Sturm returns to Dakota Lakes Research Farm

Natalie Sturm first learned about the Dakota Lakes Research Farm as part of an undergraduate cropping systems class. She was so inspired she emailed the farm manager, Dwayne Beck, asking if he was hiring.

Now, six years after the initial email and four years after completing her master’s degree by conducting research on the farm, Sturm is returning as the new manager of the Dakota Lakes Research Farm.

Sturm’s role will be overseeing the daily operations for the 1,200-acre research farm, which includes research on farm practices impacting more than a dozen different types of plants. The entire farm is no-till, a passion project for Beck, Sturm’s former mentor who retired after more than 35 years of service to the station.