International Women in Dairy Series: Jan Winke

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, host Peggy Coffeen sits down with Jan Winke, a dairy farmer and professional with Nedap, who moved from Iowa to New Zealand 17 years ago. She discusses her family’s transition from struggling on a small farm in Iowa to today being proud owners of their own dairy farm in New Zealand. 

Jan shares her compelling journey of relocating with her husband Chad and young family halfway around the world to take advantage of better opportunities in the dairy industry. 

Jan also touches upon the challenges she faced as a woman in a male-dominated industry, the differences in dairy farming practices between the US and New Zealand, and the importance of establishing work-life boundaries. 

Tune in to this inspiring conversation about resilience, adaptation, and the pursuit of dreams in unfamiliar territory.

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• 00:00 Introduction to the International Women in Dairy Series
• 01:07 Meet Jan Winke: From Iowa to New Zealand
• 02:23 The Big Move: Challenges and Opportunities
• 06:28 Navigating the New Zealand Dairy Industry
• 12:26 Differences Between US and New Zealand Dairy Farming
• 20:46 Overcoming Gender Barriers in the Dairy Industry
• 28:06 Presenting Our Business: A Team Effort
• 29:03 Milestones in Our Farming Journey
• 30:19 Learning to Code for Work
• 31:29 Reflecting on Our Progress
• 32:44 Implementing Effective Farming Processes
• 35:05 Balancing Work, Family, and Personal Growth
• 49:31 Encouraging Youth in Dairy Farming
• 53:23 Final Thoughts and Reflections