Posted to the South Dakota (SD) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) website under Range and Pasture, the productivity outlook map is a product of the SD Drought Tool which utilizes a two-year weighted average of precipitation data to determine its percent of normal production calculation. The numbers are calibrated based on historical clipping data from across the state and the prediction only relates to grassland forage production (not so much cropland) and will not predict forage quality. Although the projected map will be returning in November, producers utilizing this map should consider local conditions when making decisions as the weather stations used to create the map are not equally spread out across each county of the state. This October (2024)  looks quite dry, with much of the state in drought conditions according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The 30-day outlooks are also predicting warmer and drier conditions than normal. Typically, fall moisture sets our pastures up for spring growth, therefore, consider giving pastures extra rest this fall to keep them in good condition for the spring. October and November are the best time to treat perennial weeds as they are putting their energy into winter stores. Although we have been having seasonably warm temperatures, do not forget to winterize any livestock water developments that are rated for warmer temperatures. Take the opportunity this Fall to increase your knowledge through workshops and pasture walks available through various partners. Visit the SD Grassland Initiative’s event webpage to see upcoming events: https://sdgrassinitiative.org/events/. Highlighting a few: the Extending the Grazing Season workshop in Lemmon on October 17, and both the Society for Range Management Annual Meeting and Pasture Walk near Faith and Bison on October 23. The following resources are also available: SD NRCS Range and Drought page: bit.ly/Range_Pasture South Dakota Grassland Coalition Drought Planning website: sddroughtplan.org/ National Drought Mitigation Center: drought.unl.edu/ranchplan/Monitor.aspx National Integrated Drought Information System: drought.gov/ U.S. Drought Monitor: droughtmonitor.unl.edu South Dakota State University Extension Drought Resources: extension.sdstate.edu/drought SD Growing Resilience Web page: www.growingresiliencesd.com SD Grazing Exchange: www.sdgrazingexchange.com/