We are South Dakota’s source of unbiased, vetted, and relevant new knowledge generated from research. As a cornerstone of SDSU’s land-grant university mission, SDSU Extension empowers citizens to be more competitive in a growing global economy through education and technical training or assistance.

Our purpose is to foster a learning community environment that empowers citizens to advocate for sustainable change that will strengthen agriculture, natural resources, youth, families, and the communities of South Dakota. In pursuit of this purpose, several core values support the mission of SDSU Extension and provide the foundation for the organization. They include:

• A defined public value
• A learning community focus
• Prioritized effort
• Access for all citizens
• A setting that is inclusive, collaborative, and sustainable
• A culture that embraces change

We accomplish our outreach mission by prioritizing efforts in the following program areas: competitive crop systems, competitive livestock systems, 4-H youth development, food and families, and community vitality.

We actively seek partners who can help us accomplish what we cannot do alone. Our partners include state and federal agencies, peer education institutions, community based groups, non-profit organizations, agricultural commodity groups, and volunteers. The benefits of these partnerships are better service for citizens as well as efficient use of our state's precious and limited resources.

Our greatest resource is the people we employ to do this important work. Field specialists work directly with citizens, based from one of eight Regional Extension Centers across South Dakota. The Regional Extension Centers are located in Aberdeen, Lemmon, Mitchell, Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Watertown, and Winner. In addition, 4-H Youth Program Advisors, based in County Extension Offices, work directly with 4-H Youth Development programs. Extension Specialists support Field Specialists and 4-H Youth Program Advisors, based from the campus of SDSU or the West River Ag Center in Rapid City. 

SDSU Extension relies heavily on technology to offer educational programs to citizens. Combined with traditional face-to-face methods of learning, citizens have 24/7 access to educational materials and information via news articles, publications, podcasts, webinars, video features and more on our website.