Join host Matti McBride as she chats with Anton Borst, owner of Halarda Farms in Elm Creek, Manitoba. Learn about the dairy, current succession plans, why Halarda Farms invests in technology and opts to be a trial farm for emerging technologies, as well as future plans for the dairy. 

Here is the episode breakdown:

• 0:50 – Introduction to Halarda Farms
• 1:40 – Using a parlor and robots
• 3:00 – History of Halarda Farms
• 4:30 – Succession planning
• 6:30 – Slow, steady growth
• 8:00 – Investing in technology
• 10:00 – Managing employees and technology
• 12:00 – Employee buy-in
• 14:30 – Experiences with being a trial dairy
• 17:00 – Current technologies being trialed 
• 18:30 – Goals at Halarda
• 20:50 – The life of a cow at Halarda
• 24:30 – Future plans
• 27:00 – Rapid-fire questions

Reproductive success is now central to both milk and beef calf revenue in progressive dairy herds. The episode explores how methionine, lysine, and histidine drive fertility and calf health, making amino acid balancing a critical strategy for profitability. Listeners discover how small gains in conception rates can yield significant financial impact when paired with strategic breeding and nutrition.

Key takeaway: Strategic amino acid nutrition is a proven driver of reproductive efficiency and dual revenue streams in dairy production.

This episode is sponsored by Actus Nutrition, innovators of precision dairy nutrition solutions. Actus proudly manufactures RPMet, a leading rumen-protected methionine designed to maximize component yields and reproductive efficiency. To learn more about RPMet and other nutrition products by Actus, such as Energy Booster and custom milk replacer products, visit https://actus.com/livestock/specialty-ingredients/

Michigan dairy producer Paul Windemuller joins host Kimmi Devaney to chat about how his family economically started their dairy farm in 2013, the evolution their dairy facilities and the addition of solar panels, the role of artificial intelligence, and how he uses the data provided by his automated milking system and other monitoring technology to make informed management decisions.

Links:

• Listen to Windemuller’s podcast – the AgCulture Podcast – and learn more about his work in agriculture on his website.
• Read about his farm in this Progressive Dairy article from April 2024.

Episode overview:

• [~1:20] Windemuller’s inspiration for getting into the dairy business
• [~2:20] His economical method of starting a dairy farm
• [~6:50] How his experiences in New Zealand influenced the way he manages his dairy farm today
• [~8:45] The evolution of his dairy facilities from a turkey coop with freestalls and a New Zealand-style milking parlor to his current modern freestall barns and automated milking system
• [~10:50] How he utilizes the data provided by his automated milking system and other monitoring technology
• [~13:05] The most important metrics he watches
• [~14:00] The process of adding solar panels to his operation 
• [~23:15] Windemuller’s industry involvement
• [~25:50] Nuffield International Farming Scholars program
• [~27:45] The white paper he wrote about artificial intelligence that he presented at the World Dairy Summit in Chile in October 2025 as a Nuffield International Scholar
• [~32:50] Team culture and technology implementation
• [~40:20] His motivation for starting the AgCulture Podcast 
• [~44:50] Windemuller’s advice to other dairy producers that are interested in advocating for agriculture
• [~48:05] Rapid-fire questions

In this Progressive Dairy Podcast, guests from Dairy One discuss how forage testing can impact overall milk quality in herds. Speakers Dan Button, Mike Reuter, and Kenlin Martin have a roundtable-style discussion on what impact they’ve seen from farmers who want to improve the feed given to their cows and how it ties to milk production.

This episode is sponsored by Dairy One.

With over 75 years of experience, Dairy One supports farms across the U.S. with a variety of services. From milk, forage, and soil testing to farm technology solutions to field agronomy services, Dairy One has the tools to support dairy farm success. The cooperative’s goal is to measure it so that farms can manage it.

Join Progressive Dairy Podcast co-hosts Kimmi Devaney, Walt Cooley and Matti McBride as they highlight some of their favorite articles and podcast episodes from 2025 and discuss Progressive Publishing’s new artificial intelligence (AI) policy, the new Ask AgProud AI feature on agproud.com, 2026 internship opportunities and a fun Christmas segment. 

Links:

• Sign up for Real Producer Exchange webinars
• Article: Preparing for unexpected visits from immigration officials (podcast episode – season 7, episode 27)
• Podcast episode with Bethany Dado-Senn (season 7, episode 1)
• Snider Dairy Farm’s “Grandma Got Run Over By a Jersey” parody video

Episode overview:

[~1:30] Ask AgProud AI

[~5:15] New editorial AI policy

[~6:45] Overview of some of Devaney, Cooley and McBride’s most memorable articles and podcast episodes this year

[~13:25] 2026 internship opportunity for students in the U.S. and Canada

[~19:30] Christmas segment

[~16:30] Internship advice for college dairy students 

[~29:30] Rapid-fire questions

DMI’s Katie Bambacht, Vice President of Nutrition Affairs at the National Dairy Council, speaks with DMI’s Scott Wallin about how the checkoff is working directly with schools to improve school lunches (with dairy being front and center) by collaborating with the School Nutrition Association.

Katie explains that nearly 30 million students participate in school meal programs daily, with dairy providing significant nutrients, while emphasizing the critical role of school meals in addressing food insecurity and improving academic performance.

She also covers the "Made with School Lunch" campaign, which aims to change perceptions of school meals, and the "Smart Swaps" initiative, which helps schools meet evolving USDA standards while maintaining dairy offerings.

The discussion also touches on the potential of whole milk in schools and future projects with the School Nutrition Association.

To learn more about the national dairy checkoff and your local dairy checkoffs, please visit dairycheckoff.com.

Host and Guest:

Host: Scott Wallin, Vice President of Farmer Communications & Media Relations, Dairy Management Inc.

Guest: Katie Bambacht, Vice President of Nutrition Affairs, National Dairy Council

This episode is sponsored by Dairy Management Inc.

David Kerr, milkrite | InterPuls (MI) Regional Sales Manager, shares insights on Impulse Air liner technology, proper milking equipment setup, mastitis prevention strategies, and MI comprehensive Farm Services Programs supporting dairy producers.

Episode highlights:

• MI Lines of Business and Impulse Air [~2:08]
• How to choose the right liner [~4:00]
• The importance of massage [~5:17]
• Key factors for liner setup [~5:58]
• Relationship between liners and mastitis [~7:25]
• The advantages of MI Capital Goods and Farm Services [~12:52]

This episode is sponsored by milkrite | InterPuls (MI).

At MI, we support our business partners and farmers. We provide fully integrated systems where all aspects of herd management and milking meet, constantly monitoring and controlling efficient milking.

We serve our products through a well-developed network of distributors and technical dealers, which is constantly developing.

Jim Van Patter has managed large dairy herds from Wisconsin to Turkey to Australia to Mississippi and back again. He's now the dairy manager at Nehls Brothers Farm near Juneau, Wisconsin, and he's brought home some hard-won lessons about what works at scale—and what doesn't.

Whether you're running 100 cows or 1,000, Jim's got practical insights on everything from labor management to facility design that you can put to work on your operation.

Genetic advances in Holstein cows are reshaping milk composition, demanding more precise nutritional strategies. This episode highlights how the CNCPS v7.0 model and targeted amino acid supplementation can optimize milk solids and herd efficiency. Experts share practical approaches for leveraging data-driven ration modeling to maximize returns in today’s evolving dairy landscape.

Key takeaway: Precision nutrition and advanced modeling are essential for unlocking the full value of modern dairy genetics.

This episode is sponsored by Actus Nutrition, innovators of precision dairy nutrition solutions. Actus proudly manufactures RPMet, a leading rumen-protected methionine designed to maximize component yields and reproductive efficiency. To learn more about RPMet and other nutrition products by Actus, such as Energy Booster and custom milk replacer products, visit https://actus.com/livestock/specialty-ingredients/

What is Targeted Reproductive Management (TRM)? And why should producers care about this new approach to dairy reproduction? Listen in to this Progressive Dairy sponsorcast as a team of reproductive health experts and enthusiasts evaluate new TRM best practices, how dairies can find better repro rates and more.

Episode Highlights

• The latest reproductive research findings
• Prostaglandin product comparisons
• TRM cost-benefit analysis

Episode Guests

• Dr. Bilby, Merck Animal Health Director of Dairy Technical Services
• Austin Snook, Merck Animal Health U.S. Dairy Marketing Manager
• Dr. Ricardo Chebel, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine Professor

This episode is sponsored by Merck Animal Health.

With identification, monitoring and biopharma products fully integrated in one portfolio, Merck Animal Health offers the only true full-solution approach in the dairy industry. Which means you get the tools you need to eliminate guesswork, solve specific problems, let cows be cows and put more milk in the tank. It’s the way you want to work, working better than ever before. Learn more about this unique approach to dairy at M-Power-Dairy.com.