Progressive Dairy Podcast: Recent Episodes

Progressive Dairy editors

The Progressive Dairy podcast is for U.S. dairy producers and their industry partners. Each helpful, informative episode serves as an on-the-go companion to the reliable, trustworthy information you find when reading Progressive Dairy magazine. New episodes are released every other week on Tuesdays.

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, host Kimmi Devaney visits with five dairy producers representing a variety of herd sizes and geographic regions about what agritourism looks like on their farms, how they got started, their advice for other producers interested in doing something similar and much more. Whether you are interested in doing your first farm tour, hosting an open house, scheduling regular tours, opening up the farm for several weekends or anything in between, you’ll learn a lot of tips and insights from Will Gladstone from Newmont Farm in Vermont, Josh Snider from Snider Dairy Farm in North Carolina, Amy Kelsay from Kelsay Farms in Indiana, David Volleman from Volleman’s Dairy in Texas and Derrick Josi from Wilsonview Dairy in Oregon.

Here's a breakdown of the episode:

About their farms and what agritourism looks like on their operations [~1:15]
Their inspiration for welcoming the general public onto the farm [~5:45]
All five producers describe their process for preparing the farm for visitors in the days and weeks prior to a farm tour/open house/agritourism season [~9:55]
Lessons learned [~14:40]
Greatest challenges related to their agritourism activities and how these producers overcame them [~19:00]
How they market their events to their target audience [~23:15]
Staffing needed for a variety of agritourism activities, including the recruitment and training process [~27:40]
Helpful resources [~34:20]
What to know about insurance and limited liability laws [~37:40]
Advice for other dairy producers considering adding farm tours, a farm camp, an open house, a fall festival or other forms of agritourism [~41:00]
Rapid-fire questions [~47:50]

ChatGPT and other Artificial Intelligence systems have taken the world by storm, generating debates on the potential benefits and threats of wider AI applications. But what is different about these systems and how could this impact the dairy industry?

Here is a breakdown of the episode:

01:10 Perspectives on new advances in Artificial Intelligence technology and generative AI such as ChatGPT.

02:29 What is different about generative AI and what it can do for the dairy industry.

04:57 Potential applications of AI models and their value.

07:40 Challenges in applying generative AI in dairy tech.

11:52 Concerns around data privacy and security and approaches to managing these issues.

13:56 Staying on top of the rapid developments in the AI space.

16:17 Race to Replace: will AI take over our jobs?

This episode is sponsored by Connecterra.

Connecterra is an artificial intelligence company on a mission to empower the dairy industry to become more efficient while reducing impact on the planet. We are headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, with teams in Europe and the United States. Our solution is the Connecterra platform, which transforms data into intelligent digital experiences and products for farmers, advisors and dairy companies. Our customers and partners include some of the largest global brands in the dairy industry.

Listen in with our dairy farmer hosts, New York’s Audrey Donahoe and Georgia’s Jennifer Glover, as they talk with registered dietitians Katie Brown, Senior Vice President at National Dairy Council, and Abigail Copenhaver of Farmstead Nutrition & Consulting about what the dietary guidelines are, how they evolve, who follows them and how that affects dairy.

To learn more about the national dairy checkoff and your local dairy checkoffs, please visit usdairy.com/for-farmers.

This episode is sponsored by Dairy Management Inc.

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, guest host and Progressive Dairy editorial intern Michelle Stangler visits with two young adults who work on dairy farms – Max Shenkenberg and Aubrey Schlimgen – about how Schlimgen's experiences of growing up on a dairy farm and Shenkenberg's experience not being involved in the dairy industry until college have both led them to where they are today. Listen in to hear what it’s like as a young adult being part of the dairy community, what ideas they contribute, and how they are advocating for dairy and young people alike.

Here’s a breakdown of the episode:

Overview of their involvement in the dairy industry [~0:40]
Shenkenberg’s first experience in the dairy industry [~1:28]
How the World Dairy Expo showed Shenkenberg what opportunities are available in the dairy industry [~2:08]
Why he majored in dairy science [~2:22]
What Shenkenberg has learned from college that has been helpful in his full-time role as a herd manager [~3:47]
Valuable opportunities during college [~4:29]
Schlimgen’s reasoning for taking a few years off from college after high school graduation [~5:34]
Mindset when balancing leadership positions while being on the farm [~7:56]
Managing logistics on the farm – both maintaining relationships and working with family [~9:37]
What the full-time role looks like for Shenkenberg, in addition to challenges day to day [~10:53]
Specific challenges as a young adult on the dairy farm for Shenkenberg [~13:34]
Positions after college graduation [~14:56]
Schlimgen’s typical week working on the dairy farm [~16:21]
How she’s overcoming challenges [~18:41]
Young perspectives brought to the dairy industry [~21:17]
Schlimgen’s perspective [~23:02]
Contributed ideas led to more technology on the farm [~25:30]
Ways Shenkenberg is advocating for the dairy industry, specifically with social media [~28:23]
Favorite TikTok video created [~30:37]
Feedback from videos [~31:12]
Ways Schlimgen advocates for the dairy industry on social media [~32:12]
What it looks like serving in leadership positions for Schlimgen [~34:19]
What fuels Schlimgen to stay involved in the dairy industry [~35:24]
Shenkenberg’s viewpoint [~36:45]
Advice Schlimgen has for getting started in the dairy industry [~38:38]
Advice after not growing up on a dairy farm from Shenkenberg [~40:14]
Rapid-fire questions [~41:48]

the future of the lactating herd, but they determine your long-term profitability. That’s why providing them with adequate and consistent vitamin and trace mineral nutrition is important to help support optimal growth, health, immunity, reproduction and hoof integrity.

Melissa Holtz, technical calf nutrition and business manager for Land O’Lakes Animal Milk Solutions & Purina Animal Nutrition, joins us today to share when to start implementing vitamin and mineral nutrition into your heifer diets and why it is so important for your herd's overall growth, health and reproduction.

Q: Vitamins and minerals play a crucial role in the overall growth and reproductive development of dairy heifers. When should a producer start incorporating a mineral supplement into their replacement heifer diets and why?

Q: How does a mineral supplement in the postweaning phase set the calf up for success later in life?

Q: We understand digital dermatitis in dairy heifers has been an ongoing issue for producers. How can producers utilize a DD mineral formula to help mitigate digital dermatitis issues in their heifers?

Q: Why is it important to provide a mineral supplement before, during and after breeding?

Q: How do heifer minerals promote a healthy pregnancy and newborn calf?

Q: Where can producers go to learn more about Purina’s heifer mineral product options?

To learn more about incorporating a mineral supplement into your heifer diets, talk with your Purina representative or visit purinamills.com.

Melissa Holtz, MA

Technical Calf Nutrition & Business Manager

Land O’Lakes Animal Milk Solutions

mlholtz@landolakes.com

This episode is sponsored by Purina Animal Nutrition.

Purina Animal Nutrition LLC is a national organization serving producers, animal owners and their families through more than 4,700 local cooperatives, independent dealers and other large retailers throughout the United States. Driven to unlock the greatest potential in every animal, the company is an industry-leading innovator offering a valued portfolio of complete feeds, supplements, premixes, ingredients and specialty technologies for the livestock and lifestyle animal markets.

Did you know? … there are more than 30 different stressors that can affect the health and performance of dairy cows. Knowing how these stressors work and how they affect your cows can help you reduce their negative impacts on your herd. Jefo Nutrition has developed an initiative to help producers better understand and manage everyday stressors. Know stress, no stress at JefoDairyStressors.com.

This episode is sponsored by Jefo.

Jefo is a global leader in high-performance, non-medicated nutritional solutions for animals. Founded in Canada in 1982, the company offers innovative, cost-effective, and efficient solutions in over 80 countries. With its commitment to Life, Made Easier, Jefo aims to improve animal health and increase human longevity by feeding growing populations with better sources of protein.

In this episode, meet Tennessee dairy producer and dairy advocate Stephanie Nash. The Nash family moved their dairy from California to Tennessee in the last 10 years and in the last few years added a creamery and agritourism. Listen in to learn what they did differently when building the new dairy in Tennessee, how they revamped their calf program, their experiences with on-farm processing and welcoming the general public to their farm and creamery, and what else Stephanie is doing to teach consumers about dairy.

Here's a breakdown of the episode:

About Nash Family Farms in Tennessee [~1:10]
When and why they left California [~2:30]
Their priorities when building their new dairy facilities in Tennessee [~4:10]
Stephanie’s role on the farm [~6:20]
How they changed their calf program after moving to the Southeast [~8:30]
Other farm management changes they made when moving to Tennessee [~10:25]
The biggest challenge they faced when moving the dairy farm across the nation [~11:30]
Why they opened Nash Family Creamery and started on-farm processing [~14:15]
Their transition into on-farm processing [~16:00]
Products offered at Nash Family Creamery [~16:50]
Feedback from visitors to the farm and creamery [~17:35]
How they celebrated National Dairy Month and National Ice Cream Month [~19:45]
Agritourism on the farm [~20:25]
Farm camp [~21:55]
Highlights from the 2023 farm camp season [~23:00]
Farm camp marketing [~24:20]
Other farm tours [~25:10]
Stephanie’s advice for other producers interested in adding agritourism [~25:35]
The perspective Stephanie and her brother, Cody, bring to the operation as millennials [~27:20]
Stephanie’s future goals and plans [~29:30]
About Stephanie’s advocacy on national media outlets [~31:00]
Other advocacy activities [~32:30]
Rapid-fire questions [~34:50]

Beef on dairy has been in the news over the past few years as dairy farmers search for ways to add value to their businesses. In today’s episode Brady Hicks with Simplot Animal Sciences, along with Nampa, Idaho, dairy farmer Joe Stewart to talk about using full beef embryos to take advantage of this trend and create new revenue opportunities for dairy farmers.

Here is a breakdown of the episode:

Who is Brady Hicks and Simplot Animal Sciences. [~0:41]
Using Beef embryos in a targeted breeding protocol [~2:10]
Criteria for sire selection for beef embryos. [~3:15]
Partnership with Select Sires [~3:50]
Training embryo technicians [~4:50]
Ongoing research [~6:50]
How can you learn more? [~8:05]
How can these embryos be integrated into a dairy’s system [~8:59]
How long have you need using Beef embryos? [~11:02]
How are embryos incorporated into your breeding program [~12:20]
Conception rate of the embryos [~14:04]
What do you do with the resulting calves? [~14:24]
Performance of beef dairy cross cattle vs full beef embryo calves [~15:57]
How are you marketing your beef? [~17:50]
Conclusions [~19:36]

Learn more at herdflex.com.

This episode is sponsored by Simplot Animal Sciences.

Simplot's Animal Sciences team uses an innovative approach to provide advanced reproductive solutions for beef and dairy cattle producers to improve efficiency, productivity, and profitability in a changing market. Combining extensive experience in agribusiness with the latest in reproductive solutions, the Animal Sciences team developed the innovative SimVitro™-branded platform for improving genetics and reproductive efficiency in dairy and beef cattle.

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, host Kimmi Devaney visits with Kansas dairy producer Lee Holtmeier from Linn Willow Creek Dairy about their employee culture, what they do to mentor and empower employees, and how they keep employee turnover low.

Here is the breakdown of the episode:

How Holtmeier got into the dairy business midway through his career [~1:00]
Linn Willow Creek Dairy’s business structure [~4:10]
How the dairy has grown over the past 24 years and what it looks like now [~5:20]
Their priorities for building a great employee culture [~7:40]
About their regular team meetings [~10:45]
How they mentor and empower employees [~11:50]
Holtmeier’s mentorship process to prepare his assistant manager to be the next dairy manager [~14:20]
The most effective things Holtmeier did to prepare his assistant manager for success in his new managerial role [~17:15]
Overview of their onboarding process [~21:30]
Ongoing training opportunities [~23:35]
The three core values of their employee culture [~25:50]
Rapid-fire questions [~28:00]

Learn from Steve Maddox, owner of Maddox Dairy, and Dr. Greg Goodell, owner of The Dairy Authority, as they discuss the workflow and efficiency benefits of sample based pregnancy testing with IDEXX’s Charles Perotti. Speaking from the producer’s perspective and from veterinarians’ this episode demonstrates how IDEXX Alertys™ sample based testing can increase access and reduce lock up times, with long term sustainable benefits to veterinarians and cow comfort.

This episode is sponsored by IDEXX.

IDEXX is the global leader in veterinary diagnostic tests and services to monitor the health of herd and flock animals worldwide. With an expert team of on-farm and veterinary professionals and 40 years of experience, IDEXX has been developing innovative solutions to improve the reproductive performance and generate higher return on investment. IDEXX Alertys™ pregnancy tests increase operational efficiency and reduce days open, improving herd health with accurate, fast results.

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, host Jenn Coyne visits with Josh Mendenhall, founder and chief brand officer of Spylt. The product is a dairy-based chocolate energy drink that is shelf stable, high in protein, low in sugar and lactose-free. Mendenhall worked with several dairy partners, including Dairy Farmers of America, to create this product and was recognized as the 2022 New York MilkLaunch Champion, which is an accelerator for driving dairy-based product consumption to Gen Z.

Here is a breakdown of the episode:

Talk about Spylt and how the idea of such a product came to be. [~1:28]
Why is this concept of a dairy caffeinated drink important to you? [~3:36]
How did your upbringing and connection to the dairy industry guide you in developing this product? [~5:01]
Tell us about how the Dairy Farmers of America accelerator program, the New York MilkLaunch Campaign and your own ambassador program have been pivotal in launching Spylt. [~7:29]
What is most exciting about each of these programs in how they’ve helped you achieve your goals? [~14:27]
How do you plan to use the funds received from the MilkLaunch Campaign? [~16:03]
Why did you choose the target audience as Gen Z? [~18:17]
What’s next for you and your brand? [~19:52]
Rapid-fire questions [~22:06]

Contact Josh Mendenhall:

josh@SPYLT.com

www.SPYLT.com

Heifers are one of the most valuable assets for a dairy operation. They are the future of the milking herd and ultimately determine the profitability and longevity of your business. Research has shown that early calf care and nutrition are the foundation for and can significantly impact the future growth, potential milk production, reproduction and overall health of your replacement dairy heifers.

Dr. Rebecca Klopp, calf and heifer specialist for Purina Animal Nutrition, is joining us today to share why care and nutrition play an important role in overall calf health, growth and future milk production performance.

Q: What role does early-life nutrition, including colostrum, play in calf health, growth and future performance?

Q: Beyond nutrition, are there other things to keep in mind surrounding early life care?

Q: How do you investigate calf health issues on farm?

Q: What on-farm benefits have you seen in lactating cows when they are fed a high plane of nutrition as calves?

Q: How does supporting proper mammary growth and development early in life lead to increased milk production in subsequent lactations?

To learn more about raising healthy and productive heifers, talk with your Purina representative or visit purinamills.com.

Rebecca Klopp, Ph.D.

Calf and Heifer Specialist

Purina Animal Nutrition

rklopp@landolakes.com

This episode is sponsored by Purina Animal Nutrition.

Hear from Chris Wacek-Driver, independent consultant for Forage Innovations, LLC, about the importance of using an oxygen barrier film to reduce silage losses and maintain high-quality silage. This episode also covers common mistakes related to silage chopping, packing and covering—as well as strategies producers can implement to avoid these pitfalls.

This episode is sponsored by Silostop Agri.

Silostop Agri is now the global leader in all things silage, from silage clamps to HOB silage films and covers, employing an expert team worldwide to help you reduce the amount of plastic used, while producing high quality silage. Through easy-to-use, innovative, and sustainably conscious products and solutions, Silostop Agri helps make the best silage possible, generating a higher return on investment and reducing the impact on the environment.

In this episode, host Kimmi Devaney visits with Charlie Gardner and Emily Barge from the Center for Dairy Excellence in Pennsylvania about their new resources for new and beginning farmers. These resources can also be helpful for the next generation returning to the farm and producers that have been in the dairy business for several decades.

The guide can be accessed online at www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/getting-started or by calling the Center for Dairy Excellence at (717) 346-0849.

Here's a breakdown of the episode:

What type of information is included in the guide? [~3:45]
Is this also relevant to the next generation coming back to the farm or is it mostly targeted at people with no dairy farming background? [~4:53]
How could this guide be useful to producers who have been dairy farming for years already? [~6:05]
Who should be part of the advisory team? [~8:05]
What feedback have you heard so far? [~13:10]
Since the center is in Pennsylvania, will many of the resources be applicable to dairy producers in other states? [~14:40]
How can new dairy producers in other states find similar resources if the ones provided don’t apply to their region? [~16:20]
What are some tips for new producers to build relationships with current producers and others in the allied industry that can help them? [~17:40]
How do you recommend future and new producers work through this material? Is there a particular order that works best? [~21:40]
What are the most important things you’d like new producers to take away from reading this guide? [~22:45]
What else would you like producers to know about this guide that we haven’t already covered? [~25:25]
Rapid-fire questions [~27:50]

In this episode, the experts from Central Life Sciences discuss ClariFly® Larvicide and the importance of fly control on dairy operations including biosecurity and employee retention (1:03), the threats of flies and the diseases they spread (3:33), fly audits on a dairy operation (7:11) and the importance of implementing an integrated pest management program (8:46).

This episode is sponsored by Central Life Sciences.

ClariFly® Larvicide protects from disease-carrying flies that feed on dairy cattle, including house flies, stable flies, face flies and horn flies. Adding this feed-through as part of an IPM program can have a major impact on dairy cattle productivity. As a feed additive, ClariFly® Larvicide is incorporated into an animal’s feed to stop flies in their larval stage. Adding this ingredient to their feed ration is all the work an employee needs to do to reduce disease-carrying fly populations on an operation.

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, host Jenn Coyne visits with Jake Peissig of JTP Farms. Peissig and his lean workforce strive for superior milk quality and cow care with a strategic approach to mastitis treatment and dry cow therapy. This Wisconsin dairy producer was recently recognized as the inaugural Dairy First award recipient by Boehringer Ingelheim, celebrating Peissig’s commitment to milk quality practices and the well-being of his herd.

Here is a breakdown of this episode:

Tell me about JTP Farms. [~1:40]
What is your farming philosophy on growing and sustaining the herd in today’s dairy industry? [~2:42]
What are management things you do on the farm that let you achieve your goals regarding milk quality and cow comfort? [~4:55]
How do you address milk quality in your herd with selective dry cow therapy, mastitis culturing and other treatment protocols? [~6:12]
What have been the positive outcomes in terms of milk quality, herd health and overall herd performance? [~10:45]
What challenges have you and your team had to overcome in order to meet your farm goals? [~12:56]
How has technology played a role in achieving your farm goals? [~15:35]
Could you imagine farming and managing a milking herd any other way without technology? [~19:02]
What’s next for Jake Peissig and the team at JTP Farms? [~20:07]
What advice would you give other dairy producers who are looking to improve their herd management, specifically targeting improved milk quality and the overall well-being of the animals on their farm? [~21:49]
How does Boehringer Ingelheim’s inaugural Dairy First award reflect what you and your team accomplish each day at JTP Farms? [~24:56]
Rapid fire questions [~25:46]

Contact:

Jake Peissig

Jtpfarms@hotmail.com

On this episode of The Dairy Dive we’re joined by someone smarter than us, much smarter. Sara Kvidera, of Elanco, joins the show as we dive deep into the world of animal health. Sara does a fantastic job of explaining some complicated topics in a way that even Scott and Andrew can understand!

This episode is sponsored by Masters Choice.

Welcome to The Dairy Dive, a newly reformatted podcast (formerly known as the MC Podcast) that is dedicated to diving deep into topics that are important to today’s dairy farms. Every other Wednesday hosts, Scott Harris and Andrew Crabtree, are joined by leading industry professionals to fully engage their expertise in unique aspects of dairy, exploring everything from robotic milkers to dairy nutrition. It’s a fun, and sometimes quirky, auditory experience that is unlike anything else in the ag podcast space. Find The Dairy Dive, sponsored by Masters Choice, wherever you get your podcasts.

Editor Walt Cooley visits with Progressive Dairy contributor Andy “Caygeon” Junkin during World Dairy Expo about working with family and succession planning. This three-part episode discusses how to goal set for success, how the next generation should work with their elders on the farm, and how to set a farm on the right path for succession. Junkins’s niche is helping stubborn farmers work better together.

Here’s a breakdown of the episode:

Business planning for farm families [~2:45]
Junkin’s business plan in his wallet and how he manages day-to-day goals [~9:30]
One-page business plan [~12:45]
Creating short mission and vision statements and how it can change your operation [~18:15]
Importance of shared goals [~21:40]
What it takes to put a succession plan in place [~24:00]
How to transfer management and wisdom before transferring assets [~34:10]
First draft of succession strategy [~41:45]
Tips for navigating family members not being on the same page [~46:30]
Why many farm families struggle with communicating with each other [~50:45]
Tackling four to five areas the farm struggles with [~56:20]
Importance of common values and beliefs [~57:45]
Navigating changing family dynamics during the first few years of coming back to the farm [~59:45]

To learn more about Junkin’s work in this area, visit www.stubborn.farm

Dairy farmers rely on data to make timely management decisions to optimize individual cow, herd, employee and farm success. In this episode, Matt Heisner, dairy product specialist for Nedap, introduces the Nedap SmartFlow Milk Meter and describes how it can accurately measure milk yield and flow rate in your milking system.

This episode is sponsored by Nedap.

Nedap develops technology for life. Technology that helps people be more successful and happier in their professional lives. For Nedap Livestock Management this means helping professional dairy and pig producers run a profitable, sustainable and enjoyable business. The solutions Nedap creates enable them to automate everyday tasks and make informed decisions based on individual animal identification and data. This way Nedap empowers livestock producers to respond to the growing global demand for animal protein in a way that is both profitable and aligned with rising standards for animal welfare, sustainability, transparency and the safety and quality of food. Learn more at https://www.nedap-livestockmanagement.com/dairy-farming/

Here’s the episode breakdown:

0:40 – Welcome, Matt Heisner and host, Tera Baker
1:34 – Who is Nedap?
2:04 – Introduction to the SmartFlow Milk Meter and what makes it different?
3:20 – What are the advantages to being wireless?
4:38 – Can you tell us more about the technology behind the SmartFlow?
5:18 – How does this make a farmer’s life easier?
5:59 – Describe how a farmer can take action from the data.
7:01 – Can you share how this affects the cow or cow comfort?
8:19 – Does this interfere with the milking process?
8:56 – Where can farmer’s find the data?
9:51 – How do you manage the meter day-to-day?
10:58 – How does this fit into a farmer’s current milking system?
11:36 – Where and how can Nedap technology be accessed?
12:39 – Is it cost effective and how does it affect milk quality?
14:20 – Can you share when the Nedap SmartFlow milk meter will be available to farmers?

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, host Kimmi Devaney visits with author and well-known speaker Michele Payn about stress – what it is, how it manifests, how it impacts our farms, and most importantly, what we can do about it. Michele is passionate about agriculture and has connected with a multitude of audiences about utilizing science to connect people across the food plate, in addition to advocacy, mental health and much more.

Here is a breakdown of the episode:

About Michele, her dairy background and how she helps farmers [~1:30]
What inspired your passion for helping farmers with mental health and stress management? [~2:50]
What are you hearing from farmers these days about stress, stress levels and stress management? [~4:40]
How has that conversation changed in the last five to 10 years? [~6:40]
What does work-life balance look like on a dairy farm and what are some first steps farmers can take if they are looking for more balance in their lives? [~8:45]
How do stress and cortisol manifest in the body? [~12:20]
What are the consequences of maintaining stress levels that are too high for too long? [~14:25]
On the flip side, are there any benefits to stress? [~17:15]
How can our listeners recognize if their stress is out of control? [~17:40]
What are some of the ways to create a buffer against stress? [~19:25]
You recorded an episode with Eliz Greene on your podcast about how overwhelm and uncertainty are two main stressors for many people. Tell us more about this and why these two in particular are so impactful. [~23:00]
Why do you say stress management is an essential business practice and how can someone be strategic about either dealing with or preventing stress? [~26:35]
You recently developed a growth journal. Tell us about that and how someone can utilize it. [~30:20]
What are some resources farmers can access as they incorporate stress management into their lives and businesses? [~33:10]
What are some red flags people should be looking for in their friends and family when it comes to mental health and stress management? [~34:55]
What else should farmers know about mental health and stress management that we haven’t covered yet? [~37:25]
What role does gratitude play in all of this? [~39:05]
Rapid-fire questions [~42:00]

Contact Michele Payn

Website: causematters.com

Email: mpayn@causematters.com

Social media: @mpaynspeaker

In this episode, you’ll hear from Wisconsin dairy farmer Mack Drees of Drees Dairy Farm. Mack is the “cow guy” on his family dairy. When he came home from college, the dairy needed to expand but didn’t want to have to manage more people. They decided to milk with robots in their new expansion.

Mack talks about whether he thinks it’s better to bite off a whole bunch of technology at once when going with robots or if staged adoption of technology is preferable. He also gives his answer as to whether the activity monitoring has paid for itself more in repro improvements or if cow health improvements for his registered Holstein herd are returning more of an investment.

This podcast was recorded during the 2022 National Holstein Convention in South Dakota this past summer. Mack was a participant on the Data and Innovation Summit producer panel. Listen to that panel here.

Here is a breakdown of the episode:

Tell us about your farm. [~1:45]
Give us your experience transitioning your farm to milking robots. [~3:00]
If you had to do it over again, would you stairstep into technology or make a big leap into it all at one time? Why? [~5:00]
How long did it take for cows to get used to the robots? [~6:45]
At what age do you put your activity monitors on? [~9:00]
Explain your experience of using activity monitoring to dial in optimum breeding time. [~10:00]
In what ways is technology already providing a payback on your farm? [~11:15]
Do you think you get more of a payback from activity monitoring on the health or repro side of your farm? [~14:15]
In your opinion, how can farmers best utilize sort gates with monitoring? [~15:45]
Talk about how you do regular milk testing with your robots. [~19:45]
Explain your farm’s three-pronged approach to evaluating technology. [~25:00]
Describe how activity monitoring quantified the value of treatment vs. prevention. [~31:00]
What’s a decision you need to make in the upcoming months? [~33:30]

Follow Drees Dairy Farm online:

www.facebook.com/dreesdairy

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, host Kimmi Devaney talks with Davon Cook about how peer groups and advisory boards can improve your farm by bringing additional perspective to your management decisions.

Here’s a breakdown of the episode:

Davon tells us how she helps dairy producers with their businesses. [~1:08]
What trends have you seen with the farms you’ve worked with regarding team development and leadership? [~3:56]
Definition of peer groups and advisory boards in a farm context [~8:37]
Some frequent challenges she sees on farms related to leadership, business and human resources [~12:55]
Recommendations for setting up an advisory board [~16:55]
Benefits of including someone outside of agriculture in your advisory board [~24:15]
How to vet potential advisory board candidates [~27:20]
Recommendations for setting up a peer group [~30:15]
Are there existing peer groups that dairy producers can join or do they need to create their own? [~36:35]
Success stories [~40:40]
Qualities and actions that increase success [~48:00]
First steps for setting up an advisory board or peer group [~50:35]
Rapid-fire questions [~52:50]

Davon’s contact information:

Email her at Davon.Cook@pinionglobal.com

What do health care and dairy have in common? Both are using data and technological advancements to provide better care. In this episode, Taliah Danzinger, VAS manager of education and training, dives into parallels between industries, how we can make better use of data and what the future of dairy data looks like.

In her role, Taliah performs dairy herd data evaluation and educates producers, industry partners and academia on the applications and analysis of the data through VAS' software solutions. She also provides education on how to use VAS products and services, including DairyComp and the VAS PULSE Platform. Taliah brings on-farm experience to her role as a herd manager for a 300-cow robotic dairy and her ownership of a small dairy herd.

Here is the episode breakdown:

0:57 – Welcome, Taliah
1:55 – Hurdles with today’s dairy data
2:42 – Parallels between health care and the dairy industry
4:29 – How to help farmers manage their data
5:57 – Real-life data scenarios
7:17 – Data collaboration for key players on every farm
8:13 – Platforms making the most of dairy data
10:04 – Evolution of benchmarking and dairy software
11:58 – Future of dairy data

This episode is sponsored by VAS.

VAS is focused on your dairy’s future with software and information solutions that help collect and connect your farm’s data. Learn more at VAS.com

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy podcast, host Kimmi Devaney talks with fourth-generation Washington dairy farmer Jack Mallonee about managing an automated milking system in a pasture-based system, opportunities available for young people interested in getting involved in the dairy industry, the ways automation has changed the way they manage the farm, facility upgrades and what they are doing differently to increase cow comfort, and more. Jack and his dad, Maynard, have a 60-cow organic dairy farm in southwest Washington.

Here is a breakdown of the episode:

About the farm [~1:20]
Dairy breeds [~2:35]
Why they chose an automated milking system vs. traditional parlor [~3:55 ]
Other automation on the farm [~4:42]
How they incentivize cows out on pasture to visit the barn to be milked [~5:25]
How the automated milking system has changed the way they manage the farm [~5:50]
Utilizing data from automation in management decisions [~6:55]
Managing robots in a pasture-based system [~8:40]
Their greatest challenges with their automated milking system [~10:57]
Preparing springers for the automated milking system prior to calving [~12:35]
Advice for other grazing dairies considering adding an automated milking system [~13:45]
Matching herd size with land base on an organic dairy [~15:25]
Jack’s inspiration to return to the farm after graduation [~16:40]
Opportunities available for young people to get involved in the dairy industry [~17:15]
How industry organizations can help young people make connections in the industry [~18:40]
Facility upgrades [~20:18]
Building barns for cow comfort [~21:10]
Future goals [~22:50]
Rapid fire questions [~25:10]

More and more dairy farmers are thinking about switching to robotic milking as new technology provides better options to manage labor, production and milk quality. In this episode, Matt Roberts, director of milking equipment sales for GEA, shares considerations for choosing the right robot type, real-world performance results and how to evaluate robotic milking ROI.

Matt has extensive experience with milking system installations, and uses that background to help dairy farmers choose, manage and maintain their milking equipment – from conventional parlors to large-scale robotic milking systems. Whether you’re looking to optimize milking performance or seeking a more flexible farm schedule, he lays out all the options.

This episode is sponsored by GEA.

GEA offers milking solutions to maximize efficiency and milk quality. From parlors to robotic milking, our customized milking systems fit the needs of any size dairy farm. Herd management tools, hygiene solutions and manure management equipment complete our offering. You can count on our leading-edge technologies paired with our experienced dealer service network to help manage your dairy business profitably and sustainably. Learn more at gea.com/dairyfarming.

Here’s the episode breakdown:

0:40 – Welcome, Matt Roberts
2:28 – Can you share details on the two milking robot styles?
3:47 – Talk us through initial robot conversations and considerations.
6:50 – What about robotic milking ROI?
8:30 – Can you explain features and services to look for in robotic milking systems?
9:48 – Can you share current highlights of robotic milking farms?
11:10 – What about robotic milking performance?
11:42 – What are your top recommendations for farmers interested in robots?

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy podcast, host Kimmi Devaney visits with Washington dairy farmer Krista Stauffer about her journey in sharing her story online, the challenges of starting a dairy farm in 2009, how advocacy impacts mental health, what she’s learned about managing employees, how Washington’s agriculture overtime law has affected their farm and more.

Here is the breakdown of this episode:

About her farm (~0:33)
What it was like starting a dairy in 2009 (~1:00)
What inspired her husband to start dairy farming and why they chose their current location (~2:20)
Progression of the first decade of dairy farming (~4:20)
How the COVID-19 pandemic affected the Stauffers in the Pacific Northwest (~6:15)
Kids’ roles on the farm (~7:35)
How and why Krista started sharing her story online (~8:50)
Consumer feedback to her social media pages (~11:20)
How she’s dealt with trolls and others with negative intentions against dairy farming (~13:10)
Resources and mentors (~14:05)
Mental health related to advocacy (~16:05)
Krista’s advice for others sharing their farm stories online (~21:10)
Krista shares about running a local boutique
What she’s learned about balance
The most important things she’s learned about managing people to build a good work environment
How Washington’s agriculture overtime law has affected their farm
What should dairy producers living in states without state agriculture overtime laws know about how this law may affect them?
Rapid fire questions

Dr. Jim Drackley, Professor of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, summarizes the results of a trial he conducted on behalf of Native Microbials. The 20-week week study tested the effect of two microbial products consisting of microorganisms sourced from the rumen on the production of Holstein dairy cows. The study found that supplementation with native rumen organisms increased energy-corrected milk production and feed efficiency. The study has been published by the Journal of Dairy Science Communications.

This episode is sponsored by Native Microbials.

Native Microbials is a biotechnology company that produces microbial products using microbes that are native to the animal. Their Galaxis products are available to dairy farmers.

In this Progressive Dairy podcast episode, four dairy producers discuss how they best utilize dairy data technologies and systems to maximize efficiency, profitability and results. They recently participated in a panel discussion moderated by Editor Walt Cooley during the Data and Innovation Summit, held in conjunction with the National Holstein Convention.

The four dairy producers include: Mack Drees, Drees Holsteins; Dr. Portia Seckerson, Blue Horizons Dairy/Northern Valley Livestock Services; Chris Szydel, Pagels Ponderosa; and Bob Webb, Summit Farms.

Here is a breakdown of the episode:

Mack Drees’ presentation [~2:00]
Bob Webb’s presentation [~12:45]
Chris Szydel’s presentation [~17:00]
Dr. Portia Seckerson’s presentation [~29:20]
What is the one technology you use that is most optimal in your opinion and you would miss the most if you lost it? [~37:00]
Out of these categories – automation, breeding, cow health, compliance/employee engagement, time management for financial performance, and milk quality – which is the highest priority when making a technology decision? [~40:20]
Dr. Seckerson, what platform are you using at your practice to benchmark across herds? {~44:00]
Now that you have multiple systems in place, in hindsight is there any that you would have swapped the order in which you installed them? [~44:30)
What are the most promising technologies that are coming out that will be additive to what you are doing on your farms? [~48:35]
Walt’s take-home messages from the panel discussion [~56:15]

In this episode, Fredric Ridenour talks with Scott Oler, Jennifer Weber and Daniel Horton of Afimilk about how milk analyzer technology is helping some dairies manage component measurement to increase milk check revenue and how the data is being used to make informed decisions on rations, herd health and more.

Here is the episode breakdown:

Value of technology in component measurement
How milk analyzer technology works
Finding a costly feeding error: A Case Study
Analyzing milk to manage health
What component measurement can tell us about a ration

This episode is sponsored by Afimilk.

On this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, host Kimmi Devaney visits with Peggy Coffeen in her last episode as a member of the Progressive Dairy team about the most memorable moments, guests and other highlights from co-hosting the podcast over the past three years.

In this episode, the experts from Central Life Sciences discuss ClariFly® Larvicide and the importance of fly control on dairy operations including the importance of a complete IPM program (3:10); identifying flies and their threats (4:59) and an explanation of how a larvicide controls flies (8:14). We then hear from Cameron Dakin (12:00), a third-generation dairy farmer who speaks to benefits he’s experienced while using ClariFly® Larvicide over the past several years.

This episode is sponsored by Central Life Sciences.

On this Progressive Dairy podcast, Peggy Coffeen catches up with Dr. Marissa Hake, a veterinarian who has embraced transparency and authenticity to build an Instagram following of more than 55,000 people. Learn how her lifelong ambition to be a vet, combined with her creative side, have forged the path for her mission to bridge the farm-to-consumer relationship.

Season 4, Episode 15

Here is a breakdown of the episode:

· Becoming the “Calf Vet” [~1:30]

· The pivot point when her social media platform started to take off [~9:30]

· The biggest challenges ahead for animal agriculture [~16:00]

· How becoming a mom to two little farmers has influenced her person [~24:00]

· Rapid-fire questions [~28:30]

Follow Dr. Marissa Hake here:

www.drhakecalfvet.com

www.instagram.com/calfvet_

www.facebook.com/calfvet

www.blacklabelfarms2020.com

Are you a subscriber?

Keep up with our Progressive Dairy podcast episodes to gain insights from what is happening in the industry to new and evolving management techniques for your operation. Just like our magazine, we’ll cover a multitude of topics including human resources, business management, facilities, repro and genetics, feed and nutrition, calf and heifer raising, dry and transition cows, herd health, hoof health, milk quality, animal welfare and manure handling. Subscribe now to be notified of new releases.

Click here to find past issues and quick links to subscribe on your favorite platform.

In this episode, the experts from Central Life Sciences discuss Starbar® products and the dangers of cockroaches on your agricultural operation. This includes the signs and impacts of cockroach infestations, infestation sites, and the importance of a complete IPM program. In addition, learn about Alluvium™ Cockroach Gel Bait and additional Starbar® products for your operation.

This episode is sponsored by Starbar® Products.

On this episode of the Progressive Dairy podcast, host Peggy Coffeen sits down with Jessica Pralle-Trimner of Miltrim Farms, Inc., in Athens, Wisconsin, to dig into the data she uses daily to manage 1,800 cows milked in a 30-box robot barn.

Here is a breakdown of the episode:

A snapsnot of Miltrim Farms [1:58]

Rotary parlor versus robotics: Why they chose robotics [3:33]

The biggest challenges of a new way of dairying [6:53]

How Miltrim Farms added 1,200 cows with no additional full-time employees [10:33]

Why “compliance is key” but “data is power” [16:03]

Precision feeding [19:35]

Managing milk quality [22:10]

Managing cow health without touching cows [23:40]

Rapid-fire questions [27:40]

Read more about Miltrim Farms, Inc. in this Progressive Dairy article.

In this Progressive Dairy Podcast episode, Kimmi Devaney talks with Tim Haynes and Kerry Estes, who are the two Indiana dairy farmers that recently handed the famous bottle of milk to the winning driver of the 2022 Indianapolis 500. Milk has long been the drink of choice for winners of this race and has been called the “coolest trophy in sports”. In this episode, we learn how this tradition started and hear about Tim and Kerry’s experiences representing dairy on this international stage at the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Here is a breakdown of the episode:

Meet Tim and Kerry (~0:37)
How did the tradition of milk at the Indy 500 begin (~2:28)
What milk options do drivers have and how do Tim/Kerry know which milk to hand the winning driver? (~3:22)
As the rookie milkman, what was this experience like for you, Kerry? (~4:25)
What was this experience like for you, Tim, as the veteran milkman this year? (~6:00)
How were you selected for this coveted role? (~7:53)
What were your responsibilities on race day and leading up to it? (~8:50)
Who did Kerry hand the milk to? (~9:44)
What were the moments like leading up to handing the milk to the winning driver of the Indy 500 along with his team owner and chief mechanic? (~10:00)
How does it feel to be the two dairy farmers representing dairy on this international stage? (14:50)
What’s next for Kerry and Tim? (~17:35)
Rapid fire questions (~18:50)

In this episode, you’ll get to know Progressive Dairy’s newest editor and podcast co-host, Kimmi Devaney. Kimmi comes to Progressive Dairy with a rich history in the dairy industry, which began on her grandparents’ farm in Washington. During this interview, she tells listeners more about her career in public relations, the dairy programs that most impacted her personally and professionally, and why this new role is literally her dream come true.

Progressive Publishing is also hiring a new editor and podcast host to join the team. Learn more from editors Peggy Coffeen and Kimmi Devaney about what this role entails, which skillsets would be most beneficial, and why this is such a great opportunity. Interested applicants can view the job posting here: https://www.progressivepublish.com/careers

Episode 16 – 06/07/22

Here is a breakdown of the episode:

When did you first fall in love with dairy? [~1:45]

What are some of your fondest memories of your grandparents’ farm? [~2:45]

Give us the highlight reel of your career so far. [~4:15]

What motivates you to pursue these roles and serve the dairy industry in this way? [~9:00]

How does it feel to be an editor and podcast host at Progressive Dairy? [~10:40]

What will you be doing in your new role? [~12:30]

Rapid-fire questions [~13:20]

We are hiring a new dairy editor and podcast host. Learn more about what that role entails, its qualification, and why someone with this skill set should apply. [~15:55]

Contact Editor Kimmi Devaney:

kimmi@progressivepublish.com

Dairy editor and podcast host job announcement:

https://www.progressivepublish.com/careers

Are you a subscriber?

Keep up with our Progressive Dairy podcast episodes to gain insights from what is happening in the industry to new and evolving management techniques for your operation. Just like our magazine, we’ll cover a multitude of topics including human resources, business management, facilities, repro and genetics, feed and nutrition, calf and heifer raising, dry and transition cows, herd health, hoof health, milk quality, animal welfare, and manure handling. Subscribe now to be notified of new releases.

Click here to find past issues and quick links to subscribe on your favorite platform.

In this episode, Editor Walt Cooley interviews two guests, Kurt Wierda of Plymouth Dairy in Le Mars, Iowa, and Tom Oelberg, formerly with Diamond V and an adviser on Kurt’s management team. Tom recently retired from Diamond V and is best known in the industry as the “grandfather of the TMR audit.” And Kurt’s dairy was one of the first dairies to do a TMR audit and has completed several since the program started in 2008. Overall, more than 12,000 such audits have been done on dairies around the world.

Kurt and Tom discuss what they’ve learned about managing feed teams and mixing feed. Kurt also describes his feeding setup and discusses how he is attempting to tackle the volatility of 2022.

In this episode, the experts from Central Life Sciences discuss ClariFly® Larvicide and the importance of fly control on dairy operations including the importance of a complete IPM program (3:10); identifying flies and their threats (4:59) and an explanation of how a larvicide controls flies (8:14). We then hear from Cameron Dakin (12:00), a third-generation dairy farmer who speaks to benefits he’s experienced while using ClariFly® Larvicide over the past several years.

This episode is sponsored by Central Life Sciences.

An area that many dairies struggle with, especially those using composted manure for bedding is this: Milk quality. It’s a common challenge for somatic cell counts to bounce all over the board when bedding with dried solids, and it requires an elevated level of both stall and parlor management to maintain udder health.

So what does it take to keep somatic cell counts consistently below 100,000 in a dairy facility that beds with composted manure solids?

In this episode, Progressive Dairy podcast host Peggy Coffeen sits down with Scott Blevins, the director of dairy and heifer operations at Wiese Bros. Farms in Greenleaf, Wis., to find out how he does it.

This episode includes presentations and interviews with the five technologies recently awarded with Nexus Innovation Awards at PDPW’s 2022 Business Conference. This is the second year such awards have been given out. Progressive Dairy partners with PDPW to sponsor these awards. The award winners were selected by a panel of dairy producers from among more than a dozen technologies that applied for the award. The winners presented their technologies live during the conference. In this episode, you’ll get a taste of those presentations.

Technology and data are quickly advancing the dairy industry and shaping how the next generation of farmers will manage their herds. As the dairy ecosystem evolves, data will become a staple for profitable decision-making on farms. With eyes on the future, Connect Summit was created as the dairy industry’s premier technology and thought leadership event to bring farmers and industry leaders together.

In this Progressive Dairy podcast, you’ll hear from Jordan Kraft-Lambert, vice president of business development with VAS and Tara Vander Dussen, known online as the New Mexico Milkmaid and panelist for the upcoming Connect Summit.

Connect Summit will take place June 15-17 in Nashville. Take $300 off a full registration with code: CONNECT300. Register now.

This episode is sponsored by VAS.

On this Progressive Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen welcomes Emily Shaw, the founder of Dairy Girl Fitness. Hear how this social media influencer turned her love for dairy and health into an online coaching business and a platform for dairy nutrition.

New developments in teat dips and how they’re being applied give dairy farmers more options to manage their labor, udder health and milk quality. In this Progressive Dairy podcast, you’ll hear from Keith Engel, who specializes in hygiene solutions for GEA.

Keith helps dairy farmers optimize milking performance with smart hygiene solutions to meet their farm’s needs and goals. Whether you’re looking to utilize parlor labor more effectively or seeking more flexible and economical teat dips, he can lay out all the options.

Consistency and efficiency are cornerstones of milk quality and udder health for Keith. In this episode, he shares innovations in teat dip formulas, on-farm blending systems and automated applications to help you achieve both.

This episode is sponsored by GEA.

On this Progressive Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen sits down with Jay Joy, founder of Milk Money LLC, to learn how defining executive level roles within a dairy can propel the business forward, and how an outside perspective can lead to long-term viability.

On this Progressive Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen visits with Ryan Estis, a keynote speaker from the Dairy Strong Conference hosted earlier this year in Wisconsin. This dynamic business consultant shares what any business must do right now to be positioned for future success.

On this Progressive Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen makes a visit to a dairy farm with no cows in Fort Atkinson, Wis., to learn about a business family coming into its seventh generation of operations. Philip Jones, CEO of Jones Dairy Farm branded pork products talks openly about the brand’s inspiring origins story, company culture and keys to a successful multi-generational business.

There are many metrics that help shine light on a dairy herd’s performance, but one metric that is often overlooked can speak volumes – Dry Matter Intake. In this podcast, we’ll explore the sometimes unseen impact of how much the cows eat can affect health and performance.

Joining me again is Richie Shepardson, a dairy technical specialist with Milk Specialties Global based out of Vermont. Richie, welcome to the program.

This episode is sponsored by Milk Specialties Global.

On this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen sits down with Jared Yousey of Sunnyside Farms in Scipio Center, New York, to hear what actions he takes as the manager of a 5,000-cow dairy and 40-person team to establish a culture of loyal and reliable employees in a competitive labor market.

Father and son dairy producers Randy Ebert and Jordan Ebert of Algoma, Wisconsin, join the Progressive Dairy podcast to talk about how they have diversified Ebert Enterprises to include not only a dairy operation, but also a facility for raising many of their beef-on-dairy crossbreds. They also share their “doubling down” approach over the past two years, which has included the purchase of a local meat market, building their own harvesting facility and, most recently, opening the Homestead Kitchen and Tap, a farm-to-fork restaurant.

Finding the right ration mix for your dairy herd is critical to maximizing performance and profitability, but in the era of high feed costs and increased uncertainty, getting it right is trickier than it looks.

This episode is sponsored byMilk Specialties Global.

This Progressive Dairy Podcast features the Progressive Dairy Producer Panel moderated by editor Peggy Coffeen at the Global Dairy Expo, held Dec. 8-10, in Las Vegas. Hear from these four top producers as they talk about core values, culture and what makes their operations different: Dick Bennink, North Florida Holsteins, Jared Yousey, Sunnyside Farms; Lyle Grimm, Riverview LLP; and Scott Blevins, Wiese Bros. Farms.

In this Progressive Dairy podcast, hear from Walt Cooley and Peggy Coffeen as they recap the year, talk about traditions and provide a sneak peek of changes coming for Progressive Dairy in the new year. Listen all the way to the end to find out the special gift Walt has for you.

We are back at the Real Science Exchange and coming to you from the World Dairy Expo 2021. We invite you to pull up a chair and join us to discuss the future of the dairy industry with three dairymen who have made their mark, not only in the show ring but on the entire industry.

We have gathered three dairymen to discuss how the industry is changing and what recommendations they have for future generations.

Guests:

Jonathan Lamb, Oakfield Corners Dairy and Lamb Farms

Pat Maddox, RuAnn Genetics and Maddox Dairy

Jim Ostrom, MilkSource

This episode is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health.

After more than three decades, 2021 saw new leadership installed at Dairy Management Inc. – the organization that manages the industry’s checkoff program. Barb O’Brien succeeded long-time CEO Tom Gallagher earlier this year. Editor Walt Cooley recently caught up with O’Brien to talk about what changes dairy farmers can expect in the checkoff under her leadership and some of the key issues she believes are facing the dairy industry.

Over the past year, Amy Throndsen, chief operating officer of Advanced Comfort Technology LLC, has written a series of feature articles on people in the dairy community with a background in service, whether that’s through the military or groups like the Peace Corps. In this episode, Progressive Dairy Editor Peggy Coffeen goes behind the scenes to tell the story of where this idea came from and the individuals who continue to give back in their current roles serving the dairy industry.

Meet U.S. Olympian and dairy farmer Elle Purrier-St. Pierre. On this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, Editor Peggy Coffeen interviews this record-breaking runner who also advocates and educates her social media audience about dairy farming and nutrition.

Mallory Embree (Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer) and Lisa Marotz (Microbiome Scientist) work at Native Microbials, a company that specializes in creating novel microbial products for dairy cows. Native is on the verge of launching a flagship product that will have a big impact on the dairy industry - Galaxis Frontier.

In this episode you’ll learn why the rumen microbiome is so important, what makes Galaxis Frontier different than other products on the market, and how the product improved energy corrected milk by 8 lbs/cow/day in a recently completed trial conducted in Tulare, CA.

This episode is sponsored by Native Microbials.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Novus International, Inc. Novus marketing specialist, Megan Niehmeyer took time to interview Dr. Karen Luchterhand, C.O.W.S. program lead, on the importance of cow comfort. She shares key management strategies for achieving optimal production without sacrificing animal well-being. At the end, Dr. Luchterhand shares a C.O.W.S. assessment story that shows the power that teamwork, management practices, and nutrition can all have in transforming a dairy. Thank you for listening!

This episode is sponsored by Novus International, Inc.

In today’s podcast, we introduce you to Jim Mattox, CEO of Cowsultants, and founder of the Global Dairy Expo. Progressive Dairy is a founding sponsor and exclusive media partner for the event, which will take place Dec. 8-10 in Las Vegas.

Hear about how the exciting lineup of speakers and the value the event offers to dairy producers.

During a global pandemic, we learned that essential workers are people who provide everyday services and goods that we depend on, like milk. We are back with Tom and Simon, to get their perspective on how dairy producers can find ways to adapt in a tumultuous marketplace.

This episode is sponsored by Zoetis.

This episode's guest is Austin Allred of Royal Family Farming. Allred talks about how he was forced to address his manure management practices due to legal action that applied retroactively to the dairy location that he now owns. He's using worms to help filter his manure water, and he's cleaned that water enough that he's personally willing to water-ski on his lagoon now. You may have seen the viral YouTube clip of him doing that. In this episode, he also talks about his beef x dairy crossbreeding program. Each beef animal on his Royal Ranch has a carbon footprint score. You'll hear tips for communicating about regenerative agriculture from someone at the forefront of the discussion.

This podcast episode focuses on Drumgoon Dairy, a South Dakota dairy farm that recently began milking with 20 DeLaval VMS V300s. Rodney, Dorothy and their son, David Elliott, share about their family’s relocation from Ireland to the United States and answer questions about their decision to go robotic. This podcast is hosted by Bill Krivanek of Farm Systems, the dairy’s local dealership.

DeLaval is a full-service supplier to dairy farmers. DeLaval develops, manufactures and distributes equipment and complete systems for milk production and animal husbandry. Service, sales of a wide range of accessories, knowledge-sharing and consultancy are also key aspects of our operations.

This episode is sponsored by DeLaval.

What data does your farm generate? Where is it going? How could it make your farm more profitable?

A research group at the University of Wisconsin – Madison aims to answer those questions. Their work is called the Dairy Brain project.

In this episode, you’ll hear from one of the researchers involved: Steve Wangan. He is a data scientist at the American Family Insurance Data Science Institute at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He works with analytics and software development. The overarching goal of the Dairy Brain project is to take research that is done at the university and hook it up with farmers’ data streams through a web interface so they can use it to help them make better decisions for their individual farms. You’ll learn what are the most difficult obstacles to moving data from off the farm and why there is a need to agree to some data standardization for on-farm data entry.

Robotic milking continues growing in popularity, and it’s changing how dairy farmers manage their herds. In this Progressive Dairy podcast, you’ll hear from Stuart Marshall, who specializes in robotic milking systems for GEA.

Stuart helps dairy farmers transition to robotic milking and optimizes their robot performance. He focuses on advancing today’s robotic technology to meet the changing demands of dairies.

Stuart brings a unique perspective working with farmers from across the U.S. with varying facilities and goals. He shares insights on box robots, robotic rotaries, what the future holds and more!

This episode is sponsored by GEA.

“It’s taken care of.” How often is that the response when the next generation asks the former about the plan to transition the dairy operation? In this podcast, Tim Schaefer and Liz Griffith from Encore Consultants cover four key areas dairy farm families and businesses must address for a successful transition, not only of assets, but also of roles within the operation.

As the demand for milking robots continues to rise, robotic milking or automatic milking systems (AMS) has also become increasingly popular in Norway.

In this episode of Dairy Talk with Norwegian Red, together with two prominent Norwegian dairy farmers, we discuss how the dairy industry has adapted to the robotic milking transformation and what makes the Norwegian Red genetics fit with the technology.

Find out what motivates Norwegian farmers to invest in AMS and how has the progressive technology supported them in achieving and maintaining sustainable farming.

This episode is sponsored by Geno.

In today’s podcast, we introduce you to the New Mexico Milk Maid herself, Tara Vander Dussen. Not only is she a key influencer on social media, but she’s also a dairy farmer, and an environmental scientist who works on dairy farm projects throughout the Southwest.

Hear how Tara uses her knowledge, expertise and passion to share the message of dairy’s sustainability efforts and impact, as well as some exciting new developments coming soon.

In this episode, the experts from Central Life Sciences discuss ClariFly® Larvicide and the importance of fly control on dairy operations including the importance of a complete IPM program (3:10); identifying flies and their threats (4:59) and an explanation of how a larvicide controls flies (8:14). We then hear from Cameron Dakin (12:00), a third-generation dairy farmer who speaks to benefits he’s experienced while using ClariFly® Larvicide over the past several years.

This episode is sponsored by Central Life Sciences.

Do you think zero treatments and zero death loss among your calves is possible?

In this episode, you’ll hear from someone who’s done it – for four consecutive years on her farm. Canadian dairy veterinarian and dairy producer Jodi Wallace of Silverstream Holsteins joins the program. She talks about zero-zero calf care and what it takes to make it obtainable and what ultimately broke her farm’s four year zero-zero streak. During this interview, she also explains how her farm used their COVID-19 lockdown time productively.

Knowing she is a vet, you would guess that she’s always telling her producer clients to follow label instructions, but she talks about one label she’d actually like to see producers disregard until it gets changed. And by the end of the interview, you’ll be hungry for pancakes as she talks about her farm’s diversification into the maple sap harvesting business.

During a global pandemic, we learned that essential workers are people who provide everyday services and goods that we depend on, like milk. We are back with Tom and Simon, to get their perspective on how dairy producers can find ways to adapt in a tumultuous marketplace.

This episode is sponsored by Zoetis.

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, hear from Dr. Don Niles of Dairy Dreams LLC, a veterinarian and Wisconsin dairy producer who has traded in needles and lockups for technologies that take control of bovine leukosis virus (BLV) transmission, capture pounds of milk and get more cows pregnant.

“Have you ever wondered how Progressive Dairy got its start?”

In this episode, hear from the man who started it all here at Progressive Dairy – Leon Leavitt. While Leon has retired from day-to-day tasks, he still drops by the office every once in a while and participates in Progressive Publishing functions. We hope you enjoy hearing our origin story straight from the mind who created it.

Ken McCarty is a fourth-generation owner of McCarty Family Farms, which owns MVP Dairy LLC in Celina, Ohio with partners VanTilburg Farms. MVP Dairy was recently recognized as a U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award winner. Hear from Ken about their holistic approach and mindset around cow comfort, soil health, worker care and community engagement with 4,400 cows and 4,500 acres of cropland in their care.

We are back at the Real Science Exchange and invite you to pull up a chair and join us to discuss the effects of heat stress on late gestation cows. Tonight’s guests, who have worked together on research in this area, Dr. Geoff Dahl with the University of Florida and Dr. Jimena Laporta with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, join Scott Sorrell and Dr. Clay Zimmerman.

This episode is sponsored by Balchem Animal Nutrition and Health.

Hear from two guests in this commemorative podcast. The first guest is Karen Scanlon. She is the executive vice president for environmental stewardship for the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. She’ll talk about the purpose of the center’s annual sustainability awards and the process that goes into selecting the winners. This year is the 10th anniversary of the awards program, so she also explains how the awards are evolving and recaps some of the projects that have won in the past.

The second guest is Chase Goodrich of Goodrich Family Farm in Salisbury, Vermont. Chase and his sister, Danielle, manage their family farm. It is one of several dairy farmer sustainability award winners this year. The farm has a 1.32-million-gallon anaerobic digester that produces renewable natural gas (RNG) from cow manure and food waste. It is one of the largest anaerobic digesters in the U.S. The digester is a partnership that brings together Goodrich Farm, Vanguard Renewables (developer, owner and operator of the digester), Vermont Gas Systems and Middlebury College, which will purchase much of the RNG produced at the digester.

Today we are going to talk about the past, present, and future of the dairy supply chain and how a powerful cloud-based software tool has connected all players in the industry. Joining us today from Atlantic Canada are Milk Moovement’s Co-Founder and COO Jon King along with AgriBusiness Specialist, Shelly Juurlink.

This episode is sponsored by Milk Moovement.

In this Progressive Dairy Podcast, Editor Peggy Coffeen sits down with Dr. Larry Corah, Kansas State professor emeritus and now supply chain consultant for Select Sires. Corah brings his many years of experience working with cattle, feedlots and production systems to the conversation about the future of beef-on-dairy breeding.

Healthy cows are the foundation of any successful dairy, and good health begins well before lactation starts. In this episode, we continue speaking with Steven Landwehr, Annie Vannurden and Rocio Ramirez to discuss the importance of healthy cows and what a little fine-tuning and symptom identification can do for your operation. Plus, we’ll get their take on fresh cow management and the transition cow risk assessment they worked on with Zoetis.

This episode is sponsored by Zoetis.

Willow Behrer Farms recently won an innovation award for producing their own on-farm videos to be used for employee training. In this episode, listeners hear from Pete Posnett who is the farm’s herdsman. He’s the one who produces the farm’s videos. And you’ll hear from the farm’s owner – Allen Behrer.

Also on this podcast is an introduction to the farm by Emily Barge from the Center for Dairy Excellence. The center is the one that presented the award to the farm. She talks about the center’s own podcast – Cowside Conversations. Learn more about that podcast here.

“Dairy talk with Norwegian Red" podcast is addressing various aspects and discussions around dairy and cattle breeding development and trends. Listen in to learn what Dairy farmers, dairy producers, and subject matter experts in Norway have to say about their work to revolutionize breeding for health and fertility in addition to good productivity and sustainability.

Hosted by Kate Stai, Chief Commercial Officer, and Trygve R. Solberg, Product Manager and Technical Advisor for Geno, an innovative breeding organization based in Hamar, Norway, today’s podcast are joined by Olav Østerås, a Special Advisor within Dairy Health and Welfare at TINE, the Norwegian milk processing organization. Olav has held many prestigious positions such as at the Norwegian Veterinary Institution, as Chief Veterinarian of the Norwegian Cattle Health Service, and was also a Professor at the Norwegian School of Veterinarian Science for 16 years.

This episode is sponsored by Geno.

Is there a disconnect between ownership, management and employees on your dairy? In this Progressive Dairy Podcast, hear from Bill Eberle, as he provides tips on how to talk so your employees will listen. After spending 17 years as a dairy manager, Eberle brings his people skills to his current role as an account manager with Chr. Hansen.

Dairy life: It’s not for the faint of heart. Success only comes when every member of your operation is running in sync. In this episode, we’re speaking with Annie Vannurden of Silverstreak and Bluestreak dairies and Steven Landwehr and Rocio Ramirez from United Dairies. Listen in as we discuss how every single role on their dairies is important and can make an impact as well as share what antibiotic stewardship means to their dairies.

This episode is sponsored by Zoetis.

Editor Walt Cooley interviews Pete Kappelman, the senior vice president of member and government relations for Land O’Lakes. They talk about sustainability and more, specifically about Land O’Lakes’ recent decision to perform on-farm sustainability assessments for all of their membership and what that will look like in practice. Kappelman says that agriculture has been “dragging its feet” a bit in the area of sustainability, but he’s excited the newest generation of dairy farmers – like the one that has taken over his own family farm – sees it as an opportunity.

This episode covers robotic manure scrapers, manure handling efficiency, becoming carbon neutral by 2050 and more with Jeramy Sanford of GEA.

This episode is sponsored by GEA.

On this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, Editor Peggy Coffeen sits down with Kelli Retallick, Director of Genetics and Genomic Programs, Angus Genetics, Inc.

Kelli recently spoke at the Professional Dairy Producers Annual Business Conference, held in March in Wisconsin, where she informed dairy producers of the collaborative work between the American Angus Association, beef supply chain and dairy genetics industry to create a beef-x-dairy cross that please the feed yard, packers and consumer.

In our time with Kelli today, she will help us understand why not just any black bull will do when it comes to selecting genetics for dairy beef crosses.

Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW) and Progressive Dairy magazine recently partnered to create the Nexus Innovation Awards. Five companies were selected by a panel of dairy producers as winners of the award from among more than a dozen applicants. The companies presented their new innovations live on stage at PDPW’s Business Conference, March 17-18. Editor Walt Cooley presented the awards and moderated their live presentations. This episode contains recorded content from the live event and one-on-one interviews with a representative from each of the winning companies.

Mallory Embree is Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at Native Microbials, a company focused on improving animal health and nutrition by leveraging the microbiome. The company has invested several years to scientific discovery to understand the complexity of the rumen microbiome, and the critical role it plays for cows.

In this episode you’ll learn about the importance of the microbiome, implications for the dairy industry, and how Native Microbials is delivering novel feed additive solutions that can benefit farmers. Mallory is joined by Alfonso Lago, President of DairyExperts.

This episode is brought to you by Native Microbials.

In this Progressive Dairy podcast, editor Peggy Coffeen takes a deep dive into in vitro fertilization (IVF) with Boviteq’s Dr. Shantille Kruse. They discuss how some herds are using this reproductive technology to move the needle on genetic progress, while at the same time, controlling heifer inventory and adding value to offspring.

Hillcrest Farms is home to Georgia’s first robotic dairy farm. Hillcrest Farms started in 1941 on the perimeter of Dearing, Georgia. It has continued to be owned and operated by the Rodgers family and is now on its fourth generation, three of which still work on the farm today. In this episode, you’ll have the opportunity to hear from Mark Rodgers about his family’s involvement on the farm. With the future generations in mind and to help with their labor challenges, the family made the decision in 2019 to install five DeLaval VMS V300 robots into their retrofit barn. Their herd currently sits above a 90-pound average milk production, with a positive outlook on growing that number even more. Recently, Hillcrest Farms opened up their farm for agritourism. Mark shares about the agritourism experience on their farm and shares some insight on the future of his farm with robots in this new podcast episode.

This episode is brought to you by DeLaval.

If you’re interested in learning more about the DeLaval VMS V300 or want to talk with a DeLaval representative, please visit our website at delaval.com.

Dr. Jennifer Walker is a former dairy veterinarian who is now the director of quality and care for Danone North America. She oversees Danone's milk quality and animal welfare programs for the 700 U.S. dairy farms that supply the company’s milk. In short, she says her job is to "make sure the cows are happy, and the milk is awesome."

On this Progressive Dairy Podcast, editor Peggy Coffeen sits down with Amy Penterman from Dutch Dairy in Thorp, Wis. She is a dairy farmer, crop insurance agent, and the newly elected president of the Dairy Business Association. Amy talks about grassroots advocating and lobbying in a virtual space and opportunities to open dialogue with the environmental community.

Wisconsin dairyman Chuck Ripp’s 900-cow farm has had a digester for more than 10 years. In this episode, you’ll hear about their recent switch over to producing renewable natural gas and whether Chuck thinks it will pay off. He’ll also explain the farm’s focus on transition cows and the protocols he uses to limit issues with fresh cows. Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, he’s using a virtual relationship with his nutritionist. He’ll talk about how that’s affected his feeding program. And finally, Chuck shares his best wisdom for younger producers from his years of dairy experience.

In this Progressive Dairy Podcast, Editor Peggy Coffeen talks to Nate Heim, herd manager at Yippee! Farms in Pennsylvania. A self-proclaimed “city slicker,” hear how his childhood job of packing apples served as a training ground for finding efficiencies on the 2,300-cow dairy he’s managed since its startup, and how his efforts are shaving time off of milking shifts to get more turns in the double-20 parlor while maintaining production, excellent cow comfort and a loyal team.

In this podcast, Progressive Dairy Editor Peggy Coffeen sits down with Kristy Pagel from GPS Dairy Consulting LLC to talk about one of the most powerful, yet simple, tools dairy teams can use to boost morale, empower people and take things to the next level in 2021.

Get to know Michigan Milk Producers through one of the organization's award-winning dairies. In this issue, Editor Walt Cooley talks with Tony Jandernoa and Brent Simon. Jandernoa is the District 6 representative for Michigan Milk. As a board member, he works with the show's second guest, Brent Simon. Earlier this year, Simon and his wife, Emily, were named Michigan Milk's young cooperators of the year. The Simons operate a farm with 930 cows and 2,300 acres. Brent is a graduate of the dairy management program at Michigan State University, while Emily has a bachelor’s degree from Davenport University.

In this episode, Editor Peggy Coffeen sits down with dairyman Lloyd Holterman to discuss all things genomics, from the early adoption of genetic technology to developing the cows in the Rosy-Lane Holsteins herd today. Holterman discusses how laser-focused, data-driven genetic selection has enabled him to create a more sustainable cow that that lives longer with fewer health incidents and greater feed efficiency.

Learn about his strategy, and hear this dairyman’s thoughts on inbreeding, genetic research and the direction of the industry.

Our guest on today’s podcast is Pauly Paul, dairy management consultant and owner of Complete Management Consulting LLC., a hands-on dairy consulting company that specializes in assisting farms with improving their efficiency and income while decreasing operational expenses.

Aidan Connolly, president of AgriTech Capital, joins Editor Walt Cooley in this episode. This is an exclusive interview and a follow-up to the Global Dairy Tech Startup Spotlight which was held in the first part of October 2020. Connolly played a critical role in pulling the event together. Rewatch the event by going to www.dairystartupspotlight.com. Connolly talks more about dairy tech startups and their role in the industry in the next five years.

Editors and Progressive Dairy podcast co-hosts Walt Cooley and Peggy Coffeen treat this anniversary episode a bit differently. The Progressive Dairy podcast launched one year ago. In this episode, learn more about Walt and Peggy, the interview hosts you hear most often in our podcast episodes.

I’m here today at the Milk Source headquarters in Freedom, Wisconsin, with Jim Ostrom. Jim and his partners John Vosters and Todd Willer co-founded Milk Source in 1994, as the three men united their multi-generational farming heritages to grow what started out as a 30-cow dairy owned by John’s parents in 1965 to what is now multi-site, diversified farming operation.

Milk Source operates dairies in Wisconsin, Michigan and Missouri, producing milk that is used to make cheese, butter and other dairy products. In addition, Milk Source also has a Wisconsin calf farm and a heifer-raising facility and dairy goat farm. The operation has received recognition as a leader in improving the environment and the economy, and this year, the partners were named the 2020 Dairy Producers of the Year by World Dairy Expo, an honor that will be officially recognized at the 2021 World Dairy Expo.

Editor-in-chief Walt Cooley and Wisconsin dairyman Derek Orth discuss The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle and how the principles in the book could be applied to dairy farm and employee management. Derek has written before for Progressive Dairy about his voracious “reading,” or rather, listening to books. He says The Culture Code is one of those books he’s re-read or listened to several times.

Valene Lickley and Katharine Lotspeich are the co-hosts of the Millennial Ag podcast. Editor Walt Cooley interviews them as they approach their one-year anniversary of the launch of their podcast. The mantra of their podcast is that no topic is off-limits. This episode lives up to it.

In this episode, we hear from 22-year-old dairy farmer Anna Hinchley. Her desire to return to her family’s dairy in Cambridge, Wisconsin, after graduating prompted her parents to move forward with expanding the herd and upgrading to automated milking. Anna has involved in every step of the barn design process. Hear about the key features of her robot barn here.

In this episode, we talk with dairywoman Melissa Traiser. She is the owner-operator of THF Jerseys, a 45-cow dairy in Somerset, Wisconsin. We talk about how COVID-19 has affected her and her farm. She tells us about an act of kindness from her milk hauler that was specifically meaningful to her and her local dairy community.

This episode's sponsor is Cargill Animal Nutrition.

Cargill is helping dairy farmers say “thank you” to anyone who has shown them an act of kindness, big or small, through their new distinguished White Heart Award. Winners and nominators will receive a year's worth of delicious dairy!

This episode is with regular Progressive Dairy columnist Tim Moffett. Tim is a dairy-farmer comedian. You can find his humor in every issue of the magazine on the inside back cover. Tim has had some time on his hands due to COVID-19 and its prohibition on large gatherings. Thus, many of his scheduled performances have been canceled. He’s itching to get back on stage. During this episode, Tim talks about his upbringing on the farm and brought a few humorous clips from his live performances. He tells the back stories of those jokes.

Canadian dairyman Ben Loewith milks 450 cows in Ontario, Canada. He’s about 2 two hours west of Buffalo, New York, or just a bit southwest of Toronto between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Loewith’s cows are 100-plus-pound producers.

Average isn’t something he’s interested in; the highest achievable results are more fascinating to him. Loewith likes to learn about protocols and processes that produce high performance in dairy cows more so than specific cow pedigrees. He uses a “Good Book,” as he calls it, to help him understand how week-to-week changes affect the results he sees on his farm.

Dairy Management Inc. CEO Tom Gallagher joins Editor Walt Cooley for a discussion about how the dairy check-off has navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. Gallagher talks about where dairy promotion may go in the future, as well as the changing landscape for fluid milk processing and promotion.

This episode’s guest is Dr. Tom Earleywine. He is the Milk Replacer Director of Nutritional Services at Land O'Lakes. He joins Progressive Dairy Editor Walt Cooley to talk about weaning and how it’s changed over the last several years.

Vir-Clar Farms near Fond du Lac, Wisconsin has elevated the accuracy of feed storage, mixing and delivery with an innovative feed center featuring an automated kitchen and on-site grain storage that saves them time and money.

The 2,000-cow dairy is owned by Gary and Rose Boyke, along with their son J.R. Boyke and daughter and son-in-law, Katie and Grant Grinstead. We’re here at Vir-Clar today, sitting down in the feed center office with Grant. It was actually Grant’s experience in the pork industry that brought to the table concepts of efficiency, automation and accuracy that make this system work on their dairy.

Let’s hear from this self-proclaimed “pig guy” about how the automated feed center came to be, and how it’s working out at Vir-Clar Farms.

When prepartum cows are fed a negative DCAD diet, inducing a mild compensated metabolic acidosis, calcium status is improved, resulting in healthier, more productive cows. Recently, some nutritionist have been feeding even lower-DCAD diets (more anions) to acidify cows more deeply than the majority of published research. At these higher, more extreme levels of acidification, cows may walk a fine line between being OK and being overwhelmed by uncompensated metabolic acidosis. Progressive Dairy Editor Audrey Schmitz spoke with Tim Brown to hear more about DCAD myths and the optimum level for negative DCAD diets.

Today’s episode provides summaries of three different articles we’ve published this past year on manure management. Listen in to find out how to improve nitrogen efficiency from farm to field, what can be done to get the most value from manure and which manure system will make a good addition to your farm.

Ray Bohacz of the Idle Chatter podcast and farmmachinerydigest.com joins Editor Walt Cooley to introduce himself to readers and share three tips for preventative maintenance that will help avoid machinery breakdowns. Bohacz has published more than 3,000 technical articles about machinery in his career. His columns recently began appearing regularly in Progressive Dairy magazine.

Hannah Vander Poel is a female dairy farmer using social media to advocate for the dairy industry. Under the Instagram name @IDdairygirl, she shares the joys and challenges of dairy farm life from Northern Sky Dairy in Castleford, Idaho.

Vander Poel can be found elbow-deep in daily work on the 1,000-cow dairy, a sister-site to her home farm where her parents reside, Sky View Dairy, in Bakersfield, California. In between breeding cows and herd data entry, she balances taking classes toward her accounting degree as a satellite student at Boise State University.

Vander Poel was a featured speaker on the Innovation Stage at the 2020 Dairy Strong Conference held in January in Madison, Wisconsin. There, she shared her social media experience and inspired other dairy farmers to do the same.

Progressive Dairy Editor Peggy Coffeen sat down with Vander Poel to hear more about the hows and whys behind her social media advocacy.

Some estimates indicate that by 2040, just 5% of farms will produce 75% or more of America’s agricultural output. But who will be in that 5%?

Aimpoint Research seeks to answer this question. The firm has conducted new, landmark research revealing the psychology of the farmers who are most likely to lead the industry in 2040 and both the internal and external factors impacting their success. Brett Sciotto, president and CEO of Aimpoint Research, is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a former army intelligence officer. He revealed findings from the firm’s research at the 2020 Dairy Strong Conference held in January in Madison, Wisconsin.

Who will be the “farmers of the future”? Sciotto shares more with Progressive Dairy Editor Peggy Coffeen about the psychographic segmentation of the current farming population, which groups he believes will remain in business over the next 20 years, and how that impacts interactions within the agri-food supply chain.

At the beginning of 2020, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) updated its guidelines for how dehorning should be done on dairy farms. The national organization first established guidelines for this practice in 2014. One significant update in the dehorning guidelines is the recommendation for pain mitigation. Progressive Dairy Editor Walt Cooley spoke with AABP’s Executive Director Fred Gingrich, DVM, about the changes and what they mean on-farm.

If you’ve ever been around a dairy cattle showring, or picked up a purebred publication, there's a good chance you know the name “Budjon.” One of the most well-known prefixes in today’s registered cattle business, their lengthy list of showring achievements include:

6 Premier Breeder banners from World Dairy Expo
5 National Show Supreme Champions
200 All-American nominations among the Holstein, Jersey and Red and White breeds
100 All-Canadian nominations across all those three breeds as well

But don’t let the showring fame fool you. The Budjon brand isn’t only about trophies and ribbons; they have adapted their focus to become known as a premier boarding facility for elite genetics, and they continue to diversify and re-structure to create a permanent place for themselves in an ever-changing dairy industry.

So how are they doing this? Listen to Editor Peggy Coffeen’s interview with the farm to find out.

Editor Karen Lee sits down with DeLaval president and CEO Joakim Rosengren to hear his views on sustainability, the future of milking equipment, dairy on an international stage and what motivates him during tough times. Rosengren also shares a couple of interesting, yet short-lived, milking equipment innovations that can be found in the company’s museum in Sweden.

Editor Walt Cooley and ag economist Marin Bozic of the University of Minnesota discuss macroeconomic factors that will likely influence the upcoming decade. In this episode, Bozic touches on the importance of a trade deal with China, the increasing automation of jobs in the U.S. economy, U.S. energy independence’s rearranging of geopolitics and the potential impact of the USMCA trade deal being ratified.

Editor Walt Cooley and Professional Dairy Producers Executive Director Shelly Mayer remind listeners of the reason for the season and challenge all to be grateful for their individual “super power.”

Illinois dairyman Andy Lenkaitis converted his home farm Red Shirt Holsteins to robotic milking in 2017. He is also an environmental sales engineer and works for GEA. He assists dairy farms that are transitioning from conventional to robotic milking. In this episode, he talks about his own robotic milking transition, what he’s found is helpful to producers going through their own transitions and the biggest challenges he sees in most transitions to robots.

In this episode, Editor Peggy Coffeen talks with the Dr. Gordie Jones about a dairy barn design concept he contrived called the all-seasons hybrid barn.

Editor Walt Cooley interviews magazine contributor Andy Junkin. He calls himself a specialist in the decision culture of farmers. In short, he’s a farm family consultant. He’s written several books based on his experience consulting with farms. His most recent book is called Bulletproof Your Farm. It’s a workbook of sorts on how to get your family meeting regularly.

In this episode, Editor Walt Cooley talks with the new principal partners of Vault Ag about forward contracting and risk management in the dairy industry.

In October 2019, Rice Dairy LLC in Chicago, Illinois, and Commodity Risk Management Group in Platteville, Wisconsin, announced a partnership between the two businesses to create a single brokerage company that will service the agriculture and dairy industries under the banner of Vault Ag Holding Company LLC. I got a chance to sit down with Pete Turk and Mike North to discuss risk management and forward contracting.

Automated milking systems are changing the way today’s farms function. As more and more dairies adopt the technology, the industry is adjusting its tried and true methods and there is always something new to be said on the topic.

Today’s episode provides summaries of three different articles we’ve published this past year on incorporating robots. Listen in to find out whether you should retrofit or build new to accommodate automated milking systems in your barn. Find out the best techniques to train fresh cows for robotic milking success. Lastly, learn what the signals cows are giving you in an automated system mean and how to respond.

Minnesota dairyman Michael Johnson has been using eartag activity monitoring from CowManager for four and a half years. In this episode, he talks about his experience installing the technology, his results and advice for other dairymen who may be considering similar technology. Johnson operates Trailside Holsteins in Fountain, Minnesota, and milks 600-cows.

The pro-livestock, non-profit organization Animal Ag Alliance annually attends the Animal Rights National Conference to discover trends in strategy and tactics among anti-animal agriculture groups. (No, they don’t use undercover tactics to get in.) Kay Johnson Smith, CEO of the Animal Ag Alliance, recaps in this episode what the alliance heard and saw at the 2019 event held in Alexandria, Virginia, and what it means for dairy farmers.

In this first-ever episode, listen to Progressive Dairy editors Walt Cooley, Karen Lee, Peggy Coffeen and Dave Natzke discuss what you can expect from future podcasts published by the magazine.