Category: Dairy and Livestock
The Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers can give you the edge you need to succeed in the pasture-based dairy and livestock industries. It is the only program of its kind in the nation. We offer our specialized training through traditional classroom activities, hands-on internships, and farm tours. We strongly emphasize the business and financial planning knowledge required to run a successful farm business. Classroom instruction at the school runs from the middle of November through the end of March — and our students typically participate in internships from April through July. For more information, visit the school’s website.
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Posted on May 1, 2018
Beginning Farmer Programs at CIAS
The Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems has been running intensive workshops for beginning farmers since 1995. Our schools, taught by experienced farmers, are packed with practical, how-to information, insights, inspiration, and a dose of the sometimes harsh realities involved in making a living from the land.
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Posted on August 3, 2016
Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers Course Available Online
Would-be farmers can now learn about pasture-based production and business management without leaving home. The Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers (WSBDF), the first course of its kind, is now available online.
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Posted on September 14, 2015
The Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers: Keeping the Dream of Farming Alive
As older farmers retire, fewer young farmers are stepping in to take their place. The number of beginning farmers dropped 20 percent in the last five-year census period, and the average US farmer now tops 58 years of age.
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Posted on April 22, 2013
Wisconsin Grazing Activities Resource List
The Wisconsin Grazing Activities Resource List (2013) contains information on current managed grazing and pasture-related organizations, contacts and research initiatives.
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Posted on January 25, 2013
Farm Business Principles for Success
Directors and educators with the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers (WSBDF) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison share advice and principles for starting and operating a successful farm business.
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Posted on January 15, 2013
Mentor-Intern Handbook for Dairy and Livestock Farmers
This handbook will help mentors develop their teaching skills as they progress through their first—or perhaps fortieth—internship.
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Posted on October 2, 2001
Starting your own dairy farm (Research Brief #58)
Despite volatile milk prices, hundreds of new farmers get started in dairying each year. Compared to other types of livestock farming, dairying can provide a higher income per animal, monthly paychecks, and, in many areas, more markets.
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Posted on October 1, 2001
Nurturing the Next Generation of Wisconsin’s Dairy Farmers
New dairy farmers often face high start-up costs for land, equipment and facilities. Volatile milk prices, long hours and hard work reduce the appeal of […]
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Posted on February 1, 2001
Starting—and succeeding—as a Wisconsin dairy farmer (Research Brief #56)
You don’t need to take over a family farm, or even grow up on a farm, to be a successful dairy farmer in Wisconsin. You […]
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Posted on January 4, 1999
Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy Farmers (Research Brief #37)
Wisconsin has suffered dramatic losses in numbers of dairy farms. While the decrease in part includes large numbers of retiring dairy farmers, the lack of […]