Dairy Grazing Alliance, dedicated to growing all parts of the dairy grazing sector, launched recently at the Sustainable Agriculture Summit. The summit was held through November 21 in Minneapolis.
"I'm really proud of the incredible work Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship has done since its founding in 2010," said Joe Tomandl, a fourth-generation dairy farmer in central Wisconsin, and Founder of Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship and Dairy Grazing Alliance. "Dairy Grazing Alliance expands on this work in order to grow the sector as a whole. As consumer demand for pasture-raised dairy intensifies, more attention and investment is needed across the value chain. We're confident the Alliance will usher in an exciting new chapter for dairy grazing and dairy grazing farmers."
In late spring of 2024, Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship, now housed under the alliance, brought together more than 35 changemakers from across the U.S. dairy industry. This included dairy farmers, technical support organizations, government agencies, financial institutions, among others. During this convening, participants agreed that in order to realize the full potential of U.S. dairy grazing, all parts of the value chain must grow. Dairy Grazing Alliance was identified as the organization to lead this growth toward a more vibrant dairy grazing sector.
Alliance stakeholders will work together to develop new dairy grazing markets and all aspects of the value chain. The organization will foster cooperation and inspire innovation and action between farming operations, major CPG brands, research institutions, among others, a press release shared.
Increasingly, consumers are interested in dairy from cows raised on pasture. Globally, the market for grass-fed milk is expected to grow 22.4 percent in the next 10 years, according to MMR Research. Yet the U.S. dairy grazing sector has not kept pace. By aligning players from across the value chain, the Alliance will build new markets for dairy produced through managed grazing by increasing the financing, research and technical resources required to scale production for emerging markets.
Dairy Grazing Alliance will focus on three primary pillars: enhancing the economic viability of managed grazing farms; providing producers with resources, education and technical assistance; and convening dairy grazing stakeholders to build an effective movement for the sector's growth. Alliance stakeholders will work directly on financing, market development, farm profitability, production systems, and research, policy and advocacy for dairy grazing.
Part of the Alliance's work will also be to advocate for and advance continued research studies that showcase dairy grazing's environmental benefits. Managed dairy grazing is a significant tool in the U.S. dairy industry’s toolbox of effective climate solutions.
“As a farmer and a board member of Dairy Grazing Alliance, I'm excited to be part of an organization that has the right people, connections and know-how to make a positive economic and environmental impact," said Eric Sheffer, Board President for Dairy Grazing Alliance. “The Alliance will help dairy grazing farmers be successful by providing needed services and developing markets that value their capacity to mitigate climate change, regenerate soil health, improve water quality, and revitalize rural communities.”
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