Mentorship Program

The GrassWorks mentorship program is designed to help beginning graziers gain the skills they need for success by providing one-on-one mentoring with an experienced grazier for a one-year period. Farming involves a blend of knowledge, physical skills and adaptive management. Through the mentorship program, early career graziers will learn beside an experienced mentor, allowing them to understand their farm ecosystem, build skills, and manage the business of farming. Mentors will help their mentees learn to adaptively solve problems, connect to the wider grazing community, and access the resources available to them.

Mentor Eligibility and Responsibilities

Farmers are eligible to mentor if they have at least 5 years of managed grazing experience and farm themselves or have access to a managed grazing operation or local pasture walks to exhibit to their mentee. Mentors must be willing to commit at least 30 hours throughout the one year program, communicate regularly with the mentee, respond in a timely manner, use the provided Grazier Curriculum as a training guide, and maintain records of their mentoring activities.

Compensation

Upon pairing, mentors will be compensated with $1000 ($500 provided after the first meeting with the mentee and $500 after the completion of the mentorship year) and a free registration to one day of the Annual GrassWorks Grazing Conference for two years.

Pairing Mentors and Mentees

Mentors and Mentees will be paired based on their livestock type and class, farm distance, goals, and other criteria shared in the application process. The pair will interview each other and have the final approval of the mentoring relationship.