Uplevel Dairy Podcast

174 | U.S. Dairy Markets: The Good, Bad and Uncertain + FMMO Update | Highground Dairy November Market Update Nov 21, 2024

The good, the bad and the uncertain.

That’s what you will be hearing about in the November monthly market update from Curtis Bosma with HighGround Dairy, and we also bring you an update on the Federal Milk Marketing Order with HighGround’s Alex Gambonini - what has happened, what the final decision means and where we go from here.

Grab your November Market Report here: https://marketing.highgrounddairy.com/producer-market-update-november-2024.
This episode is brought to you by:
HighGround Dairy provides global dairy market intelligence, insurance services, futures & options brokerage, and advisory programs to a diverse range of dairy market participants throughout the supply chain.

Information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes and is not a solicitation to buy or sell commodities. Opinions expressed are current opinions as of Nov 19, 2024 at 10 a.m. CST and only represent the views of the speaker and not those of HighGround Trading, unless otherwise expressly noted.

173 | Dairy Managers: Use This Tool to Fine-Tune Your Team Nov 19, 2024

Are you looking for ways to up your management skill set, better understand your team members and what motivates them, and better understand yourself?

In this episode, Dustin Wirt, site manager for Silver Streak’s dairy in Cottonwood, Minnesota. Cottonwood Dairy is the first stop for first-lactation cows that calve in Kansas and then make their way to Minnesota. Dustin, who has a background as a dairy herd analyst and repro consultant, cut his teeth managing dairies in Kansas, South Dakota and Colorado, before joining the Silver Streak group about three years ago.

He tells us today about a tool that has not only helped him to further develop his own skills, but also how he is incorporating strengths-based leadership and management within his team of 20 employees to push for their next level of performance - whether it’s setting somatic cell count goals or covering the bunker in record time.

Listen in for a bonus conversation at the end of this episode!

Nedap Power Play featuring Steve Pavleski, large herd specialist with Nedap, talking about the latest advancements in dairy technology and large dairy management.

This episode is part of the High Performance mindset series powered by Nedap, The High-Performance Mindset Series is powered by Nedap. Nedap is future-proofing dairy farms by revolutionizing cow-side care through technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering and identification.

Learn more:

https://nedap-livestockmanagement.com/

Other resources:

CliftonStrengths© Online Talent Assessment

https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx

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172 | Becoming a Price Maker with Mike McCarty, McCarty Family Farms Nov 14, 2024

When their bank laid out the challenge to McCarty Family Farms to become a price maker, not a price taker, the McCartys were determined to find a way to market their milk differently.

Two years later, the family came back with a plan to expand their dairy, build an on-site milk condensing plant and enter into a direct marketing agreement with Danone.

The eldest of the four McCarty brothers, Mike, shares the story of leaving their century farm in Pennsylvania nearly 25 years ago for a bare ground site in northwest Kansas that has served as a canvas from which the family could paint a vision for their future, and how they are continuing to make those strides forward , together, today.

This episode is brought to you by the Milc Group.

Milc Group is a dairy software company that brings real-time, actionable data to dairy farms across the world. They are dedicated to revolutionizing the dairy industry with their user-friendly cloud-based software. ONE™ by Milc Group is our all-in-one app that brings together all the important aspects of your dairy together in one place. With products such as feed and animal management software, people training, dairy facility monitoring, and scale management, Milc Group is committed to providing producers with tools they need to succeed.

ONETM Feed

https://www.milcgroup.com/product/feed

ONETM Scale

https://www.milcgroup.com/product/scale

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171 | Ultra-Endurance: Running for a Reason with Jordan Matthews, Rosy-Lane Holsteins Nov 12, 2024

In this episode, Jordan Matthews from Rosy-Lane Holsteins shares how his brother's battle with stage four colon cancer motivated him to take on ultra-endurance running to support cancer research. He highlights the mindset, discipline, and structure required for managing a dairy farm and pushing personal limits to optimize his time, his health and his influence on those around him.

Jordan's upcoming fundraising run, 'A Day in the Park,' aims to support the Carbone Cancer Center by running for 13 continuous hours and raising $10,000, showcasing his dedication not only to his career in dairy farming but also to meaningful causes.

Make your gift to the “A Day in the Park” fundraiser for Carbone Cancer Center here: https://give.wiscmedicine.org/fundraiser/5896507

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170 | 5 Steps to Turn Your Dairy Farm into a Professional Brand with Susan Heim Nov 07, 2024

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen and guest Susan Heim discuss pivotal steps to elevate your dairy farm into a professional business through strategic branding.

Peggy and Susan outline five key steps to create and sustain a brand that resonates with your employees, community, and consumers.

With real-life examples from local farms like the Eberts and Pagel's Ponderosa, they illustrate how effective branding fosters community engagement, employee loyalty, and an impactful market presence. Whether you're a dairy farmer looking to transform your business or maintain employee retention, this episode provides actionable insights and strategies designed to uplevel your dairy farm.

Connect with Susan Hiem, owner and president of Quali-T:

920-845-1010 ext. 101

sheim@qualitinc.com

Learn more about how Quali-T provides branding solutions, work wear, reflective gear and other customized merchandise for farms and agribusinesses:

https://qualitinc.espwebsite.com/

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169 | Two Year Anniversary of Episode 1 of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast with Jared Dueppengiesser Nov 05, 2024

I can't believe it's been two years since hitting "publish" on my very first episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast.

I'm resharing that very podcast with you today, so enjoy!

Jared Dueppengiesser has worked his way up through the Milk Source organization, from a herdsman to now manager of Rosendale Dairy. He leads a team of 52 employees on one of Wisconsin’s largest dairies. In this podcast, Jared shares how he took on the challenge of upleveling the culture of this dairy to be a place where people want to work and want to stay … with nearly zero employee turnover for the past half year. And he’s done all this at just 26 years old. What you’ll learn: - Jared’s vision for the culture he wanted to create at Rosendale Dairy - What he does every day to create that culture - Who is the most important employee? - The tools that empowered him to take action - The results of culture on employee turnover - Jared’s best advice to others managing both cows and people Meet the guest: Jared Dueppengiesser has worked his way up through the Milk Source organization, from an intern to a herdsman to now herd manager of one of Wisconsin’s largest dairies. He leads a team of 52 employees at Milk Source’s Rosendale Dairy. A New York native, Jared grew up on his family’s 900-cow dairy before heading off to Cornell University. A natural leader and “people person,” he is proving his management skills at the young age of 26 years old. While people and building a culture for his team to thrive are his passion, Jared has never strayed from his love for being hands-on with cows. In fact, he and his family, along with partners Milk Source Genetics and Fischer, exhibited the Grand Champion Red & White cow at the 2022 World Dairy Expo, MS Ransom Rail Beth. This episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components and maintain the health of their high-performing herds.

168 | Determined to Dairy No Matter What: A Dutchman’s Dairy Farming Journey Oct 29, 2024

Join me on a journey today as a Dutch dairyman shares his story of starting out with 34 cows on a rented farm in Germany and building from scratch what is a 1,600-cow dairy farm today in Indiana.

Tony Golstine from Union-Go Dairy has faced extreme challenges with fierce determination and a “never give up” attitude, and you are about to find out why … even through times of financial hardship and fighting cancer … he continues to say he is the happiest guy in the world

And hear why he believes investing in tools from Micro Technologies like Cubex and activity monitoring will position his dairy for the next generation of young, tech-savvy dairy farm employees.

This episode is sponsored by Micro Technologies

Micro Technologies innovates advanced, comprehensive & integrated technologies to help dairies produce a safe, wholesome product more efficiently and profitably.

Learn more about Cubex QBud Health Inventory Management here:

https://www.microtechnologies.com/dairy/cubex-qbud

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167 | California Bird Flu Update, Butter Slips and Cheese Stays Strong: HighGround Dairy October Monthly Market Update Oct 24, 2024

In this episode, Curtis Bosma from HighGround Dairy shares an update on the bird flu from California’s dairy-dense Central Valley, and distills these market movements:

Huge Crops Keeping Feed Costs Lower
Cheese Exports Holding Steady
Butter Prices Slip

Grab your Monthly Market Update Here: https://www.highgrounddairy.com/october-2024-dairy-producer-market-update/

This episode is brought to you by:
HighGround Dairy provides global dairy market intelligence, insurance services, futures & options brokerage, and advisory programs to a diverse range of dairy market participants throughout the supply chain.

Information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes and is not a solicitation to buy or sell commodities. Opinions expressed are current opinions as Oct. 21 2024 at 3 p.m. CST and only represent the views of the speaker and not those of HighGround Trading, unless otherwise expressly noted.

166 | Exclusive Insights: H5N1 Biosecurity and Management Strategies for Dairy Farms Oct 22, 2024

From World Dairy Expo 2024: If you missed this session live, get up to speed now on H5N1 as we hear from Dr. Jason Lombard from Colorado State University, who has been studying this virus since its early findings, Dr. Keith Poulson from the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, Miquela Hanselman, who leads the FARM program’s Biosecurity efforts and dairy producers Brent Wilson from Michigan who opens up on how H5N1 impacted his herd and what others can learn from this experience, alongside California producer Brian Pacheco, as he strategizes to protect his herd from the outbreak in his area that has not yet touched his dairy.

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165 | Showbox Stories with Tim Abbott, featuring Jim Ostrom, John Vosters and Steve Briggs Oct 17, 2024

We gathered around the Showbox Sires showbox at World Dairy Expo to share with you stories from some of the most notable and influential people in the dairy cattle show business.

In this episode, Peggy Coffeen and Tim Abbott sit down with Jim Ostrom and John Vosters from Milk Source to hear about their show ring memories, as well as their story of building a multi-site dairy, dairy goat and cheese business.

Then, Steve Briggs from Brigeen Farms talks about the best mentors he has had in his lifetime - the next generation of dairy youth.

If you enjoy this episode, head back in our list to Part 1, featuring guests Tom Morris and Ernie Kueffner.

Thanks to Tim Abbott and Showbox Sires for this collaboration.

Learn more about Showbox Sires here:

https://www.showboxsires.com/

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164 | Showbox Stories with Tim Abbott, featuring Tom Morris and Ernie Kueffner Oct 15, 2024

We gathered around the Showbox Sires showbox at World Dairy Expo to share with you stories from some of the most notable and influential people in the dairy cattle show business.

In this episode, Peggy Coffeen and Tim Abbott sit down with Tom Morris and Ernie Kueffner, as they recount the early days of World Dairy Expo, the cows they will never forget and the stories that have stayed locked away inside their showboxes for years.

And this is only Part 1! Join us on the next episode to hear from three more industry greats!

Thanks to Tim Abbott and Showbox Sires for this collaboration.

Learn more about Showbox Sires here: https://www.showboxsires.com/

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163 | How Technology will Take McCarty Family Farms into the next 25 Years Oct 10, 2024

Nearly 25 years ago, the McCarty family picked up from Pennsylvania and planted new roots in northwest Kansas. Now a multi-site dairy business, the most recent addition to McCarty Family Farms includes two adjoining 5,000-cow facilities. Clay McCarty talks about the technologies he believes will take this operation 25 years into the future.

Clay delves into the strategic decisions that have shaped this family business, from adopting dairy management software solutions by Milc Group to optimizing feeding systems with innovative technology. He reflects on the dynamic environment that encourages growth and innovation while maintaining a strong focus on animal welfare and community ties in this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast.

This episode is brought to you by the Milc Group.

Milc Group is a dairy software company that brings real-time, actionable data to dairy farms across the world. They are dedicated to revolutionizing the dairy industry with their user-friendly cloud-based software. ONE™ by Milc Group is our all-in-one app that brings together all the important aspects of your dairy together in one place. With products such as feed and animal management software, people training, dairy facility monitoring, and scale management, Milc Group is committed to providing producers with tools they need to succeed.

ONETM Feed

https://www.milcgroup.com/product/feed

ONETM Scale

https://www.milcgroup.com/product/scale

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162 | Taking the Next Steps to Your Professional Dairy Career Oct 08, 2024

In this episode, we bring you our panel and session from the National Dairy Shrine’s Young Professionals Luncheon at World Dairy Expo, held on Sept. 30, 2024.

This panel includes three individuals who will share their personal career journeys, from when they were once college students themselves to the roles in which they serve the dairy industry today:

Panelists:

Rachel (Coyne) Kurth – MILC Group
Jared Dueppengiesser-Acepsis
Nick Randle - Zoetis

Learn how to build your own professional network, seek out personal development, make big job decisions and step into leadership roles both at work and within the dairy community from this trio of dairy professionals.

161 | Running Fast, Slowing Down and Backing Up Cattle Trailers like a Champ with Elle St. Pierre Oct 03, 2024

Today we are catching up with a member of Team USA - the 2x Olympian who just placed 8th in the women’s 1500 m at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, France. Olympic runner isn’t her only title. She is also a dairy farmer, alongside her husband Jamie, and his family at Pleasant Valley Farms in Vermont, where they are raising their little farm boy, Ivan.

We’re catching up with Elle Purrier St. Pierre on setting records after becoming a mom, her most unforgettable moments from Paris, and life after the Olympics, back on the farm.

This Episode is Brought to you by Adisseo

This episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components, and maintain the health of their high-performing herds. Learn more at https://www.adisseo.com/en/

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160 | Multi-Site Dairy Data Management Made Simple with Chris Szydel Oct 01, 2024

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy podcast, host Peggy Coffeen sits down with Chris Szydel, the Herd Manager at Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy. Chris shares his journey and insights into how advanced technologies are revolutionizing dairy farming. From automated systems to track cow health and performance to integration tools that streamline operations, the episode delves into how these technologies are not only improving cow care but also enhancing efficiency and profitability.

The conversation covers a range of dairy technologies, including DairyComp, Nedap cow collars, and Valley Ag Software, emphasizing how these tools collectively contribute to a more organized and efficient dairy operation. Chris highlights the benefits of the Nedap Smart Sort Gate, which has drastically improved labor efficiency and cow care by automating the identification and sorting of cows. This episode is a must-listen for dairy farm owners, managers, and advisors aiming to adopt a high-performance mindset and leverage cutting-edge technologies to propel their operations forward.

The High-Performance Mindset Series is powered by Nedap. Nedap is future-proofing dairy farms by revolutionizing cow-side care through technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering, and identification. Listen for more episodes in this series throughout 2024 or catch past episodes in this series below!

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159 | Going from Good to Great at Woldt Farms LLC Sep 26, 2024

Welcome to the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, hosted by Peggy Coffeen. In this insightful episode, Peggy visits Woldt Family Farms in Brillion, Wisconsin, as they prepare for their virtual farm tour at the World Dairy Expo. Joining her is Pauly Paul from Complete Management Consulting, who shares his expertise on how he helped take Woldt Family Farms from good to great.

In this episode, you will hear about the transformative changes implemented at Woldt Family Farms. Pauly discusses how his team managed to run 200 more cows through the milking parlor daily without adding extra labor. Discover the significant reduction in fresh cow treatments from 40% to 5%, achieved through improved employee engagement and streamlined procedures. Pauly's hands-on, boots-on-the-ground approach is highlighted as crucial to these successes, illustrating crucial aspects of parlor efficiency and fresh cow management.

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158 | Join Uplevel Dairy Live at World Dairy Expo! Sep 24, 2024

If you are heading to the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, next week, I want to invite you to a few Uplevel Dairy LIVE events!

For a little sneak peek behind the scenes of this and more at WDE, make sure to follow UPlevel Dairy on FB or IG to see my stories!

Here's a complete rundown of all the must-attend sessions and panels we're hosting:

National Dairy Shrine Young Professionals Luncheon

Monday, Sept. 30

Join me as I chat with Nick Randle, Rachel (Coyne) Kurth, and Jared Duppengiesser about Taking the Next Steps in Your Professional Dairy Career.

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfM2XjqPTbJjwjKzMdqvzieCOCxCZL1j-xnyuc7EHpHzNAidw/viewform?fbclid=IwY2xjawFassRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVP0hJEWgwm_UayuzSEL0OaMr8Ohh_m3cyNYpFel9MT5hjnEK9hUxHU46g_aem_hMul91SeqqV9FHN8YABu5g

Tanbark Talk with Compeer

October 1st, 9 a.m. to 11 am in the Tanbark

Securing the Future: A candid conversation about dairy farm transition planning.

Sponsored by: Compeer Financial

Panelists: The Oeschner Family; Steve Schweoer, Compeer Financial; Jared Holt, Ascent Financial.

Join us live or virtually here: https://compeer.com/WorldDairyExpo2024.html

Bonus: Attendees at the Tandbark will receive a free grilled cheese coupon courtesy of Compeer!

Exclusive Insights: H5N1 Biosecurity and Management Strategies for Dairy Farms

Thursday, October 3rd | 10:30 a.m.

In this session, we are exploring how to address current H5N1 challenges to the industry with best practices for mitigating risk and preparing for the future.

In partnership with FARM.

Virtual Farm Tour of Woldt Farms

Friday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m. in the Exhibition Hall, or tune in to Expo TV

Featuring Woldt Family Farms & Sponsored by Complete Management Consulting LLC.

Good to Great: How This Dairy Crushed Their Goals for Improved Efficiency and Profitability with the assistance of Complete Management Consulting.

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157 | Record dairy markets + how to value corn silage: HighGround Dairy September Monthly Market Update Sep 19, 2024

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, host Peggy Coffeen dives into the current landscape of dairy markets with Curtis Bosma from HighGround Dairy. The episode starts by giving listeners an overview of recent trends in dairy futures, including notable gains in Class III and Class IV prices and the implications for dairy producers. Curtis shares insights on the influence of managed money in the commodity markets and what this indicates about future market movements.Throughout the episode, Curtis discusses the critical impact of diseases such as the Blue Tongue virus in Europe and the H5N1 avian influenza in California. He highlights how these events affect global and local dairy production and what dairy farmers need to watch for regarding their milk supply and pricing. Curtis also offers advice on how dairy producers can navigate these tumultuous times by leveraging risk management strategies.The episode wraps up with an in-depth conversation about valuing corn silage, especially during the current harvest season. Curtis breaks down the various factors that should be considered, from managing shrinkage to understanding the financial implications of either growing or purchasing corn silage. This timely discussion is aimed at helping dairy farmers make informed decisions about their feed strategy to ensure financial stability and operational efficiency.

Grab your September Market Report Here: https://marketing.highgrounddairy.com/producer-market-update-september-2024.

Information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes and is not a solicitation to buy or sell commodities. Opinions expressed are current opinions as of September 18, 2024 at 10 a.m. CST and only represent the views of the speaker and not those of HighGround Trading, unless otherwise expressly noted.

156 | Family Farm Transition: Strategies and Stories from the Field Sep 17, 2024

World Dairy Expo Sneak Peak! This episode is a preview of the Tanbark Talk, “Securing the Future: A candid conversation about dairy farm transition planning”, coming up Oct. 1, 9-11 a.m.

Sponsored by Compeer Financial, you can join us live in the Tanbark, or join us through the virtual live stream, to hear from the Oeschner family, as well as Steve Schweoer from Compeer and Jared Holt from Ascent Financial.

Business consultant Jared Holt joins us today to share stories and strategies from the field, from working with the Oeschners and other farm families to successfully transition their businesses from one generation to the next.

Join us at World Dairy Expo for this Tanbark Talk:

“Securing the Future: A candid conversation about dairy farm transition planning”

Tuesday, Oct. 1, 9 a.m. to 11 am., in the Tanbark

Hosted by: Peggy Coffeen, Uplevel Dairy Podcast

Sponsored by: Compeer Financial

Panelists: The Oeschner Family; Steve Schweoer, Compeer Financial; Jared Holt, Ascent Financial.

Tune in LIVE virtually!

Register now: Compeer.com/WDE2024

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155 | FMMO Reform: What Could It Mean for Your Future Milk Check? Sep 12, 2024

If you are wondering how proposed changes to the Federal Milk Marketing Order could impact your milk check, or perhaps you have asked yourself, would we be better off without a federal order system altogether?

Well, today we are taking an in-depth look at making allowances, component changes, and the logistical and financial implications of these recommendations.

Our guest today is Sara Dorland. As managing partner with Ceres Risk Management, she joins us to share her insights on the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) hearings, emphasizing five priority items impacting milk markets and your future milk check.

Based in Sun Valley, Idaho, Sara brings 25 years of studying milk markets and assisting dairy producers and manufacturers with market education, forecasts, and risk management. Her background includes serving as the director of risk management for Darigold, Inc. the fourth-largest dairy cooperative in the United States.

In fact, she has lived through the dissolution of the federal order system in parts of Utah and Idaho.

Get ready to hear about this and more with Sara Dorland.

Show Notes:

00:00 Introduction to FMMO and Priority Items
00:32 Understanding the Make Allowance
01:21 Class One Differential Changes
02:59 Impact of Recommendations on Milk Pricing
12:25 USDA's Role and Producer Involvement
14:46 Voting and Future Implications
16:59 Life Without FMMO
21:20 Risk Management and Final Thoughts

Join us at World Dairy Expo for this Tanbark Talk:

“Securing the Future: A candid conversation about dairy farm transition planning”

Tuesday, Oct. 1, 9 a.m. to 11 am., in the Tanbark
Hosted by: Peggy Coffeen, Uplevel Dairy Podcast

Sponsored by: Compeer Financial

Panelists: The Oeschner Family; Steve Schweoer, Compeer Financial; Jared Holt, Ascent Financial.

Tune in LIVE virtually! Register now: Compeer.com/WDE2024

Featured guest:

Sara Dorland, managing partner, Ceres DRM
sara.dorland@ceresdrm.com
www.ceresdrm.com

The 60-day comment period ends on September 13th. Make your comments and find more information here.

This episode is sponsored by Compeer Financial.

Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural America. Our dairy team brings world-class expertise and tailored solutions to support dairy producers’ financial goals and lending needs.

For more information, contact the Compeer Dairy Industry Experts .

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154 | Young Leader: Lexie Nunes Sep 10, 2024

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy podcast, host Peggy Coffeen sits down with Lexie Nunes, a dynamic young professional in the dairy industry, for the Young Leaders series. Lexie shares her journey from her beginnings on a family dairy farm in Central California to her role as a Customer Support Specialist at Milc Group. Lexie’s story began as a reluctant participant in dairy judging, pushed by her mother, which eventually led to her becoming an All-American dairy judge at World Dairy Expo. Throughout her career, Lexie has gathered extensive experience from working in hands-on roles at ST Genetics to now supporting dairy producers with advanced herd management systems.

Lexie recounts her adventures that have taken her from California to Ohio, then Texas, and back, noting how dairy judging opened doors to various opportunities. She emphasizes the importance of communication skills developed through judging and the invaluable experiences she gained during her collegiate and professional life. Lexie also highlights the major challenges she faced, particularly the intimidation of entering the dairy industry as a young professional and the importance of seeking help and staying open to growth. This episode offers rich insights into the career of a young professional making significant contributions to the dairy industry.

Are you a young professional or college student who is looking to make connections and hear stories of others and their paths to successful careers in dairy? If so, I have a special invitation for you:

Join me at World Dairy Expo in Madison WI on Monday, Sept 30 for the National Dairy Shrine and Young Professionals Luncheon and Career Connection to hear a panel of three young professionals who will share their experiences and how you can prepare for your next steps in the dairy industry. This panel features Rachel Kurth, MILC Group, Jared Dueppengiesser, Acepsis and Nick Randle, Zoetis.

Reserve your spot here:

https://forms.gle/nrvTQDpn91my6Vgb6

153 | Military Meets Dairy Farm Management: Nick Vander Weerd, CFO, Pleasant Dutch Dairy Sep 05, 2024

Freedom. Who doesn’t want more of that?

A phone that rings less.

Fewer fires to put out.

A team you can trust to take care of things as if it were their own, so that you can focus on the tasks and plans that move your business forward.

My guest today not only values freedom, but fights for it, as a major in the South Dakota National Guard. And he’s taken what he has learned about leadership to empower his team to solve problems, make sound decisions and take ownership of the operation.

I met up with Nick Vander Weerd, CFO of Pleasant Dutch Dairy in Brookings, South Dakota, to find out how he relates his 25 years of military experience to the leadership strategies implemented at the dairy, hear it right here on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast.

Nick shares how he empowers employees by training them to be decision-makers at all levels and giving them the tools to solve problems that save time and money - in fact, one you will hear him talk about is ,Milc Pulse from the Milc Group - a pulsation monitoring technology that changed the game at Pleasant Dutch Dairy.

And,Nick discusses the future of the dairy industry in South Dakota, how he manages risk, and his personal philosophy of resilience, positivity, and continuous improvement.

This episode is sponsored in partnership with the Milc Group.

Milc Group is a dairy software company that brings real-time, actionable data to dairy farms across the world by revolutionizing the dairy industry with user-friendly cloud-based software. ONE™ by Milc Group is the all-in-one app that brings together all the important aspects of your dairy in one place.

Heading to WDE? Learn what the future of dairy software looks like with Milc Group at World Dairy Expo. Milc Group will be in the Exhibition Hall all week long at booth 4323. Go see for yourself all the solutions they have to offer when it comes to managing your dairy. Their cloud-based software brings all the important aspects of your dairy into ONE easy-to-use app.

Milc Group: ⁠https://www.milcgroup.com/⁠
Milc Pulse: ⁠https://www.milcgroup.com/product/facility⁠

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152 | Young Leader: Brianna Meyer Sep 03, 2024

We catch up with Young Leader Brianna Meyer at Siemers Holsteins in Newton, Wis., just days after completing her summer internship at this newly built facility.

Find out how she expanded her skills from the 130-cow robot dairy she grew up on in Chilton, Wis., to integrating with a high-performing team on a 5,500-cow dairy, and how these experiences have prompted this aspiring large animal veterinarian to head into her sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a burning desire to grasp every opportunity to learn, grow and push herself to bring the highest value to her future veterinary clients.

This Episode is Brought to you by Adisseo

This episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components, and maintain the health of their high-performing herds. Learn more at https://www.adisseo.com/en/

151 | Mindset Mini-Series: My 5 Hot Takes from “The Confident Mind” Aug 31, 2024

If you are someone who is looking to gain confidence for yourself or help build confidence in people you manage or coach, or maybe even the kids you are raising, there are some nuggets in this book that I believe you will find valuable and useful. And that’s why I’m sharing with you on this bonus Uplevel Dairy Podcast today the cliff notes and my own key takeaways from the book, The Confident Mind by Nate Zinsser.

This book was suggested to me by Clare Alderink, he really found value in it as he prepared for his marathons, and I picked it up and not only found that it helped me personally but has been an excellent teaching tool, as a marathon runner, a mom and a coach in my favorite competitive sport: Dairy Quiz Bowl.

150 | Mindset Mini-Series: Jerome Meyer: Fighting Cancer, Finding Purpose and the Power of a Positive Mindset Aug 28, 2024

Mindset Mini-Series: This week on Uplevel Dairy Podcast, we’re bringing back a few of your favorite conversations from top performers in the dairy business.

Everyone has two lives. The second one starts when you realize you only have one. A positive mindset is easy, when things in our lives our easy. But when we realize we are facing the battle of our lives, for our lives, there is no greater test of faith, perseverance and hope, And our guest today shares his personal journey over the course of the past year. At 39 years old, Jerome Meyer, area business manager for Zoetis, was at the top of his game. Leading his team as they helped dairy clients achieve their goals, an avid runner … and from the outside, every indication would say he was the pillar of health. Until an unexpected cancer diagnosis last year. While his health may have had its ups and downs, what remained steadfast was his positive mindset. In fact, this experience has connected Jerome to a faith he hadn’t found before, a magnified appreciation for his colleagues and the dairy community and given him an even stronger purpose in how he lives each and every day. It’s with great honor and gratitude that Jerome has allowed me to share his journey with you, right here on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast. This episode is brought to you by Zoetis. As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis is dedicated to helping producers achieve healthy animals, healthy dairies and healthy food through their world-class portfolio. For more information, visit DairyWellness.com. Guest: Jerome Meyer Area Business Manager, Zoetis Cell: 262.949.5854 jerome.meyer@zoetis.com Subscribe to Uplevel Dairy Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClQ6xQHZ0A1vqHKjRkbtJJA Want to get new episodes in your inbox? Subscribe here: https://www.upleveldairy.com/subscribe

149 | Mindset Mini-series: Mastering a Marathon Mindset Aug 27, 2024

Mindset Mini-Series: This week on Uplevel Dairy Podcast, we’re bringing back a few of your favorite conversations from top performers in the dairy business.

Back on Episode 100, Clare Alderink, manager at Ryzebol Dairy in Michigan, joined Tommy Oesch from Swiss Lane Farms to talk about doing hard things, like running 4 miles every 4 hours in 48 hours, the 75 hard challenge … and if you recall, Clare also mentioned he was training for an upcoming marathon. Well, I caught up with Clare just days after he crossed the finish line of the Kalamazoo Marathon. When I asked Clare how the race went, his simple response was this: It was hard. Clare had been training for months to not only condition his body with the miles, but as you will find out, more importantly, strengthen his mindset … and that is what got him through an unexpected challenge, all the way to the finish. Listen to find out how this dairy manager-turned-marathon runner views running in much the same way as managing the dairy: - From developing discipline and consistency - To defining which data points really improve performance in the barn and on the road - And practicing patience for the long run … no pun intended. Recommended read: The Confident Mind by Dr. Nate Zinsser Hear more from Clare on Ep. 100: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/nC8xDGc0OJb

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148 | Mindset Mini-Series: The Mindset of a High-Performing Manager Aug 26, 2024

Mindset Mini-Series: This week on Uplevel Dairy Podcast, we’re bringing back a few of your favorite conversations from top performers in the dairy business.

Dairy manager Scott Blevins shares the habits, routines and principles that build his resilience and endurance to stay on top of his game while managing 6,500 cows, 6,600 youngstock and a team of people at Wiese Bros. Farms in Greenleaf, Wisconsin. What you’ll learn: - Staying physically, mentally and spiritually strong - Finding balance in a non-stop business - What Scott wishes he would have known 17 years ago when he started a career as a dairy manager - Scott’s core principles that create the culture at Wiese Bros. Farms

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147 | From Grain Forecasts to Dairy Profits: HighGround Dairy August Monthly Market Update Aug 22, 2024

Record-high yields in the fields for grain corn & beans

Soybean meal is soft
And could the best year yet be ahead for dairy farmers?
Let’s find out on the UPlevel Dairy Podcast, with our guest Curtis Bosma from HighGround Dairy.

Get your August Market Report Here: https://www.highgrounddairy.com/august-2024-dairy-producer-market-update/

Grab your copy of the FMMO Whitepaper here: https://marketing.highgrounddairy.com/fmmo-recommended-decision-analysis-white-paper

Curtis from High Ground Dairy joins Peggy for the August market update, focusing on the latest trends and shifts in grain and dairy markets. Key updates include the WASDE report’s impact on corn and soybean projections, tight milk supplies driving up cheese prices, and the continued orderly rally in butter. Curtis also discusses insights on risk management, margin optimization, and how dairy producers can remain resilient amidst market volatility. Alex's detailed resources on federal milk marketing orders are highlighted, offering valuable tools for producers to navigate complex market dynamics.
This episode is brought to you by:
HighGround Dairy provides global dairy market intelligence, insurance services, futures & options brokerage, and advisory programs to a diverse range of dairy market participants throughout the supply chain.
Information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes and is not a solicitation to buy or sell commodities. Opinions expressed are current opinions as of Aug. 19 at 4 p.m. CST and only represent the views of the speaker and not those of HighGround Trading, unless otherwise expressly noted.

146 | Leading with Courage and Confidence: Katie Coyne Aug 20, 2024

Do you ever stop and think about those people that never had to help you along the way? But they did. The ones that reached out with encouragement, that advocated for you when they didn't have to. The ones that believed in you at times when you didn't even yet know believe in yourself.

Well, my guest today is one of those people. She is a woman who has done exactly that for so many youth in the dairy industry. And at one point in time, I was one of those, and that's why it's my greatest pleasure and greatest honor to welcome to the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Katie Coyne.

And not too long ago, I had heard that she was in her final stages of her time on this side of heaven and I realized that now was the time for me to pay that back. To sit down with someone who had been a part of so many other people's dairy stories and to tell her own dairy story. And to capture the wisdom of a woman who has been a tireless advocate for dairy youth
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145 | Maximizing Efficiency on the Feed Pad: Lessons from Trillium Hill Dairy Aug 15, 2024

Join me for this bonus feature with Mike and Ben Jones from Trillium Hill Dairy in Wisconsin, who have revolutionized feed pad design by creating a system that efficiently separates rainwater from manure leachate. This innovation helps dairy farms reduce hauling costs, minimize environmental impact, and significantly cut down on infrastructure expenses. Let's dive into this conversation to discover how their design could benefit dairy operations around the country.

In this episode, Mike and Ben Jones discuss the inception of their innovative feed pad design, crafted to keep clean rainwater out of manure pits. They detail how their system uses plastic barriers and a unique manhole cover solution to channel rainwater separately, achieving up to 95% discharge rate directly into road ditches without additional permits. This efficient system not only saves on manure pumping costs but also allows dairy farmers to optimize their existing manure storage facilities, fostering both economic and environmental sustainability.

Learn more about this system by contacting Mike and Ben with Dairy Nutrient Reclamation at DairyNutrientReclamation@gmail.com

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144 | Trillium Hill Dairy: Reclaiming Sand & Capturing Biogas Aug 13, 2024

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, host Peggy Coffeen visits Trillium Hill Dairy, where she sits down with owners Mike and Ben Jones. They delve into their journey of incorporating a manure digester and innovative sand separation system while maintaining their preferred sand bedding.

The Jones brothers explain the problems they encountered, the solutions they developed, and how these advancements have revolutionized their dairy operations.

Mike and Ben recount their expansion from a 400-cow dairy to a 1,900-cow operation, highlighting key projects such as the development of a feed center and feed pad designed for efficiency and reduced waste.

They discuss implementing a unique sand separation system in conjunction with their RNG digester, enabling significant sand reclamation and cost savings. The episode also explores their modernized calf barn designed for optimal calf health and employee comfort, emphasizing the importance of management innovation in sustaining a profitable and efficient dairy farm.

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143 | Sitting on the Showbox with Tim Abbott Aug 08, 2024

Often here on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, we talk about business, management and challenges that dairy producers are overcoming every day, but today, we’re taking a little turn down a different path, to a side of the dairy business that’s built upon pedigrees that are deeper than the valleys of northern Vermont, carefully curated cow families and spirited competition, and our guide on this journey is a man who has dedicated his career to developing and marketing dairy cattle genetics - who took a risk to leave the comfort of the corporate world in order to step into a vision for a niche business with elite genetics, and to redefine what it means to sell, show, market and breed great cows.

From St. Jacobs to Showbox Sires to the Music City Celebration, and not to mention a “voice” on the Dairy Voice Podcast, this is a story of passion, entrepreneurship, mentorship, and going all in with Tim Abbott, right here today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast.

Get ready to laugh, cry and think with Tim Abbott.

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142 | How to Bullet-Proof Your Balance Sheet with Lynn Paulson Aug 06, 2024

Are you ready for an economic downturn? In this episode, we visit with a banker who cut his teeth during the 1980s farm crisis, as he shares what the most profitable farmers are doing right now to bullet-proof their balance sheets.

Lynn Paulson, director of agribusiness development with Bell Bank, walks us through the key indicators he is keeping a pulse on, including:

Farmland values and sales trends
Why he’s watching the machinery market
U.S. debt and the global economy

And he shares a couple of lessons we can all learn from his 40 years in agriculture banking.

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141 | Sustainability and the Future of Dairy Farming with Dr. Don Niles Aug 01, 2024

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy podcast, I am joined for part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Don Niles, a veterinarian turned dairyman, to talk more about his significant contributions to dairy farming and sustainability in Northeast Wisconsin.

Dr. Niles shares his passionate journey from city life to dairy farming, emphasizing the importance of innovative practices, cow comfort, and environmental sustainability, with particular focus on how Peninsula Pride Farms—a farmer-led watershed initiative—reinvented local dairy farming by fostering a cooperative and environmentally responsible community.

Throughout the discussion, Dr. Niles provides valuable insights on

The future of dairy farming
Addressing key challenges such as attracting the next generation of dairy farmers
Maintaining high-quality practices amidst environmental scrutiny.

He underscores the necessity of being open to change, fostering community relations, and trusting in new methods and technologies to sustain the dairy industry’s growth and excellence. As he transitions into retirement, Dr. Niles reflects on the impact of his career and the ongoing journey of innovation and improvement in dairy farming.

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140 | From Veterinarian to Dairyman: Making ‘Dairy Dreams’ Come True with Dr. Don Niles Jul 30, 2024

Join me on this episode of the Uplevel Dairy podcast as I sit down with the groundbreaking, Dr. Don Niles. From his humble beginnings as a veterinarian in Wisconsin to transforming the dairy world, Dr. Niles shares his incredible journey.

This episode delves into the experiences that shaped his career, his partnership with visionary dairyman John Pagel, and the innovative practices they implemented at Dairy Dreams that set new standards in cow comfort and dairy management.

In this episode, Dr. Niles discusses

the evolution of dairy farming practices with everything from the introduction of advanced barn designs to the adoption of sand bedding for enhanced cow comfort.
The strategic decisions that paved the way for modern dairy operations.
And shares personal anecdotes from his travels and collaborations with other dairymen from around the country.

The episode also touches on the legacy of John Pagel and the impact of their joint efforts on the dairy industry. Don’t miss this insightful conversation that offers a deep dive into the technological advancements and high-performance mindsets driving the future of dairying.

The High-Performance Mindset Series is powered by Nedap. Nedap is future-proofing dairy farms by revolutionizing cow-side care through technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering, and identification. Listen for more episodes in this series throughout 2024 or catch past episodes in this series below!

139 Part 2 | Becoming the Man God is Calling Him to Be with Jack Pirtle, P-7 Dairy Jul 26, 2024

How do you define your purpose? Your “why” for what gets you out of bed every day?

In this episode, we pick up where we left off with Jack Pirtle, the dairyman from Roswell, New Mexico, in a conversation that cuts deep for anyone who has ever hit rock bottom, anyone who has struggled with their faith, anyone who realized they were the ones who needed to change. Jack shares with us his very personal journey to define his own purpose, connect with his faith, and become the man God is calling him to be.

That’s what I’ve got for you today on the Uplevel Dairy podcast.

Contact Jack Pirtle:

jpirtleandsons@yahoo.com

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139 Part 1 | Overnight Dairyman: Tech, Innovation and Agility with Jack Pirtle, P-7 Dairy Jul 25, 2024

So much of dairying is built upon legacy - a history of families that have milked cows for generations. But our guest today is not one of them.

In fact, this New Mexico crop farmer literally became a dairyman overnight … and you’ve got to hear the story of how it all happened and how Jack Pirtle from P-7 Dairy has continued to innovate and adapt in an ever-changing marketplace - like changing over his entire herd from Holstein to Jersey, and some of the technologies that are saving him time and money on the feed pad and far beyond.

That’s what I’ve got for you today on the Uplevel Dairy podcast.

This episode is sponsored by Micro Technologies

Micro Technologies innovates advanced, comprehensive & integrated technologies to help dairies produce a safe, wholesome product more efficiently and profitably.

Check this out the Feed Management System Jack talked about: Feed Management System (microtechnologies.com)

For more, visit Microtechnologies.com

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138 | There’s a Storm Brewing in the Grain Markets: HighGround Dairy July Monthly Market Update Jul 23, 2024

11 months of lower milk production, yet making it up in protein and fat.

The perfect storm that’s brewing in the grain market.
And how to get a grip on your true profitability by managing your margins.

That’s what we are covering today with Curtis Bosma in the HighGround Dairy July Monthly Market Insights on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast.

This episode is brought to you by HighGround Dairy:

Find out how the markets are moving and how it could impact your bottom line.

HighGround Dairy offers comprehensive insurance solutions from dairy market experts, ensuring your operation makes informed decisions to navigate market volatility.
Information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes and is not a solicitation to buy or sell commodities. Opinions expressed are current opinions as of July 18, 2024, at 12 p.m. CST and only represent the views of the speaker and not those of HighGround Trading, unless otherwise expressly noted.

HighGround Dairy provides global dairy market intelligence, insurance services, futures & options brokerage, and advisory programs to a diverse range of dairy market participants throughout the supply chain.

https://marketing.highgrounddairy.com/producer-market-update-july-2024.

137 | 90 Days to Find a New Bank with Pauly Paul Jul 18, 2024

Dairy management consultant Pauly Paul has been getting more calls than ever from dairy farmers facing this challenge:

They just received notice from their bank that they have 90 days to find a new lender, and they don’t know what to do.

Whether you are in this situation yourself, or you want to position yourself to stay out of it, Pauly is here today to walk you through the action steps he is helping producers take to put together a plan and walk them through financially trying times.
This episode is brought to you by: HighGround Dairy provides global dairy market intelligence, insurance services, futures & options brokerage, and advisory programs to a diverse range of dairy market participants throughout the supply chain.

Looking for the most recent market updates? Make sure to check out https://www.highgrounddairy.com/ to catch their latest reports.

136 | Family Farm Transition: Setting Up for Success Jul 16, 2024

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, we are discussing the complexities of family farm transitions with Jay Retzer, with Compeer Financial.

Join Jay and me as we explore both successful and challenging scenarios of passing down farm ownership, management, and leadership across generations.

Jay shares his wealth of experience working with dairy farm families, shedding light on the importance of early planning, effective communication, and involvement of the next generation in management.

This conversation emphasizes the significance of continual adaptation in transition plans and offers actionable advice for those grappling with these critical decisions.

Make sure to tune in to catch all of the details of this conversation including Jay’s insights on how to:

Start early and develop a comprehensive succession Plan
Be clear in your communication and expectations
Balance both emotional and financial considerations
Build a Strong Advisory Team

Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural America. Our dairy team brings world-class expertise and tailored solutions to support dairy producers’ financial goals and lending needs.

For more information, contact the Compeer Dairy Industry Experts .

135 | Leadership, Legacy and Looking Toward the Future with Eric Palla, Palla Dairies BONUS: Sponsor Spotlight with Nick Randle, Zoetis Jul 11, 2024

If you listened to Ep. 134 with New Mexico dairyman Eric Palla, you got a glimpse inside the strategies and decisions that have guided growth, expansion and diversification of Palla Dairies, from consolidating facilities to hiring a key manager, to raising all of their own replacements, combined with genomic testing to optimize their beef x dairy strategy.

Eric’s back with us today, and we get a glimpse of how this forward-thinking dairyman and businessman views the future of his dairies and the industry, and what he is doing to level up his own leadership.

And stick around to the end of this episode to hear from Nick Randle, U.S. senior marketing lead for dairy productivity and milk quality with Zoetis, to talk about how today’s dairy producers are putting genomic testing innovations to work as a means of raising healthy, productive dairy cows that will help them thrive in today’s ever-changing dairy climate, and achieve dairy goals well into the future.

This episode is brought to you by Zoetis. As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis is dedicated to helping producers achieve healthy animals, healthy dairies and healthy food through their world-class portfolio. For more information, visit DairyWellness.com or ClarifidePlus.com

134 | Palla Dairies: 3 Highest-Impact Business Decisions in the Past 10 Years Jul 09, 2024

Long before New Mexico ever made it on the map as a top 10 dairy state, one family packed their bags like pioneers and headed East - from California to Clovis.

Eric Palla was just a small boy at the time, as his father Wayne staked out a dairy and a dream that today includes 11,000 cows across three facilities, with two located in New Mexico and one in west Texas.

And that ‘s not all.

In addition to the dairy, the family also farms 15,000 acres and operates a 1,300-head cow-calf herd.

What were the 3 best business decisions for Palla Dairies in the past 10 years? We sit down with Eric Palla today to find out on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast.

We are talking growth, scaling and diversification with Eric Palla, including core business philosophies and high-impact actions, like:

Consolidating operations for efficiency
Hiring an operations manager
Raising their own replacements on site, combined with using genomic selection to drive their beef-on-dairy breeding strategy

This episode is brought to you by Zoetis. As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis is dedicated to helping producers achieve healthy animals, healthy dairies and healthy food through their world-class portfolio. For more information, visit DairyWellness.com.

133 | Olympic-Level Dairy Farming: with Ellie and Jamie St. Pierre Jul 04, 2024

It’s July 4, independence day, and if you’ve been following the US Olympic trials, you may know that one of our own – a dairy farmer – has made TEAM USA once again.

Ellie Purrier St. Pierre who grew up on a Vermont dairy farm, clenched her spot last week in the 5000 m race and will be heading to Paris later this month.

But Ellie is so much more than an athlete. Working alongside her husband Jamie, she lives and breathes dairy farming as much as she does running, and together, the couple support each other’s dreams.

On one of our very first episodes of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, I sat down with both Ellie and Jamie to talk about dairy farming, competing and the mindset of an Olympian.

Even if you heard it before, it’s worth a listen once again. Enjoy this conversation with Ellie and Jamie.

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132 | Laurie Fischer: Lobbyist, Leader and Dairy Cares of Wisconsin Jul 02, 2024

From growing up on a dairy farm to leading the efforts for Wisconsin’s pivotal livestock siting law, Laurie Fischer, founder of the American Dairy Coalition, began her lobbying career as a grassroots voice for dairy farm growth and expansion. Her relentless efforts to serve dairy producers have taken her all the way to Capitol Hill.
Hear how this unwavering advocate for dairy farmers and former executive director of the Dairy Business Association has led change, navigated the political process, and never backed down on speaking passionately and articulately for policies that position dairy farms for the future.
And what you may not know is Laurie is also a co-founder of Dairy Cares of Wisconsin. She shares her personal story and how you too can rally around the campaign that is set to raise more than $3 million for Children’s Wisconsin (formerly Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin).
Contribute to Dairy Cares of Wisconsin
Three ways to give back and support families in their greatest times of medical need:

Corporate or individual donation
Virtual auction
Attend the annual Garden Party on July 27

Find details and donate here:
www.dairycaresofwisconsin.org
Contact Laurie Fischer:
laurie@lauriefischergroup.net
https://www.americandairycoalitioninc.com/

This Episode is Brought to you by Adisseo

This episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components, and maintain the health of their high-performing herds. Learn more at https://www.adisseo.com/en/

131 | Lessons from a Family Farm Transition: Painful Mistakes + Picking Your Team - with Tommy Oesch, Swisslane Farms Jun 27, 2024

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, I am continuing the conversation with Tommy Oesch from Swisslane Farms to discuss the intricacies of transitioning ownership, management, and leadership from the senior generation to the current generation on the farm.

This episode provides valuable insights into maintaining a clear vision, aligning generational goals, and the continuous process of improving leadership and team management in the dairy farming business.

Tune in to hear more on:

How Tommy shares valuable lessons learned from his most painful mistakes
The importance of surrounding oneself with a strong advisory team
And how Swiss Lane Farms has evolved in its approach to leadership and consultancy

Make sure to check some previous conversations with Tommy Oesch Below!

130 |
101 | Mental Toughness: The 75-Day Transformation: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/6fBLEQstHKb
100 | 4 Miles, Every 4 Hours for 48 Hours with Tommy Oesch, Swisslane Farms and Clare Alderink, Ryzebol Dairy :https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/jinDYkDtHKb
54 | Finding Balance with a Big Vision - Part 1: Faith, Family and Dairy Farming with Tommy Oesch, Swiss Lane Farms: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/LkCtfFItHKb
55 | Finding Balance with a Big Vision - Part 2: Health, Relationships and Accountability with Tommy Oesch, Swiss Lane Farms: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/NIrmuEItHKb
#35 - The 7,000 Cows in Seven Years Vision - Tom Oesch: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/ftQRMbRtHKb

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130 | Lessons from a Family Farm Transition: Coming Back + Buying Out + Bringing in Multiple Partners - with Tommy Oesch, Swisslane Farms Jun 25, 2024

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, I am sitting down with Tommy Oesch, a partner at Swisslane Farms in Michigan. This conversation was so good, that I am breaking it down into two parts for you. Today, you will hear Tommy as he discusses the complexities and challenges of transitioning ownership and management of a dairy farm from one generation to the next.

Tune in to hear more on:

The necessity for critical family conversations,
The importance of working elsewhere before returning to the family farm
The strategic planning needed for succession
And the valuable lessons learned from both successes and mistakes during the transition process

Don’t forget to tune back in on Thursday for part two of this conversation with Tommy to find out some of the painful mistakes he’s made, what he learned from them, and how it helped him and his partners to up-level their advisory team.

Make sure to check some previous conversations with Tommy Oesch Below!

101 | Mental Toughness: The 75-Day Transformation: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/6fBLEQstHKb
100 | 4 Miles, Every 4 Hours for 48 Hours with Tommy Oesch, Swisslane Farms and Clare Alderink, Ryzebol Dairy :https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/jinDYkDtHKb
54 | Finding Balance with a Big Vision - Part 1: Faith, Family and Dairy Farming with Tommy Oesch, Swiss Lane Farms: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/LkCtfFItHKb
55 | Finding Balance with a Big Vision - Part 2: Health, Relationships and Accountability with Tommy Oesch, Swiss Lane Farms: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/NIrmuEItHKb
#35 - The 7,000 Cows in Seven Years Vision - Tom Oesch: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/ftQRMbRtHKb

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129 | Significant Class 3 and Class 4 Shifts + Don’t Miss THIS Risk Management Deadline: HighGround Dairy June Monthly Market Update Jun 20, 2024

US milk production declines,

The influence of heat stress and bird flu on supply,
Significant shifts in the CME futures market for Class 3 and Class 4 milk.

And … the risk management you don’t want to miss.

That’s what we are covering today with Curtis Bosma in the HighGround Dairy Monthly Market Insights.

June 30th marks the application deadline for a Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP) policy with a new agency.

Find out how the markets are moving and how it could impact your bottom line and grab your copy of the June Market Report here: https://marketing.highgrounddairy.com/producer-market-update-june-2024
HighGround Dairy offers comprehensive insurance solutions from dairy market experts, ensuring your operation makes informed decisions to navigate market volatility.
This episode is brought to you by: HighGround Dairy provides global dairy market intelligence, insurance services, futures & options brokerage, and advisory programs to a diverse range of dairy market participants throughout the supply chain.
Information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes and is not a solicitation to buy or sell commodities. Opinions expressed are current opinions as of June 18, 2024 at 1 p.m. CST and only represent the views of the speaker and not those of HighGround Trading, unless otherwise expressly noted.

128 | Young Leader Bonney Shehadey: The Next Gen of Sustainability at Bar 20 Dairy Jun 18, 2024

Back in Ep. 123 of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, we visited with California dairyman Steve Shehadey, as he shared the innovations in renewable energy and sustainability that have earned Bar 20 Dairy in the San Joaquin Valley the 2023 Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year award and positioned this family business for the future.

Well, today, we are going to meet the future of Bar 20: Steve’s daughter, Bonney - who represents the fourth generation of this family business, and who plans to make her own mark in the dairy sustainability arena.

How did this young leader, who actually didn’t grow up, right on the dairy, take it upon herself to learn the ground-level work, from milking to backing up a mixer wagon?

How did being an athlete with asthma impact her own views on air quality and her dedication to sustainability?

And how does this fresh Cal Poly graduate view the dairy industry and her own future?

Find out on this episode today!

Listen to Bonney’s father, Steve Shehadey, talk about pioneering the energy sector, including Bar 20’s partnership with BMW North America and California Bioenergy:

Listen to Episode 123 here: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Dvmr2AmPd14Wb1aTOvLvX?si=48guRZP1S5OwQT1sqh60Cw⁠

Subscribe to Uplevel Dairy Podcast on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClQ6xQHZ0A1vqHKjRkbtJJA⁠

Want to get new episodes in your inbox? Subscribe here: ⁠https://www.upleveldairy.com/subscribe⁠

127 | King Brothers Providing Quality from Herd to Home Jun 14, 2024

For going on five generations, the King family in New York has been known for dairy farming excellence as Kings-Ransom Farm. Just over a decade ago, they diversified their business to bring back bottled milk to serve their local consumer with not just a great-tasting product, but also a high-value connection to their farm. Hear from Jan King how they have grown from 40 to now more than 400 bottled milk customers, and what it’s been like to enter the processing sector and build Kings Brothers Dairy direct-to-consumer brand.

126 | Moving Volumes and Adding Value to Milk Jun 13, 2024

From retail to restaurants, dairy is finding its way into more menu options and consumer products than every before, and it’s not by accident. Behind the scenes, Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) is at the table with the leading fast-food chains and food service providers, striking wins that result in strategic and incremental marketplace growth for dairy products and ingredients. If you’ve ever had a “Grimace Shake” or a Taco Bell cheese shell, you can thank our guest, Paul Zieminsky, group executive vice president of health & wellness, insights and innovation, and his team at DMI.

125 | From Flatline to Finish-line; Marathons, Milk & Mindset Jun 12, 2024

Running the race of her life, Rachel Eslick was minutes away from achieving her dream of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. With a traumatic change in her race, Rachel was forced to pick herself up and reevaluate what her next steps were. Reflecting on her dairy farming family values of resilience, determination, and hard work, she leaned into this to shift her mindset and become her favorite self. Rachel has taken a setback to an incredible comeback, not only in her running ambitions but through her business, health, and mindset.

This Episode is Brought to you in Collaboration with STtalks and STgenetics

Connect with STtalk to follow along in this six part series below!

Listen to STtalks here: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sttalks/⁠

Learn more about ST Genetics: ⁠https://www.stgen.com/

Make sure to join the Uplevel Dairy email list below to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox. To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Subscribe to Uplevel Dairy Podcast on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClQ6xQHZ0A1vqHKjRkbtJJA⁠
Want to get new episodes in your inbox? Subscribe here: ⁠https://www.upleveldairy.com/subscribe⁠

124 | How Milk is Winning New Consumers with Wellness Jun 11, 2024

Milk has a whole new story to tell. Eve Pollet, senior vice president of strategic intelligence at Dairy Managment Inc. (DMI) joins us to share the consumer trends that are creating a hunger for health and wellness solutions, the emerging research around milk’s super-food characteristics and how she and her team are positioning dairy to capture more dollars in the marketplace and add more value back to the dairy farmer.

This Episode is Brought to you in Collaboration with STtalks and STgenetics

Listen to STtalks here: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sttalks/⁠

Learn more about ST Genetics: ⁠https://www.stgen.com/

Make sure to join the Uplevel Dairy email list below to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox. To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Subscribe to Uplevel Dairy Podcast on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClQ6xQHZ0A1vqHKjRkbtJJA⁠
Want to get new episodes in your inbox? Subscribe here: ⁠https://www.upleveldairy.com/subscribe⁠

123 | Bar 20 Dairy Capturing the Power of Sustainability Jun 10, 2024

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, for Steve Shehadey of Bar 20 Dairy, life gave his family cow manure, and with that they make energy. For the 4th generation dairy farm, capturing the power of sustainability came naturally to them, since 2007 they have been pioneering the way within the energy sector of the dairy industry. Bar 20’s efforts have led to incredible industry achievements, in 2023 they were named Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and have now partnered with BMW North America and California Bioenergy to harness the energy their 25-million-gallon methane digester produces.

Subscribe to Uplevel Dairy Podcast on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClQ6xQHZ0A1vqHKjRkbtJJA⁠

Want to get new episodes in your inbox? Subscribe here: ⁠https://www.upleveldairy.com/subscribe⁠

122 | Jones Dairy Expands Consumer Connection Jun 09, 2024

When Jones Dairy near Spencer, Iowa, expanded their Jersey herd and built a 64-stall rotary parlor last year, they not only sought to optimize efficiency and cow comfort, but they also designed their new facility with a flair of hospitality, to accommodate the many visitors that stop by their farm each year.

Aaron Titterington, one of the farm’s partners, joins us to explain how they have incorporated a self-guided experience with education and a viewing window for passers-by, as well as formalized larger group tours to accommodate everyone from school children to retirees, in Jones Dairy’s efforts to educate consumers and connect them to cows, farming and food.

Find and follow Jones Family Dairy here:

https://www.facebook.com/jonesfamilydairy

https://jonesfamilydairy.com

121 | STtalks & Uplevel Dairy Introduce a Six Part Series to Celebrate June Dairy Month Jun 07, 2024

We’re celebrating June Dairy Month in a big way as STtalks and the Uplevel Dairy Podcast collaborate to bring you a 6-part series that shines a bright light on a collection of great dairy stories. Hosts Laura Demmer of STtalks and Peggy Coffeen of Uplevel Dairy give you the sneak peek on this collection of conversations with dairy farmers doing great things and others who are championing dairy products in the marketplace.

Connect with STtalks to follow along in this six part series below!

Listen to STtalks here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sttalks/

Learn more about ST Genetics: https://www.stgen.com/

Subscribe to Uplevel Dairy Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClQ6xQHZ0A1vqHKjRkbtJJA

Want to get new episodes in your inbox? Subscribe here: https://www.upleveldairy.com/subscribe

120 | Think Outside the Box: How to Cut Labor Costs and Max Out Milk in Automated Milking Systems Jun 04, 2024

If you tuned in to hear Jessica Pralle-Trimner from Miltrim Farms talk about managing 30 robots under one roof on Ep. 118, you may recall her mention of Pauly Paul from Complete Management Consulting and the efficiency audit that helped their dairy regroup pens to spend less time on herd management tasks, reorganize and reduce labor to save money and make this barn more efficient, profitable and an even better place for cows and people.

Take a listen to Pauly Paul as he shares his “outside the box” approach to helping robot dairies improve profitability and efficiency.

Subscribe to Uplevel Dairy Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClQ6xQHZ0A1vqHKjRkbtJJA

Want to get new episodes in your inbox? Subscribe here: https://www.upleveldairy.com/subscribe

This Episode is Sponsored by Complete Management Consulting

Contact Pauly Paul

www.CompleteManagementConsulting.com
completemanagementconsulting@gmail.com
920-418-3135

119 | World Milk Day with Dairy Discovery at Swisslane Farms Jun 01, 2024

In this special bonus episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, we are raising a glass to World Milk Day by appreciating the hard work of dairy farmers globally.

The episode delves into Dairy Discovery, a Michigan-based nonprofit that connects consumers to their food through on-farm experiences. Founder Annie Link of Swiss Lane Farms and Executive Director Renee McCauley discuss Dairy Discovery's origin, mission and impact.

They share stories of farm tours, educational camps, and community events that help bridge the gap between consumers and the dairy industry, while highlighting future goals to expand their impact and invite listeners to get involved.

The episode rounds out with details on their World Milk Day celebrations, including an all-you-can-eat cereal bar event. Additionally, Dylan Brockshus from Adisseo, the episode sponsor, shares his personal connection to the dairy industry and his own plans to celebrate World Milk Day.

To support the Dairy Discovery:

https://www.dairydiscovery.org/
Follow: https://www.facebook.com/DairyDiscovery
Phone: 616-868-6735
renee@dairydiscovery.org

Make sure to help celebrate World Milk Day with #worldmilkday and #enjoydairy!

Subscribe to Uplevel Dairy Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClQ6xQHZ0A1vqHKjRkbtJJA

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118 | 30 Robots Under One Roof: Right Data, Right Cows, Right Time May 30, 2024

Do you ever wish you had a 24-hour herdsperson, who never showed up late, never complained and could pick up on a problem with a cow before you could?

Well, that’s what automation has done for Jessica Pralle Trimner, the dairy manager at Miltrim Farms in Athens, Wis., home to 30 Lely A5 milking robots and 1,800 cows under one roof, alongside a 1,400-cow conventional herringbone parlor and freestall facility at the same site.

I met up with Jessica at Miltrim’s event center, the Milkhaus, to talk about the suite of technology that allows her team to focus on the right data and the right cows, at the right time.

We talk about:

Using real-time data to transform transition cow management
Empowering employees with data-driven insights
And the grouping strategy that has pushed the envelope on elite performance.

Plus, we catch up with Jessica about her “one word” for 2024: Presence.

And listen to Jessica's One-Word episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5wus0sznNiGNTqH3f3Ffkz?si=aGkGmRV3TC2g8X85uOglQg

And just like the tech in their collars, this episode in our High-Performance MIndset Series is powered by Nedap.

The High-Performance Mindset Series is powered by Nedap. Nedap is future-proofing dairy farms by revolutionizing cow-side care through technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering and identification. Listen to more episodes in this series below.

117 | Jerome Meyer: Fighting Cancer, Finding Purpose and the Power of a Positive Mindset May 28, 2024

Everyone has two lives. The second one starts when you realize you only have one.

A positive mindset is easy, when things in our lives our easy. But when we realize we are facing the battle of our lives, for our lives, there is no greater test of faith, perseverance and hope,

And our guest today shares his personal journey over the course of the past year.

At 39 years old, Jerome Meyer, area business manager for Zoetis, was at the top of his game. Leading his team as they helped dairy clients achieve their goals, an avid runner … and from the outside, every indication would say he was the pillar of health.

Until an unexpected cancer diagnosis last year.

While his health may have had its ups and downs, what remained steadfast was his positive mindset. In fact, this experience has connected Jerome to a faith he hadn’t found before, a magnified appreciation for his colleagues and the dairy community and given him an even stronger purpose in how he lives each and every day.

It’s with great honor and gratitude that Jerome has allowed me to share his journey with you, right here on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast.

This episode is brought to you by Zoetis. As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis is dedicated to helping producers achieve healthy animals, healthy dairies and healthy food through their world-class portfolio. For more information, visit DairyWellness.com.

Guest:

Jerome Meyer
Area Business Manager, Zoetis
Cell: 262.949.5854
jerome.meyer@zoetis.com

Subscribe to Uplevel Dairy Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClQ6xQHZ0A1vqHKjRkbtJJA

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116 | Mastering a Marathon Mindset with Clare Alderink May 24, 2024

Back on Episode 100, Clare Alderink, manager at Ryzebol Dairy in Michigan, joined Tommy Oesch from Swiss Lane Farms to talk about doing hard things, like running 4 miles every 4 hours in 48 hours, the 75 hard challenge … and if you recall, Clare also mentioned he was training for an upcoming marathon.

Well, I caught up with Clare just days after he crossed the finish line of the Kalamazoo Marathon. When I asked Clare how the race went, his simple response was this: It was hard.

Clare had been training for months to not only condition his body with the miles, but as you will find out, more importantly, strengthen his mindset … and that is what got him through an unexpected challenge, all the way to the finish.

Listen to find out how this dairy manager-turned-marathon runner views running in much the same way as managing the dairy:

From developing discipline and consistency
To defining which data points really improve performance in the barn and on the road
And practicing patience for the long run … no pun intended.

Recommended read: The Confident Mind by Dr. Nate Zinsser

Hear more from Clare on Ep. 100: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/nC8xDGc0OJb

Subscribe to Uplevel Dairy Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClQ6xQHZ0A1vqHKjRkbtJJA

Want to get new episodes in your inbox? Subscribe here: https://www.upleveldairy.com/subscribe

115 | Smile and Say “Cheese”: HighGround Dairy May Monthly Market Update May 21, 2024

We’ve got market movements to celebrate this May:

Largest-ever cheese export month for the U.S.
Potential for record-high butter this year
The insatiable appetite for milk protein concentrate

That’s what we are covering today with Curtis Bosma in the HighGround Dairy Monthly Market Insights.

Find out how the markets are moving and how it could impact your bottom line.

This Episode is Sponsored by HighGround Dairy

Grab your May Market Report Here: https://marketing.highgrounddairy.com/producer-market-update-may-2024

HighGround Dairy provides global dairy market intelligence, insurance services, futures & options brokerage, and advisory programs to a diverse range of dairy market participants throughout the supply chain.
Learn more at ⁠https://highgrounddairy.com/⁠ or email them at info@highgrounddairy.com
Information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes and is not a solicitation to buy or sell commodities. Opinions expressed are current opinions as of May 20, 2024 at 12 p.m. CST and only represent the views of the speaker and not those of HighGround Trading, unless otherwise expressly noted.

114 | How to Decode RNG Contracts for Dairy Farms May 16, 2024

If you have been waiting to sign on the dotted line for a renewable natural gas project, this episode is for you.
Over the past 4 years, RNG companies have been knocking on the doors of dairy farms across the country, touting opportunities, along with long-term commitments. And our guest today has been involved on both the developer side and dairy producer side.
Ty Rohloff, vice president of food and agribusiness with Compeer has reviewed at least 40 project proposals, and he joins us today to share his insights on:

The opportunities these projects can open up as an additional dairy farm income stream
How to evaluate both contracts and developers
And the details you won’t want to overlook when making decisions for the long-term success and sustainability of your dairy farm.

This episode is sponsored by Compeer Financial.
Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural America. Their dairy team brings world-class expertise and tailored solutions to support dairy producers’ financial goals and lending needs.
For more information, contact:

Compeer Dairy Industry Experts
Dairy Industry Articles: Gain knowledge from subject matter experts
Navigating the Dairy Industry Today: On-Demand Webinar Series

Guest contact:
Ty Rohloff
608-290-7326
Ty.Rohloff@compeer.com

113 | H5N1: Red Flags, Risk Mitigation and Being Ready to Take Action May 14, 2024

Know your opponent. I’ve heard this statement from dairy producers before. It’s all about evaluating a threat at hand, managing the risk and being prepared to act with urgency.

And the opponent we are going to talk about today is the one that is on everyone’s mind: H5N1. If you want to hear from someone who has been helping dairies deal with this disease since the very beginning, what to watch for, ways to reduce risk and what to have in your arsenal to be ready to action should your dairy be facing the fight, keep on listening to this episode of the UPlevel Dairy Podcast.

From the frontlines of H5N1, Randy Tapia has been assisting dairy producers in the Southwest and now across the country, as they deal with the disease first hand, or are preparing themselves for the potential of sickness hitting their herds.

Randy grew up in the Texas dairy business, with his father at one point running 9,000 cows on three dairies near San Angelo, and he also spent many years as a dairy manager up in the Panhandle. An early adopter to rumination monitoring and other technologies, Randy stepped away from management to work in dairy tech before joining Amarillo-based Micro Technologies in the dairy solutions role he is in today.

In this conversation, I’ve asked Randy to put on his dairy manager hat, as he walks us through:

What to watch for: Rumination red flags
Reducing risk factors around waterers
Fast action to adjust the ration
Treatments and immune support

And Randy tells us how he would be preparing his team and what would be in his med room if he was a dairy manager right now.

This episode is sponsored by Micro Technologies

Micro Technologies innovates advanced, comprehensive & integrated technologies to help dairies produce a safe, wholesome product more efficiently and profitably.

Disclaimer draft:

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. We are not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast.

For more information, visit:

Microtechnologies.com

112 | Celebrating Dairy Farm Moms: Strength, Sacrifice, and Sweetness with Karen Bohnert May 10, 2024

Karen Bohnert, editor of Dairy Herd Management and Milk Business, joins host Peggy Coffeen to celebrate dairy farm moms in this bonus Mother’s Day episode.

Hear the incredible stories of the dairy farm moms who raised them, and the adversities they overcame to be examples of strength, sacrifice and resilience.

And hear about some of the dairy farm moms who have set the bar for Peggy and Karen today.

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/upleveldairy/episodes/111--Intentional-Motherhood--Management-and-What-Matters-Most-with-Sarah-Daugherty-e2je88q

111 | Intentional Motherhood, Management and What Matters Most with Sarah Daugherty May 09, 2024

As we come up on Mother’s Day this weekend, I’ve asked Sarah Daugherty from Paramount Calves back to talk about being a mother of 6, and balancing a high-performing work life and a high-performing family life.

From performance pressure to kids’ sports to setting priorities and saying no, any mom or dad who pursues excellence both at work and at home will relate and can grab a few nuggets of wisdom from this honest conversation about hard things and what really matters.

This one hit home for me, and I think it will do the same for you.
This episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components, and maintain the health of their high-performing herds. Learn more at https://www.adisseo.com/en/

110 | 3 Human Resource Hacks to Take Control of Turnover Today May 07, 2024

If you are spending way too much time on hiring new employees, training and retraining, only to keep experiencing the exhaustion of turnover, this episode is for you.

And my guest today is a higher performer in deed: Sarah Daugherty, workforce development manager at Paramount Calves LLC, in Darlington, Wis.

Sarah is going to tell you how she has saved herself the time and stress of constantly training new employees and the drag and drama of hard conversations to experiencing very little turnover and creating systems that support Paramount’s high-performing teams, which include 50 employees across three sites in Wisconsin and Kansas, who care for 25,000+ replacement heifers.

And these 3 hacks you are about to hear aren’t fancy. In fact, all you need to do it yourself are a few pieces of paper. Keep listening to learn …

The simple exercise Sarah walked herself through that has crafted the core of the culture at Paramount Calves

The key benchmark she monitors for employee turnover

And the hack she created with just four sheets of paper that changed the game on retention.

If zero employee turnover and high performing teams is what you are striving for … I believe you will want to really take some tips from Sarah.

Bonus: And Sarah will join us again later this week to shift gears from management to motherhood. I’ve invited this mom of 6 back on for a special message for all the moms as we head into Mother’s Day!

This episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components, and maintain the health of their high-performing herds. Learn more at https://www.adisseo.com/en/

109 | Young Leader with Ytsje Andringa May 02, 2024

Meet Young Leader Ytsje Andringa, a driven woman whose path seems to always lead her back to the driver’s seat of a silage truck.

Ytsje shares how she shifted her career course from health care to follow her heart back to her family dairy farm, Sunrise Dairy in Clear Lake, South Dakota.

She’s the daughter of Dutch immigrants, oldest of 6 and a mother to 3.

This Young Leader will blow you away with her determination to do hard things and go after her dairy farming dreams every single day.

Hear about:

The challenges she faces as a young dairy producer dealing with salespeople and managing employees three times her age

The one skill set she believes she must develop to be successful as a dairy producer

And a few fun silage truck-driving stories

The Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast is the special podcast series for producers and professionals in the first 5 years of their dairy careers. Find it on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, as well as its own platform, Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

108 | How This Dairy Manager Slayed the Time-Consuming Data Monster Apr 30, 2024

If data has turned into the time-consuming monster that is stealing your focus, delaying decisions and dragging down your progress, you will want to keep listening because I’ve got something important that could change the game for you on this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast.

Our guest understands these challenges because he was a dairy manager himself in Texas for well over a decade, who faced the same struggles: He wanted the right data, at his fingertips, integrated in a way that allowed him to use it as a tool to improve performance and move his dairy forward.

And so he created his own solution: Dairy Performance Network.

Manny Salcedo founded DPN seven years ago, and you are about to hear:

How Manny came up with his own solution for slaying that time-consuming data monster
The story behind this customized software integration and data analytics system that connects people, cows and technology
The results: Higher levels of employee engagement and hitting real performance benchmarks that make a difference to the dairy producer’s bottomline

Follow DPN

Contact DPN

806-639-5166
support@dpnconnect.com
www.dpnconnect.com

107 | How Good Can We Get? with Megan Schrupp, DVM, NexGen Dairy Apr 25, 2024

“How good can we get?”

That’s a question high-performers ask themselves and the teams they lead every single day.
It’s also a question Megan Schrupp, DVM, at NexGen Dairy in Eden Valley, Minnesota, uses to push the potential for cows, people and her dairy farming business.
This 20-minute episode is the hot take from one of our most popular podcasts of all time, Episode #36: Full Potential Dairy Farming.
Megan details how this question drives:
- A culture of excellence among people
- Data-driven decision-making to enhance transition, nutrition and repro
details
This episode is part of the High-Performance Mindset Series, powered by Nedap.
Listen to Episode 36 for the full conversation with Megan here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/6H45sTWc4Ib

106 | Dairy Farming on Three Continents with Young Leader Laurens Rutten Apr 23, 2024

Meet the 28-year-old from Belgium who has embarked on a hands-on dairy farming journey around the globe....

Laurens Rutten challenged himself to dive into dairy on three continents, starting on a commercial grass-based dairy in New Zealand, then the world’s largest robotic dairy in Chile, and we catch up with him today on the third leg of his journey at Sunnyside Farms in New York.

Laurens reveals the two critical questions he asked himself that spurred this adventure, and the lessons he is learning along the way and leaves us with some solid takeaways on blazing your own trail, defining your future and taking bold action.

The Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast is THE podcast series for producers and professionals in the first 5 years of their dairy careers. Find it on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, as well as its own platform, Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Join the Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/792440762650346/

105 | U.S. Milk Production + Feed Cost Predictions: HighGround Dairy April Monthly Market Update Apr 18, 2024

As the US milk supply tightens, what opportunities and challenges are ahead for Class 3 and 4, as domestic demand lowers and exports pick up?

Corn planters are starting to roll across the countryside, how might the early planting predictions impact your feed cost?

That’s what we are covering today with Curtis Bosma in the HighGround Dairy Monthly Market Insights.

Find out how the markets are moving and how it could impact your bottom line.

Grab Your April Market Report Here: https://marketing.highgrounddairy.com/producer-market-update-april-2024

About HighGround Dairy

This episode is brought to you by HighGround Dairy provides global dairy market intelligence, insurance services, futures & options brokerage, and advisory programs to a diverse range of dairy market participants throughout the supply chain.

Learn more at ⁠https://highgrounddairy.com/⁠ or email them at info@highgrounddairy.com

Information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes and is not a solicitation to buy or sell commodities. Opinions expressed are current opinions as of April 17, 2024 at 11 a.m. CST and only represent the views of the speaker and not those of HighGround Trading, unless otherwise expressly noted.

104 | 7 Secrets to Employee Retention Success Apr 16, 2024

Over the past 6 months or so, I’ve sat down with some pretty incredible people in the dairy industry. The owners and managers of excellent dairies and some of the most sought-after consultants who specialize in employee performance, training, and retention.

Many of these are conversations you’ve heard on the UPlevel Dairy Podcast, and you can certainly go back and listen to them all, but if you really just want some cliff notes, some common themes, and take-home points that tie together several of the best conversations we’ve had here on the topic of getting a new employee off the best start, so they can perform well for you, see a path for their own future by being part of your team for the long haul, that’s what you are going to get today on the UPlevel Dairy Podcast.

My goal is to make it easy for you by pulling together some powerful shares from seven recent guests - some of the industry’s best owners, managers, and consultants. We are going to walk through three critical phases of employee retention, starting with:

First, onboarding
Next, uncovering individual potential
And finally, motivation - giving good people a reason to stay.

I’m giving you some high-value nuggets from these recent Uplevel Dairy guests so you can raise your own bar own employee retention.

Listen to the episodes of the ones mentioned on today's show below.

85 | 3 Keys to Maximize Profit and ROI from Your People: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/vdFC7gRqPIb
97 | Empowering People: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/upleveldairy/episodes/97--Women-Leading-the-Way-at-Pagel-Family-Businesses-Empowering-People-with-Ashley-Pagel-e2h3ng0
61 | Empowering Mid-level Managers, Cell Phone Policies & Team-Building Activities: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/upleveldairy/episodes/61--Empowering-Mid-level-Managers--Cell-Phone-Policies-and-Team-Building-Activities-with-Bridget-Schilling--Schilling-Farms-e2ctl74
63 | One Question Most Progressive Dairy Managers are Asking: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/upleveldairy/episodes/63--The-One-Question-the-Most-Progressive-Dairy-Managers-are-Asking-with-Elsie-Gonzalez-Leach-e2d7bgm
88 | 3 Steps to Set Up Middle Managers for Success: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/upleveldairy/episodes/88--3-Steps-to-Set-Up-Middle-Managers-for-Success--the-Dairy-Calf-and-Heifer-Association-Annual-Meeting-with-Clint-Al-Ag-e2ftu22
92 | Pursuing Greatness: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/upleveldairy/episodes/92--Pursuing-Greatness-with-Hans-Nederend---Part-1-Secrets-to-World-class-Milk-Quality-e2gl916
74 | 5 Principles of Leadership: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/upleveldairy/episodes/74--5-Principles-of-Leadership-with-Juan-Quezada--Director-of-Training-and-Development--Milk-Source-LLC-e2e6a9u

103 | Young Leader Takeover at the Midwest Dairy Challenge! Apr 11, 2024

On this Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast, I’m turning the mic over to a trio of up-and-comers in dairy industry communications to interview three Dairy Challenge alumni who shared their experiences on a panel at the Midwest Dairy Challenge held in Green Bay, Wis., in February.

Social media interns interview Dairy Challenge alumni:

Nichole Gerard, Iowa State University student, interviews Crystal Prom, Cargill
Torri Burch, Iowa State University student, interviews Tony Schmitz, Schmitz’s East Branch Dairy

Irene Nielsen, Iowa State University student, interviews Liz Schiebelbein, Phibro Animal Health

Torri and Irene talk about their Dairy Challenge experiences, as past competitors and social media interns

Learn more about the Dairy Challenge:

https://www.dairychallenge.org/

The Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast is the special podcast series for producers and professionals in the first 5 years of their dairy careers. Find it on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, as well as its own platform, Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

102 | From Bleeding $500,000 to Better than Breaking Even Apr 09, 2024

It wasn’t just their dairy farm on the line. It was their house too.

Pauly Paul from Complete Management Consulting is back to tell us how he helped one dairy family on the verge of losing it all turn around from bleeding red to a positive cash flow in 6 months.

Not only were they able to keep the farm and the house, but today, it is a financially sound business in the process of transitioning to the next generation.

Find out how Pauly and his team:

Lowered their breakeven
Reorganized labor
Brought them back from a $500,000 loss to breaking even or better in 6 months

This Episode is Sponsored by Complete Management Consulting

Contact Pauly Paul
- www.CompleteManagementConsulting.com
- completemanagementconsulting@gmail.com
- 920-418-3135

101 | Mental Toughness: The 75-Day Transformation Apr 04, 2024

No alcohol, 2-a-day workouts, following a diet, daily personal development reading and drinking a gallon of water … every day for 75 days.

That’s 75 Hard, a transformative commitment for building mental toughness and self discipline, and these two Michigan dairymen just completed it, alongside the 4x4x48 endurance challenge from Episode 100.

Tommy Oesch from Swisslane Farms and Clare Alderink from Ryzebol Dairy are back to dish it out on what they did, what they read and how 75 Hard transformed their habits and their mindsets.

Hear more from Tommy Oesch on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast

This episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components and maintain the health of their high-performing herds. Learn more at https://www.adisseo.com/en/

100 | 4 Miles, Every 4 Hours for 48 Hours with Tommy Oesch, Swisslane Farms and Clare Alderink, Ryzebol Dairy Apr 02, 2024

Last year, Michigan dairyman Tommy Oesch from Swisslane Farms, told us right here on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast that he planned to complete David Goggins’ extreme 4x4x48 endurance challenge: That’s running 4 miles, every 4 hours for 48 hours.

Today, Tommy is back and he brought his friend Clare Alderink, general manager at Ryzebol Dairy, to talk about the grueling physical and mental challenge they completed in March, and the surprising ways it’s made them better as dairymen, family men and friends.

This episode is all about mindset:

Self discipline
Developing habits
Doing hard things

If you are pushing for your next level of performance, I promise, this episode drops some real life wisdom and will leave you with a new vision of what’s possible for you too!

Here more from Tommy Oesch on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast:

This episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components, and maintain the health of their high-performing herds. Learn more here: Adisseo.com

99 | How a Texas Dairy Beats the Heat to Hit 55% Conception Rate Mar 28, 2024

Welcome to central Texas, where summer days exceed 100 degrees and heat stress is one of the greatest threats to cow health, reproduction and performance.

But since adding monitoring technology to their 1,250-cow herd last year, dairyman Hidde Osinga from Overwhere Dairy is using collar-collected data to:

Find and treat compromised cows sooner
Catch silent heats
Capture 15 percentage points on conception rate

Find out how his team has learned to trust the system, and hear about Hidde’s excitement for the future of dairying in this episode, part of the High-Performance Mindset Series, powered by Nedap.

Nedap is future-proofing dairy farms by revolutionizing cow-side care through technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering and identification.

Find more episodes in Nedap’s High-Performance Mindset Series here:

98 | Soybeans are Getting Crushed, Texas Dairy Cows Under the Weather: HighGround Dairy March Monthly Market Update Mar 26, 2024

We catch up with Curtis Bosma, vice president of producer services for HighGround Dairy, to hear about:

Soybeans: All-time high crush capacity and largest carry in more than 15 years
Managed money short covering corn and beans
Domestic cheese demand slips while butter takes off
Why are Texas dairy cows under the weather?

Learn more and find market resources at https://highgrounddairy.com/
This episode is brought to you by: HighGround Dairy provides global dairy market intelligence, insurance services, futures & options brokerage, and advisory programs to a diverse range of dairy market participants throughout the supply chain.
Please note: Information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes and is not a solicitation to buy or sell commodities. Opinions expressed are current opinions as of March 18, 2024, 12 p.m., and only represent the views of the speaker and not those of HighGround Trading, unless otherwise expressly noted.

97 | Women Leading the Way at Pagel Family Businesses: Empowering People with Ashley Pagel Mar 21, 2024

In the final episode in this series with the women who are leading the way at Pagel Family Businesses, in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, we sit down with Ashley Pagel, human resources manager.

Find out:

Ashley’s transition from a career in health care to heading up human resources
How she has professionalized processes and paperwork
Improving employee retention

Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural America. Our dairy team brings world-class expertise and tailored solutions to support dairy producers’ financial goals and lending needs.
For more information, contact the Compeer Dairy Industry Experts .

96 | Women Leading the Way at Pagel Family Businesses: Sharing Dairy’s Story with Chase Pagel Mar 20, 2024

We continue this 3-part series with the women who are leading the way at Pagel Family Businesses, in Kewaunee, Wisconsin.

Today, Chase Pagel debuts her new children’s book, Rosco’s Sweet Treats, a story that not only depicts modern dairy farming, but also a real-life tale of a steer raised by her daughter that had a taste for cupcakes and other treats.

Chase talks about:

How the challenge to find accurate dairy farm books to read to tour groups became her motivation
How her family is her inspiration
And the next books to come in this series.

Rosco’s Sweet Treats is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.

Follow Chase’s journey online:

Dairy Diaries LLC on Instagram and Facebook

Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural America. Our dairy team brings world-class expertise and tailored solutions to support dairy producers’ financial goals and lending needs.
For more information, contact the Compeer Dairy Industry Experts .

95 | Women Leading the Way at Pagel Family Businesses: From Grief to Growth with Jamie Pagel Witcpalek Mar 19, 2024

This week, we bring you a 3-part series, as we celebrate the month of March: the month of women’s history, international women’s day, as well as National Agriculture Day.

What better way to do this than in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, at Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy, with three very special guests from Pagel Family Businesses … three women who have risen to the challenge to be leaders … here at the dairy, in their community and far beyond.

This family has overcome hardship, in particular, the tragic loss of well-loved industry leader and the family’s patriarch, John T. Pagel, along with his son-in-law, Steve Witcpalek, six years ago.

Yet, the family has rallied together to carry on a legacy and a business.

In this episode, Jamie Pagel Witcpalek, chairwoman of Pagel Family Businesses, opens up about loss, grief and moving forward.

Tune into the next two episodes in this series to hear from:

Chase Pagel on Sharing Dairy’s Story
Ashley Pagel on Empowering People

Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural America. Our dairy team brings world-class expertise and tailored solutions to support dairy producers’ financial goals and lending needs.
For more information, contact the Compeer Dairy Industry Experts .

94 | 3 Things the Top 10% of Dairy Producers Do Mar 14, 2024

In this episode of the UpLevel Dairy Podcast, host Peggy Coffeen welcomes back guest Leland Kootstra, an accountant well-versed in the dairy farming business sector and founding partner of Frazer, LLP. The dialogue offers a trove of wisdom for generational dairy farmers, focusing on the skills needed to take over the helm and steer their family businesses to new horizons.

Leland emphasizes the importance of meticulousness in business operations, where an in-depth understanding of costs, schedules, and right-sizing is crucial for superior management. He also brings to light the significance of integrating robust risk management strategies to hedge against uncontrollable market volatility.

The three things that Leland sees the top 10% of dairy farmers doing are:

Being extremely knowledgeable on the details of the business
Having an action plan around risk management
Being cognizant of what it takes to be a reputable business

This episode is brought to you by HighGround Dairy

HighGround Dairy provides global dairy market intelligence, insurance services, futures & options brokerage, and advisory programs to a diverse range of dairy market participants throughout the supply chain. Learn more about them below or at ⁠https://www.highgrounddairy.com/⁠.

93 | How to Pass On a Multi-million Dollar Dairy Farming Business: 3 Critical Questions for Succession Success with Leland Kootstra Mar 12, 2024

In this episode of the UpLevel Dairy podcast, host Peggy Coffeen interviews Leland Kootstra, an accountant with Frazer, LLP, about the importance of succession planning in multi-generational dairy businesses. Kootstra shares three critical questions he asks both the senior and incoming generations to help them define their goals, timelines, and long-term outlook. He emphasizes the need for open and ongoing communication to ensure a smooth transition and alignment of expectations. This episode provides valuable insights for dairy farm owners and managers looking to pass on their businesses successfully.

Hear more in this episode about:

The importance of early and ongoing dialogue between generations to ensure successful transitioning of the family dairy businesses.
Three critical questions posed to the senior generation to help them identify their vision of success, ideal transition timelines, and their willingness to re-invest in their current business if given a chance to start over.
Corresponding in-depth questions directed at the incoming generation aimed at understanding their definition of success, skillset gaps, and their long-term perspective on the regional dairy industry.
The emotional and familial sensitivity surrounding transition planning and the role of an advisor in facilitating healthy conversations.
Insights on the dynamic industry, changing expectations, and how generational goals can inform and sometimes transform the succession planning process.

This episode is brought to you by HighGround Dairy

HighGround Dairy provides global dairy market intelligence, insurance services, futures & options brokerage, and advisory programs to a diverse range of dairy market participants throughout the supply chain. Learn more about them below or at https://www.highgrounddairy.com/.

92 | Pursuing Greatness with Hans Nederend - Part 2: Perseverance and Living on Purpose Mar 07, 2024

Hans Nederend isn’t only committed to producing high-quality milk on his dairies. He’s also committed to living a high-quality life. Whether it’s leading his family or leading his team, hear how Hans keeps his faith at the center of his roles as both a dad and a dairyman.

In his responses to the “Uplevel 5,” Hans talks about:

The book that changed his life and his leadership
The Calvin Coolidge quote on his business card
Honoring God by living out your purpose

92 | Pursuing Greatness with Hans Nederend - Part 1: Secrets to World-class Milk Quality Mar 05, 2024

What does it take to maintain milk quality at a level of less than 75,000 SCC on 9,000 cows for 15 consecutive years?

You might be surprised.

We are catching up with Hans Nederend III from Nederend Dairies in Marsing, Idaho, who shared his secrets to milk quality success at the 2024 National Mastitis Council Annual Meeting.

A past National Dairy Quality Award winner, Hans talks about:

✅ Consistency, persistency and his daily tracking spread sheet

✅ His performance-based pay system

✅ How he motivates his team of milking professionals

👀 Spoiler alert: He doesn’t talk about any magical technology, tube or treatment.

This episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components and maintain the health of their high-performing herds.

91 | WonderCow: A California Dairy Family’s Faith-filled Journey to Create a Superfood Supplement Feb 29, 2024

In this episode, Peggy sits down with a seventh-generation dairy family, Rob and Erica Diepersloot, from Madera, California, as they share their story of co-founding bovine colostrum company, WonderCow, including:

The heartbreak they experienced as parents of a daughter with chronic ear infections, and how that led them to look in their own backyard to create a dairy-derived solution.

How inconsistency and mislabeling in the market place led Rob and Erica to create their own trusted and transparent brand, from their own cows and other dairies that share their values

Navigating the challenges of Amazon and the supply chain

And the faith-filled journey of building the WonderCow brand.

Find WonderCow: https://wondercow.com/

Follow WonderCow:

@wondercow on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok

90 | Young Leader Madison Busse, United Dairies, Alexandria, Minnesota Feb 27, 2024

She manages 15 employees, 1,200 baby calves and 700 maternity cows … and she’s just 24 years old.

Our Uplevel Dairy Young Leader today is Madison Busse, Calf and Maternity Manager for Minnesota-based United Dairies.

The Ohio native didn’t grow up on a dairy but learned to love it, and while her path was originally to become a large animal veterinarian, an internship with a calf raiser prompted a change of heart and change of direction that led her to Alexandria, Minnesota, to a position where she can’t wait to get out of bed every day … the perfect combination of being hands-on with calves and cows, working with people and being part of a culture that supports her in being successful as a young manager at United Dairies.

Find out how she is forging her path in a field that some people actually discouraged her from pursuing and why she loves giving baby calves and cows a chance to thrive, with Madison Busse.

The Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast is the special podcast series for producers and professionals in the first 5 years of their dairy careers. Find it on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, as well as its own platform, Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Join the Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/792440762650346/

89 | Record-Low Heifer Inventories, Record-High Credit Card Debt and New Crop Projections: HighGround Dairy February Monthly Market Update Feb 22, 2024

Today’s big question: With heifer inventories at historic lows and global milk production trending lower in 2024, we seem to be poised for better milk prices compared to 2023, so what's your action plan to capitalize on this opportunity?

If this question has you thinking, you’ve come to the right place, because Curtis Bosma is joining us for the HighGround Dairy Monthly Market Update.

In this episode, hear more about:

The supply update for heifer inventory & global milk production
The demand update for milk spot basis, credit card debt & milk fat
New crop balance sheets for corn and soybeans

This episode is brought to you by HighGround Dairy

HighGround Dairy provides global dairy market intelligence, insurance services, futures & options brokerage, and advisory programs to a diverse range of dairy market participants throughout the supply chain.

Curtis Bosma is vice president of producer services for HighGround Dairy. You can download your own producer market update here: ⁠https://www.highgrounddairy.com/comprehensive-gdt-auction-analysis-20-february-2024/

88 | 3 Steps to Set Up Middle Managers for Success + the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association Annual Meeting with Clint Al-Ag Feb 20, 2024

On this episode, Peggy sits down with Clint Al-Ag, president of the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) Board of Directors, and manager with Blue Sky Farms.

Clint gives a sneak-peak of what to expect at the upcoming DCHA Conference, as well as how the organization has helped him develop leadership skills as he has transitioned from heifer yard manager to now overseeing 150 employees across three sites in the Texas panhandle.

Clint covers three key steps he has taken to set up middle managers for success, including:

How he assesses not just core competencies but alignment with core values and desire to be a leader

Reinforcing the chain of command
Ongoing support for new managers

Join Clint and other producers and industry professionals who specialize in raising dairy calves, heifers and cross calves at the 2024 DCHA Annual Meeting.

2024 DCHA Annual Meeting

April 9-11, 2024 | Westminster Colorado
To register, sponsor, or exhibit in the trade show: https://calfandheifer.org/2024-annual-meeting-agenda-2/

Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA)

www.calfandheifer.org

87 | Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders featuring Emily Shaw Schaapman, Dairy Girl Fitness Feb 15, 2024

And our featured Young Leader today is Emily Shaw Schaapmann, also known as the Dairy Girl Fitness, shares the career journey that led her to starting her own business.

Describing her initial struggles finding her place in the dairy industry and experiencing career frustration, Emily discusses how she channeled her passions for health, fitness, and dairy promotion into establishing Dairy Girl Fitness. Five years later, this business has helped more than 500 women reach their health goals and includes a team of four coaches.

Follow Emily Shaw Schaapman on Social

Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/DairyGirlFitness/⁠
Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/dairygirlfitness/⁠
Podcast: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/cowgirltalk/⁠
YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNADOKh4JsW_Lp7gGVfyyYQ⁠
Website: ⁠https://dairygirlfitness.com/⁠

The Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast is the special podcast series for producers and professionals in the first 5 years of their dairy careers. Find it on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, as well as its own platform, Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Join the Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Facebook Group: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/792440762650346/⁠

86 | Join Us for the Premier Dairy Event of the High Plains: 2024 High Plains Dairy Conference Feb 14, 2024

What's been keeping you up at night? Is your mind turning about how to create alternative revenue streams, monetizing more than milk from your dairy or cash in on carbon? Or are you wishing there was a training available for your middle managers, one day where they could sharpen their communication and leadership skills?

Well, guess what ... you can find it all and more in one place: The High Plains Dairy Conference.

I’ll be emceeing this biennial event, and I’m inviting you to join me in Amarillo, Texas, on March 5 and 6, with a bonus middle manager training on March 7, for one of the most truly producer-driven meetings in the dairy industry.

The driving force behind this meeting is Dr. Robert Hagevoort from New Mexico State University Extension. Robert shared some valuable insights on our last episode on optimizing the ROI of your employees, and he’s back on today to tell us what’s new, what to expect and why dairy producers from beyond the High Plains will find value in the High Plains Dairy Conference!

-----

High Plains Dairy Conference

Embassy Suites
Amarillo, Texas
Pre-Conference and Conference on March 5-6; Middle Managers Training Workshop on March 7

------

View agenda and register for the High Plains Dairy Conference:

https://hpdc.regfox.com/2024-high-plains-dairy-conference

------

Contact Dr. Robert Hagevoort

dairydoc@highplainsdairy.org
(806) 786-3421

85 | 3 Keys to Maximize Profit and ROI from Your People Feb 13, 2024

Any dairy producer will tell you, a good employee is worth every dollar. But every two weeks, when pay day comes around, do you ever wonder if you are getting the most out of your investment? What if it didn't have to cost you a penny more to maximize the efforts and outcomes of every hour you are paying that employee to be at your dairy?

Our guest today spends a lot of his time improving training, safety and development of the dairy workforce. Dr. Robert Hagevoort, with New Mexico State University Extension, joins us to talk about three things he sees high-performing dairy operations doing to increase employee engagement, retention and performance.

Hear about:

The reason your trainings in Spanish may be failing
How to optimize daily performance
What the best dairies are doing to get the right people in the right seats on the bus

To view agenda and register for the High Plains Dairy Conference:

https://hpdc.regfox.com/2024-high-plains-dairy-conference

Contact Dr. Robert Hagevoort:

dairydoc@highplainsdairy.org
(806) 786-3421

84 | Precision Nutrition and Sustainable Dairy Production: A Conversation with Dr. Mike Van Amburgh Feb 08, 2024

Peggy Coffeen sits down to chat with Dr. Mike Van Amburgh, Cornell University, at the Adisseo VIP Dairy Seminar about the benefits of precision dairy cattle nutrition going beyond methionine and lysine.

He introduces the latest version of the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS), their nutrition model that offers the potential to formulate for all 10 essential amino acids.

Find out:

How the model, made user-friendly for dairy nutritionists, aims to increase productivity without as much protein or nitrogen intake
Cost-effectiveness and environmental advantages
The bigger picture of sustainability

This episode is sponsored by Adisseo, global leader in animal nutrition and premium provider of rumen protected methionine for dairy producers who want to capture the power of components and maintain the health of their high-performing herds.

83 | Understanding Dairy Sustainability: Discussion with Dr. Marissa Hake Feb 07, 2024

A big question we ask ourselves as dairy producers and professionals is, how can we effectively communicate with consumers about the food we produce and our built-in sustainability stories?

Who better to tap into this topic than Dr. Marissa Hake. I sat down with Dr. Hake at the Adisseo VIP Dairy Seminar to get her insights. Hear what she has to say about consumer purchasing decisions, dairy versus the alternatives, sustainability and building trust on this UPlevel Dairy Podcast.

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, you will be able to hear Dr. Hake’s insights on:

Consumer trends and concerns
Reframing environmental impact and the sustainability story
Ensuring consumer acceptance of new technologies

This episode is sponsored by Adisseo, global leader in animal nutrition and premium provider of rumen protected methionine for dairy producers who want to capture the power of components and maintain the health of their high-performing herds. Learn more about Adisseo here: https://www.adisseo.com/en/

82 | The Revolution of Dairy Cattle Nutrition: Amino Acids with Dr. Chuck Schwab Feb 06, 2024

Peggy sits down with Dr. Chuck Schwab, a distinguished Professor Emeritus from New Hampshire University, at the Adisseo VIP Dairy Seminar, where he recapped highlights of his career and research on the important role of amino acids in dairy cattle nutrition.

Find out:

Why Schwab so fervently pursued amino acid research
The impacts on the way dairy cattle rations are formulated today
And why he believes his work is not yet done.

This episode is sponsored by Adisseo, global leader in animal nutrition and premium provider of rumen protected methionine for dairy producers who want to capture the power of components and maintain the health of their high-performing herds.

81 | How to Turn Your Passion for Dairy Promotions into a Professional Career Feb 01, 2024

If you are passionate about sharing dairy’s story with consumers and want to know how to turn that into a career, keep listening to hear how Allison Ryan has done just that.

As the marketing and communications director for MVP Dairy and McCarty Family Farms, she has brought the vision to life for an on-farm dairy learning center in Salina, Ohio, and will soon be cutting the ribbon on a second, interactive learning center near Rexford, Kansas.

And she’s joining us today to talk about the opportunities for young professionals who want to make their passion their career, right here on the UPlevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast.

The Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast is the special podcast series for producers and professionals in the first 5 years of their dairy careers. Find it on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, as well as its own platform, Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Join the Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/792440762650346/

Learn more about career opportunities and internships with McCarty Family Farms and MVP Dairy:

Contact Allison Ryan: aryan@mvpdairyllc.com

Visit: https://www.mccartyfamilyfarms.com/nowhiring

Follow McCarty Family Farms

Follow MVP Dairy

80 | Dairy Farming with a $15 Breakeven Jan 30, 2024

Is a $15 breakeven possible for a dairy farming business in 2024, given increases in input costs and inflation, and the current milk market conditions?

If anyone would tell you “yes,” it would be Pauly Paul with Complete Management Consulting. Pauly has helped hundreds of farms reduce their expenses and increase their income, so that they can be profitable and sustainable businesses.

I’ve asked Pauly, if he was running his own dairy farm, how would he do it?

Find out on this episode:

Which expenses he would cut first, and the ones he wouldn’t touch

His time-saving approach to meetings and effective employee managemen
Where he often sees dairies losing their focus and losing money
And how he would get his break-even point to $15 per cwt.

This Episode is Sponsored by Complete Management Consulting

Contact Pauly Paul

www.CompleteManagementConsulting.com
Pauly@completemanagementconsulting.com
920-418-3135

79 | HighGround Dairy January Monthly Market Update Jan 25, 2024

Today’s big question: What if you knew, with 100% certainty, that the milk price would plummet $5 per hundred weight in the next few months … what would you do?

If this question has you thinking, you’ve come to the right place, because Curtis Bosma is joining us for the HighGround Dairy Monthly Market Update.

Find out:

Price Action Update
The Big 3 factors are influencing your milk check right now
Strategic actions you can take to protect your business

Curtis Bosma is vice president of producer services for HighGround Dairy. You can download your own producer market update here: https://marketing.highgrounddairy.com/producer-market-update-january-2024

This episode is brought to you by HighGround Dairy

HighGround Dairy provides global dairy market intelligence, insurance services, futures & options brokerage, and advisory programs to a diverse range of dairy market participants throughout the supply chain.

Please note: Information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes and is not a solicitation to buy or sell commodities. Opinions expressed are current opinions as of Jan. 17, 2024, 12:30 p.m., and only represent the views of the speaker and not those of HighGround Trading, unless otherwise expressly noted.

78 | Meet Our Monthly Dairy Markets Insider: Curtis Bosma, HighGround Dairy Jan 23, 2024

We’ve got an exciting new addition to the Uplevel Dairy Podcast … a monthly market update to empower you to make informed decisions for your dairy farming business, brought to you by HighGround Dairy.

On this episode, we sit down to get to know Curtis Bosma, vice president of producer services for HighGround Dairy, to learn more about his mission to take the stress out of understanding markets and provide you with the tools to protect your dairy business’s profitability.

Find out:

How Curtis got mud on his boots growing up on dairies in California and the Midwest
Cutting his teeth in trading at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME)
His drive, strategy and outlooks, personally and professionally

You can look forward to Curtis’s January update on our next episode, including market movements, commodity inventories and the big three factors influencing your next milk check.

This episode is brought to you by: HighGround Dairy provides global dairy market intelligence, insurance services, futures & options brokerage, and advisory programs to a diverse range of dairy market participants throughout the supply chain.

Learn more at ⁠https://highgrounddairy.com/⁠ or email them at info@highgrounddairy.com

77 | Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders featuring Alex Gambonini, HighGround Dairy Jan 18, 2024

And our featured Young Leader today is as dedicated to dairy as they come, Alex Gambonini. Raised on an organic California dairy farm, Alex not only grew up showing cattle and competing in dairy quiz bowl, but she also loved digging into numbers and economics. Today, her passions combined, she is the senior manager of advisory services for HighGround Dairy.

Hear how Alex:

Dives into the complexities of dairy economics and milk pricing
Her very powerful and personal “why” for helping dairy farmers understand milk markets and manage risk
And how she uses both in-person and online networking to connect with other professionals

Enjoy this conversation with our UD Young Leader, Alex Gambonini.

The Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast is the special podcast series for producers and professionals in the first 5 years of their dairy careers. Find it on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, as well as its own platform, Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Join the Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/792440762650346/

76 | Multi-Site Dairy Management: Purchase, lease or let it pass by? with Curtis Gerrits, Compeer Financial Jan 16, 2024

Before you take on that second dairy site, there are four key areas to consider that can make or break the long-term viability and profitability of this decision.

Curtis Gerrits, Senior Dairy Lending Specialist from Compeer Financial, is having these conversations on the regular, and he is going to walk us through these four critical areas and leave you with greater insights for your own decision-making on whether to purchase, lease, or pass up an opportunity to take on a satellite dairy site.

This Episode is Sponsored by Compeer Financial

Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural America. Our dairy team brings world-class expertise and tailored solutions to support dairy producers’ financial goals and lending needs.

For more information, contact the Compeer Dairy Industry Experts .

Disclosure: Curtis Gerrits and his family hold a partial ownership stake in Breeze Dairy Group. Compeer Financial is an equal opportunity employer and provide, and an equal credit opportunity lender.

75 | Conversando con Líderes Lecheros (Conversations with Dairy Leaders) - Juan Quezada, Milk Source, y Elsie Gonzalez Leach, Motiva Dairy Consulting Jan 11, 2024

La presentadora invitada Elsie González Leach de Motiva Dairy Consulting se sienta con Juan Quezada de Milk Source para hablar sobre su trayectoria profesional, desde sus inicios como ordeñador hasta 25 años después, liderando a 650 personas como director de capacitación y desarrollo de la operación láctea. Descubra cómo comparte sus conocimientos para ayudar a otros a alcanzar su propio éxito y creer en lo que es posible para usted.

Suscríbase a Motiva Dairy Consulting en YouTube para ver esta entrevista y más recursos en español sobre capacitación y desarrollo de liderazgo en el sector lechero:

https://www.youtube.com/@MotivaDairyConsulting

https://www.motivadairy.com/

Guest host Elsie Gonzalez Leach from Motiva Dairy Consulting sits down with Juan Quezada from Milk Source to talk about his career journey, from starting as a milker to 25 years later, leading 650 people as director of training and development for the dairy operation. Find out how he shares his knowledge to help others achieve their own success and believe in what is possible for you.

Subscribe to Motiva Dairy Consulting on YouTube for this interview and more Spanish resources on dairy leadership training and development:

https://www.youtube.com/@MotivaDairyConsulting

https://www.motivadairy.com/

74 | 5 Principles of Leadership with Juan Quezada, Director of Training and Development, Milk Source LLC Jan 09, 2024

We have some exciting things coming your way on the next episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast … an episode in Spanish is coming soon!

But first, on today’s episode, Peggy sits down with Juan Quezada, director of training and development at Milk Source, to uncover his 5 principles of leadership.

Then, on our next episode, you will get to hear the in-depth interview in Spanish, with Juan and Elsie Gonzalez Leach, from Motiva Dairy Consulting.

You will want to hit “subscribe” on Elsie’s new Motiva Dairy Consulting channel on YouTube, where you will find free resources in Spanish for dairy training and leadership development and more high-impact “Conversations with Dairy Leaders” to come!

Subscribe to Motiva Dairy Consulting on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@MotivaDairyConsulting

This episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components and maintain the health of their high-performing herds. Learn more here: https://www.adisseo.com/en/

73 | The Power of One Word featuring Katie DiGangi, Zoetis/Darlington Ridge Farms Jan 08, 2024

Welcome back, friends, for more in this special series we are dropping each day this week on Uplevel Dairy - catching up with our guests from last year who shared their "one word" for 2023 12 months ago. In this last episode in this series, you get to hear from Katie DiGangi about her word “presence” and what that meant for her family and relationships, and I share about my word “truth” and the unexpected shifts it provoked. And find out what Katie and have chosen for our “one word” for 2024!

Interested in what other dairy professionals chose as their 2024 word? Check out the rest of this mini-series below!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/407zMXKFIMlYkmPV7YAh2V?si=gAOAGoPvRQykXxjN-rUNPw
Eliza Ruzic with Zinpro: https://open.spotify.com/episode/58yvjNXptKTm5yjgZYQza9?si=R4eQ0JLcRrqV2-M0FUMo1w
Jared Yousey with Sunnyside Farms: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Byhq1p6h2yrTJ0nMsVKI0?si=tS0b9s3uRLu3REbBLzeIqg
Travis Speirs with Shiloh Dairy: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4cENTqPtPJaEIyKKwWGWYa?si=17iL4quBRQSmxoyOJBS0Kw
Jessica Pralle Trimner from Miltrim Farms: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5wus0sznNiGNTqH3f3Ffkz?si=gleU5iQ_RNyQg_wlYuqbrg

72 | The Power of One Word featuring Tera Baker, Nedap Jan 05, 2024

Welcome back, friends, for more in this special series we are dropping each day this week on Uplevel Dairy - catching up with our guests from last year who shared their "one word" for 2023 12 months ago, and finding out who stuck to their word, who has been transformed by it and who can’t wait to dig into their new word for 2024!

And if you recall our conversation with Tera Baker from Nedap one year ago, you may recall that she was in the mode to “build” in 2023. As a young farmer along side her husband, they were investing in building their own farming enterprise, building their family with the addition of their first child and building out solutions for dairy farmers through Nedap. How did it go? Let’s find out!

71 | The Power of One Word featuring Jared Yousey, Sunnyside Farms Jan 04, 2024

We are kicking off 2024 with a series each day this week, revisiting our guests from last year who shared their "one word" for 2023. We are finding out who stuck to their word, who has been transformed by it and who can’t wait to dig into their new word for 2024.

I'm joined today by Jared Yousey from Sunnyside Farms in Scipio Center, New York. Let’s hear what Jared has picked for his word for 2024, and take some time to reflect on the two powerful words he combined last year, gratitude and opportunity or “grati-tunity,” and how he truly lived by and led by those words as a dairy manager, a softball coach and with the most important people in his life.

70 | The Power of One Word featuring Jessica Pralle Trimner, Miltrim Farms Jan 03, 2024

Here on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, we are continuing to kick off 2024 with a series each day this week, revisiting our guests from last year who shared their "one word" for 2023.

And we are joined today by Jessica Pralle Trimner in Athens, Wis. What strides has Miltrim Farms taken to move “forward” in the past year? Find out the high-impact actions that have lead to some successes worth celebrating.

The Power of One Word featuring Eliza Ruzic, Zinpro Jan 02, 2024

Here on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, we are kicking off 2024 with a series each day this week, revisiting our guests from last year who shared their "one word" for 2023. Get ready to get into the minds and the hearts of these dairy leaders whom I also call friends, to hear how their one word transformed 2023, and the word they have chosen to live by in 2024!

And our guest today pushed her mindset to new levels - with big changes in her worklife, personal life and community service. How did Eliza Ruzic from Zinpro persevere through 2023? Let’s find out!

68 | The Power of One Word Featuring Travis Speirs, Shiloh Dairy Jan 01, 2024

Here on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, we are kicking off 2024 with a series each day this week, revisiting our guests from last year who shared their "one word" for 2023. Get ready to get into the minds and the hearts of these dairy leaders whom I also call friends, to hear how their one word transformed 2023, and the word they have chosen to live by in 2024!
And speaking of top performers, I'm joined today by Travis Speirs from Shiloh Dairy in Brillion, Wis. Hear his reflection from the past year and what's in store for this dairy producer in 2024.
Hear more from Travis on Creating a Winning Culture on Ep. 44:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/upleveldairy/episodes/44---4-High-Impact-Actions-to-Create-a-Winning-Farm-Culture---Travis-Speirs-e29q3oo/a-aadclqr

67 | 6 Dairy Leaders Share their Word of the Year from 2023 Dec 31, 2023

One year ago, I sat down with six dairy leaders who all chose one word to live by for 2023. Some were dairy owners, others managers, and a couple of friends who work on the industry side too.

What did they say one year ago, about their word and how they wanted to bring it to life in 2023?

Who stuck with it?

Who was transformed by it?

Well, I’ve been catching up with these friends to find out, and you’ll get to all about it in our upcoming episodes next week, but first, I’m bringing back their original Uplevel Dairy Podcast episode where these 6 dairy leaders each shared their word and their vision for how they wanted it to shape 2023.

Featured dairy leaders:

Jared Yousey, Sunnyside Farms, New York
Jessica Pralle-Trimner, Miltrim Farms, Wis.
Travis Speirs, Shiloh Dairy, Wis.
Katie DiGangi, Zoetis/Darlington Ridge Dairy
Tera Baker, Nedap
Eliza Ruzic, Zinpro

So did these six dairy friends live up to their word and their intentions for 2023? Come back next week to find out on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast!

66 | Starting a Dairy Farm with $20,000 with Paul Windemuller, Dream Winds Dairy, Coopersville, Michigan Dec 26, 2023

Some say it's impossible to start a dairy farm from scratch these days, but 9 years ago, Michigan dairyman Paul Windemuller did it ... with just $20,000 in cash.

Get ready to tap into the business mindset of this entrepreneurial dairy farmer today.

You're going to hear about the business practices Paul brought back to the U.S. from New Zealand to start his dairy with 30 leased cows in an old turkey coop and a homemade milking parlor, and how he got to where he is 9 years later: with a 250-cow herd in a robot barn.

It doesn't matter how many cows you milk or acres you run. You are going to find some powerful takeaways in Paul's story, and hear about his next venture of traveling around the world and sharing stories through his new AgCulture Podcast.

Links

Connect with Paul Windemuller on LinkedIn and find AgCulture Podcast on Apple, Spotify and YouTube, and follow on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram

Podcast Website: www.agculturepodcast.com

Follow Dream Winds Dairy on Instagram: #dreamwindsdairy

65 | Uplevel Dairy Young Leader: Michael Neves Dec 21, 2023

Our featured Uplevel Dairy Young Leader today is Michael Neves. He joins us from California, though he has a network in the dairy community that reaches around the world.

The first few years of Michael’s career included working with startups in technology and animal health, before finding a great fit for his skillset as business development manager for Progressive Dairy Solutions.

Hear about:

How his entrepreneurial spirit almost led him to owning a McDonald's franchise at age 19
His passion for helping dairy farmers get paid for their sustainability practices
And the skills that he uses to have a seat at tables that are often filled with people twice his age.

Young producers and professionals will relate to the challenges and opportunities Michael sees, and those of us who are more seasoned can also take notes on what an ambitious young dairy leader desires in the workplace.

The Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast is THE podcast series for producers and professionals in the first 5 years of their dairy careers. Find it on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, as well as its own platform, Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Join the Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/792440762650346/

64 | Uplevel Dairy’s Top 5 Business and Leadership Resources Dec 19, 2023

Looking for a quick list of great business and leadership books, videos and podcasts? Uplevel Dairy Podcast owner and host Peggy Coffeen shares her “Top 5” business and leadership resources that she has been tapping into for the past 12 months.
From millionaire entrepreneurs to church pastors, Peggy tells you how these resources apply to your dairy business, why they are worth your time and provides the links for quick access to reaching your own next level in business and leadership.
Looking for the resources mentioned in today's show? Head over to the show notes here to get all the details!

63 | The One Question the Most Progressive Dairy Managers are Asking with Elsie Gonzalez-Leach Dec 14, 2023

What if there was just one question you could ask in the interview process to identify your next best, long-term employee? What if asking that one question not only helped you to fill an open spot today, but opened the door for that right person to stay with you for a decade, and who is bought into your vision and motivated to help achieve your goals and benchmarks for your business?

Elsie Gonzalez Leach, founder of Motiva Consulting works with some of the best dairies in the country to improve operational efficiencies and build strong teams, and she about to share with us the one thing that she says the most progressive dairy owners and managers are doing that completely transforms their hiring process and sets up a new employee for long term success that empowers and motivates the individual and they way the contribute to your team.

This episode is sponsored by Adisseo, global leader in animal nutrition and premium provider of rumen protected methionine for dairy producers who want to capture the power of components and maintain the health of their high-performing herds.

Contact: Elsie González-Leach

Motiva Consulting

Cell: 262.388.9096

Email: elsie.gonzalez@motiva.consulting

Visit Motiva Consulting on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/Motiva-Consulting-716448728490404/

62 | How to Shave Hours off of Milking Shifts with Elsie Gonzalez-Leach Dec 12, 2023

If you are pulling your hair out because your milking parlor is constantly running behind schedule ... the 7-hour shift is stretching out to 9 hours, and the flow of feeding, cleaning stalls and everything else in the back of the barn is thrown off because you just can't seem to get all the groups milked on time?

If that's you, you are not alone - this is one of the biggest frustrations on a lot of dairies, and it's costing you time and money.

And did you know there may be another - even bigger money stealer - a less obvious but very costly scenario - and it's not in the parlor?

We're not just scratching the surface on these problems, we're going in deep on this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast with a guest today who is in such high demand on dairy farms, that she's booking out to 2025.

Elsie Gonzalez Leach, founder of Motiva Consulting, is here to tell you how she helps clients shave hours off of milking shifts and she's going to tip you off to the sneaky, hidden issue that is siphoning time and money on so many dairies.

Elsie has spent nearly 15 years helping dairy businesses optimize efficiency, production and quality by building stronger dairy teams through consulting, coaching and leadership development.

This episode is sponsored by Adisseo, global leader in animal nutrition and premium provider of rumen protected methionine for dairy producers who want to capture the power of components and maintain the health of their high-performing herds.

Contact: Elsie González-Leach

Motiva Consulting

Cell: 262.388.9096

Email: elsie.gonzalez@motiva.consulting

Visit Motiva Consulting on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/Motiva-Consulting-716448728490404/

61 | Empowering Mid-level Managers, Cell Phone Policies and Team-Building Activities with Bridget Schilling, Schilling Farms Dec 07, 2023

Empowering middle managers to be leaders, employee cell phone protocols and bringing team building to the dairies. That's what we are hitting up today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast.

Bridget Schilling from Schilling Farms in Darlington and Montfort, Wisconsin, is back on with us today. On Ep 53, she talked about getting a new team on board while taking on a second dairy, and today, we are tapping into the tips and tools she brings to the table from her professional management role in nursing, to now handling human resources and employee relations for the operation that includes 2,100 cows and 30 employees.

Whether you manage a single site or multiple locations, I think you will find some great takeaways for developing leaders, building teams and some creative ways to get it all done.

60 | Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders featuring Taylor Zeltwanger, NutraDrip Dec 05, 2023

Our featured Uplevel Dairy Young Leader is Taylor Zeltwanger. He joins us from Morris, Minnesota, where he resides with his wife. This 2020 South Dakota State University graduate started working for his uncle’s company, NutraDrip, while in college, and 5 years later, has channeled his massive energy and passion into a career helping farmers capture the value of precision ag and sustainable farming practices.

You will hear how Taylor is:

Finding big opportunities by working for a young company,
Learning how to work with different personality types
And living on purpose every day to bring sustainability, service and stewardship to farmers

The Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast is the special podcast series for producers and professionals in the first 5 years of their dairy careers. Find it on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, as well as its own platform, Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Join the Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/792440762650346/

Listen to our first featured Young Leader: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/peggy-coffeen/episodes/01--Introducing-the-new-Uplevel-Dairy-Young-Leaders-Podcast--featuring-Kiley-Pagel--Pagel-Family-Businesses-e2c6o1k

59 | Protecting His Price and Minimizing Risk with Nathan Moroney, Del Rio Dairy Nov 30, 2023

Texas dairyman Nathan Moroney talked about using technology to make managing 8,000 cows at Del Rio Dairy easier and more efficient on Ep. 58, and today you are going to hear more from Nathan. His background story may surprise you.

Find out how this city boy from Pheonix found his way to the Texas Panhandle, where he dove in head first to learn the ropes of dairy management, and how he puts to work his business and finance background and eye for operational efficiencies every single day to manage the operation that has grown to now include more than 13,000 head of cattle and more than 70 employees.

So how is this business manager and dairy manager planning to protect his price point and minimize risk in 2024? That’s what you will hear on this podcast, part of the High-Performance Mindset Series, powered by Nedap. Nedap is future-proofing dairy farms by revolutionizing cow-side care through technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering and identification.

Additional resources:

Listen to Episode 58 for Part 1 of Nathan's Story: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/mtPoWeIe8Eb

The High-Performance Mindset Series is powered by Nedap. Nedap is future-proofing dairy farms by revolutionizing cow-side care through technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering and identification. Listen for more episodes in this series throughout 2023.

58 | Dairy Tech in Texas: Managing 8,000 Cows with Activity Monitors featuring Nathan Moroney, Del Rio Dairy Nov 28, 2023

One of the big challenges that comes up for dairy farm owners and managers as they grow and scale is this: Should you invest more heavily in highly-skilled, really good cow people, or invest in technology to do the things a good cow person could do?

What if there was a way to streamline your cow flow and work flow, that allowed those really good cow people to focus their time and attention only on the cows that really need it, and what if that could cut the number of cows in your hospital pen by 30%?

Well, that's what's been possible for Del Rio Dairy in Frionia, Texas, and manager Nathan Moroney talks about:

How the data is helping Del Rio Dairy save 30% of cows from ending up in the hospital pen
Why every pre-fresh heifer gets a collar in close-up pen
The high value of dry period data
How to get employees to buy in on new technology

As Del Rio Dairy has grown from around 3,000 cows to now the upwards of 8,000 and expanded to include 3 parlors on site, including the most recently built 90-stall rotary, they moved from capturing basic data from milk meters to now a full suite of real-time rumination and activity data from GEA CowScout activity monitoring collars.

The High-Performance Mindset Series is powered by Nedap. Nedap is future-proofing dairy farms by revolutionizing cow-side care through technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering and identification. Listen for more episodes in this series throughout 2023.

Gratitude: The Secret Performance Hack Nov 23, 2023

What do gratitude and thanksgiving have to do with you and your drive to reach your next level of performance as a dairy producer or professional?

Perhaps more than you think. Today I’m sharing how gratitude has become not just a habit for me, but a true performance hack.

If you want to be more clear, calm and focused both at work and at home, you are going to learn 3 easy steps to get started.

And Uplevel Dairy leaders - I’m so very grateful for you for coming along with me on the journey to uplevel your skillset and your mindset.

If the Uplevel Dairy Podcast is something you are grateful for, please take just one minute to give it a 5-star rating and review in your favorite listening platform.

Thank you, and God bless!

- Peggy

Additional resources:

Listen to more on gratitude as part of your game plan on Ep. 43:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/upleveldairy/episodes/43---3-Strategic-Plays-to-Win-in-the-Fourth-Quarter---Jay-Joy-e29ceav/a-aac21as

56 | Introducing the new Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast, featuring Kiley Pagel, Pagel Family Businesses Nov 21, 2023

The Uplevel Dairy Podcast is expanding to include a second bi-weekly podcast, the Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast! This is for producers and professionals in the first 5 years of their dairy careers. You can find new episodes dropping every other Thursday on Uplevel Dairy, or follow the Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast on your favorite platform.

We're kicking off this very first episode with Young Leader Kiley Pagel. Kiley is just wrapping up her degree in business management with an economics minor at the University of Green Bay while working full time in Pagel Family Businesses and Pagels' Ponderosa Dairy in Casco, Wisconsin.

You are going to hear about:

The big decision she made in the homestretch of her college career that changed her course but got her on a path to true fulfillment
How she learning to organize and prioritize to do all the things she loves
Who has inspired her to make dairy her career path

55 | Finding Balance with a Big Vision - Part 2: Health, Relationships and Accountability with Tommy Oesch, Swiss Lane Farms Nov 16, 2023

Breaking the stronghold of alcohol, finding time for friends and getting honest with yourself… we’re going there today in the second part of this conversation with Tommy Oesch from Swiss Lane Farms.
We’ve been talking with Tommy about his 5 “buckets” of priorities, and you heard about 3 of them in Ep. 54:

Family - his role as a father and husband
Faith - why his weekly men’s discipleship group is a non-negotiable
Farming Business - how he and his partners have committed to the vision of 7,000 cows in 7 years

Today, we’re dipping into his two other buckets:

Health - physical and mental health, how 75 Hard changed his life, including his relationship with alcohol

Friendships - why it doesn’t get easier as life gets busier, but how he commits to investing in his circle.

Finding balance and accountability with these 5 buckets. You’ll hear about that too.
Get ready to get real with Tommy.
This episode is sponsored by Afimilk is a global dairy technology company that designs herd management software and products that allow thousands of cows to be managed on an individual level. Afimilk can tell you what’s happening with your cows and your milk, alerts you if there’s a problem, and pinpoints the problem so it can be managed quicker and easier.
Check out:
Ep. 54 | Finding Balance with a Big Vision - Part 1: Faith, Family and Dairy Farm with Tommy Oesch, Swiss Lane Farms
Our #1 episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast:
Ep. 35 | The 7,000 Cows in & Years Vision with Tommy Oesch, Swiss Lane Farms

54 | Finding Balance with a Big Vision - Part 1: Faith, Family and Dairy Farming with Tommy Oesch, Swiss Lane Farms Nov 15, 2023

If you’ve got big goals and a big vision for your dairy and your business, you know that it takes incredible focus and hard work, but what you may also know is that if you get too focused on one thing – “one bucket” - all of that success can come at a cost … and the price you pay can be your family, your relationships … even your health.

So if finding a balance for your big goals and these “buckets” of family, faith, the farm, your health and your friendships, is something you want in your life, this one’s for you.

Tommy Oesch from Swiss Lane Farms in Michigan talked about the big vision he and his partners share for “7,000 Cows in 7 Years” on the #1 most downloaded episode of season 1 of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast. And Tommy jumped back on with for this very real conversation that goes deep into his 5 “buckets” of priorities behind that vision:

Family
Faith
The dairy
Health
Friendships

In fact, there is so much good stuff here, I’m breaking it out into two parts for you.

On this episode, we are going to hear about 3 of his 5 buckets:

Being a husband, a dad, a dairyman and a disciple.

How his roles and priorities are different than his own Dad’s generation

And Tommy gets real about the insecurities that come with stepping up to be a leader

This episode is sponsored by Afimilk is a global dairy technology company that designs herd management software and products that allow thousands of cows to be managed on an individual level. Afimilk can tell you what’s happening with your cows and your milk, alerts you if there’s a problem, and pinpoints the problem so it can be managed quicker and easier. Learn more about Afimilk at https://www.afimilk.com/

Stick around for a conversation with Jennifer Weber, customer success and operations director for Afi Milk North America, to learn how cow monitoring is saving dairy producers time and money and leading to healthier, more productive cows.

Listen to Episode #35:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/upleveldairy/episodes/35---The-7-000-Cows-in-Seven-Years-Vision---Tom-Oesch-e27b121/a-aa5nbbl

53 | Multi-Site Dairy Management: Getting a New Team On Board with Bridget Schilling, Schilling Farms Nov 07, 2023

If buying or leasing a turn-key dairy at another location is part of your business strategy, this episode is for you.

The real question is this: How do you walk into an existing dairy and its culture, and recreate it to be what YOU need it to be, so that the new site and the new team are engaged and motivated to hit your benchmarks and goals?

Schilling Farms was a high-performing herd, milking 600 cows in Darlington, Wis., when the opportunity came up two years ago to buy a 1,500-cow site, 40 miles away from the home farm. With it, came a new team and an old culture.

Bridget Schilling joins us to share the key tactics from her professional management experience in nursing that have made all the difference with getting the new crew transitioned, so that Schilling Farms can operate at the level of excellence they are known for.

Find out how she:

Built trust in a new role, with a new team
The key questions she asks employees
What she does every four months that makes all the difference

This episode is sponsored by Adisseo, global leader in animal nutrition and premium provider of rumen protected methionine for dairy producers who want to capture the power of components and maintain the health of their high-performing herds.

52 | Leading to Win with Jim Ostrom, President/CEO and Founding Partner of Milk Source Nov 02, 2023

I’ve got a special gift for you, Uplevel Dairy leaders! It is 10 minutes of straight talk on leadership and culture, directly from one of the greatest minds in the dairy business, Jim Ostrom, CEO, President and founding partner of Milk Source.

What has been his mindset over the past nearly 30 years, from starting with 3 partners and a few cows, to now running multiple high-performing dairies, business ventures and a highly professionalized team?

Grab a pen and paper, because these are the power quotes from Episode #34, one of our top episodes from Season 1 of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast.

Get inside this CEO’s mind on:

Leading ourselves and others
Developing a team of executive thinkers
Creating winning culture

This episode is sponsored by Adisseo, global leader in animal nutrition and premium provider of rumen protected methionine for dairy producers who want to capture the power of components and maintain the health of their high-performing herds.

Want to listen to the full episode?

34 | Entrepreneurship, Visionary Leadership and Dairy Cares of Wisconsin with Jim Ostrom, Milk Source

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/upleveldairy/episodes/34---Entrepreneurship--Visionary-Leadership-and-Dairy-Cares-of-Wisconsin---Jim-Ostrom-e272km3/a-aa4tc5u

51 | Creating a MOO'V-ment with his own Milk Featuring TJ Tuls, Founder of DARI LLC Nov 02, 2023

If you are a dairy producer who has been thinking about taking your milk all the way to the dairy case yourself, this episode is for you. Vertical integration is on the minds of many forward-thinking dairy farmers. And that's why today you are going to hear from a dairyman who is doing it on the Uplevel Dairy podcast.
I recently sat down with TJ Tuls, a fourth-generation dairyman and founder of DARI LLC, the company that has created the milk beverage MOO’V.
Find out how becoming a dad is what inspired him to want to transform the milk-drinking experience for his son and his wife. It gave him the vision for creating lifelong milk consumers by bringing to the marketplace a new milk beverage to a dairy case near you.
Through a new model of providing exceptional service, consultation, products, and supplies. Stick around to the end of this episode to hear straight from Dr. David Gnad, CEO of Heritage Vet Partners.
What you’ll learn:

The story of MOO’V
The hurdles that TJ overcame including finding a milk processor
Product formulation and development
How to get shelf space in the dairy case

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MOOVREALMILK
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moovrealmilk/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@moovrealmilk

Learn more about MOO’V & DARI here: https://realdari.com/ or connect with them on your favorite social media platform
Thanks to our Sponsor: Heritage Vet Partners
Heritage Vet Partners is the nation’s leading veterinary partnership specializing in mixed/large animal practices. They believe there is great value in the legacy, customer relationships, brand, culture, and team that you have built. Their goal is to provide services and support around the foundation you have developed. Most importantly, they believe that it takes a community to best meet the changing needs of the customers and industries that we serve.
Learn more about Heritage Vet Partners Here: https://heritagevetpartners.com

50 | 9 Years Without a No-Call, No-Show Employee with Brett Barlass Oct 26, 2023

You may already be doing annual employee reviews … but are you actually using them to drive employee engagement?

And maybe you hold monthly employee meetings … but are they actually helping you to get buy-in and build team camaraderie to move toward your goals?

Or are you just checking the boxes with more meetings that take up your time and space on your calendar?

We’re revisiting highlights from Ep. 20 - one of the top episodes from season 1 of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, where dairy manager Brett Barlass from California Dairy Farms, breaks down how he went a stretch of 9 years without a no-call, no-show employee while managing Yosemite Jerseys.

You are about to find out how he’s doing it, and how you too can use reviews and meetings to actually get employees excited to come to work and want to continue to be a long-term high performing team member, so listen in to learn:

Brett’s key questions for annual employee reviews
How he structured monthly meetings that no employee wanted to miss
The every-day actions that managers can take to build a high-performing team

This episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components and maintain the health of their high-performing herds.

49 | The Eight Questions that Will Move Your Dairy Farm Forward, A Panel Featuring Three NMPF Young Cooperator Members Oct 24, 2023

If you want to be successful and confident in the decisions you are making in the dairy business, there is one tool I want to share with you today that will help you move forward.

It’s helped me in my business to gain more focus and clarity, it’s helped make decisions easier, it’s saved me time and money, and it can do that for you too.

Join host, Peggy Coffeen, as she leads a panel discussion at the World Dairy Expo with Three NMPF Young Cooperator Members.

What you’ll learn:

How core values play a strong role in the culture of your business
How these 8 questions will provide the basics of a strategic plan for your business
How these three young producers define their core values and core focus
What these three producers plan to do to strategically move their dairy farms forward

A Panel Discussion from the World Dairy Expo hosted by NMPF YC.

48 | The Mindset of a High-Performing Manager with Scott Blevins Oct 19, 2023

Welcome to another "Best of Uplevel Dairy" feature! This week I sat down with Scott Blevins to dive into what it takes to have the mindset of a high-performing dairy manager.

Dairy manager Scott Blevins shares the habits, routines, and principles that build his resilience and endurance to stay on top of his game while managing 6,500 cows, 6,600 youngstock, and a team of people at Wiese Bros. Farms in Greenleaf, Wisconsin.
What you’ll learn:

Staying physically, mentally and spiritually strong
Finding balance in a non-stop business
What Scott wishes he would have known 17 years ago when he started a career as a dairy manager
Scott’s core principles that create the culture at Wiese Bros. Farms

Sponsored by Armor Animal Health, your trusted vet, sales, and laboratory partner supplying you with core livestock products and solutions that will help you reach your farm goals.

#47 | How to Create a Zero Employee Turnover Culture at Rosendale Dairy with Jared Dueppengiesser Oct 17, 2023

Welcome to the Best of Uplevel Dairy Season 1! In this episode, I am chatting with Jared Dueppengiesser, herd manager of Milk Source's Rosendale Dairy, about his experience in building a top-notch employee culture that resulted in zero turnover!

Jared Dueppengiesser has worked his way up through the Milk Source organization, from a herdsman to now manager of Rosendale Dairy. He leads a team of 52 employees on one of Wisconsin’s largest dairies. In this podcast, Jared shares how he took on the challenge of upleveling the culture of this dairy to be a place where people want to work and want to stay … with nearly zero employee turnover for the past half year. And he’s done all this at just 26 years old.
What you’ll learn:
- Jared’s vision for the culture he wanted to create at Rosendale Dairy
- What he does every day to create that culture
- Who is the most important employee?
- The tools that empowered him to take action
- The results of culture on employee turnover
- Jared’s best advice to others managing both cows and people

This episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components, and maintain the health of their high-performing herds. Learn more at https://www.adisseo.com/en/https://www.adisseo.com/en/

Saving a 1,500-Cow Dairy Farm from Foreclosure with Pauly Paul, Complete Management Consulting Oct 10, 2023

Today, we are talking about a 1,500-cow dairy that was on the verge of selling out - but not on their own terms.

The farm had not made money in 3 years.

Their banker told them their loan was not going to be up for renewal, and suggested the auction block was their action plan.

And a good dairy farmer who was having a hard time hanging onto hope that things would ever get better - for his farm and for his life.

5 years ago, the future was not looking good for this dairy or dairyman.

But fast-forward to now: That same dairy farm is still in business - in fact, they are still with that same lender - and they have been making money … even when $13 milk hit last summer, they were confident in their viability.

So what took them from the brink of bankruptcy to being profitable, to being able to not just pay their bills - but prepay some bills?

A call with Pauly from Complete Management Consulting. Listen to the full episode for all of the details!

This Episode is Sponsored by Complete Management Consulting.

Contact

Pauly Paul

www.CompleteManagementConsulting.com

Pauly@completemanagementconsulting.com

920-418-3135

Head to http://www.UplevelDairy.com to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox. To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Connect with Peggy: peggy@upleveldairy.com

Follow Uplevel Dairy on:

- Facebook

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- LinkedIn

#45: Your Milk Check and the Global Markets with Mary Keough Ledman Oct 03, 2023

What's happening halfway around the world in the global marketplace that can impact your milk check in this final quarter of 2023?

On today's episode, you are going to get the cliff notes on the trends in the export market along with domestic supply and consumption. So you can be informed and empowered to make the best decisions for your dairy. And here to share that with us is Mary Keough Ledman, Global Dairy Strategist with Rabobank, which has recently released its Global Dairy Quarterly Report. Mary has been studying market trends and dairy economics for her entire career, and she has the ability to look at the global picture and break it down into the snapshots that matter to you most.

What you'll learn:

The top two countries Mary can't take her eyes off of in Q4
The cow-loving country that could be the export market wildcard
What Mary believes gives US dairy farmers a long-term competitive advantage
The strategic move that could make your milk more marketable

This episode is brought to you by Adisseo.

Tune in below or on your favorite listening platform for all of the details on this episode!  Head to http://www.UplevelDairy.com to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox. To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review! Connect with Peggy: peggy@upleveldairy.com Follow Uplevel Dairy on: - Facebook - Instagram - LinkedIn

#44 - 4 High-Impact Actions to Create a Winning Farm Culture - Travis Speirs Sep 26, 2023

Culture. It’s how your employees feel in the pit of their stomach on Sunday night about coming in to work for you on Monday morning. On a recent visit to Shiloh Dairy in Brillion, Wisconsin, the winning culture was clear: There was a party in the parlor. Milkers were smiling and striking a pose for pictures. The employees were happy to be there, and having fun. So I just had to sit down with the owner and manager of this dairy, our friend Travis Speirs, to find out how he was making this happen, all while growing from 2,400 to 2,900 cows, and transitioning in his own role from being with the cows every day, to spending more time in the business and operations management chair, as his father Gordon steps back from the day-to-day operations and decisions. Now Travis will be the first to say, culture at Shiloh Dairy is constantly evolving, and not every day is a party in the parlor, but there are a few high-impact actions that are leading to results like low turnover and a waiting list to work at Shiloh Dairy. This episode is part of The High-Performance Mindset Series is powered by Nedap. Nedap is future-proofing dairy farms by revolutionizing cow-side care through technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering and identification. Listen for more episodes in this series throughout 2023.

What you’ll learn:

Transitioning ownership, management and leadership

Finding the right people

Cultivating respect

Methods for clear communication

How to let leaders lead

BONUS CONTENT!

Nedap Power Play: How to Up the Accuracy of Dairy Farm Identification and Data, with Nedap Technical Support Manager Ron Dehli

Head to http://www.UplevelDairy.com to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox. To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review! Connect with Peggy: peggy@upleveldairy.com Follow Uplevel Dairy on: - Facebook - Instagram - LinkedIn

#42 - The Million-Cow Multiplier: Unselfish Leadership and Exponential Impact - Matt Budine Sep 12, 2023

From co-founding a company that feeds more than 1.1 million cows all over the world with Progressive Dairy Solutions, to feeding people and providing a value-added marketing opportunity for dairy farm families through Valley Milk, and now leading efforts to help dairy farmers be beneficiaries of the methane market, Matt Budine has had a hand in seeing the vision for what it will take to be successful, profitable and sustainable in the dairy business. He’s driven by that same purpose in giving back, as a co-founder of the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge, which has impacted more than 4,000 students in its 20+ year history.

So how has Matt multiplied his impact to reach more than one million cows and thousands of young dairy leaders? Hear his story of unselfish leadership and the steps he takes to scale success in the dairy business.

What you’ll learn:

Scaling a business that feeds 1.1 million cows
Valley Milk: “Nutrition consulting gone awry”
Co-founding the Dairy Challenge
Unselfish leadership and the future of work

CONNECT with MATT BUDINE: President & CEO, Progressive Dairy Solutions; Dairy Nutritionist mbudine@pdscows.com http://www.progressivedairysolutions.com/ https://valleymilkca.com/ https://www.dairychallenge.org/

Head to http://www.UplevelDairy.com to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox. To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review! Connect with Peggy: peggy@upleveldairy.com Follow Uplevel Dairy on: - Facebook - Instagram - LinkedIn

#41 - The 7 Secrets to Setting Goals and Achieving Them - Katy Schultz and Elizabeth DeVries Sep 05, 2023

Maybe it’s to get healthier. Maybe it’s to start a business. But you are stuck. You have not taken action on it because you “don’t have time” or you “don’t know where to start.” Well consider this the nudge you needed to start turning that little spark into a 5-alarm fire today.

Dairy farmer Katy Schultz, Tri-Fecta Farms, Fox Lake, Wisconsin, tells the story of being the girl who faked “sick” on mile day in gym class, to pushing herself to run 100 miles in July.

Elizabeth DeVries, owner, 4D Ag World/4D Ag Fashion, talks about immigrating from the Netherlands to the U.S. to start a business, living in a fifth wheel for a year and now living the real-life American dream.

What you’ll learn:

How to set goals and achieve them
Determine the goal or idea that ignites you
Get clear on your burn
Burn the ships
Fuel your fire: adversity, achievements
Fan your flame: surround yourself with the right people - in your tribe and on your team
Control the burn: focus discipline, habits and systems
Stoke the fire: Celebrate and practice gratitude

**GIVEAWAY!**

Join the Uplevel Dairy Community during September 2023 for a chance to win a pair of FREE 4D Ag Fashion waterproof bib overalls!

To join: https://www.upleveldairy.com/subscribe

This episode is sponsored by our friends at 4D Ag World and 4D Ag Fashion - JP and Elizabeth de Vries - A first-generation American company that provides the highest quality dairy barn technology, from barn rubber to headlocks and fans to fashion. Find it all at 4DAgWorld.com and 4DAgFashion.com, and visit at World Dairy Expo!

CONNECT with ELIZABETH:

Elizabeth at (806) 557-8406

elizabeth@4dagfashion.com

Shop 4D:

https://www.4dagworld.com/

https://www.4dagfashion.com/

Follow 4D on social media:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/4dagworld

https://www.facebook.com/4dagfashion

Instagram
4d_ag_fashion

Head to http://www.UplevelDairy.com to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox. To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review! Connect with Peggy: peggy@upleveldairy.com Follow Uplevel Dairy on: - Facebook - Instagram - LinkedIn

#40 - Growing and Scaling the Leadership Team - GPS Dairy Consultant Robb Bender and Steve Abel from Abel Dairy Aug 29, 2023

What does it take to not only grow a dairy farm from 1,800 cows to 4,200 cows, and not just scale the operation, but scale the leadership team? To help current team members rise to new roles, and to retain all of those leaders in the process? That’s what you will be hearing about today from Steve Abel, of Abel Dairy Farms in Wisconsin, and along with one of his closest advisors who has walked along side his through this transition, GPS Dairy Consultant, Robb Bender. This is a special episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, because it is also the debut of the brand new GPS Dairy Cast - which you can find and follow on Apple, Spotify and Youtube. Walk away with the steps this dairy producer has taken to grow and scale his leadership team.

What you’ll learn:

Growing from 1,800 cows to 4,200 cows
Getting the team on board
Developing team members into team leaders

Want to hear more from the GPS Dairy Team? Follow the GPS DAIRYcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Head to http://www.UplevelDairy.com to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox. To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review! Connect with Peggy: peggy@upleveldairy.com Follow Uplevel Dairy on: - Facebook - Instagram - LinkedIn

#39 - How a California Dairy Producer is Milking More Cows with Less Skilled Labor - Brandon Mendosa Aug 22, 2023

How can a dairy rely less on skilled labor? Is it possible to even eliminate some positions? And to do so while actually improving cow care and milk quality, and not to mention your stress level as an owner or manager? We are going to one of the most notoriously challenging labor markets in the country to find out how one California dairyman is doing just that. Our guest today is Brandon Mendonsa, from Tipton, California, talking about FM Jerseys, the site he owns and manages that milks 3,200 cows. When this dairy was built 5 years ago, one of Brandon’s priorities was to set up a system that would allow him to milk more cows with less skilled labor.

What you’ll learn:

The tasks that technology now takes care of that, in the past, required a person
Trusting computers to call the shots on cow care
How his role as a manager has changed for the better

Episode Sponsor: Afimilk is a global dairy technology company that designs herd management software and products that allow thousands of cows to be managed on an individual level. Afimilk can tell you what’s happening with your cows and your milk, alerts you if there’s a problem, and pinpoints the problem so it can be managed quicker and easier.

BONUS CONTENT!

Listen to the end for a few words from Afimilk herd management specialist Amit Golan about working with Brandon and other dairies to save on labor and empower cow management.

Learn more about Afimilk:

https://www.afimilk.com/

Head to http://www.UplevelDairy.com to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox. To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review! Connect with Peggy: peggy@upleveldairy.com Follow Uplevel Dairy on: - Facebook - Instagram - LinkedIn

#38 - How to have Hard Conversations with Underperforming Team Members - Kristy Pagel Aug 15, 2023

Have you been avoiding a conversation you know you need to have with an underperforming team member? Is their attitude impacting the rest of the team, yet you keep putting it off, hoping it will get better on its own? Kristy Pagel from Leading Edge Consulting LLC provides you with a take-home tool to tackle a tough conversation with confidence and a clear path to move forward.

Download your FREE “How to Have Hard Conversations” take-home tool at UplevelDairy.com

What you’ll learn:

Why you owe it to your employees to have that talk
The matrix that gives managers measure objectives
The 3 mindset shifts managers need for courage, confidence and a clear path forward

CONNECT with KRISTY PAGEL:

Owner, coach, consultant with Leading Edge Consulting LLC

kristy@leadingedgeccd.com

LinkedIn: Kristy Pagel

CONNECT with PEGGY:

peggy@upleveldairy.com Follow Uplevel Dairy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠

This episode is sponsored by Adisseo.

#36 - Full-Potential Dairy Farming: Reaching the next level of performance for cows and people with technology - Megan Schrupp Aug 01, 2023

“How good can we get?” If you are a high-performer who asks yourself that same question every single day, you will want to hear what Megan Schrupp, DVM, at NexGen Dairy in Eden Valley, Minnesota, has to say about pushing the potential for cows, culture and herself, and how technology is getting them all there faster.

This episode is part of The High-Performance Mindset Series is powered by Nedap. Nedap is future-proofing dairy farms by revolutionizing cow-side care through technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering and identification. Listen for more episodes in this series throughout 2023. What you’ll learn:

Celebrating the 7-year benchmark of coming back to the dairy
Using data to Increase the average age of cows in the herd
Creating a culture of excellence
Informed decision-making and simple routines
Digging into the data to enhance transition, nutrition and repro

The High-Performance Mindset Series is powered by Nedap. Nedap is future-proofing dairy farms by revolutionizing cow-side care through technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering and identification. Listen for more episodes in this series throughout 2023. Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UplevelDairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Connect with Peggy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peggy@upleveldairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Uplevel Dairy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠

#35 - The 7,000 Cows in Seven Years Vision - Tom Oesch Jul 25, 2023

Four years ago, dairy farmer Tom Oesch and his partners at Swiss Lane Farms in Michigan defined their vision: To grow to 7,000 cows in seven years. Find out how they are putting that vision into action, transitioning the business from one generation to the next and growing leaders within their team. And walk away with a renewed motivation from Tom to live life to its fullest NOW. What you’ll learn:

The decision to double down on dairying and expand to multiple sites
Determining core values and using them to make decisions
Transitioning the business from third to fourth generation
Living his golden years now
Growing leaders from within

This episode is sponsored in partnership by global dairy technology company AfiMilk and Michigan Dairy Tech and Western Dairy Tech, an Afimilk dealer. Michigan Dairy Tech and Western Dairy Tech helps dairy producers manage thousands of cows on an individual level with Afimilk technology, while also serving the needs of integrated automation, systems networking, dairy management camera systems and artificial intelligence.

BONUS CONTENT!

Hear straight from Michigan Dairy Tech/Western Dairy Tech owner and founder Kyle O’Brien, along with Hilary Triick from their AI startup, Agricair, on solving labor problems with technology and automation.

Learn more about Afimilk:

https://www.afimilk.com/

Learn more about Michigan Dairy Tech/Western Dairy Tech:

www.michigandairytech.com

www.westerndairytech.com

Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UplevelDairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Connect with Peggy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peggy@upleveldairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Uplevel Dairy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠

#34 - Entrepreneurship, Visionary Leadership and Dairy Cares of Wisconsin - Jim Ostrom Jul 18, 2023

Peggy Coffeen joins Jim Ostrom from Milk Source in his gardens for an exclusive interview with one of the most incredible visionary leaders in dairy farming, talking about business, leadership, culture and the cause so near to his heart, Dairy Cares of Wisconsin. What you’ll learn:

The trip to Tulare that inspired it all
Defining winning, leadership and executive thinking
Company culture and the “Milk Source Way”
Dairy Cares of Wisconsin - an opportunity for dairy to give back today by supporting Children’s Wisconsin

To give to Dairy Cares as a sponsor or donor:

https://support.childrenswi.org/event/dairy-cares-of-wisconsin-garden-party/e480152

To place a bid in the Dairy Cares Virtual Auction:

https://live.classy.org/auction/dairy-cares-of-wisconsin-garden-party/fe8756a3-e73f-4e09-b880-c9478f8cab79

Learn more about Dairy Cares of Wisconsin and Children’s Wisconsin, visit https://dairycaresofwisconsin.org/

Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UplevelDairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Connect with Peggy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peggy@upleveldairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Uplevel Dairy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠

#32 - 5 Questions for Finding Your Freedom - Amy Throndsen Jul 04, 2023

This episode is for the dairy farmer or dairy professional who owns a business or is just wired to work as if they owned their business. If you ever find yourself stressed out, overcommitted and lacking the freedom in life they truly desire, this is for you. I’ve invited my personal business coach Amy Throndsen to ask you five high-impact questions to define your own version of freedom.

What you’ll learn:

Clarify your priorities with this one question

Freedom for spending your time and money
Freedom to grow
Create time freedom with pre-game meetings
Start or end every single day with this practice

Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UplevelDairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Connect with Peggy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peggy@upleveldairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Uplevel Dairy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠

#31 - 5 Habits of High-Performing Dairy Farm Managers Jun 27, 2023

For the past 6 months, you’ve been listening to conversations with incredible dairy farm owners and managers who are finding ways to lower their turnover, empower their people and achieve their goals, and in this episode of the High-Performance Mindset Series powered by Nedap, you are going to walk away with the five habits high-performing dairy farm managers have in common.

What you’ll learn:

Winning with communication

Why appreciation matters
How great managers build trust
Cultivating culture
How they show up each day

Featured guests:

Scott Blevins, Wiese Bros Farms
Omar Guerrero, Drake Dairy
Jared Dueppengiesser, Rosendale Dairy
Jared Yousey, Sunnyside Farms
Sonya Koke, Blue Jay Dairy and Blue Bonnet Dairy
Christine Bender, McFarlandale Dairy
Brett Barlass, California Dairy Farms
Michelle Shambeau, Ebert Enterprises
Sandy Larson, Larson Acres
Reese Burnett, Burnett Dairy Farm
Jessica Pralle-Trimner, Miltrim Farms
Jamie and Ellie St. Pierre, Pleasant Valley Farms

Bonus: Hear from Tera Baker at Nedap about the #FarmProof campaign and contest

The High-Performance Mindset Series is powered by Nedap. Nedap is future-proofing dairy farms by revolutionizing cow-side care through technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering and identification. Listen for more episodes in this series throughout 2023.

Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UplevelDairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Connect with Peggy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peggy@upleveldairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Uplevel Dairy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠

#30 - How to Optimize Your Time and Your Team - Sonya Koke Jun 20, 2023

Are you running your dairy farm, or is your dairy farm running you? Dairy farmer and mother of 6, Sonya Koke from Blue Jay Dairy and Blue Bonnet Dairy in Dublin, Texas, talks about doing the work to define their mission and develop great managers in order to find more time, more freedom and more enjoyment in dairy farming.

What you’ll learn:

Defining their mission
Empowering good employees to move into management positions
Coaching and meeting with managers
The best parenting advice you will ever hear

This episode is sponsored by our friends at 4D Ag World and 4D Ag Fashion - JP and Elizabeth de Vries - A first-generation American company that provides the highest quality dairy barn technology, from barn rubber to headlocks and fans to fashion. Find it all at 4DAgWorld.com and 4DAgFashion.com

Shop 4D:

https://www.4dagworld.com/

https://www.4dagfashion.com/

Follow 4D on social media:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/4dagworld

https://www.facebook.com/4dagfashion

Instagram:

4d_ag_fashion

Contact:

Elizabeth at (806) 557-8406

elizabeth@4dagfashion.com

Resources from this episode:

Bruce Vande Steeg

Leiden LLC

970-397-4902

bvandesteeg@gmail.com

Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UplevelDairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Connect with Peggy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peggy@upleveldairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Uplevel Dairy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠

#29 - Making Farming with Family Fun Again - Troy Nelson and Kayla Burr Jun 13, 2023

Kansas farmers and cattle producers Troy Nelson and Kayla Burr of TDN Farms join us with their family business advisor, Jay Joy from Bridgeforth LLP, to talk about the most critical conversations and continued efforts to get on the same page and stay there, so they can move forward as a family farming business and have fun doing it.

What you’ll learn:

What led them to seek outside help
Aligning individual and business goals
Digging up the past and difficult conversations
Diffusing the drama
Moving forward with weekly, monthly and semi-annual meetings

Contact Jay Joy:

www.Bridgeforthllp.com

jay@bridgeforthllp.com

Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UplevelDairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Connect with Peggy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peggy@upleveldairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Uplevel Dairy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠

#28 - Dairy Farm Employee Housing Takes Turnover to less than 1% - Sandy Larson Jun 06, 2023

Providing housing options for employees at Larson Acres has taken the turnover rate from an already low 7% all the way down to less than 1 percent. General manager Sandy Larson shares what she has learned about finding and managing housing for nearly half of the dairy’s 75 employees … and how that has led to a line out the front door of the dairy with a waiting list of people who want to work there. What you’ll learn:

How providing housing has improved culture and employee retention
What the farm provides vs. what employees provide
Finding options in a tight rural housing market

Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UplevelDairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Connect with Peggy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peggy@upleveldairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Uplevel Dairy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠

#27 - Managing more cows, more people and more data - Derrick Josi May 23, 2023

If you are thinking about adding technology to your dairy, you know you will get straight talk from TDF Honest Farming’s Derrick Josi, from Wilsonview Dairy in Tillamook, Oregon. This dairy farmer is more than doubling the herd from 500 to 1,100 Jersey cows. Hear about the new facility with a 50-stall rotary parlor, and find out how Derrick and his team are taking the data from their activity monitoring system to get more cows bred and catch sick cows sooner in this episode of the Nedap High-Performance Mindset Series. What you’ll learn:

The biggest challenge he’s faced
Managing people, cows and data
From visual heat detection to breeding off of activity monitors
Learning to trust the system

The High-Performance Mindset Series is powered by Nedap. Nedap is future-proofing dairy farms by revolutionizing cow-side care through technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering and identification. Listen for more episodes in this series throughout 2023.

Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UplevelDairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Connect with Peggy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peggy@upleveldairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Uplevel Dairy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠

#26 - How to Increase Dairy Farm Income and Reduce Expenses - Pauly Paul May 16, 2023

Borrowing money to pay the bills? This dairy farm was in the red before Pauly Paul and his team came into the picture. Six years later, they’ve got money in the bank and the financial stress is gone. Hear how Pauly increased income and milking frequency from 2x to 4x without additional labor costs, and the areas where he reduced expenses without compromising cow health. What you’ll learn:

From 2x to 4x milking, without additional labor costs
Getting employees to buy-in to changes
Cutting costs in the feed center
Healthier cows, lower somatic cell count and 20 more pounds of milk

Contact:

Pauly Paul

www.CompleteManagementConsulting.com

Pauly@completemanagementconsulting.com

920-418-3135

Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UplevelDairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Connect with Peggy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peggy@upleveldairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Uplevel Dairy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠

#24 - Unexpected Detours and Doing What Makes You Happy - Annaliese Wegner and Liz Griffith May 02, 2023

You may know Annaliese Wagner as the Modern Day Farm Chick on Instagram, and perhaps you also know dairy consultant Liz Griffith, the OG ag-vocate who was telling dairy’s story long before social media existed. But what you may not know about this mother and daughter is that they each have a new story to share, and you will hear about it first right here. With Mother’s Day around the corner, what better time for some friendly banter about motherhood, picking yourself up by your bootstraps and discovering your own story to tell.

What you’ll learn:

Motherhood, dairy farming and telling dairy’s story
The unexpected detour that changed the course of both their lives
Turning a test into a testimony
The Uplevel 5, with a Mother’s Day twist!

Follow Annaliese Wegner:

www.annaliesewegner.com

Insta: @modfarmchick

Facebook: Modern-day Farm Chick

TikTok: modfarmchick

Follow Liz Griffith:

Liz Griffith Family Farm Consulting

Instagram: @itslizgriffithp

Facebook: Liz Griffith

Instagram and Facebook:

A Farm Chick's Closet

liz.doornink@gmail.com

Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠UplevelDairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Connect with Peggy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠peggy@upleveldairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Uplevel Dairy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn

#23 - Biogas: From Start to Startup - Brent Lilienthal Apr 25, 2023

We are talking about biogas, from start to start up, and hearing the story of a farmers-first bioenergy company and the steps in the process for turning manure into renewable natural gas, straight from the co-founder and CEO himself, Brent Lilienthal from LF Bioenergy.

What you’ll learn:

The detailed process of finding solutions for dairy farms
Making sand bedding work with a digester
Why the long-term vision for your dairy farm and family matters
When the dairy farmer can expect to get paid for their credits
What a conversation with a farmer-first RNG developer and operator should include

This episode is sponsored by LF Bioenergy, is a “farmers first” RNG developer and operator.

Learn more at https://lfbioenergy.com/

Brent Lilienthal | CEO

713-857-3908

brent@lfbioenergy.com

LF Bioenergy

Ifbioenergy.com

Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠UplevelDairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Connect with Peggy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠peggy@upleveldairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Uplevel Dairy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn

#22 - Coming Back to the Family Business - Reese Burnett Apr 18, 2023

Two-thirds of the 9,000 dairy cows in Wyoming are milked on a 110-stall rotary at Burnett Dairy, located about an hour from Greeley, Colorado. Owned by the Burnett family, this dairy has scaled and added new technologies to gain a competitive edge, and that adds to the excitement for a young dairyman like Reese Burnett. Today, we’ll hear from Reese about what brought him back here and how he views the future of Burnett Dairy.

What you’ll learn:

The challenges and opportunities of dairying in Wyoming
Why he chose to come back to the dairy
What makes Reese excited for the future
The challenges he sees ahead

The episode is sponsored by Dairy Specialists.

Dairy Specialists is one of the leading and most innovative commercial dairy service and equipment dealerships in the country supplying commercial dairy farms with innovative parlor designs, new construction, remodels, robotic milkers, dairy waste management and 24/7 support and technical services. Their mission is to be the trusted and dependable advisors that dairy producers can count on to help bring their operational goals and visions to life.

Find them here: https://www.dairyspecialists.com/

Head to ⁠⁠⁠UplevelDairy.com⁠⁠⁠ to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Connect with Peggy: ⁠⁠⁠peggy@upleveldairy.com⁠⁠⁠ Follow Uplevel Dairy on ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn

#21 - Choosing the right RNG partner for your dairy farm Apr 11, 2023

If one of the most critical decisions on your mind right now is whether to sign onto an RNG project or take your carbon credits to the grave for your dairy, tune into this power panel with three experts to walk you through the legal, operational and financial considerations for choosing the best RNG partner for your dairy farm’s management, business and future.

What you’ll learn:

What to ask before signing an RNG contract - Attorney Susan LaCrosse
Avoiding a digester disaster - Dairy Digester Consultant Dr. Bob Nagel
Financial considerations for RNG and your dairy farm business - Jay Joy

Contact Jay:

www.Bridgeforthllp.com

jay@bridgeforthllp.com

785-275-2772

Susan LaCrosse

susan@lacrosselawoffice.com

920-495-8522

Dr. Bob Nagel

drbob@westwyndllc.com

920-464-0970

Head to ⁠⁠UplevelDairy.com⁠⁠ to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Connect with Peggy: ⁠⁠peggy@upleveldairy.com⁠⁠ Follow Uplevel Dairy on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠LinkedIn

#20 - 9 Years Without a No-Call, No-Show Employee - Brett Barlass Apr 04, 2023

As a dairy manager for 15 years at Yosemite Jerseys in Hilmar, California, Brett Barlass found ways to engage and motivate a team of employees to want to show up - in fact, he went 9 years without a no-call, no-show employee. And since the acquisition of Yosemite Jerseys by California Dairy Farms, Larry & Jenifer Matos & John Melo, in January, 2022, Brett has been charged with a new task: replicating that same culture and results from Yosemite across 6 dairy sites with 19,000 cows and 200 employees. Find out how he is doing it.

What you’ll learn:

Feedback and annual reviews that boost employee buy in
5 a.m. team meetings with ice breakers and electronic dance music
The 9 things employees need from a manager
Getting employees to care

Head to ⁠UplevelDairy.com⁠ to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Connect with Peggy: ⁠peggy@upleveldairy.com⁠ Follow Uplevel Dairy on ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, and ⁠LinkedIn

#18 - The Team Meeting Format That Drives Employee Performance - Christine Bender Mar 21, 2023

If you manage a dairy operation, you know how frustrating it can be to manage and motivate a team. But what if there was one powerful action you could take to create a culture that engages employees, so that they not only want to stick around in this tough labor market, but actually want to be a part of achieving your goals? Christine Bender, manager and partner in McFarlandale Dairy in Watertown, Wis., tells us about the meeting format that has upleveled her team’s performance.
What you’ll learn:
- The meeting format that works

- Classroom style + hands-on training

- How to keep communication open in between meetings

- Creating a culture of high performance

BONUS: Jeannie Bishop, territory manager for Merck Animal Health, talks about technology and teamwork at McFarlandale Dairy. The episode is sponsored by Merck.

Merck Animal Health is a leading animal health company dedicated to shaping the future of livestock management with a comprehensive cattle product portfolio combined with the innovative technologies of Allflex Livestock Intelligence.

Head to UplevelDairy.com to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.
To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!
Connect with Peggy: peggy@upleveldairy.com
Follow Uplevel Dairy on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

#16 - Success Factors: Switching from sand bedding to dry manure solids and bringing in a non-family business partner - Jeremy Natzke Mar 07, 2023

If you are looking for ways to better manage dried manure solids for bedding, or what it could look like to bring a non-family partner into your dairy farming business, you are in the right place, because our guest today is successfully doing both. We sit down with Jeremy Natzke, a fifth-generation dairyman and partner in Wayside Dairy near Greenleaf, Wis., to talk about the switch from sand to dried solids and the new business partnership for this dairy that includes 2,100 cows, 1,600 replacements and more than 30 employees.
What you’ll learn:
- The biggest challenges of converting from sand to dried solids
- Finding the sweet spot for removing sand and introducing solids
- The game-changing tool for leveling stalls and getting cows to lay down
- Keeping milk quality in line
- Bringing in a non-family business partner
BONUS: Want to see Jeremy’s stall leveler in action? Check out the bonus video on the Uplevel Dairy YouTube channel
This episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components and maintain the health of their high-performing herds.
Head to UplevelDairy.com to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.
To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!
Connect with Peggy: peggy@upleveldairy.com
Follow Uplevel Dairy on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

#15 - How to Uplevel Your Dairy’s Human Resources Department - Michelle Shambeau Feb 28, 2023

How can a dairy operation uplevel their human resources department to go beyond payroll and compliance? Michelle Shambeau, human resources manager at Ebert Enterprises in Algoma, Wis., talks about culture, onboarding, implementing employee reviews and the foundational steps she took to formalize an HR department that serves 160 employees across the Ebert’s dairy and other diversified meat and food businesses.
What you’ll learn:
- 3 critical steps to formalizing HR functions
- How to get employee buy-in to change
- Onboarding, reviews and training
- What Michelle learned from spending 2 months in Guatemala
This episode is sponsored by Nicolet National Bank.

If you are looking to Uplevel your banking relationship with a lender who understands dairy and farming, Nicolet is here for you. With their team of 15 bankers serving Wisconsin, Minnesota and Upper Michigan, Nicolet specializes in sitting down at the table with dairy, crop and livestock farmers to position their businesses for a legacy of success. Real people, real conversations. That's what you can expect from the Nicolet ag lending team. www.NicoletBank.com
Head to UplevelDairy.com to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.
To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!
Connect with Peggy: peggy@upleveldairy.com
Follow Uplevel Dairy on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

#14 - Bringing Bankrupt Dairies Back in the Black - Pauly Paul Feb 21, 2023

No feed. No money. And most would say, no hope. But Pauly Paul always finds a way to flip a dairy farm from foreclosure to a positive cash flow. In this episode, he shares his boots-on-the-ground approach to farm management and operational efficiency, and Pauly leaves you with three tips for increasing cash flow and reducing expenses on any dairy operation.
What you’ll learn:
- How he flipped a dairy in receivership into a profitable, saleable turn-key operation in 12 months

- The first areas to look to increase cash flow and reduce expenses

- What dairies should do right now to prepare for the rest of 2023
Contact: Pauly Paul
www.CompleteManagementConsulting.com
Pauly@completemanagementconsulting.com
920-418-3135
Head to UplevelDairy.com to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.
To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!
Connect with Peggy: peggy@upleveldairy.com
Follow Uplevel Dairy on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

#12 - Straight Talk on Dairy Sustainability - Tara Vander Dussen Feb 07, 2023

Tara Vander Dussen is one of dairy’s strongest voices for environmental sustainability, but in today’s episode, we go bigger and broader to talk about the financial and social side, as well as it means to her as an entrepreneur, mother to two young girls and partner with her husband Daniel in his family’s dairy farm.
What you’ll learn:
- Why we should be watching what’s happening to dairy farmers in The Netherlands
- Tara’s definition of sustainability
- The one key message every dairy farmer should memorize on dairy sustainability
- How Tara and Daniel are building a sustainable dairy farming business structure
- Tara’s new role on the dairy checkoff board
- Real talk about the human side of sustainability as a wife, mom and business owner
Hear more from Tara on the Discover Ag Podcast and follow @taravanderdussen and @discoverag_
Are you a manager who is stressed out by employee turnover and disengagement, but don’t have time to step out of the day-to-day to go to conferences? We are developing the Uplevel Dairy Employee Management Master Class for you. Head to UplevelDairy.com and join our Uplevel Dairy Community email list.
Head to UplevelDairy.com to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.
To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!
Connect with Peggy: peggy@upleveldairy.com
Follow Uplevel Dairy on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

#11 - Olympic-level Business, Management & Mindset - Elle Purrier-St. Pierre and Jamie St. Pierre Jan 31, 2023

In this first episode of the High-Performance Mindset Series, powered by Nedap, we visit with U.S. Olympic runner Elle Purrier-St. Pierre and her husband Jamie St. Pierre. Here how this young, high-performing couple is working together to live out their dairy farming dreams with a winning mindset for managing cows, 90 employees and maple sugaring on Vermont’s largest dairy, Pleasant Valley Farms.
What you’ll learn:
- Elle’s dairy farm roots
- Pleasant Valley Farms and the St. Pierre Family: cows, maple syrup sugaring and methane
- Managing 90 employees across multiple generations
- Recruiting and retaining employees in a tight labor market
- How Elle applies the same principles of being a competitive athlete to taking care of cows
- Best business decision they’ve made in the past 12 months
- Carbon credits and coop limits
BONUS CONTENT!

Nedap Power Play: Going shoulder deep in repro protocols to get the most out of activity monitors featuring Tara Bohnert, Nedap Business Development Manager.
The High-Performance Mindset Series is powered by Nedap. Nedap is future-proofing dairy farms by revolutionizing cow-side care through technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering and identification. Listen for more episodes in this series throughout 2023.
Head to UplevelDairy.com to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.
To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!
Connect with Peggy: peggy@upleveldairy.com
Follow Uplevel Dairy on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

#10 - How Rolinda Dairy Leverages Robotic Technology to be More Productive, Profitable and Efficient - Pat Reisinger, Sam Schwartz and John Gerbitz Jan 24, 2023

How is robotic milking technology serving as a true business accelerator for Rolinda Dairy in Waterville, Iowa? Find out how this 900-cow dairy is capturing productivity, efficiency and profitability with automated milking as part of their business model. Hear from dairy owner Pat Reisinger and dairy manager Sam Schwartz and their DeLaval advisor, John Gerbitz.
What you’ll learn:
- Efficiency: Doubling pounds of milk per employee
- Getting two-year-olds up to speed faster
- Productivity: Sam’s “wins” as a herd manager
- Profitability: How Pat is measuring his ROI
- How technology is Rolinda Dairy’s competitive edge
The episode is sponsored by DeLaval.
DeLaval provides integrated solutions designed to improve dairy producers’ production, animal welfare and overall quality of life.
Follow DeLaval on social media:
FB - @DeLavalUS
Twitter - @DeLavalUS
Instagram - @delaval_na
YouTube - DeLavalfilms
Head to UplevelDairy.com to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.
To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!
Connect with Peggy: peggy@upleveldairy.com
Follow Uplevel Dairy on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

#08 - Give your employees C.R.A.P: the success formula for building employee loyalty - Jeff Kortes, Jared Dueppengiesser and Jessi Schoofs Jan 03, 2023

If you listened to Episode 1 of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, you may recall our guest, Jared Dueppengiesser, the impressive young manager at Milk Source’s Rosendale Dairy who talked about lowering employee turnover. One of the tools he credited with this was a book called Give Your Employees C.R.A.P.: The Success Formula for Building Employee Loyalty, by author and employee retention expert Jeff Kortes.
On this episode, Jeff joins us to talk about the success formula for building employee loyalty. And you are in for a treat because Jared is jumping on with us again, along with his colleague Jessi Schoofs, manager of Milk Source’s La Clare Family Creamery’s retail store, who is also applying Jeff’s concepts to her team.
What you’ll learn:
- What is C.R.A.P. and why does it work?
- How Jared uses these principles at Rosendale Dairy
- The C.R.A.P. coin and how Jessi uses it to empower her team
- C.R.A.P. in action
Jeff Kortes is an employee retention and recruitment expert and author of Give Your Employees C.R.A.P. and 7 Other Secrets of Employee Retention.

Contact Jeff Kortes:

https://jeffkortes.com/

414-421-9626

jeff@jeffkortes.com
Are you a manager who is stressed out by employee turnover and disengagement, but don’t have time to step out of the day-to-day to take classes and courses? We are developing the Uplevel Dairy Employee Management Master Class for you. Head to UplevelDairy.com to join the waitlist.
Head to UplevelDairy.com to read the blog and join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox.
To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!
Connect with Peggy: peggy@upleveldairy.com
Follow Uplevel Dairy on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

#07 - The one word that will change your life in 2023 Dec 27, 2022

What if you could sum up your goals and dreams of who you want to be and what you want to accomplish in 2023 in just one word? Hear from a mix of dairy owners, managers and allied industry as host Peggy Coffeen sits down with six inspiring friends to share their “one word” for the coming year and be inspired to choose your own word to uplevel yourself.
What you’ll learn:
- Each guest’s “one word
- What they envision that word looking like one year from now
- The game plans for making it happen
- How to choose your own “one word”
Recommended books:
- My One Word by Mike Ashcraft and Rachel Olsen
- Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
- The Power of a Positive No by William Ury
- Unleashed: A Been-There, Rocked-That Guide to Radical Authenticity in Life and Business by Amber Swenor
- The Power of One More: The Ultimate Guide to Happiness and Success by Ed Mylett
- The Circadian Code: Lose Weight, Supercharge Your Energy, and Transform Your Health from Morning to Midnight by Satchin Panda PhD
- High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way by Brendon Burchard

It’s time to unwrap your gifts Dec 20, 2022

A faith-filled message from Uplevel Dairy Podcast host and founder Peggy Coffeen on three very special gifts you get to unwrap during this Christmas season.
Discover your own unique spiritual gifts and how to use them here: https://therealyou.org/

#05 - From milker to manager: How to identify and empower high-potential - Daniel “Omar” Guerrero Dec 06, 2022

Daniel “Omar” Guerrero knows his next top manager may be milking cows in the parlor right now. After all, that’s where he got his start. Now, 25 years later, Omar is an owner in Drake Dairy in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Find out how the 3,000-cow dairy is hitting its best numbers yet and why his phone rarely rings with employee troubles.
What you’ll learn:
- Why Omar’s phone doesn’t ring at shift change
- The top skills he looks for in high-potential employees
- Empowering people by trusting and listening
- From milking parlor to business partner: A real-life American dream
- How Omar is helping other dairies with employee struggles by matching them with animal science students from Mexico
This episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components and maintain the health of their high-performing herds.
To learn more about Omar’s dairy employee placement program, he can be reached here: omar1277@msn.com; (920) 207-1301

#04 - The Mindset of a High-Performing Manager - Scott Blevins Nov 29, 2022

Dairy manager Scott Blevins shares the habits, routines and principles that build his resilience and endurance to stay on top of his game while managing 6,500 cows, 6,600 youngstock and a team of people at Wiese Bros. Farms in Greenleaf, Wisconsin.
What you’ll learn:
- Staying physically, mentally and spiritually strong
- Finding balance in a non-stop business
- What Scott wishes he would have known 17 years ago when he started a career as a dairy manager
- Scott’s core principles that create the culture at Wiese Bros. Farms
This episode is sponsored by Armor Animal Health, your trusted vet, sales and laboratory partner, supplying you with core livestock products and solutions that will help you reach your farm goals.
Receive $25 off a $150 order through Armor’s online store, armoranimalhealth.com. Use code “Armor Support.”
Coupon valid through Dec. 16th, 2022. One time use per customer.

#02 - The Two Words that Will Get Employees to Care Today - Tom Wall Nov 10, 2022

What if there was something simple you could do today that would build loyalty, get your employees to care about their work and make them want to stay actively engaged on your team for the long haul?
There is. And it comes down to two simple words. The “Dairy Coach,” Tom Wall is here to share with us today the two simple words that have the power to transform your dairy’s team and a plan to take action TODAY.
What you’ll learn:
- What’s the cost of employee disengagement?
- What dairies with the best employee retention do differently
- Quiet quitting
- The two words that will transform your team
- How to take action today

#01 - Zero employee turnover, how this herd manager does it at Rosendale Dairy - Jared Dueppengiesser Nov 03, 2022

Jared Dueppengiesser has worked his way up through the Milk Source organization, from a herdsman to now manager of Rosendale Dairy. He leads a team of 52 employees on one of Wisconsin’s largest dairies. In this podcast, Jared shares how he took on the challenge of upleveling the culture of this dairy to be a place where people want to work and want to stay … with nearly zero employee turnover for the past half year. And he’s done all this at just 26 years old.
What you’ll learn:
- Jared’s vision for the culture he wanted to create at Rosendale Dairy
- What he does every day to create that culture
- Who is the most important employee?
- The tools that empowered him to take action
- The results of culture on employee turnover
- Jared’s best advice to others managing both cows and people
Meet the guest: Jared Dueppengiesser has worked his way up through the Milk Source organization, from an intern to a herdsman to now herd manager of one of Wisconsin’s largest dairies. He leads a team of 52 employees at Milk Source’s Rosendale Dairy.
A New York native, Jared grew up on his family’s 900-cow dairy before heading off to Cornell University. A natural leader and “people person,” he is proving his management skills at the young age of 26 years old. While people and building a culture for his team to thrive are his passion, Jared has never strayed from his love for being hands-on with cows. In fact, he and his family, along with partners Milk Source Genetics and Fischer, exhibited the Grand Champion Red & White cow at the 2022 World Dairy Expo, MS Ransom Rail Beth.
Jared recently married his lovely wife, Kristen, and they reside near Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Jared’s recommended books & podcasts on leadership:
- The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni
- Give Your Employees C.R.A.P. by Jeff Kortes
- The Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast
This episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components and maintain the health of their high-performing herds.

Welcome to the Uplevel Dairy Podcast Oct 13, 2022

What does it take to be a successful, profitable and competitive dairy farm business? This is the podcast for dairy owners, managers and advisors who are after their next level of success. Join Uplevel Dairy host Peggy Coffeen each week as she sits down with the industry’s leading dairy producers and thought leaders for real conversations about management, culture, leadership, family business, finance and human resources.
Visit us at http://upleveldairy.com

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