After a six-year hiatus, the university is bringing back Badger Dairy Camp. The camp, which previously ran from 1999 to 2018, was put on pause due to scheduling conflicts, staffing changes and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is being revived through funding from the Dairy Innovation Hub and various industry sponsors.
The camp, scheduled for July 9-12 at the UW-Madison campus, is tailored for middle and high school students ages 12 to 17. Organizers aim to showcase the vast career opportunities within an industry that contributes an estimated $52.3 billion annually to Wisconsin’s economy.
“The dairy industry is a lot more than a cow herself,” said Megan Lauber, a PhD candidate at UW-Madison who focuses on dairy youth programming. “We want these workshops and these activities to really give students an encompassing idea that as much as we love cows, that there is more aspects to the cow herself of the dairy industry and that it takes a lot of great hardworking people in various different areas to make this industry thrive.”
Wisconsin’s Ag Workforce Is Evolving
Agriculture drives about 9.5% of Wisconsin’s workforce, with dairy accounting for about a third of those jobs. However, as modern farming evolves, organizers say the sector increasingly relies on recruiting talent from outside traditional farming communities.
Lauber emphasized that the camp is designed to welcome students from all backgrounds, with no prior agricultural experience required. To make the program accessible, the out-of-pocket cost for students is set at $175, with sponsors and grant funds covering the remaining expenses.
Participants will explore four priority areas: land and water resources, human health and nutrition, animal health and welfare, and farm business and community. The camp also serves as a college-preparation tool, helping students navigate whether they want to pursue a two-year associate degree, a four-year bachelor’s degree or direct career training.
“I think it’s important when we work with students with different backgrounds, whether they come from an agricultural or non-agricultural background, that we remind ourselves that we all start as beginners,” Lauber said, noting the importance of keeping communication clear. “Agriculture, we like to use acronyms, but I always like to joke now with people, AI can mean a lot of different things from the farm of artificial insemination to artificial intelligence on the computer side.”
Registration for the camp closes June 1. The program is capped at 100 students, and more than 70 participants have already registered from states as far away as New York, Colorado and across the Midwest.
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