AarondeLong1,FranklinEgan1,JoeTomandl2,LauraPaine2,JayneSebright3,PeterKleinman4,SusanParry51PennsylvaniaAssociaDonforSustainableAgriculture;2DairyGrazingApprenDceship;3CenterforDairyExcellence;4USDAAgriculturalResearchService;5PennsylvaniaGrazingLandsCoaliDon---------------NIFAAwardnumber:2017-70017-26849
Summary:AnetworkofpartneringorganizaDons,ledbythePennsylvaniaAssociaDonforSustainableAgriculture(PASA),collaboratetoestablishaformalizedapprenDceship
programingrass-baseddairyinPennsylvaniaandthesurroundingmid-AtlanDcregion.
DGA pa i r s App ren1ces w i thexperienced dairy farmers, cer1fiedasMasterGraziersbyacommi?eeoftheir peers. The program centers ontwo-years of full-1me, paid, on-the-job training, where Appren1ces andMasters steadily work through aspecificchecklistofskills.Thisworkiscoupled with related technicalinstruc1on, including core college-level courses, and elec1ves such aspasture walks, webinars, andconferenceworkshops.
Outcomes:• 18MasterGraziersrecruited• 15Appren1cesenrolled• 7JourneyDairyGraziersgraduated• Forma1on of an Appren1ce Commi?ee
to assume oversight of DGA in themid-Atlan1cregion
Objec1ve:Train a new genera1on of dairyfarmersusingtheDGAcurriculum
CDEisanonprofitdedicatedtosuppor1ngthePennsylvaniadairyindustrythroughresearch,educa1on,andmentoring.ThroughpartneringwithCDE,PASAwillsignificantlyincreaseouroutreachwithinthePAdairycommunity.CDEwillalsoprovidematchingfundstosupportplanningsessionsforbothMastersandAppren1ceswithCDEbusinessandproduc1onconsultants.
Outcomes:• 6consul1ngsessions
betweenMaster-Appren1cepairsandCDEteams
• 4newbusinessplansproducedby2ndyearAppren1cesandCDEteams
• 1farmfinancialscase-studybookletsummarizinginsightsfromCDEconsul1ngsessions
• 3beginningfarmerspar1cipateina10-weekinternshiponagrazingdairyfarm
Objec1ve:ImprovefinancialmodelsforMasterGraziersandJourneyDairyGraziers
Objec1ve:Promotegrazingprac1cesandnetworksthrougheduca1onalevents
Outcomes:• Anannualcalendarof8grazingdairypasturewalks,fielddays,andworkshops• 300dairyfarmersincreasetheirunderstandingofgrazingprac1ces,farm
management,andformalappren1ceship
PASA will partner with PAGLC to develop a calendar of educa1onal events thatprovides Masters and Appren1ces, as well as others in the dairy community,opportuni1es to deepen their understanding of grazing prac1ces and strengthentheirpersonalandprofessionalnetworks.
Objec1ve:Empowerthenextgenera1onofdairygrazierswitha holis1c and quan1ta1ve understanding of theirfarm’seconomicandenvironmentalimpact.
Outcomes:• UsingtheIntegratedFarmingSystemsModelfromtheUSDA,4appren1ces
willcompleteaacapstoneprojectassessingtheirhostfarm’seconomicandenvironmentalfootprint.Resultswillbesummarizedinafactsheet.
Contact:AarondeLongPASADGAEduca1onCoordinatorE-mail:[email protected]:(484)680-3778
The Pennsylvania Associa1on for SustainableAgriculture is one of the largest and most ac1vesustainable agriculture organiza1ons in the U.S.PASA’smissionistopromoteprofitablefarmsthatproduce healthy food for all people, whilerespec1ng the natural environment. PASA hasbeen the administra1ve partner for the DairyGrazing Appren1ceship in Pennsylvania and thesurroundingmid-Atlan1cregionsince2016.
Ayrshire
