near the western Minnesota border at Garretson, S.D., Ryan and Christina Larson farm about 1,000 acres in a no-till and strip-till system, integrating livestock and cover crops among their diverse rotation of small grains, soybeans and corn.  

Ryan’s parents sold their dairy farm when he was young, meaning he didn’t have equipment or land passed onto him when he started farming. Relying on the knowledge he gained while working for farmers and his agronomy studies at South Dakota State University, Ryan was doing what he thought was right – using traditional tillage and purchasing too many pieces of mediocre equipment. But with soil eroding away and the balance sheets not looking great, Ryan knew something had to change. 

“If I didn’t change, I wasn’t going to be farming anymore,” Larson said at a stop at his farm during the 18th annual Conservation in Action Tour hosted by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC). “There’s not much room for error when you don’t have anything to start with.” 

After attending a meeting at his local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Ryan began experimenting with soil health practices like alternative tillage methods and cover crops. After a few years, yield and profitability started to rise, weeds were suppressed and cattle grazing on the land provided insurance. 

“Cows are great to fall back on. They’re the insurance,” said Larson. “The cows can cover up the screw ups. If something doesn’t work, just feed it to them.”  

The Larson farm was one of several stops during the tour, held for the first time in South Dakota. 150 attendees from around the U.S. also toured the Kurt and Kathy Stiefvater Farm near Salem, S.D. The Stiefvaters, the 2025 recipient of the American Soybean Association’s (ASA) Conservation Legacy Award for the Upper Midwest region, spoke about how the cow-calf operation has embraced “working with Mother Nature, instead of against her” to improve their soil and profitability for the next generation. 

Tour stops included short presentations from a variety of experts such as NRCS officials, soil health specialists, farmers, agronomists and more, sharing conservation resources, programs and information.  

Other tour stops around Sioux Falls included the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science Center (EROS), a federal science center responsible for archiving, monitoring and analyzing land change data captured by its Landsat satellites. Falls Park highlighted how the rivers, agriculture and urban areas intersect. The park and its falls sit alongside the Big Sioux River. Attendees also got to sample Big Sioux Brew, a German pilsner made with river water. 

The tour was supported by the soy checkoff, ASA and other regional and national organizations. Plans are underway for the 2026 tour, which will be held in North Carolina. More details will be announced at www.ctic.org/tour.