Uplevel Dairy Podcast

Latest Episodes:

372 | From Days to Hours: The Future of Dairy Diagnostics Aug 20, 2026

Show notes

Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen interviews Dr. Kyle Becker, a Heritage Vet Partners veterinarian and former Indiana dairy farm kid who learned to AI cows at 12 and began practicing immediately after graduation. Becker describes his atypical, influencer-style DiSC profile and how it supports team-building, client collaboration, and bridging ownership–employee gaps on modern dairies.

He shares using Krishi’s SHERPA Vision technology to rapidly analyze nasal swabs for antibiotic resistance, enabling treatment plans within hours and earlier intervention on the ascending side of a disease “bell curve,” with examples including a stressed calf raiser and a Salmonella Dublin outbreak with no deaths. Becker discusses adapting to changing disease, production, and technology, balancing farmer and veterinarian perspectives, raising five children involved in chores, and prioritizing community service, learning, and farm culture.

Heritage Vet Partners is the nation’s leading veterinary partnership, specializing in mixed and large animal practices. Heritage Vet Partners provides a unique partnership model that preserves local practice legacies, serving dairy and other livestock producers and companion animal owners through shared services, data, and strategic growth. Learn more at HeritageVetPartners.com

04:34 Growing Up Dairy
05:41 AI School at 12
10:47 Choosing Vet Medicine
12:56 Thrown Into Practice
14:20 Going Solo Consulting
15:54 Connector Problem Solver
18:28 Rapid Resistance Testing
22:32 Managing the Bell Curve
26:43 Salmonella Rapid Response
28:06 Speed Beats Analysis
28:54 Finding The PI Calf
30:55 Four Days Saved
32:05 Future Of Animal Health
35:19 Vet And Farmer Perspective
38:24 Family And Farm Chores
40:46 Community First Values

371 | Breeding for the Bottom Line: Genetics That Work in the Real World Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy sits down with Luke Getty of Ideal Dairy and Cookiecutter Holsteins in Eastern New York to discuss the role of genetics, technology, and long-term decision-making in building a successful dairy operation. Getty shares the evolution of the family-owned business, which has grown through strategic expansion while also developing a global genetics program.

He reflects on the transition to Ideal Dairy, his early skepticism around genomics, and how seeing genomic outliers become top-performing animals changed his perspective. He also discusses how IVF, genomic testing, and intentional breeding decisions have helped accelerate genetic progress and support the dairy's growth.

Getty shares how the operation approaches breeding for cows that are moderate in size, productive, healthy, fertile, and built for longevity, with a focus on traits such as strong feet and udders, high components, and mastitis resistance. He also highlights measurable improvements in herd health, including somatic cell count, and explains how genetics can support both current performance and long-term sustainability.

United Sires is a partnership of well-known Holstein breeders from the United States bringing genetic solutions to dairy producers worldwide. Our mission, “Breed the Best, Better,” reflects the work we have been doing on our farms for generations. As multi-generational dairy farmers, we adhere to a simple yet powerful principle: We Milk What We Make. We understand the importance of breeding cattle that are profitable throughout their lifetimes, functional across all dairy enterprises, and aesthetically pleasing.

Learn more at UnitedSires.com and follow on Facebook.com @UnitedSires and @unitedsiresofficial on Instagram.

00:00 Genetics Build Businesses

00:54 Luke’s Genomics Turning Point

03:06 Scaling Ideal Dairy Fast

05:19 Breeding the 10 Year Cow

06:33 United Sires Explained

08:18 Genetics for Every Market

10:36 EU Demand and No Holes Bulls

14:31 Health Traits and Happy Teams

16:10 Mastitis Gains You Can Measure

18:11 Risk Taking and Corrective Mating

19:10 Legacy and Next Generation

21:20 10 Year Vision and Advice

370 | What the Top 20% of Farm Businesses Do Differently with Dr. David Kohl & Lynn Paulson Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

What will separate the most successful farm businesses from the rest over the next decade?

Dr. David Kohl and Lynn Paulson of Bell Bank join Peggy Coffeen to discuss the economic and global trends producers should be watching—from consumer demand for protein and AI-driven agriculture to global competition, regenerative agriculture, the coming land transition, and relationship-based lending.

They also break down what separates the top 20% of farm businesses: knowing the numbers, having a plan, managing risk, building strong relationships, and consistently doing the small things right.

00:00 – Economic & Global Trends
01:05 – Protein & Precision Agriculture
02:15 – Following the Consumer
03:01 – Global Competition
04:37 – The Changing Global Landscape
07:18 – Regenerative Agriculture
08:58 – Agriculture’s Story to Consumers
10:59 – The 2032 Land Opportunity
12:42 – Land Ownership vs. Control
14:04 – Advice for Young Producers
17:09 – Planning & Financial Management
20:23 – Family Business Accountability
22:01 – Relationship Lending
26:33 – What Makes a Good Lender?
29:01 – What the Top 20% Do Differently
30:32 – Excellence at the Margin

369 | Beyond the Technology: The People Who Make Dairy Innovation Work Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

Technology may be changing the way dairies operate, but it still takes people to make it work. Today, we visit with Bailey Beck of Automated Dairy in Jerome, Idaho, to find out how she stepped into the dairy industry at just 22 years old, tasked with helping producers get more from the software, data and technology they were investing in. In this episode, Bailey shares how she overcame imposter syndrome, earned the trust of dairy producers and built her expertise by staying curious, coachable and willing to learn everything from cow management to electrical systems. She also opens up about balancing a demanding career with raising three young boys, the mentors who helped shape her along the way, and why, even as AI and automation advance, the human side of dairy innovation may be more important than ever.

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.

00:00 Meet Bailey Beck

02:27 Her Role at Automated Dairy

03:21 Starting Young in Dairy Tech

04:13 From 4H to Software Support

05:44 Making Tech Actually Work

07:15 Early Win and Confidence

09:05 Be Coachable and Keep Learning

12:57 Mentors Who Made the Difference

14:15 Career and Motherhood Balance

17:38 Self Care and Staying Organized

18:15 Milc Group Tools in the Barn

20:41 Advice to Her Younger Self

21:50 Future of Dairy Technology

25:11 Most Rewarding Moments

26:08 Rapid Fire on Ag Advocacy

28:34 Networking for Young Pros

368 | Sitting Down With The Next Generation of Golden E Dairy Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

Part two of The Uplevel Dairy Podcast features Chris and Tracey Elbe’s children—Ryan, Kim, Matt, and Kyle—discussing their roles at Golden E Dairy and how their dad intentionally “molded” each of them toward different strengths. Ryan oversees broad operations and improvements, coordinating with contractors and advisers; Kim focuses on calves, heifers, and some fieldwork while embracing change and learning ideas from social media; Matt handles shop work, spraying, and equipment problem-solving with a direct, impatient style; Kyle feeds heifers, does hay and fieldwork, and serves as the people-focused communicator with employees and others.

Together, they describe choosing to stay on the farm as the dairy expanded and reflect on the challenges of farm transition planning, especially “what if” scenarios and finances, emphasizing the value of starting the conversation early and appreciating their parents addressing transition at a younger age.

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.Visit https://www.compeer.com/specialists/dairy

00:00 Meet the Elbe Kids

01:54 Roles on the Farm

03:38 Dad’s Quiet Molding

06:19 Why They Came Back

10:31 Each Sibling’s Strength

16:39 Succession Talk Realities

19:11 Advice to Start Now

19:54 Transition Timeline

367 | Golden E Dairy: Building Dreams From the Ground Up Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

On the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen visits with the family behind Golden E Dairy in Kewaskum, Wisconsin, where first-generation farmers Chris and Tracey Elbe describe building their dairy from a 64-stall stanchion barn and 250 acres into a self-sufficient enterprise milking 2,900 cows, raising calves, heifers, and steers on site, and operating grain handling and soybean roasting.

Chris recounts starting at age nine with calves as pay, learning through hardship, and taking calculated risks to expand from tie-stalls to a parlor and freestalls, then a modern facility with a double-32. Tracey, a former X-ray tech, shares adapting from city life, raising four children who all stayed in the business, and the challenge of letting go during transition. They emphasize hard work, listening to experienced people, strong employees, communication through weekly meetings, and concerns about land costs driven by non-farm uses.

00:00 From Nothing to Golden E

01:42 Chris Starts With Calves

03:07 Hard Lessons and Bankruptcy

03:54 Buying the First Farm

06:11 Tie Stall Grind to Parlor

07:23 Scaling to 2900 Cows

09:06 Tracey Finds Her Place

10:04 Raising Kids on the Farm

12:39 Family Roles and Mentors

16:54 Taking Smart Risks

20:39 Tech And Growth Strategy

22:20 Kids Roles On Farm

23:45 Weekly Meetings Transition

26:20 Big Dream Legacy

27:15 People Behind Success

29:56 Letting Go Of Control

33:57 Emotional Handoff Stories

37:05 Threats And Opportunities

39:06 Advice For New Farmers

366 | Service Before Self: A Dairy Veterinarian's Calling Jul 30, 2026

Show notes

Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen talks with Dr. Jared Risser of Dairy Veterinary and Management Services in Goshen, Indiana, about dairy veterinary work as a service-driven career built on trust and relationships. Raised on a Lancaster County, Pennsylvania dairy farm, Risser moved to Indiana in 2017, now serves a 50-mile radius with dairies ranging from 10 cows to 4,000, and describes being a “jack of all trades” for many smaller farms.

He shares the variety of his days—herd checks, calvings, surgeries, advisory meetings—and a memorable rabies-suspect euthanasia case requiring lab testing after human exposure. Risser discusses how farm technology, especially activity monitoring systems and AI-assisted data analysis, is improving health detection and management decisions, and reflects on gains in components and productivity, humility in practice, and modeling service for his four-year-old son who sometimes joins farm calls.

01:44 Jared’s Dairy Roots

03:41 Indiana Practice Bubble

05:21 Trust on Farm

06:15 Crazy Days on Call

10:02 Service Meets Tech

11:16 Data and AI Wins

13:09 Health Monitoring Shift

15:44 Future Production Limits

19:14 AI for Vets

20:52 Bringing Kids Along

25:04 Legacy of Service

26:45 Rapid Fire Wisdom

30:03 Relationships Beyond Cows

365 | When Cash Gets Tight—Leading Through a Cash Flow Crunch Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy interviews Pauly Paul of Complete Management Consulting about dairy farms facing tight cash flow, growing accounts payable, and overwhelm. Pauly says recent pressure often comes from loan restructures leading to higher interest rates and larger payments, missed income opportunities such as capturing value from black calves, and the lack of a clear cash-flow plan. He describes farms that can make bank payments via milk-check autopay but fall behind with vendors, sometimes handing over the checkbook so he can prioritize payments and negotiate plans.

Pauly emphasizes open communication, sharing complete financial information, and being willing to change rather than “buying” a solution with more equipment debt. His first steps are to increase income, cut expenses, and use on-hand inventory; tactics include improving breeding/conception, increasing milk output, streamlining labor, and negotiating vendor costs. He shares a turnaround story where a farm moved from possible liquidation to repairs and potential expansion.

This Episode is Brought to you by Complete Management Consulting
About Complete Management Consulting
www.CompleteManagementConsulting.com⁠⁠
completemanagementconsulting@gmail.com⁠
920-418-3135

01:21 Why Farms Are Struggling

02:46 Real World Cash Flow Calls

05:27 Working With Vendors

07:12 Temporary Or Long Term

08:28 Common Money Mistakes

09:43 Three Step Stabilization Plan

11:44 Income Opportunities Fast

13:40 Communication And Pride

15:08 Turnaround Success Story

16:52 What Separates Winners

364 | What Every Dairy Producer Needs to Know About New World Screwworm Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

This episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast features entomologist Dr. Mike Catangui, Ph.D., with MWI Animal Health, who discusses the return of the New World screwworm and why dairy producers far from the southern border must be on alert. He explains how the pest was originally eradicated from the U.S. in the 1960s but has now been detected in Texas and New Mexico.

Dr. Catangui also notes that adult flies are harmless, but larvae hatch quickly after eggs are laid on wounds (especially calf navels) and feed on live flesh, potentially killing calves within days; bites from ticks and stable or horn flies can also attract egg-laying to any species, of any age.

Dr. Catangui reviews prior eradication using the USDA’s sterile insect technique, emphasizes vigilance, wound inspection, and fly control, and outlines available preventatives/curatives plus insecticide sprays/foggers and pet treatments from MWI. Suspected cases should be photographed and reported to a veterinarian due to mandatory reporting and existing infestation zones.

This episode is sponsored by MWI Animal HealthAt MWI Animal Health, we are your partner in animal health. Our people drive us to think forward every day. We are committed to working with you to identify cutting-edge solutions to your common challenges. We unite with innovators and manufacturers to provide access to products and solutions designed to help you find success in each aspect of your animal health business. Visit www.MWIAH.com

00:59 What Screwworm Is
01:44 How Calves Get Hit
03:09 Eradication History
03:47 Dairy Risk Factors
05:38 Spread Via Movement
07:32 Climate And Vigilance
10:09 Fly Control Tools
11:35 Products For All Animals
12:26 USDA Response Plan
14:51 Suspected Case Steps
16:53 Key Takeaways
18:31 Fairs And Shows Advice

363 | Go All In: Lessons from an Idaho Dairy Nutrition Consultant Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen interviews Josh Peters of Standard Dairy Consultants about earning dairy producers’ trust without a dairy-farm background and why showing up and commitment matter. Peters shares his path from raising beef cattle, serving in the military, and working at Simplot to entering dairy nutrition, completing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees while feeding cows full time, and building long-term client relationships.

He discusses early success achieving seven pounds of components, emphasizing that results come from aligning genetics, feeds, infrastructure, and management rather than simple fixes. Since moving to Idaho’s Magic Valley, he’s seen rapid facility upgrades like cross-vent barns that reduce environmental variability but expose management and labor challenges, making consistency the key competitive advantage. Peters explains using Milc Group feeding software to improve speed, accuracy, and data-driven problem identification, focusing his consulting on bottlenecks and overall profitability, and argues AI won’t replace on-farm people willing to walk cows and do the daily work.

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.

01:18 Show Up And Commit

02:29 Beef Roots To Dairy

03:56 Military Mindset

04:48 All In On Education

06:53 First Herd Breakthrough

10:22 Magic Valley Shift

15:38 Consistency Over Rations

17:49 Tech And Data Tools

19:28 Milk Group In Action

22:41 Profitability Metrics

25:52 Labor And Hidden Leaks

33:08 Peeling The Onion