Uplevel Dairy Podcast

Latest Episodes:

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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 .

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