Progressive Dairy Podcast

Biosecurity should be a top priority for dairy producers to keep their herds healthy. By implementing strict biosecurity measures, producers can prevent the spread of disease among their cattle and workers. Investing in these protocols is not just a matter of farm management but a commitment to animal welfare, public health and the long-term viability of animal agriculture. Today, we are joined by Dr. Tom Earleywine, director of nutritional services for Purina Animal Nutrition, who will dive deep into biosecurity practices to implement in your dairy operation. Questions in this episode: Tom Earleywine, Ph.D. Director of Nutritional Services Purina Animal Nutrition TJEarleywine@landolakes.com This episode is sponsored by Purina Animal Nutrition.

In this episode, Dr. Jeffrey Bewley from Holstein Association USA visits with host Kimmi Devaney about the opportunities and limitations of utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) in the dairy industry. Here’s a breakdown of the episode:

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, Dr. Ken Griswold, the Lead Ruminant Technical Manger @Selko, will talk with us about the importance of Ramping Up Your Herd Health. With today’s feed prices and an extremely volatile market, keeping your animals in top notch health is key. As a PhD, and also a father of two daughters who grew up showing dairy cows, Dr. Griswold knows first-hand, just how important it is to protect herd health at all costs. Listen in as we chat with Ken one-on-one to collect his insights on how to Ramp Up Your Herd Health and keep it there. To learn more about how Selko can help dairy producers and nutritionists ramp up herd health, please visit https://www.selko.com/en-us/ Questions in this episode: About Dr. Ken Griswold: Ken is responsible for dairy technical support for the Micronutrients team and has been professionally involved in the dairy industry for over 30 years. Ken was raised on a family-owned dairy in New York and holds degrees in animal science, dairy nutrition, and rumen microbiology. He has worked in academia, extension, and industry positions ranging from on-farm nutritional consulting to university research to feed additive development and technical support. Ken is a member of ADSA and ARPAS and served on the National ADSA Board. Additionally, he has been an author or co-author on over 50 articles in scientific and lay publications. This episode is sponsored by Selko.

On this Progressive Dairy Podcast, Matt Kauffman, Great Lakes Regional Sales Manager at Papillon Agricultural Company, chats with Clayton Stoffel, Technical Services Manager at Papillon, about getting the most from amino acid blends. They examine the importance of quality control, ration diversity and targeting amino acids, plus how all of this impacts IOFC. Episode Highlights: This episode is sponsored by Papillon Agricultural Company. Papillon Agricultural Company develops and produces premium nutritional products for consultants, feed suppliers and producers nationwide. We commit to progressive research and a rigorous quality control program to deliver consistent, high-quality ingredients designed to maximize feed efficiency at the farm level. Our product portfolio includes prebiotics and probiotics, amino acid blends and specialty solutions.

From improving soil properties to being a powerhouse ingredient in feed rations, alfalfa has a lot to offer dairy producers. Emily Meccage, Ph.D., senior manager of research and development with Forage Genetics International, joins the discussion to share about the many opportunities for dairy farmers to capitalize on growing, harvesting and feeding alfalfa. This episode is sponsored by Forage Genetics International. For more than 30 years, FGI has led the alfalfa industry by breeding, developing and producing premier alfalfa seed and technologies that have advanced farm operations across the country. FGI’s innovative genetic discoveries, variety developments and cutting-edge alfalfa trait technologies have led to the creation of several patented traits and technology in alfalfa, including HarvXtra® Alfalfa with Roundup Ready® Technology, as well as varieties with the UltraCut® alfalfa disease package. Forage Genetics International is the only alfalfa trait provider in the industry that is solely devoted to the relentless pursuit of advancement in the alfalfa industry.

In this episode, Lucas Fuess from Rabobank joins host Kimmi Devaney to chat about economic conditions, the factors affecting them and key insights from recent Rabobank reports related to milk production, on-farm margins and more. Here's a breakdown of the episode:

In this session with Virtus, Western Sales Manager, Renee Smith shares the impact that feeding adequate levels of essential fatty acids have on embryo development and retention. Listen in to learn how feeding EPA/DHA for greater reproductive efficiency is working in breeding heifers, in IVF programs, and in lactating herds as well. This episode is sponsored by Virtus Nutrition. At Virtus Nutrition our mission is to help you feed a better balance of fatty acids to improve reproduction, health, and profitability. In the early 2000’s, we invented the process to deliver EPA/DHA in a form that dairy cows can utilize. Since then, we’ve developed several products, including Strata and EnerG-3, that give customers flexibility in how to deliver these essential fatty acids to their cows. Lost pregnancies are costly at every stage of pregnancy, and EPA/DHA is the pregnancy nutrient that resolves inflammation, supports healthy embryo development, and improves retention of pregnancy.

The first Canadian Progressive Dairy Podcast guest hails from Prince Edward Island and has made her mark on the dairy industry as a first-generation dairy farmer. Host Matti McBride chats with Suz Brouwer about her dream of owning a dairy, her work to acquire one and the lessons learned along the way. Here is the episode breakdown:

Listed on Forbes 30 Under 30, dairy farmer, dog mom and businesswoman Hayley Painter joins host Matti McBride to tell the story of Painterland Sisters Organic Skyr Yogurt. Learn about Painter’s youth on an organic dairy farm in rural Pennsylvania, where the idea to diversify the family business came from and how Hayley continues working alongside her family. Here is the episode breakdown:

What is M-Power? It’s Allflex identification products, SenseHub® Dairy monitoring and comprehensive animal health solutions all available through Merck Animal Health to give you greater control over herd performance than ever before. Learn more about this unique, full-solution approach to dairy and what it means for you and your dairy from Erica Tessmann, Marketing Manager for Dairy Monitoring Technology, and Austin Snook, Dairy Marketing Manager, at Merck Animal Health. This episode is sponsored by Merck Animal Health. With identification, monitoring and biopharma products fully integrated in one portfolio, Merck Animal Health offers the only true full-solution approach in the dairy industry. Identification. Monitoring. Biopharma. Which means you get the tools you need to eliminate guesswork, solve specific problems, let cows be cows and put more milk in the tank. It’s the way you want to work, working better than ever before. Learn more about this unique approach to dairy at M-Power-Dairy.com.

In this episode, we will introduce you to the 2024 Nexus Innovation Award winners. They were recently recognized at Professional Dairy Producers Business Conference. One of the award winners uses computer vision to enable just-in-time movement of cows that are about to calve, another makes cow waterers smarter, cleaner and less prone to disseminate diseases, one brings cutting-edge in-plant microbe technology for corn silage to the dairy industry, one primes cows’ immune system and binds pathogens better, and finally one of winning-product's looks like ice cream sprinkles and enables a whole different way of feeding dry cows. Congratulations to the 2023 Nexus Innovation Award winners! Here is the episode breakdown: Ever.Ag for Maternity WardenAcepsis for its Smart Trough WatererAgrovive for its Seed2Rumen microbesQuality Technology International for its MCM prebioticChemlock Nutrition for its zeolite called CalBal

In this episode, Steven Pavelski, large herd application expert for Nedap, reinforces the value of herd monitoring technology and describes how it saves farmers time, labor and costs. Pavelski shares how Nedap CowControl reveals behavior abnormalities, signs of heat and real-time location to get the right cow in front of the right person at the right time. Steven Pavelski, large herd application expert for Nedap Email: steven.pavelski@nedap.com Here’s the episode breakdown: 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 this means helping professional dairy producers run a profitable, sustainable and enjoyable business. The solutions Nedap creates enable users to automate everyday tasks and make informed decisions based on individual animal identification and data. Nedap empowers livestock producers to respond to the growing global demand for animal protein in a way that is 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/

Robots or a rotary parlor? As this question continues to be debated nationwide, Progressive Dairy Podcast host Matti McBride sits down with Torie Little of TDSG and Stephanie Schroeder of Boumatic to identify key points that dairy producers need to understand when investing in an automated milking system. Listen to learn about attributes of successful transitions, questions asked during the process and how certain management styles fit different technologies. Here is the episode breakdown:

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, Dr. Mark Kinsel joins host Kimmi Devaney for a discussion about biosecurity. With recent reports of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dairy herds across multiple states, this is a timely topic that is on the minds of many dairy producers right now. As a veterinarian, Kinsel shares how to put together a biosecurity plan, how to manage animals on multiple sites to protect herd health, considerations for fairs and shows, and other key insights producers should know. Reach Dr. Kinsel at mkinsel@agrimetrica.com Here's a breakdown of the episode: For more information about managing pest birds on the farm, check out this recent article from Amber Adams-Progar.

In this episode, host Kimmi Devaney is joined by Kevin Korbel and Jamieson Lindquist, who together own an ice cream business called Udder Buddies in Minnesota. Learn about how and why they started this business and how they use it to promote agriculture and help other dairy farmers. Connect with them on social media (@udderbuddies) and via email (udderbuddies@gmail.com). Here is the episode breakdown:

At Virtus Nutrition our mission is to help you feed a better balance of fatty acids to improve reproduction, health, and profitability. In the early 2000’s, we invented the process to deliver EPA/DHA in a form that dairy cows can utilize. Since then, we’ve developed several products, including Strata and EnerG-3, that give customers flexibility in how to deliver these essential fatty acids to their cows. Lost pregnancies are costly at every stage of pregnancy, and EPA/DHA is the pregnancy nutrient that resolves inflammation, supports healthy embryo development, and improves retention of pregnancy. This episode is sponsored by Virtus Nutrition.

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, host Kimmi Devaney visits with West Virginia dairy producer Joe Shockey about opportunities to revitalize the dairy industry in Appalachia. West Virginia was one of the visible bright spots during our 2024 State of Dairy interviews with producers and industry leaders. Hear from Shockey about new dairy processing and other efforts to rebuild the state’s dairy industry. Here’s a breakdown of the episode:

Interest in beef-on-dairy remains at an all-time high. In fact, it’s estimated that the industry will produce 3.22 million beef-on-dairy calves in 2024. Incorporating full beef embryos into a dairy’s reproductive program is one way producers are taking advantage of this growing trend. HerdFlex beef embryos from Simplot Animal Sciences are available through Select Sires, offering a team approach to help producers achieve their goals. 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. For more information on beef embryos visit simvitro.com/herdflex

On this Progressive Dairy Podcast, Matt Kaufmann, Great Lakes Regional Sales Manager at Papillon Agricultural Company, talks with Dr. Devan Paulus Compart, Technical Services Manager at Papillon, about the three phases of the Stress Response Cascade: initial stressors, the negative effect trio and, finally, reduced health and productivity. You’ll also hear about five key strategies to address that impact—and learn how functional additives play a key role in preventing damage and assisting systemic repair. Episode Highlights: This episode is sponsored by Papillon Agricultural Company. Papillon Agricultural Company develops and produces premium nutritional products for consultants, feed suppliers and producers nationwide. We commit to progressive research and a rigorous quality control program to deliver consistent, high-quality ingredients designed to maximize feed efficiency at the farm level. Our product portfolio includes prebiotics and probiotics, bypass proteins and specialty solutions.

CEO and managing partner of High Plains Ponderosa Dairy, Greg Bethard, joins Matti McBride on the latest episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast to discuss all things genetics, reproduction and sustainability. Learn how Bethard landed “the best job” he’s ever had, what dairying in southwest Kansas looks like, Bethard’s “infinite” mentality when it comes to his operation and more. Here is the episode breakdown: ~00:53 -- Bethard’s journey to becoming a dairy producer ~2:08 -- About High Plains Ponderosa Dairy (HPPD) ~5:40 -- Letting a cow be a cow ~7:00 – What Bethard likes about being a dairy producer ~8:20 – Dairying in southwest Kansas ~10:00 -- A herd of Holstein-Jersey crossbreds ~15:16 -- Reproductive management at HPPD ~18:30 – Reproductive goals ~19:45 – Battling heat stress ~22:50 – Sustainability at HPPD ~25:30 – Looking forward ~26:22 – Rapid-fire questions