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Overseeing a farm is no longer just about chores in the fields and barns. Direct-to-consumer marketing is changing the game, and South Dakota ranchers see digital platforms as another way to promote what they raise and how they do it.

Gone are the days of a farmer mainly marketing goods at the local grain elevator or central stockyards for livestock. In western South Dakota, Gwen Kitzan, co-owner of Kitzan Family Farms, said they're now active on sites such as Facebook, in hopes of expanding their customer base for products such as lamb. She said people want to hear the farm's story and how it's evolved, such as adding sustainable practices to enhance the product's value.

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"They know that if they want good food, it's going to cost a little bit more," she said, "but they know they're not going to be buying inferior products."

Kitzan will share tips as a featured speaker at this week's annual conference, hosted Thursday and Friday by the South Dakota Grasslands Coalition. She said carving out an online presence comes down to a farmer's comfort level, but those who are tech savvy are in a good position to boost profits.

Kitzan warned that the presence of artificial intelligence is complicating things, with people sometimes asking questions that stem from misinformation.

Those guiding their fellow producers on digital marketing say it's important to educate the prospective customer and answer all their questions – say, through email – with the facts. Overall, Kitzan said she sees the ag industry welcoming this newer spirit, while staying true to its traditional identity.

"What I'm seeing with the younger generation – you're going to have young producers out there and they are just great sellers, and they're great communicators," she said. "Then you're going to have the producers that they just want to be out there doing their job day to day, managing the land, managing the livestock."

Kitzan said family farms that can balance this approach might find success convincing their adult children to be part of the mix and help with transition planning. She pointed to her son and daughter-in-law taking on roles in the operation she manages with her husband.