Stacie Koopal has been a DGA board member since 2018. She and her husband, Daryn, moved to the United States from New Zealand. They began the U.S. portion of their grazing career in 2012 in Missouri, milking between 600- 1100 cows — the number varying with the fluctuating size and needs of their farm. Today, they operate a grazing-based dairy farm in Southeast Ohio. They graze their 230 milking cows, plus youngstock, on approximately 300 acres of gently sloping grass pastures and woodlands in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

Stacie and Daryn were proud to be the first approved Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Mentors in Missouri. They have since hosted several Apprentices through the DGA Apprenticeship program. They believe strongly in the program and its benefits to Mentors, Apprentices and the dairy grazing industry.

Stacie joined DGA’s board to bring the perspective of a larger grazing farm, which was not represented on the board when she joined. She is most drawn to the Apprenticeship aspect of DGA, and loves to follow the successes of Apprentices as they advance through the program into journeyman status and then into agricultural business ownership.