In this episode of DairyVoice, Mike Opperman from Black Dirt Communications speaks with Dr. Robert Fourdraine, the Assistant Director of Product Development for DRMS. They discuss the new Fresh Cow Index (FCI) and why it’s so important. Dr. Fourdraine explains what makes FCI different from other transition cow KPIs and shares herd scenarios that stand out since FCI was released. The Fresh Cow Index from DRMS could shape transition cow management in the future.

For more information on the Fresh Cow Index, you can go to https://www.drms.org/HerdHQ/What-Is-HerdHQ.

In this episode of DairyVoice, host Mike Opperman talks with Lucas Fuess, Senior Dairy Analyst at Rabobank. They discuss Rabobank’s Global Dairy Top 20 Report and what to look forward to in 2026 for the dairy economy. There have been significant change recently and Lucas takes us through it and focuses on the broader trends in the global industry.

This is one of the more well-known reports each year and not only covers reporting on the largest dairy companies, it dives in to analytical insights. This is a fantastic clear and concise podcast, and gives a lot of information that those in the dairy industry will find very useful.

In this Showbox Sires episode on DairyVoice, Tim Abbott talks with Jeff Ziegler and Bruce Smith of Select Sires about the latest release bull Kings Ransom Donatelo 744HO17933.

Donatelo is right out of the alligator 95 point Daze cow at Kings Ransom and people are taking note. In the podcast, Tim, Jeff and Bruce discuss why this bull is so important right now and how it can be used. Donatelo is available  through your Select Sires Rep.

In this episode, Tim Abbott and Mike Duckett of Showbox Sires speak with Bruce Smith and Jeff Ziegler of Select Sires about their latest release bull DAX RED 744HO17932. They talk about his pedigree and why this bull is so unique. It is felt that this will be the ‘next biggest thing in red and whites’.

Episode 11 features  a conversation with Ashley Randle, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. Host Betsy Bullard talks with Ashley about the Eastern States Expo and the role those events have in the larger agriculture community in Massachusetts and throughout the New England States.

Tim Abbott and Mike Duckett of Showbox Sires talk with Max Petitclerc of Ferme Petitclerc in Quebec about the newest Showbox Sires bull release 744HO17931 Slugger. In this episode of The Evolution of the Great Cow, they introduce one of the first bulls in A.I. that traces back to the great “S” family at Ferme Petitclerc in Quebec with almost 3 points of type and 2 points of udder composite. The bull is available immediately through Select Sires.

Just in Time for World Dairy Expo, John Ellsworth, of Success Strategies, talks about Q3 and his insights dairy farmers need to think about before the end of the year.

In this episode, host Connie Kuber of Sealpro Silage Barrier Films talks with John, who is a welcome voice to navigate the financial, as well as the day-to-day management, of our dairy farms. He emphasizes that farmers need to not only look at their goals today, but also where they want to be in the next few years. This, along with the impact of past inflation issues, the tariff situation, and current interest rates give us a lot to think about.

In this episode of DairyVoice, Connie Kuber of Sealpro Silage Barrier Films interviews Mark Crave of Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese. Mark is a forward thinking, diversified dairy business entrepreneur and his story is quite compelling. With the help of the Brothers’ father Bob Crave, there are now three generations of Craves on the farm and cheese factory and they have a unique approach to their business. To find out more about Crave Brothers, go to https://www.cravecheese.com/.

In this episode of DairyVoice, Mike Opperman talks with Greg Palas, a veteran herd management specialist and manager of user support services, at DRMS. Greg shares lessons from the field and discusses a real-world case study involving a 3300 cow midwest dairy.

Using tools that make a dairy farm’s data easy to act on is key! He suggests that DRMS’ HerdHQ can be an answer for many dairy farmers, as it can spot trends, compare performance and make informed decisions in a clear way. For more information on HerdHQ and DRMS, you can go to https://www.drms.org/HerdHQ/What-Is-HerdHQ or DRMS.org.

In this episode of DairyVoice, Mike Opperman talks with Dr. Mario Riboni from Diamond V on managing heat stress and some of the things that might be overlooked, especially in the dry period.

Dr. Riboni discusses Keeping cows properly cooled, eating patterns, and the importance of the parlor, among other things. Riboni stressed heat abatement technologies - they need to be looked at every year.