Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Announces Its 2025 “Apprentice of the Year”

Madison, Wis. Feb. 4, 2026 — Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship , housed within Wisconsin-based Dairy Grazing Alliance (DGA), today announced its 2025 “Apprentice of the Year” is Ursula Reid, an Apprentice with Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship at Grassway Organics in East Troy, Wis.

Nominations for Reid noted her work ethic, passion and care for animals as a few of her outstanding qualities. She is in the second year of her Apprenticeship.

“Ursula is a leader and demonstrates compassion not only for animals, but for everyone she surrounds herself with,” said Reid's Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Mentor Chaz Self, owner of Grassway Organics.

Reid looks forward to someday practicing managed grazing on her own farm, but in the meantime, plans to continue her work with Grassway.

“My Apprenticeship with Grassway Organics — through the Dairy Grazing Alliance — is helping me build a great foundation that will take me in any direction I choose,” said Reid.

Reid is in discussions with Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship about leading various heifer grazing projects that could potentially be funded by DGA’s Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG). She would also like to pursue programs with ecosystem service benefits — providing payments to farmers for measurable environmental benefits — through Wisconsin’s new Water Quality Trading Clearinghouse .

“It has been a pleasure getting to know Ursula through her interest in our CIG project,” said Ashley Hughes, producer services manager for DGA who also manages the CIG project. “She has a strong understanding of grazing's benefits and a great entrepreneurial mindset.”

“It’s apprentices like Ursula that make my job the best,” said Kelsey Vance, an educational coordinator for Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship. “She’s so easy to connect with — open, honest and always making us smile. She has grown into a strong independent female farmer, ready to take on the next challenge.”

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About Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship

The Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship is making dairy farming a reality for a new generation. Housed within the Dairy Grazing Alliance , the Apprenticeship supports the transfer of farming wisdom from one generation to the next. It is a paid Apprenticeship that is registered with the U.S. Department of Labor.

Since the Apprenticeship was founded in 2010, it has provided more than 750,000 hours of on-farm training and related coursework in managed grazing dairy production to hundreds of aspiring farmers located in 16 states nationwide, including Iowa, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin. It is the first formal agricultural Apprenticeship in the nation.

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About Dairy Grazing Alliance

The Dairy Grazing Alliance (DGA) seeks to create a brighter future for America's dairy farmers by scaling the U.S. grass-based dairy sector's impact. Grass-based dairy farming, also known as managed grazing, is a proven model for revitalizing dairy farms by increasing farm profitability.

DGA is the nation's foremost, farmer-led organization committed to growing markets for grass-based dairy through market development and workforce training. Its leadership work is focused on three primary pillars: enhancing the economic viability of grass-based dairy farms; providing producers with resources, education and technical assistance; and convening dairy grazing stakeholders to build an effective movement to help grow the sector.

The Alliance, which houses the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship , includes a diverse group of stakeholders from across the dairy industry who seek to grow dairy grazing in America. It is fostering cooperation and inspiring innovation and action between farming operations,major CPG brands, research institutions, among others to develop the value chain for grass-based dairy.