For Logan Keister, a high school senior at Milton Hershey School in Pennsylvania, his interest in agriculture started on his grandfather’s beef farm. Logan is unsure what the future looks like for his family’s business but he hopes to be part of it one day. He decided to complete the Center for Dairy Excellence’s Dairy Laborer Pre-Apprenticeship Program – a gateway program into the Dairy Herd Manager Apprenticeship Program – to explore his options and make connections within the industry while he’s still in high school.
“The pre-apprenticeship has helped me learn about a lot of different opportunities in the dairy industry that I wouldn’t have ever thought of. I’ve also learned how to actually run an operation,” Logan shared. “I want to get my foot in the door of the agriculture world since I don’t know how long my family farm is going to stay around.”
The pre-apprenticeship program gives him hands-on learning opportunities on dairy farms across Pennsylvania. These learning opportunities include immersive labs and farm tours that allow him to explore different careers and meet dairy professionals. Logan hopes to complete the Dairy Herd Manager Apprenticeship after graduation and maybe one day go to college. The options are endless, and the pre-apprenticeship program is giving him the foundation to build his skillsets and explore different career fields.
“I like all the hands-on experiences. Someone might be interested in agriculture but they don’t know exactly what aspect they want to pursue. These experiences give us the chance to come out and see what all goes into a dairy operation. We can make more informed decisions about what we want to do in our futures,” Logan added.
Like so many generations before him, it’s the excitement of what a new day brings on the farm and being able to give back to others that intrigues him about working in agriculture.
“I like the fact that every day is a new day. It’s not always going to be the same, and every day is another challenge. I like taking care of animals and giving back to my community,” Logan shared.
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The Dairy Laborer Pre-Apprenticeship was registered by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry in December of 2023. The purpose of this Dairy Laborer Pre-Apprenticeship is to provide students an opportunity to gain foundational knowledge, information, and skills about the dairy industry; prepare individuals to enter and succeed in the Registered Dairy Herd Manager Apprenticeship; and allow students to explore and learn about exciting careers in the dairy and agriculture industry. Pre-apprentices in the program must complete the Introduction to Dairy and the Dairy Herd Management online courses in the Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow curriculum.
Learn more about the Dairy Laborer Pre-Apprenticeship program.