Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Program Seeks to Train More Grass-fed Dairy Farmers

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. 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.