Central Grasslands REC serves 18 counties in the Missouri Coteau, an area bounded by the Missouri River basin on the west and the James River basin on the east. This region produces about 40 percent of the state’s cattle and over one-third of the state's alfalfa and other hay. One of seven Research Extension Centers in the NDSU Agricultural Experiment Station system, the Center is made up of 5,335
acres of mixed-grass prairie and cropland in Stutsman and Kidder Counties. Today the staff is composed of ten full-time employees, three part-time, and six or more summer employees. The Center also provides facilities, study sites, and support for graduate students conducting research. The Center hosts an Annual Field Day in the summer and a Research Review in the winter. Current studies at the Center include: increasing beef production through supplementation; the impacts of grazing intensity on plants, livestock performance and soil water; physiological responses of plants to grazing and drought; carbon flux in native grasslands; evaluating forage species for livestock and biofuels; improving forage production and soil health; control of invasive species with early intensive grazing; grazing systems to extend the grazing season; and a comparison of cattle breeding systems.
