DGA Update: Develop, Improve Skills With Our New Borrower Training Program

The Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship has some exciting news to share! DGA has been approved as a national vendor for FSA’s Borrower Training Program. Farm Service Agency, which requires financial management training for its beginning farmer loan agreements, has approved DGA to provide that training nationwide.

FSA works with local and national vendors to help borrowers develop and improve skills needed to run a successful farming operation. Financial management training by an approved vendor is required for FSA’s beginning farmer loan agreements.

The Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship was approved in 2012 as an FSA vendor for Wisconsin. DGA has since registered as a National Apprenticeship under the U.S. Department of Labor, expanded into 12 additional states, and opened its own online school, Managed Grazing Innovation Center (MGIC), which offers classes to apprentices and the public.

In the 12-week Farm Business Management class, students are introduced to business planning techniques, record-keeping practices, and tools for charting progress toward personal and business goals. Farm Business Management may be taken as a stand-alone course or as part of the “Managed Grazing Dairy” certificate, which is core curriculum for Apprentices and now available to everyone. The class is offered both Fall Semester and Spring Semester.

DGA and MGIC are supported in part by a 2017 Educational Enhancement Team (EET) grant from USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) and by other funding partners, industry sponsors, and individuals.

If you would like more information on taking the class or joining the Apprenticeship program, please contact me at 320-815-9293 or angie@sfa-mn.org.