Our Amazing Grasslands Video - Top to Bottom - September 2025

Top to Bottom featuring Jeff Hemenway & Jeff Zimprich

In this episode of Our Amazing Grasslands, Jeff Hemenway and Jeff Zimprich share their journeys “top to bottom” through decades of conservation work and personal stewardship in South Dakota.

From careers with the USDA Soil Conservation Service and NRCS to retirement projects on their own farms, the two Jeffs describe how their passion for grasslands, soil health, and wildlife continues to shape their daily lives.

Viewers will see how fire recovery in the Black Hills, grazing management, soil health gardening, and community outreach connect across generations. From Master Gardeners to school programs, from wildlife habitat to rotational grazing, these stories highlight how conservation is as much about people and legacy as it is about land.

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About Our Amazing South Dakota Grasslands

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.

View previous "Our Amazing South Dakota Grasslands" videos on the USDA-NRCS South Dakota YouTube channel.