About Us

Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (DGA) is an innovative 501c3 non-profit organization that partners with established grazing dairy farmers, universities, community based organizations, and other stakeholders to deliver high quality work-based training in managed-grazing dairy production in multiple states.

DGA has approved 200+ Mentor Dairy Graziers in 15 states: Iowa, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

DGA has provided more than 600,000 hours of on-farm training and related coursework in managed grazing dairy production to hundreds of aspiring farmers from across the nation. The program currently has 36 active Mentor Dairy Grazier-Apprentice pairs, 56 Journey Dairy Graziers, and 185 Apprentice Candidates seeking to be hired.

DGA is GI Bill® approved and is an approved vendor for Farm Service Agency's borrower training program required for FSA beginning farmer loan agreements.

Our Mission

DGA is dedicated to providing a guided pathway to dairy farm business 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.

Who We Serve

We serve anyone who has an interest in learning about dairy grazing or furthering their career in the dairy industry by becoming a Journeyworker in managed grazing dairy.

REQUIREMENTS
*Have a minimum of a high school diploma or GED, or a composite score on the ACT of at least 18, or minimum Accuplacer test scores in math and reading.
*Be not less than 18 years of age.
*Be physically able to perform the work of the trade with reasonable accommodations and without hazard to themselves or others.
*Have reliable transportation to and from work.