Uplevel Dairy Podcast

Latest Episodes:

322 | A Forward-Thinking Approach: Dairy Industry Insights with Rick Naerebout Mar 17, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen interviews Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, at the High Plains Dairy Conference in Amarillo, discussing dairy’s current momentum and major risks. Rick highlights positive “tailwinds” including new trade opportunities such as Indonesia, policy wins like the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids bill, and improved perceptions of dairy fat in dietary guidelines. He describes Idaho-led sustainability research lowering lagoon pH with sulfuric acid to reduce methane emissions by over 50%, aiming to create carbon-credit revenue accessible to most dairies. He also explains how relationships with Idaho’s federal delegation helped shape “big beautiful bill” tax provisions on inheritance and accelerated depreciation to support generational transfer and retirement. Immigration reform and workforce dependence are emphasized as critical for food security and national security, along with monitoring global competitors that could disrupt export markets.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with High Plains Dairy Conference.

00:00 Dairy Big Picture

00:39 Welcome and Setup

01:11 Conference Panel Takeaways

03:18 Rick’s Dairy Roots

04:36 Sustainability That Pays

08:29 Tax Policy and Legacy

11:03 Building Political Relationships

17:25 Immigration and Food Security

23:06 Future Risks and Advice

26:33 Closing and Subscribe

321 | From Mexico to Managing a Wisconsin Dairy | Rosario Ibarra on Leadership, Motherhood and Mentorship Mar 12, 2026

Show notes

She dreamed of being a CEO in heels ... now she does it in coveralls.

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen interviews Rosario Ibarra of Grotegut Dairy in Newton, Wisconsin, a third-generation farm milking 3,600 cows. Rosario remarks on her journey from Mexico, once dreaming of being a corporate CEO, to studying agronomy, joining an international internship that brought her to Wisconsin, and pivotal mentors along the way. She describes returning to Mexico, moving to the U.S. on a visa, marrying her husband, and helping lead his family’s farm through major losses and transition while balancing motherhood and management. The conversation highlights self-belief, mentorship, delegation, supporting the workforce and leading teams with gratitude, compassion, and a low-stress culture focused on animal care and food production.

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.⁠

00:39 Podcast Welcome
01:11 Zoetis Women Farmers
01:33 Inside Grotegut Dairy
04:04 From Mexico to Cows
05:12 Choosing Agronomy
07:04 Wisconsin Internship
08:33 Mentor Deb Reinhart
10:24 Back to Wisconsin
12:19 Manager and New Mom
13:45 Learning to Delegate
15:28 Believing in Yourself
17:26 Advice and Networks
19:53 Inspired by the Team
21:05 Leading With Care
22:01 Building A Stress-Free Team
24:10 Cornerstone Confidence Shift
26:37 Next Steps And Giving Back
28:55 Helping Team Members Feel at Home
32:14 Belonging Between Two Homes
34:25 Boards And Representation
36:52 Advice To Young Women
38:36 Gratitude And Closing

320 | Ask the Expert: Natural Solutions for Fly Control with Dr. Mike Catangui Mar 10, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen is back with Dr. Mike Catangui, of MWI Animal Health, to chat about natural insecticides for dairy farm fly control.

Dr. Mike describes growing dairy interest due to milk safety concerns about residues, environmental and sustainability expectations from consumers, and reduced risk of insect resistance. He outlines practical use of natural pyrethrins (derived from plants) that can be sprayed directly on calves, heifers and cows, and in sensitive areas where synthetic products may be restricted, supported by improved application tools like battery-powered foggers.

He cites research showing stable flies can reduce milk production 10–20% during fly season and estimates a strong ROI, including a prior calculation of $27 gained per $1 spent.

This Episode is Brought to you 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 for more information.

00:00 Meet Dr. Mike Catangui
01:32 What Natural Insecticides Are
03:13 Why Dairies Want Natural Options
04:57 How Pyrethrins Are Used
06:07 Calves & Heifers: Direct Spray Benefits
09:34 Milk Loss From Flies
10:14 Fly Control ROI Math
12:58 Wrap Up And Resources

319 | Farm Forward Conversations: Unpacking Family Dynamics and Succession with Elaine Froese Mar 05, 2026

Show notes

Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy highlights the upcoming Farm Forward Conference on Friday, March 27, at the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center in Newton, Wisconsin. Presented in partnership with Zoetis, Menn Law, AgriGrowth Solutions, and Leading Edge Consulting, the event is designed to help farmers and advisors navigate farm transition—especially the hard conversations that often stall progress.
The day includes a hands-on workshop led by farm family transition coach Elaine Froese, along with an afternoon panel featuring legal, financial, and farmer perspectives. Attendees will walk away with practical next steps, communication tools, and greater clarity around transition planning.

In the podcast interview, Elaine shares her background as a farm-raised home economist and certified conflict-resolution coach. She explains her coaching process and the tools she uses to help families move through procrastination, avoid unnecessary conflict, and separate family dynamics from business decisions.

She emphasizes the importance of financial transparency, regular family meetings, clearly defined expectations and timelines, and understanding that fairness does not always mean equality. The conversation also addresses retirement planning, long-term care considerations, and how to reduce anxiety around money and scarcity.

Join us for the Farm Forward ConferenceFriday, March 27, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center7001 Gass Lake Rd, Manitowoc, WI
Register Here: https://pci.jotform.com/form/260474594709165
For more from Elaine Froese:
www.ElaineFroese.com
elaine@elainefroese.com
Conflict Dynamics Profile: https://elainefroese.com/coaching/conflict-dynamics-profile/
Farm Family Harmony Podcast: www.farmfamilyharmonypodcast.com

00:00 – Farm Transition Anxiety
00:27 – Farm Forward Conference Overview
01:53 – Meet Elaine Froese
04:39 – How Her Coaching Process Works
07:44 – Addressing the “Bull in the Room”
10:11 – Common Transition Misconceptions
14:49 – Why Clarity and Timelines Matter
20:20 – Fair vs. Equal in Farm Transitions
25:48 – Retirement and Financial Realities
29:51 – Effective Advisor and Family Meetings
34:37 – When Change Stalls
37:56 – Vulnerability and Shared Goals
41:01 – Conference Details and Next Steps
42:54 – Coach on Call in the Hall
44:51 – Final Takeaways

318 | The Hidden Costs of Heat Stress with Jimena Laporta Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

Filmed at the Adisseo VIP Seminar, Peggy Coffeen interviews Dr. Jimena Laporta, associate professor and lactation physiologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, about how heat stress during late gestation programs calves for lifelong—and even multi-generational—effects.Dr. Laporta explains that fetuses exposed to maternal heat stress are more likely to be born smaller and weaker, absorb fewer immunoglobulins, experience higher sickness and early herd exit rates, and produce less milk across multiple lactations. Florida data shows 12–18% higher culling rates and significant long-term milk losses in animals exposed to in utero heat stress, with an estimated $800 million annual impact across the U.S. dairy industry.

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/

00:00 Heat Stress Before Birth
01:32 Meet Dr. Laporta
04:21 Fetal Programming Explained
07:42 Economic Impact
12:04 Multi-Generation Effects
14:06 Dry Cow Mitigation
17:22 Pre-Weaned Calf Cooling Research
21:14 Measuring Mammary Development
23:23 Key Takeaways

317 | Mentorship, Motherhood, and Veterinary Medicine with Dr. Liz Strahl Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

Peggy Coffeen sits down with Dr. Liz Strahl of St. Anna’s Veterinary Clinic, part of Heritage Vet Partners, to talk about building a career—and a life—in dairy practice. A Wisconsin farm kid turned large animal veterinarian, Liz shares how 4-H, early mentorship, and vet school shaped her commitment to strong, trust-based producer relationships. She unpacks what she calls “unbreakable” bonds between veterinarians and dairy teams—rooted in responsiveness, communication, and delivering value beyond the chute.

The conversation also explores mentorship as a two-way street, navigating confrontation early in her career, and how motherhood reshaped her perspective on work-life balance. Liz discusses why many women leave bovine practice, the importance of supportive clinic culture, and how active learning helps prevent burnout. She highlights functional fitness and wellness as essential for the physical demands of large animal work, along with her goal of becoming board-certified in dairy practice.

Her key takeaway: stay curious, ask more questions than you think you should, and be unapologetically yourself.

This Epiosde is Brought to You by Heritage Vet Partners

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.

01:11 Sponsor Heritage Vet Partners
01:35 Choosing Vet Medicine
02:44 School and Early Career
05:05 Unbreakable Producer Bonds
08:07 Mentorship in the Truck
13:54 Hard Lessons Confrontation
15:34 Motherhood and Identity Shift
18:15 Why Women Leave Bovine Practice
20:17 Burnout and Active Learning
23:46 Wellness and Functional Fitness
25:16 CrossFit Origin Story
29:17 Trust Flexibility Challenge
32:14 Connecting with the Team
36:16 Active Learning and Authenticity
39:15 Big Goals and Getting Boarded
41:01 Wrap Up and Podcast Outro

316 | Global Insights and Practices for Raising Strong Dairy and Beef Calves Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

This Uplevel Dairy Podcast episode features Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) board members Jim Van Patter and Rodolfo Nava, as they discuss key practices for raising high-performing dairy replacement heifers and beef-on-dairy calves. Both emphasize that success starts with excellent colostrum management in the first 24 hours, followed by a high plane of nutrition, sanitation, ventilation, and calf comfort.

Jim and Rodolfo compare calf-raising strategies that focus on nutrition, consistency, and labor efficiency. Both emphasize the value of strong colostrum and transition programs, with three-times-a-day feeding improving daily gain, reducing scours, and supporting better lung health—even with a modest added cost per calf. They discuss how automation, data tracking, and cleaner, well-ventilated hutch systems have lowered mortality and labor demands, while environmental regulations and day-to-day crew consistency remain ongoing challenges. The conversation also highlights team retention, clear communication with suppliers, and building pride in calf care. Looking ahead to 2026, Jim plans to continue refining nutrition and monitoring, while Rodolfo aims to shorten the time in hutches without sacrificing performance.

Make sure to save the date for the annual DCHA Conference, April 7–9 in Tucson, Arizona.

The episode is brought to you in partnership with the DCHA and is sponsored by First Defense.

00:00 Raising Elite Calves: What This Episode Covers + DCHA Conference Preview
01:39 Meet Jim Van Patter: Wisconsin Calf Program & Global Consulting Experience
03:43 Meet Rodolfo Nava: Beef-on-Dairy Calf Ranch in New Mexico + Why DCHA Matters
05:21 The Universal Non-Negotiables: Colostrum, Nutrition, Comfort & Ventilation
07:48 Sanitation, Automation & Scaling Calf Care Without Losing Quality
09:54 Transition Milk Deep Dive: Products, Ratios, and What Changes in the Calves
12:54 Jim’s On-Farm Results: Implementing Transition Milk + Gains, Scours, Lung Scores
16:48 What’s Changed Over Decades: Consistency, Hutch Housing, and Survival Rates
20:01 Today’s Biggest Challenges: Regulations, Labor, Weather, and Data Feedback Loops
23:56 Building a Winning Calf Team: Motivation, Retention, Pride, and First Impressions
27:55 2026 Goals + Where to Focus First: Colostrum, 3x Feeding, Data, and Team Development
32:32 Why DCHA Helps Producers Win: Speakers, Gold Standards, Learning Library & Networking
37:21 Final Takeaways + Invitation to Tucson (Tours, Spanish Sessions) + Wrap-Up

315 | Join us for the High Plains Dairy Conference with Dr. Robert Hagevoort Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

This episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast features Dr. Robert Hagevoort of New Mexico State University, previewing the 2026 High Plains Dairy Conference, March 3–4 in Amarillo, Texas, plus a middle manager workshop on March 5. He outlines the producer-driven program focused on practical topics like workforce development, markets, beef-on-dairy, water, feeding strategies, and biosecurity.He also shares updates on the Dairy Consortium’s six-week hands-on training program in Clovis, New Mexico, which has prepared hundreds of students for careers in dairy and allied industries.The episode wraps with his work in Indonesia, where dairy nutrition initiatives and targeted producer training are helping improve management and milk production.Register for the High Plains Dairy Conference: http://highplainsdairy.org/Register for the Middle Managers Training Workshop: http://highplainsdairy.org/middle-managers-training-workshop/Learn more about the U.S. Dairy Consortium: https://usdetc.tamu.edu/

00:00 2026 High Plains Dairy Conference: Why This Event Matters
01:54 What Is the High Plains Dairy Conference? 20 Years of Producer-Driven Growth
03:14 How the Agenda Gets Built: ‘What’s on Your Mind?’ + Pre-Conference Tracks
05:34 Must-See Sessions: Labor & Workforce Development Panel (What Actually Works)
07:22 Big Picture Forecasts: Dairy Outlook Series + DC & Trade Perspectives
08:49 Beef-on-Dairy & Heifer Inventory: Where the Markets Go Next
10:51 Registering + More Hot Topics: Water, Sorghum Silage, Byproducts & Biosecurity
14:00 March 5 Middle Manager Workshop: Communication & Conflict Resolution (EN/ES)
17:50 Beyond the Conference: The Dairy Consortium & Pipelines Conference
18:51 6-Week Dairy Immersion for Students: Hands-On Training, Careers & Enrollment
27:59 Taking Training Global: Building Dairy Skills in Indonesia with USDEC
34:23 Wrap-Up: See You in Amarillo + Final Thanks

314 | Benchmarking for Dairy Profitability: Fine-Tuning Your Farm’s Financial Edge Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

On the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen talks with Curtis Gerrits and Jim Moriarty of Compeer Financial about why benchmarking is essential for dairy farms, especially as year-end financials become available, milk prices soften, and recent beef-on-dairy income may have masked underlying costs. They explain benchmarking as first comparing a farm to itself over time, then comparing to a larger peer dataset of similar farms to identify strengths and small opportunities across income and expenses that can add up.

Key areas discussed include feed cost and productivity (including homegrown forages like corn silage and increased use of alfalfa), feed efficiency factors such as refusals and mixing time, and the importance of working with nutritionists and local crop partners. They highlight core benchmarks such as capital cost per hundredweight and labor cost per hundredweight, how capital and labor relate when making investments, and improvements in net herd replacement costs driven by lower herd turnover, fewer heifers raised, and more beef calf sales.

They conclude with takeaways to embrace financial management and benchmarking, keep moving forward during down cycles, and note that top-performing dairies succeed through attention to detail, execution, regular decision-making, and involving family, key employees, and advisors by sharing financial results.

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 Why Benchmarking Matters Right Now (Year-End Numbers + Softer Milk Prices)
04:05 Benchmarking Basics: Compare to Yourself, Then to Peer Groups
07:22 Big Levers: Feed Costs, Efficiency, and Milk Components
08:59 Homegrown Forages & Feed Management: What to Optimize
11:38 Core Benchmarks to Watch: Capital Cost, Labor, and Replacement Rates
16:18 Turning Data Into Action: Consistency, Clean Categories, and Advisory Teams
20:45 Key Takeaways for Dairy Strong: Embrace the Process & Keep Moving Forward
22:56 What Top-Performing Dairies Do Differently (Attention to Detail + Team Buy-In)
27:31 Wrap-Up & Resources

313 | Partnering for Success: Positioning and Transitioning for the Next Generation at Sheadview Dairy Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen is on-site at Sheadview Dairy in Berlin, Wisconsin, to talk farm transition and the partnership with a non-family member that will carry this dairy farm forward. Kevin Krentz, his son Marcus and partner Cory Biely, share insights on what it takes to redefine ownership and create a partnership that will allow this dairy to continue on successfully.
The conversation covers key aspects of transitioning the farm, including challenges, communication strategies, long-term goal setting, and the importance of legal structuring. This episode also highlights the significance of shared vision, respect, and continuous improvement in achieving a thriving 700-cow dairy farm.
We also hear from Sheadview's dairy nutritionist and consultant, Eric Staudinger, with NutriQuest.
This episode is brought to you by NutriQuest

The NutriQuest Dairy Nutrition Team is a group of experienced nutritionists committed to serving dairy producers by partnering with them to develop an un-biased, customized nutrition program that delivers maximum profitability, achieved through a holistic approach, engaging in all aspects that influence nutrition program success.

The NutriQuest Dairy Team is committed to serving the dairy industry and delivering their customers’ consistent results with a high return. Learn more at nutriquest.com/dairy-nutrition-solutions

00:47 Welcome to the Uplevel Dairy Podcast
01:54 Shead View Dairy: A Family Legacy
03:45 Kevin's Vision for the Farm
07:42 Partnerships and Expansions
16:56 Communication and Decision Making
32:08 Legal Steps to Forming a Partnership
33:25 Transitioning to an LLC
34:23 Share Structure and Ownership
36:19 Personal Growth and Financial Literacy
38:27 Operational Goals and Team Dynamics
40:26 Challenges and Successes in Dairy Farming
42:25 Forage Quality and Nutrient Management
54:44 Future Goals and Expansion Plans
01:01:48 Eric Staudinger: Advisor's Perspective on Dairy Success

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