DAIRY GRAZING APPRENTICESHIP INC
7234 GAD RD, MEDFORD, WI 54451 www.dga-national.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: DAIRY GRAZING APPRENTICESHIP IS DEDICATED TO PROVIDING A GUIDED PATHWAY TO INDEPENDENT DAIRY FARM BUSINESS OWNERSHIP, DEVELOPING GRAZING CAREERS, AND STRENGTHENING THE ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL WELL-BEING OF RURAL COMMUNITIES AND THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

- TO PROVIDE A GUIDED PATHWAY TO INDEPENDENT GRAZING FARM OWNERSHIP, DEVELOPING GRAZING CAREERS, AND STRENGTHENING THE ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL WELL-BEING OF RURAL COMMUNITES AND THE DAIRY INDUSTRY. THIS MISSION SHALL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY: (1) CONNECTING CURRENT AND ASPIRING GRAZIERS IN THE TRANSFER OF FARMS AND GRAZIERS' SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE; (2) DEVELOPING ALLIANCES WITH AGRICULTURAL AND CONSUMER GROUPS; AND (3) PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FARMERS AND THEIR CUSTOMERS TO INVEST IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF GRAZING FARMERS. - TO FULFILL THE REQUIREMENTS FOR IMPLEMENTING AND ADMINISTERING THE CORPORATION'S DAIRY GRAZIER APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, AS SET FORTH IN THE DAIRY GRAZING APPRENTICESHIP NATIONAL STANDARDS REGISTERED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR-EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION.- TO SECURE THE LONG-TERM ECONOMIC SUSTAINABLITLY OF THE CORPORATION'S DAIRY GRAZIER APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.

DAIRY GRAZING APPRENTICESHIP (DGA) IS A 501(C)3 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION AND AN ACCREDITED FORMAL APPRENTICESHIP IN "MANAGED GRAZING" DAIRY PRODUCTION. THE APPRENTICESHIP CONSISTS OF 4000 HOURS OVER TWO YEARS AND COMBINES ON-FARM EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING UNDER AN APPROVED MASTER DAIRY GRAZIER WITH RELATED INSTRUCTION, WHICH INCLUDES FORMAL COURSEWORK THROUGH ACCREDITED EDUCATION PROVIDERS, DISCUSSION GROUPS, PASTURE WALKS, AND FARMING CONFERENCES. DGA DEVELOPED THE CURRICULUM AND WORK-BASED COMPETENCIES THAT ARE REGISTERED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR FOR THE OCCUPATION OF DAIRY GRAZIER. ENTRANTS BECOME APPRENTICES, JOURNEY DAIRY GRAZIER, AND EVENTUALLY MASTERS THEMSELVES ON A CAREER PATH THAT HAS BEEN USED IN THE TRADES FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY. THE ORGANIZATION CONDUCTS OUTREACH AND RECRUITS POTENTIAL MASTERS AND APPRENTICES, ASSESSES AND APPROVES MASTER (EMPLOYER) FARM SITES, COORDINATES RELATED INSTRUCTION COMPONENTS, MONITORS THE MENTORING RELATIONSHIP, TRACKS APPRENTICE PROGRESS THROUGH ON-THE-JOB TRAINING AND RELATED INSTRUCTION HOURS AND REQUIREMENTS, AND PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL, TECHNICAL, AND BUSINESS PLANNING SUPPORT SERVICES TO APPRENTICESHIP PARTICIPANTS. IN YEAR 2019, A SERIES OF FOUR WEBINARS ON MENTORING TOPICS WERE CREATED AND DELIVERED. EACH 1-HOUR WEBINAR INCLUDED A POWER POINT PRESENTATION SUMMARIZING ONE OR MORE OF DGA'S MASTER TIP SHEETS AS WELL AS ONE OR MORE FARMER-TRAINERS SHARING THEIR EXPERIENCE ON THE TOPIC AND A QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD. ALL WEBINARS WERE RECORDED AND POSTED ON THE DGA WEBSITE. DGA CONTINUED FACE-TO-FACE MASTER ROUNDTABLES AS WELL. SINCE OUR LAST REPORT, 10 ROUNDTABLES WERE HELD WITH A TOTAL OF 103 ATTENDEES.DGA LAUNCHED A MONTHLY VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE ACTIVITY FOR PARTICIPANTS AVERAGING 10 TO 15 PARTICIPANTS. USING A VIDEO CONFERENCE FORMAT, WE HAVE CONDUCTED 5 DISCUSSIONS ON A VARIETY OFFARMING TOPICS. THEY ARE FACILITATED BY DGA STAFF, BUT ARE LED BY DGA MASTERS WHO HAVE EXPERTISE ON A PARTICULAR TOPIC.DGA CONDUCTED 2 WORKSHOPS AT THE 2019 GRASSWORKS GRAZING CONFERENCE IN WISCONSIN (TOTAL OF 57 ATTENDEES). TOPICS INCLUDED "SCALING UP YOUR OPERATION: WORKING WITH EMPLOYEES AND"GETTING STARTED IN A TOUGH DAIRY ECONOMY". DGA DEVELOPED SIX LEARNING MODULES THAT CAN BE USED EITHER IN RELATED INSTRUCTION CLASSES OR FOR MASTERS AND OTHER FARMER-TRAINERS TO USE AS A TEACHING AID TO SUPPLEMENT THE ON-THE-JOB TRAINING CURRICULUM. THESE INCLUDED EXERCISES RELATED TO: BODY CONDITION SCORING, CALF FEEDING PROTOCOL LOCOMOTION SCORING, MILKING PROTOCOL, A MOCK DAIRY INSPECTION, AND VACCINATION PROTOCOLS.DGA CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT PROCESS: A) CREATING NEW CUSTOM COURSES FOR ITS TWO-YEAR APPRENTICESHIP AND B) FURTHER DEVELOPING ITS OWN INDEPENDENT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION TO DELIVER THOSE COURSES.MANAGED GRAZING INNOVATION CENTER (MGIC), DGA'S NEW ONLINE SCHOOL, WAS APPROVED BY THE WI EDUCATIONAL APPROVAL PROGRAM IN APRIL 2018 AND LAUNCHED ITS FIRST PILOT CLASS THAT FALL. WHILENOT YET ELIGIBLE FOR FULL ACCREDITATION FOR TWO YEARS, MGIC IS NOW ABLE TO DELIVER CUSTOM COURSES TO APPRENTICES AND OTHER STUDENTS. SEVEN ONLINE CLASSES HAVE BEEN LAUNCHED AND THERE WERE 94 ENROLLMENTSIN 2019.ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE: INTEGRATED REGISTRATION AND ENROLLMENT IN MGIC/MOODLE LMS WITH THE DGA WEBSITE DATABASE, WHICH IS USED TO TRACK PARTICIPANT PROGRESS THROUGH THE APPRENTICESHIP.LAUNCHED MGIC PILOT CLASS: "SOIL AND WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT" (12 WEEKS)RETAINED ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR TO DELIVER CLASS DURING FALL SEMESTER.ENROLLED A GROUP WHO HAD TAKEN PREVIOUS REQUIRED CLASSES THROUGH PARTNERS TO TAKE NEW MGICCOURSE AND PROVIDED FEEDBACK ON CONTENT AND DELIVERY.COLLECTED RECOMMENDATIONS FROM INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE ONLINE REGISTRATION,INSTRUCTION, AND EVALUATION PROCESS.CONDUCTED SEARCH FOR PERMANENT FULLTIME SCHOOL DIRECTOR AND HIRED JAMIE WASHBURN, A FORMEREXTENSION AGENT WITH UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS WITH A MASTER'S DEGREE IN RUMINANT NUTRITION AND ABACHELOR'S IN ANIMAL SCIENCE, TO BE MGIC DIRECTOR IN OCTOBER 2018.DEVELOPED CLASSES FOR SPRING 2019 SEMESTER.SPRINGADDED A SUMMER SESSION TO ADAPT TO DIFFERENCES IN BUSY TIMES ON DAIRY FARMS ACROSS OUR SERVICEAREA.SPRING (12 WEEKS): DAIRY NUTRITION, MILK QUALITY, FARM BUSINESS MANAGEMENTSUMMER SESSION (6 WEEKS): DAIRY NUTRITION, MILK QUALITY, HOLISTIC MANAGEMENTFALL (12 WEEKS): RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, DAIRY CATTLE HEALTH PASTURE MANAGEMENT, FARMBUSINESS MANAGEMENTOPENED MGIC REGISTRATION TO ALL APPRENTICES FOR SPRING 2019 SEMESTER.DELIVERED INSTRUCTION TO 17 APPRENTICES.SUMMERDEVELOPED CONDENSED VERSION OF SPRING CLASSES FOR SUMMER SESSION 2019DEVELOPED CUSTOM ONLINE VERSION OF HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT.DELIVERED INSTRUCTION TO 18 APPRENTICES.COMPLETED ANNUAL RENEWAL FOR EDUCATIONAL APPROVAL PROGRAM WITH RELEVANT UPDATES.DGA ESTABLISHED EVALUATION PROCEDURES EMBEDDED IN EACH COURSE. INITIAL RESULTS ARE AVAILABLE FORSUMMER SESSION COURSES. RATING SCALE IS 1 = LOW TO 5 = HIGH.DAIRY CATTLE NUTRITION (4 RESPONSES): STUDENTS RATED THEIR KNOWLEDGE PRIOR TO THE CLASS AT 1.5 ANDAFTER THE CLASS AT 3.75. RESPONSES TO THE STATEMENT "THIS COURSE WAS USEFUL IN MOVING ME TOWARDMY FUTURE GOALS" AVERAGED 4.75.MILK QUALITY (3 RESPONSES), STUDENTS RATED THEIR KNOWLEDGE PRIOR TO THE CLASS AT 1.67 AND AFTER THECLASS AT 3.67. RESPONSES TO THE STATEMENT "THIS COURSE WAS USEFUL IN MOVING ME TOWARD MYFUTURE GOALS" AVERAGED 3.67.

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