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INVESTIGATOR: Herring, D. M.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
WOLFE'S NECK FARM FOUNDATION,THE
184 BURNETT RD
FREEPORT, MAINE 04032

WOLFE`S NECK FARM DAIRY FARMER APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Organic dairy farms are disappearing nationwide and in the State of Maine. Existing farmers are getting older and new farmers face critical barriers to entering the field. At the same time, demand for organic milk is increasing and confinement dairy operations that deplete natural resources and reduce the number of owner-operated farms are expanding their herds to meet industry needs. Wolfe's Neck Farm's Dairy Farmer Apprenticeship Program (DFAP) aims to address these issues by sustainably strengthening the livestock and dairy agriculture system. The long-term goal of Wolfe's Neck Farm's DFAP is to increase the production of organic milk in the northeast while fostering the next generation of organic dairy farms and improving their profitability and sustainability.To achieve this goal, Wolfe's Neck Farm (WNF) is expanding and scaling their Dairy Farmer Apprenticeship Program. Beginning farmers live and work on WNF's educational farm for a two-year apprenticeship in which they gain experiential employment and mentoring as well as formal classroom instruction and business mentoring. The DFAP will create an infrastructure for learning, innovation and training to help grow the dairy industry and identify a successful path to sustainable dairy farming in New England. Increasing the presence of sustainable dairy farms will ultimately improve local economies, prevent farm loss and provide environmental services that will benefit both farmers and their communities.

OBJECTIVES: The long-term goal of Wolfe's Neck Farm's Dairy Farmer Apprenticeship Program (DFAP) is to increase the production of organic milk in the northeast while fostering the next generation of organic dairy farms and improving their profitability and sustainability.To achieve thisgoal, the DFAP will achieve the following overarching objective:Integrate the Wisconsin-based and nationally accredited Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (DGA) program into the Educational Farm model at Wolfe's Neck Farm and use this model to support the expansion of Master Training farms into New England.To achieve this integration and expansion, Wolfe's Neck Farm will undertake the following five specific objectives:Expand and scale Wolfe's Neck Farm Apprentice programAdapt DGA's experiential training guidelines to an educational farm modelReplicate and adapt the DGA classroom education in New EnglandIdentify a successful path to dairy farm operation and ownership in New EnglandPosition Wolfe Neck's Farm as a New England regional hub for the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship1. Currently, Wolfe's Neck Farm's Dairy Farmer Apprenticeship Program is hosting the first class of four beginning farmers that live and work on the farm for a two-year apprenticeship. To maximize the advantages of the educational farm model, the project will double the number of apprentices and scale to eight beginning farmers by the end of 2016. As an educational farm with an existing dairy, Wolfe's Neck Farm is able to support multiple apprentices. WNF's non-profit status will allow it to quickly scale the program and make use of multiple funding streams that are not available to private farms. By doubling the number of apprentices trained per year, the Dairy Farmer Apprenticeship Program will become a hub for education and training that will efficiently grow the sustainable dairy industry in New England. With multiple apprentices, WNF will develop relationships with regional partner farms that could host apprentices for additional education and training.2.Objectives 2 and 3 necessitate a deeper explanation of the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship. DGA is the first formal apprenticeship for farming in the country and it aims to create a new generation of farmers who are independent owners of grazing dairy farms. DGA matches an apprentice with a Master Dairy Grazier for two years. The 4,000 hour program includes 3,712 hours of employment and mentoring at a Master Training farm and 288 hours of additional classroom instruction. As a DGA partner, Wolfe's Neck Farm will offer apprentices the same two-year training at their dairy with the same focus on (1) experiential, on-farm employment and mentoring and (2) classroom instruction. To ensure that the employment and mentoring hours are suitable for an educational farm model, Wolfe's Neck farm will adapt DGA's training guidelines. DGA uses a checklist of skills in their training guidelines to direct the apprentices' experience and to assess their abilities. The Dairy Farmer Apprenticeship Program will expand upon this checklist and develop a curriculum that is New England specific and that effectively maximizes the advantages of an educational farm model.3.The 288 hours of classroom instruction in the DGA program include seminars and online courses at Wisconsin-based schools. In order to strengthen the viability and relevance of beginning dairy farmer training in New England, WNF's Dairy Farmer Apprenticeship Program will replicate the DGA classroom education in New England. This will include developing and formalizing regional education partnerships.4. DGA also provides financial planning and farm transition services through Cadwallader Consulting. While WNF apprentices will benefit from these services, the Dairy Farmer Apprenticeship Program will develop regional business planning support services and transition planning to ensure the successful path to farm operation and ownership in New England. WNF will accomplish this objective by developing a Business Mentorship Program for apprentices and through further development of partnerships with organizations and businesses that will support the transition process. 5. In order to position Wolfe's Neck Farm as a regional hub for the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship, WNF will also support the expansion of Master Training farms in New England. The DGA Master Farm model links aspiring dairy farmers with current farmers for two years of on-farm employment and mentorship. Apprentices are matched with an established farmer, a Master Dairy Grazier, and also have an opportunity for equity transfer, a model that helps transition apprentices into dairy grazing careers. The expansion of Master Training farms, in conjunction with the development of WNF's Dairy Farmer Apprenticeship Program, will provide significant opportunities for new and beginning dairy farmers in the region. Increased opportunities for training and ownership will allow for meaningful growth and will ultimately increase the strength of dairy farming in Maine. As a regional hub for the DGA and dairy farming education and training, Wolfe's Neck Farm will also be positioned to host conferences and workshops to benefit farmers throughout New England.