Farm Jobs in South Dakota

Discover agricultural careers in South Dakota, the Mount Rushmore State where 28,299 farms across 42 million acres (average 1,495 acres reflecting large-scale operations) generate $12.9 billion in agricultural product sales, with crops valued at $7.7 billion and livestock/poultry/products at $5.2 billion. Leading commodities include corn (record 2024 yields, top crop by value), cattle and calves (3.48 million head in 2022, extensive ranching statewide), soybeans (231 million bushels in 2024, #2 crop from 5.38 million acres), dairy products (milk #4 commodity, South Dakota leads dairy herd expansion nationally), hogs (top 5-6 commodity), wheat (spring wheat production), sheep (top 5 nationally with Texas, Wyoming, Utah, California), hay ($619 million total: $397M alfalfa, $222M other hay), and sunflowers (oil and non-oil varieties), offering year-round employment in cattle ranching, dairy operations, and hog farming, plus intense seasonal work during spring planting (April-May) and fall harvest (September-October) across eastern South Dakota's corn belt and western rangelands.