Progressive Cattle Podcast

Jack DuFour is a cattle producer and a grazing specialist for Nofence in the West Coast region of the U.S. DuFour explains how he got hooked on virtual fencing and the benefits beyond containing cattle, including the ability to graze leased land that doesn’t have a physical fence and being able to see and manage his cattle easily during his day job.

DuFour explains how Nofence is moving beyond fencing into precision livestock management. You will learn:

• How the GPS collar and phone app work together so producers can draw virtual boundaries around a pasture and get warnings if cattle escape. (And why cattle tend to go back into the pasture with Nofence.)
• What “precision livestock management” means to you, including how you can manage animal health, reproduction, grazing and land use
• How the Nofence Herd Replay tool helped find a newborn calf in 30 seconds instead of taking hours of driving
• How to start small, with herds from five head to 5,000

Learn more:

• Website: nofence.com
• Phone: 833-863-9224
• Email: [email protected]
• Follow Nofence on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn

In this podcast episode, Tyrell Marchant visits with Sebastian Mejia from Alltech about the influence of beef-on-dairy on the beef supply chain. Carrie Veselka and Andrew Anderson from Utah State University also discuss the economic factors behind packing plant closures. The Progressive Cattle Podcast team also puts a call out for Christmas and winter photography to be featured in the Progressive Cattle magazine! Email any submissions to [email protected] to see your photos in Progressive Cattle.

The Progressive Cattle Podcast team discusses the current price market for regular fuel and diesel fuel in the U.S. and how it could affect producers around shipping season. Then David Cooper visits with GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis Patrick De Haan about all the factors creating a record spike in diesel production. The editors also introduce what’s developing with the ag producer panel offering feedback to the Progressive Cattle team.

In this episode, CERES TAG’s Global Commercial Manager Siobhan Smith sits down with Midwest US Sales Lead Matthew Randerson to discuss how technology and data are shaping the future of the cattle industry.

Drawing on their experience in the Australian and US cattle industries, Siobhan and Matthew explore how innovation has always played a role in improving cattle production, from genetics, reproduction and feed technology through to the practical use of the data and technology that’s available to ranchers today.

The conversation focuses on the opportunity to use technology to improve animal efficiency, productivity and profitability, while also supporting the long-term sustainability of the land cattle producers depend on.

The episode highlights how utilising CERES TAG insights into animal behavior, pasture feed intake and reproduction can help ranchers make better decisions around herd selection, productivity and the future sustainability of their operations.

Episode Highlights

• 1:07 — Background in the cattle industry, using technology to improve productivity and profitability, and the role of innovation in building on the knowledge of previous generations.
• 4:06 — Exploring carrying capacity, stocking rates and feed efficiency, and how CERES TAG technology helps ranchers monitor and optimise animal efficiency.
• 6:30 — The benefits of direct-to-satellite technology, with no reliance on cell service or infrastructure, reducing costs, improving scalability and supporting ranchers managing leased or remote ground.
• 8:55 — What agricultural data really looks like, how CERES TAG provides detailed automated herd insights, and how ranchers can turn that data into faster, more informed management decisions while saving valuable time.
• 13:40 — Using CERES TAG data to validate genetics and phenotypes, providing measurable evidence of traits such as calving ease and helping support the performance numbers represented in EPDs.
• 15:20 — How data can reveal changes ranchers cannot see from the ground, enabling faster responses to issues such as grazing patterns, water stress and pasture utilisation while identifying simple, cost-effective management opportunities.
• 20:55 — Understanding ROI from agricultural technology and why collecting data is only the first step, with the real value coming from turning insights around feed efficiency, reproductive performance and pasture utilisation into actionable decisions.

This episode is sponsored by CERES TAG.

CERES TAG is a direct-to-satellite livestock monitoring technology that turns animal data into actionable insights. The smart ear tag automatically captures information on cattle location, behaviour, reproduction and pasture feed intake, giving producers greater visibility over their animals and how they are utilising available resources.

By turning individual animal activity and performance into measurable data, CERES TAG helps producers make more informed decisions around herd management, feed efficiency, productivity and profitability, wherever their cattle are.

Progressive Cattle Editor Tyrell Marchant visits with Erik Kalsta from Western Landowners Alliance about the 2026 wildfire season and how producers can work with each other and government agencies to improve the land for livestock and wildlife. Then the crew gets philosophical about the cattle cycle, county fairs and a new school year.

PrimeVAC™ preconditioning programs by Merck Animal Health offer a comprehensive mix of products and protocols that will help get your calves off to the best start. Join us as Dr. Chris Thomsen from Merck Animal Health sits down with Progressive Cattle to discuss the benefits of preconditioning with PrimeVAC™.

This episode is sponsored by Merck Animal Health.

In this episode, Dr. Greg Eckerle, technical service manager with Novonesis, breaks down the classifications of eubiotics into individual product categories and defines expectations.

This episode is sponsored by Novonesis.

The Progressive Cattle Podcast team visits with Patrick De Haan of GasBuddy on those dynamics facing ranchers with diesel prices and ongoing challenges with imported crude oil; and Greg Eckerle of Novonesis on the nutritional and mineral considerations producers should remember when feeding cattle during the hotter summer days. Finally the team discusses what they enjoyed watching people come to the U.S. for the World Cup.

Progressive Cattle editor Tyrell Marchant checks in from the Beef Improvement Federation Symposium in Boise, Idaho. He is joined by Neogen's Kirk Ramsey and Victor Pedrosa to discuss how genomic tools can enhance cattle and ranch sustainability; then University of Idaho's John Hall and Kansas State University's Bob Weaber share the inner workings of bringing together so many of the industry's great minds and voices at the symposium. Finally, the Progressive Cattle crew waxes patriotic as the reflect on the U.S.'s 250th birthday.

The cattle market is rewriting the record books, but where do we go from here?

Bailey Ballou with Superior Livestock Auction joins Progressive Cattle to discuss current market trends, buyer behavior, value-added premiums and what producers should be thinking about as Superior's Summer Run approaches. Plus, hear why relationships, reputation and marketing still matter in today's high-priced environment.

This episode is sponsored by Superior Livestock Auction.

Since 1987, Superior Livestock Auction has been the pioneer and leader in video livestock marketing. With a network of more than 400 representatives and the nation’s largest buyer base, Superior helps cattle producers market their livestock through competitive nationwide auctions. By selling cattle directly from the ranch, producers benefit from true price discovery, reduced stress and shrink, and access to buyers from across the country. Each year, Superior markets more than 1.7 million head of cattle, connecting ranchers and buyers through trusted relationships and innovative technology.