Gaining ground with grass

EAST TROY, Wis. — Ursula Reid has a willingness to learn, lead, farm and conserve. Understanding the intricacies of grazing is her current focus as she continues to grow in her knowledge of pasturing animals as an apprentice under Chaz Self.

Reid’s passion for farming and dedication to grazing systems was recognized as she was named the  2025 Apprentice of the Year by the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship, which is housed within the Dairy Grazing Alliance.

“DGA is a pretty cool organization for getting people into agriculture and farming,” Reid said.

Reid is in the second year of her apprenticeship with Self as her mentor. Self and his wife, Megan, own Grassway Organics near East Troy, where they milk 60 grass-fed Jersey cows in a 16-swing parlor and practice rotational grazing on 260 acres.

“Every farmer is dealing with trying to teach the next generation,” Self said. “I’m a first-generation farmer, and I had to go through technical schooling that focused on all types of farming, not just grazing. I like being able to pass my knowledge onto someone else who wants to start their own grazing operation.”

Reid said the requirements for the DGA apprenticeship include 4,000 hours under a mentor and numerous classroom hours.

“It’s interesting to learn more of the broader sense of what people do in different operations in the grazing realm,” Reid said. “It seems there are not a lot of people who do it and do it as intensely as we do.”

Previously, Reid had minimal knowledge on the topic and she said she was excited to learn as much as she could about grazing and pasture management.

“I’ve learned that paying attention to your pastures and seeing what grass is in the field is critical,” she said. “I’ve also learned about nutrient management, determining the adequate size of pasture to give cows for day and evening portions, and lots about waterline and fence management. It was fun working with Chaz and learning how he has made the decisions he has with grazing.”

Reid is also learning about how grazing is impacted by weather conditions.

“You could have droughts that impact how much you give the cows or lots of rain that would make grass grow at different rates to make you change the amount of space you provide,” Reid said. “Knowing how much to give cows and all the ways to avoid bloat in a grass-based system are important. We make sure there is dry hay available.”

Reid has also learned how to make hay and drive tractors.

“Ursula is enjoyable to be around,” Self said. “She’s happy to be here and has the willingness to learn. She can deal well with chaos on the farm and is able to adapt to different situations.”

Self’s desire to educate future farmers has inspired him to take Reid and others like her under his wing.

“Being able to nourish passion in dairy for people who want to get into it is a big thing for me,” Self said. “It’s really nice to have someone like Reid, whom I can rely on and is actually interested in what she is doing.”

The apprenticeship has become a 2-way street for Reid and Self, where mentor and mentee are learning from each other.

“Her strengths are my weaknesses,” Self said. “Everything I’m good at, I was able to teach Ursula, but everything I’m bad at, she’s really good at. We can learn from each other — it’s not just me mentoring Ursula.”

Reid worked at Grassway Organics prior to her mentorship and has been a member of the team for 4.5 years. In that time, she has immersed herself in many aspects of the farm — from managing its Pizza on the Farm venture and working in their farm store to milking cows and doing daily chores. Caring for livestock is central to her current role.

“I’ve learned so much here,” Reid said. “I’ve learned a lot about milk quality as well as livestock care and doing it organically. I had a foundational understanding, but doing it day in and day out, I’ve learned a lot more. There are many business things to consider. We also dabble a lot in agritourism.”

Animal health is another area Reid focuses on. She monitors cows daily when they come through the parlor and is knowledgeable in dry cow management and calf care management.

“It’s never boring,” Reid said. “There is always something going on and lots to be adaptable to in the moment. You have to be flexible.”

Reid’s favorite part of her job is working with the animals.

“Cows are pretty cool,” Reid said. “I’ve always been fascinated with cows, and I’m fond of Jerseys. I grew up on a farm, … (where) we raised chickens, ducks and turkeys. Growing up in that space always made me interested in agriculture and wanting to be a part of it more.”

Trusting Reid to take over when he is not there is another quality Self finds noteworthy in Reid

“Ursula is a good leader,” he said. “A lot of people don’t have leadership skills, and if they don’t, it’s tough to feel comfortable leaving and not worrying about your farm in their hands. I actually go on vacation because Ursula is here.”

A conservation-minded individual, Reid said she has enjoyed seeing farmers in the area working to protect their watersheds.

“We just became involved with our county’s producer-led watershed group through the (Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection) program,” Reid said. “It’s been great for both of us to be involved in playing a role in protecting our watersheds and doing all the conservation work that goes along with that.”

The apprenticeship experience Reid said has further fueled her excitement for agriculture. She said the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship can stand in as a form of higher education and also qualifies an individual for loans.

“I’ve discerned there are lots of different avenues to help finance young farmers getting into agriculture that might not always be known,” Reid said.

Reid said she hopes to own a farm someday.

“I’m looking to get my own property — that’s the next big thing,” she said. “I’m reworking my business plan and reaching out to farms and farmers and trying to find an acreage that I could either own or that’s available for lease. I’m open to a lot of opportunities.”

A grazing-focused dairy is the goal, but Reid said it depends on the type of infrastructure available. She would like to milk cows, graze livestock or custom raise heifers.

“If tomorrow Ursula were to call me and say she bought a farm, I would have 100% confidence she would do a good job,” Self said.