Stepping with Purpose into My Role with Dairy Grazing Alliance

by Alex Peterson

More people should grow up navigating around cowpies. Cowpies teach us to be deliberate with our steps, lest we “step in it.” (Yes, that is where the phrase originates.) About a year ago, I reached a point in my life where I was ready to navigate in a new direction, "stepping with purpose" beyond my well-worn and familiar path.

After 15 years of working on our family’s grazing dairy in North Missouri, and a high level of engagement in the dairy industry via farmer board service, I had already moved quite a bit beyond the farmgate. I enjoyed representing farmer interests, highlighting dairy industry research and promoting U.S. dairy to consumers locally, nationally, and to the farthest corners of the globe. I am proud to have helped efforts to build demand and capture value for U.S. dairy farmers from within the supply chain. On all fronts, it was encouraging to meet and work with skilled professionals supporting our farm families. 

The irony of my story is that despite all of my interactions within the dairy community, I was oblivious to the existence of Dairy Grazing Alliance (DGA) and its mission to catalyze the development of and support for a vibrant U.S. dairy grazing sector. My friend Eric made a connection, and I became increasingly impressed the more I discovered. Founder, Executive Director and dairy farmer Joe Tomandl has expanded the organization's work beyond the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship to build a viable market for dairy grazing farms. 

It is an honor for me to purposefully step into my DGA role as the Alliance's Senior Director, Corporate Partnerships & Market Development, seeking potential growth pathways for the U.S. grazing dairy sector so it can become as robust as consumers want it to be. Consumer demand for grass-fed products, those produced by grazing dairy farms, is far outpacing what our domestic market is delivering.

The U.S. grass-fed dairy market was valued at $4.64 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach nearly $7 billion by 2031. This consumer demand is driving growth in high-fat, value-added products: U.S. cheese consumption hit 41.9 pounds per capita in 2024, and butter consumption is at a nearly 60-year high of 6.8 pounds per capita. Among the value-added propositions, there is a strong draw to dairy products that come from cows that are grass-fed and spend meaningful time on pasture. Kerrygold sold a billion dollars of butter produced in Ireland into the United States last year. Consumers tout its distinct flavor and golden color, a result of a dairy cow's forage-dominant diet. This is a clear signal to our farmers, processors and brands: there is a huge opportunity for U.S. grass-fed dairy. 

How can current and future U.S. dairy graziers meet consumer demand that is swelling from niche to mid-market? We have a unique opportunity at DGA to answer this question, serving as the nucleus of the U.S. grass-fed dairy industry. As part of this, DGA is building a clear science-based and market-valued grazing and grass-fed standard as a baseline for the entire industry. This standard will utilize new era tools, such as satellite pasture monitoring, to assist graziers and efficiently certify farms, with fatty acid testing being used to verify a grass-fed diet. 

Such a standard will provide confidence for consumers and the marketplace, while supporting current and future capable grazing operations. It is not about requiring every dairy to adopt grazing practices, but rather about establishing a reliable framework that enables farms choosing this path to participate in a trusted grass-fed segment. 

I am biased, but I believe a vibrant grass-fed dairy sector enhances the entire dairy industry by offering the full suite of domestically produced choices for consumers, compelling stories for brands, and another production system option for our dairy farm families.

Whether you are a dairy producer, processor or consumer-facing market participant interested in learning more, or a fellow grazier looking to help or be helped, I invite you to connect with us. DGA is focused on building partnerships that support and strengthen the full spectrum of U.S. dairy.

Please feel free to reach out to me directly if you think I am about to “step in it” at alex@dga-national.org.

Alex Peterson

Senior Director, Corporate Partnerships & Market Development

Dairy Grazing Alliance