Apprenticeship Trains the Next Generation

The dairy industry is an important part of Wisconsin’s economy, its culture, and its future. Today the state has about 12,000 dairy farms, but each year 500 of those farms go out of business.

The average age of farmers is 57 years old and many of these farmers do not have an identified successor. Meanwhile, aspiring dairy farmers face significant barriers to farm ownership. If farm loss continues at the current rate, the dairy industry and the rural communities that depend on it could be decimated in a generation.

Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship—the first accredited Apprenticeship for farming in the nation—was specifically created to address this challenge.

Mission

The Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship of GrassWorks, Inc., is dedicated to providing a guided pathway to independent dairy farm ownership, developing grazing careers, and strengthening the economic and environmental well-being of rural communities and the dairy industry.

We accomplish this mission by:

• Linking current and aspiring graziers in the transfer of farms and graziers skills and knowledge.
• Developing alliances with agricultural, environmental, and consumer groups.
• Providing opportunities for farmers and their customers to invest in the next generation of grazing farmers.

Program Basics

DGA is composed of 4000 paid hours of training over two years (the equivalent of a full time job). 3712 of those hours are on-the-farm experience under the guidance of an approved Master Dairy Grazier. The other 288 hours are paid related instruction, which include courses through the Wisconsin Technical College System and University of Wisconsin as well as pasture walks, farming conferences and peer-to-peer discussion groups.

Participants become Dairy Grazing Apprentices, Journey Dairy Graziers, and finally Master Dairy Graziers themselves on a career path that draws on existing support structure and places experienced farmers at the center of the educational process. DGA provides Apprentices and Master financial planning services through Cadwallader Consulting, LLC, and is developing models of equity building, start-up, and farm transfer.

Whether you are just getting  started, looking for ways to improve your operation, or planning for retirement, DGA can help you reach your farming goals.

To learn more about DGA, check out Frequently Asked Questions. For information on program requirements and the application process, go to Apply.

You can also contact us at info@dairygrazingapprenticeship.org

Background

GrassWorks, Inc. was founded over 20 years ago as part of the sustainable agriculture movement of the 1980s in Wisconsin. A non-profit 501(c)3 membership organization, GrassWorks provides outreach, education, and resources to help livestock farmers transition to sustainable grass-based agriculture.

In 2010 and 2011, GrassWorks received funding support through USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program to establish the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (DGA), a formal Apprenticeship in “managed grazing” dairy production,  with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development-Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards.

“DGA in Brief”

Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship currently has 28 approved farm sites, in Wisconsin and Minnesota, 12 Apprentices, 4 Journey Dairy Graziers, and more than 50 Apprentice Candidates awaiting placement.

Do you know someone who might be interested in entering DGA as an Apprentice or as a Master Dairy Grazier? Do have the opportunity to speak to a community group or with someone in the media about DGA? Below are some downloadable documents to help you spread the word about this exciting program:

DGA Talking Points

Master Dairy Grazier Brochure

Dairy Grazing Apprentice Brochure