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Meade County, SD

Cattle prices near Meade County, South Dakota. The closest sale barn with a recent report is St. Onge SD in St. Onge, SD, about 50 miles away. On Nov 13, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $454.80 per hundredweight on 608 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

Check a bid with Ring Price

Change county
CRP emergency haying & grazing: Meade County is on FSA's list (since Sep 1, 2026). Check with your FSA county office first. Details · FSA list as of Nov 5, 2026.
Drought ModerateD1 · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 4 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county St. Onge SD 5-wt steers $455▲ $18 since last sale

Meade County rain, outlook and forecast

Most of Meade County, SD was in moderate drought (D1) on the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map; 100% of the county is in moderate drought (D1) or worse, the same as four weeks earlier. Rain has run 165% of normal over the last 30 days (well above normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (50% chance of above-normal rain) and the NWS forecast peaks at a 49% rain chance on Friday (high 41°). Meade County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 4 monthly payments, and St. Onge SD is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 50 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 165% of normal
  • Last 60 days not read yet
  • Last 90 days not read yet

NOAA river forecast center rain (radar plus gauges) at the county center, Nov 15, 2026. Source.

Rain outlook

  • 6-10 day outlook (Nov 20–24) Leans wetter than normal (50% chance of above-normal rain)
  • 8-14 day outlook (Nov 22–28) Leans wetter than normal (33% chance of above-normal rain)

NOAA Climate Prediction Center precipitation outlook, issued Nov 14, 2026. Source.

Next 7 days

  1. Today Sunny, high 57°, low 36°, 1% rain, wind 5–8 mph
  2. Monday Mostly Sunny, high 57°, low 39°, 0% rain, wind 3–15 mph
  3. Tuesday Mostly Sunny, high 57°, low 39°, 4% rain, wind 7–12 mph
  4. Wednesday Partly Sunny, high 46°, low 29°, 13% rain, wind 10–40 mph
  5. Thursday Partly Sunny, high 40°, low 33°, 14% rain, wind 8–21 mph
  6. Friday Chance Light Rain, high 41°, low 30°, 49% rain, wind 14–35 mph
  7. Saturday Chance Light Snow, high 37°, low 25°, 29% rain, wind 13–32 mph

National Weather Service forecast for the county center, updated Nov 15, 2026. Wind, warnings and burn bans.

PRF pasture insurance: sign up by Dec 1, 2026

The 2027 Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) insurance sales closing date for Meade County is Dec 1, 2026, 16 days from today. PRF (Rainfall Index) pays on a rainfall index for your grid, not on your own rain gauge. You buy it through a crop insurance agent.

How PRF works · PRF 2027 sign-up · Find your grid on RMA's PRF tool

Date from USDA RMA's actuarial data, read Aug 28, 2026 · RMA dates map. Your agent confirms the date for your policy.

Meade County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Meade County grew about 1,698 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 124% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 1,372 pounds per acre. That was the 6th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2023 at 1,853 pounds per acre; worst: 2002 at 790.

Pounds per acre of new grass and forbs each year on rangeland and pasture, from the Rangeland Analysis Platform (satellite-based estimates). See every year on the Land tab.

Open loss windows

No open loss windows in Meade County right now. A 30-day window opens when the county first hits severe drought (D2), jumps to D3 or D4, or after a blizzard, extreme heat or cold, flood or ice warning, a wildfire, or a USDA disaster designation. Keep a Drought Ledger.

Information only; not financial, tax or legal advice. FSA decides eligibility. Cownty sends nothing to FSA.

Drought-sale tax flag IRS list

Meade County is on IRS Notice 2026-54 (severe or worse drought, Sep 1, 2025 to Aug 31, 2026).

Why it matters: if you sold breeding, dairy or draft livestock because of drought, the tax code may let you put off the gain (more time to buy replacement animals, or report the extra-sale income a year later). Your tax preparer decides whether either applies.

Work out your numbers and print a page for your preparer

Information only; not financial, tax or legal advice. Ask your tax preparer. FSA decides program eligibility. IRS Notice 2026-54 (PDF)

5-wt steers, nearest barns

Steers 500–599 lb, $/cwt, weekly average.

BarnLast sale5-wt steers
St. Onge SD 50 miNov 13$455
Philip SD 65 miNov 10$447
Fort Pierre SD 116 miNov 13$462
How to read this

Each line is one barn's head-weighted average for 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) in that week; gaps are weeks with no sale or no lots that size. Past sales, not a bid.

Dollars per hundredweight ($/cwt, per 100 lb), calculated from USDA AMS Market News sale reports (Medium & Large 1 and 1-2). Not a USDA-published average. ≈ $/head = $/cwt × the middle of the weight class ÷ 100.

Guide: How to read a USDA sale barn report

Price history · Barn map · Fed vs feeder cattle

All weights at the 3 nearest barns

St. Onge SD 50 mi

St. Onge, SD
Sale of Nov 13, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb214444.02$2,000
Heifers 500-599 lb688399.15$2,200
Heifers 600-699 lb225379.65$2,470
Heifers 700-799 lb16328.44$2,460
Steers 400-499 lb163511.34$2,300
Steers 500-599 lb608454.80$2,500
Steers 600-699 lb643398.83$2,590
Steers 700-799 lb59354.26$2,660

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Philip SD 65 mi

Philip, SD
Sale of Nov 10, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb152433.07$1,950
Heifers 500-599 lb1,124405.33$2,230
Heifers 600-699 lb811378.26$2,460
Heifers 700-799 lb94349.00$2,620
Steers 400-499 lb212504.00$2,270
Steers 500-599 lb1,605447.32$2,460
Steers 600-699 lb2,431407.30$2,650
Steers 700-799 lb343371.80$2,790

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Fort Pierre SD 116 mi

Fort Pierre, SD
Sale of Nov 13, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb871471.85$2,120
Heifers 500-599 lb1,471431.47$2,370
Heifers 600-699 lb196416.20$2,710
Steers 400-499 lb773516.95$2,330
Steers 500-599 lb2,988462.23$2,540
Steers 600-699 lb2,117418.38$2,720
Steers 700-799 lb109383.28$2,870

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

10 more within 200 mi: Gordon (127 mi), Mobridge SD (129 mi), Crawford (137 mi), Herreid SD (154 mi), Dickinson ND (158 mi), Valentine (161 mi), Mandan ND (177 mi), Torrington WY (190 mi), Napoleon ND (194 mi), Miles City MT (196 mi).

Text me Meade County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. St. Onge Livestock Ltd St. Onge, SD 50 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  2. Philip Livestock Auction Philip, SD 65 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  3. Ft. Pierre Livestock Auction Fort Pierre, SD 116 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  4. Gordon Livestock Market Gordon, NE 127 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  5. Mobridge Livestock Exchange Mobridge, SD 129 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026

Miles are straight-line from the county center. Sale days come from the barns' recent USDA AMS reports; call the barn to confirm. All barns

Printable county brief (PDF) · Everything on one page · Hay prices in South Dakota

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Meade County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Meade County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 4 monthly payments for some pasture types. FSA decides each operation's eligibility; apply at your county FSA office by March 1 after the loss year.

Source: FSA LFP county file of Nov 5, 2026

What is the drought level in Meade County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Meade County was in moderate drought (D1), and the worst part was moderate drought (D1) on 100% of the county. 0 straight weeks with some severe drought (D2) or worse.

Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, map of Nov 10, 2026

Is there a burn ban in Meade County?

No official statewide list to check: Cownty doesn't read an official statewide burn-ban list for South Dakota; county commissions, sheriffs and fire districts post local fire restrictions, so check your county's own notices.

What sale barns are near Meade County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: St. Onge SD (50 mi), last report Nov 13, 2026; Philip SD (65 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026; Fort Pierre SD (116 mi), last report Nov 13, 2026.

Source: USDA AMS Market News reports

What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?

Next: Nov 20, 2026: Micro Farm 2027: last day to buy crop insurance; Nov 20, 2026: Whole Farm Revenue Protection 2027: last day to buy crop insurance. FSA program dates not posted officially are marked "confirm at source" on the calendar.

Source: official agency pages (see Calendar)

Information only; not financial or legal advice. FSA decides eligibility. Always check the linked official source.