Get the lowdown on
dairy production.
When you join agriculture from other industries, there can be a lot to learn. But if you can pair your existing functional knowledge with foundational knowledge in dairy, you can unlock a virtual super power. That's where Grounded in Ag comes in. Our programing takes you from farming to the market to give you a deep understanding of dairy production and use so you'll be positioned to build trust with customers and colleagues.
Learning from the Experts
One of the pieces that drives the impact of Grounded in Ag is that all of the courses and lessons include perspectives from people in the industry who live this day in and day out.
Each course provides decades of experience from people who live ag, and we ground it throughout the development and publishing process with team members who have recently joined agriculture to ensure the material is understandable and accessible. The full list of experts helping with Ag 101, Sustainability, and Focus on Livestock is on our website, and our dairy experts include farmers, a veterinarian, a cooperative employee who can speak to getting dairy to the shelf in the grocery, and more!
A Systems Approach to Building Knowledge
Our courses are designed to meet people where they are and begin developing the depth of knowledge, vocabulary, and understanding of agriculture that can be elusive to build without focused, structured efforts. For people seeking to understand dairy production, there is a four-course program.
Ag 101 and Sustainability Set the Foundation
The Ag 101 course provides multiple sources across the US to provide you with the basic building blocks you need to understand agriculture, but more than that, we give you the context you need to put that information to work right away. The video modules in this course are designed to help you understand:
- Farmers, the way they set up their businesses, the changes they see happening, and their communities
- The industry and business as it works in the real world, with topics including cash flow, mental health, equipment, and farming organizations
The Sustainability course will help you understand the intersection of agriculture and sustainability and what that means for people and planet.
- Sustainability from multiple perspectives discussing varying approaches to soil, water, carbon and climate, pollinators and wildlife, and people.
- Farm tours to show you how farmers apply sustainability concepts to their daily work and business decisions
(more than 6.5 hours running time)
Depth in Livestock Comes Via Focus
Once you have the foundational knowledge of agriculture, we begin layering in depth. This course covers raising livestock for food. Lessons come from farmers and experts who have spent years, many even decades, in their fields or fields of study.
The lessons in this course lay the groundwork for livestock and are geared around two major areas -- the day-to-day management and the broader approach to animal care and handling.
Farmer experts discuss their day-to-day work and decisions, including indoor/outdoor management, the role of feed, pasture management, genetics, and more. When it comes to animal care and handling, Dr. Temple Grandin talks about maintaining low-stress environments, and veterinarian Dr. Marybeth Feutz talks about health management.
(almost 2 hours running time)
Deep Dive into Dairy
Our Dairy Program includes all the materials from Ag 101, Sustainability, and Focus on Livestock with a course focusing on the details of dairy production. We show the day-to-day on the farm and dive into the expertise others bring dairy as it moves toward the market.
This module includes video and printed materials to accompany lessons on:
- Dairy Facts and Trivia
- An Overview of a Production Year – A visual look at the various points of the season.
- Getting to Know Dairy Farms – We look at a couple of dairy farms and see similarities & difficulties.
- Deeper in Dairy Farming – With a lifetime on the farm and studying dairy, Ashley walks us through some of the commonalities & differences layering in more of the why and how decisions are made.
- Dairy Veterinary Health – A veterinarian shares about the role played and various priorities.
- Getting Dairy to the Market –How is the dairy industry set up to get milk from farm, through processing to the market? Let's look.
- Dairy Organizations, Media, and Events to Know
(more than 3 hours running time)
Extend Learning About Crops and Livestock
Grounded in Ag has programming that includes the basics on livestock sectors and commodity crops. Each commodity course takes a similar approach, moving from basics to greater depth and insight, and the full package (more than 30 hours) comes at a reasonable rate. The full slate of courses includes:
New to ag or taking on a new role in dairy? Milk this program for all it's worth!
Grounded in Ag is set up so the core video classes are accompanied by downloadables, vocabulary, and resource links. That's because getting new talent into agriculture is important to help address food production needs and the challenges facing the planet. But without a background in ag, it is far too easy to walk straight into something that leaves a mark on you. We want you to fully leveage this program to help you excel in your career.
