There’s a new type of AI in town, and one you might not be as familiar with. Shari van de Pol, CEO of Cattleytics, joins host Matti McBride to explain how and why dairies can benefit from artificial intelligence. Learn the different types of AI, what applications you might use it for and understand the benefits and limitations of this technology.

Brad Peterson, VP of Sales at Total Farm Marketing, discusses how AI-powered tools and proactive strategies are transforming dairy marketing and risk management. He explores how the TFM360 system uses AI and data-driven insights to help dairy farmers optimize milk pricing, manage feed and fuel costs, and navigate market volatility. Brad also shares how Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP) insurance works alongside these strategies to provide a safety net against downturns. Learn how Total Farm Marketing’s innovative approaches can help dairy producers make more informed and strategic decisions.

Episode Highlights:

• Overview of Total Farm Marketing’s Approach to Dairy Risk Management
• How TFM360 Utilizes AI to Enhance Milk Marketing
• Understanding the Role of Scenario Planning in Risk Management
• The Benefits of Dairy Revenue Protection Insurance
• What Sets Total Farm Marketing Apart in the Dairy Industry

This episode is sponsored by Total Farm Marketing by Stewart-Peterson.

Total Farm Marketing’s family of companies helps farmers manage commodity price volatility with comprehensive strategies and recommendations that span a producer’s operation. Total Farm Marketing offers two services to help dairy farmers optimize operations. TFM360, a product of Stewart-Peterson Inc., is an AI-powered, rules-based system that provides data-driven recommendations for managing price risk on milk, feed, and fuel. Dairy Revenue Protection insurance, offered through SP Risk Services LLC, secures a safety net against market downturns. Futures and options involve risk and are not suitable for everyone. SP Risk Services LLC is an insurance agency and an equal opportunity provider.

On this Progressive Dairy Podcast, Matt Dodd, DVM, a Ruminant Field Technical Specialist with Diamond V, shares strategies to support the herd throughout the marathon of heat stress season. As the season progresses, producers implement different strategies to help the herd combat heat and humidity. He will dive into pre-season prep, management adjustments and the use of additives, such as Diamond V™ Ice Plus, to support maintaining milk production and reproductive health.

As temperatures rise, cows need to sustain their endurance for the entire season – whether they are lactating or growing the next generation. As average temperatures have continued to increase year-over-year, we’re seeing more heat stress days annually impacting dairy cows’ performance across the US. Ultimately, it’s not a matter of if heat stress will impact a herd – but how deep is the impact.

This podcast examines management strategies to support maintaining milk production and reproductive health throughout the heat stress season:

• Pre-season prep: Activate a check list and audit, prep equipment (1:05-5:00)
• During heat stress: Physical, feed and bunk management (5:00-7:30)
• Late-season: Shift strategies as the season continues (7:30 - 9:30)
• Diamond V™ Ice Plus helps cool, protect and hydrate (9:30-11:25)

This episode is sponsored by Diamond V.

Diamond V delivers a true partnership, built on trust, quality, and innovation. Our cutting-edge technologies, combined with our technical expertise, support your animal's health and help your dairy business thrive. A new addition to our expanding portfolio, Diamond V™ Ice Plus helps support cows during the challenges of heat stress season. It features a unique, synergistic blend that helps lessen the heat’s impact on milk production and reproductive health by supporting cow cooling at the cellular level. Stay cool at DiamondV.com/IcePlus.

Tune into this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast to learn about dairy policy, what is new in Washington D.C. and how it is affecting dairy right now from Gregg Doud, who is the president and CEO of National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF). 

Here's a breakdown of the episode:

• [~1:05] Overview of Doud’s background, previous roles, etc.
• [~5:00] Doud shares what’s new in Washington D.C. in the past few months since the new administration took office
• [~5:55] A comparison between the two Trump administrations
• [~7:25] About the new Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins
• [~9:25] The biggest changes between the Biden administration and new Trump administration and how it is affecting dairy
• [~14:25] Waters of the United States (WOTUS)
• [~15:49] Immigration
• [~18:25] Renewing the tax code
• [~20:35] When Doud expects to have a new farm bill
• [~23:05] How changes in Senate Ag Committee leadership may impact dairy
• [~24:15] Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) reform
• [~26:00] Trade, tariffs and USMCA
• [~35:05] What’s new at NMPF: Redesigned CWT program – the NEXT program, FARM Program renewal
• [~37:10] Impacts of tariffs in the short term
• [~39:15] Other things NMPF is working on
• [~40:20] Dairy economics in 2025
• [~43:35] Doud’s vision for the future at NMPF
• [~47:30] Highlights from his first year at NMPF
• [~49:40] What excites Doud most about dairy policy
• [~50:35] Rapid-fire questions

Learn more about NMPF programs at www.nmpf.org. Email Gregg Doud at [email protected].

Join host Matti McBride as she chats with Ryan Leiterman, director of technical services at Crystal Creek Natural, about calf barn ventilation. Learn the difference between a good or bad draft in calf barns, Leiterman’s suggestions for design and his recommendations for airspeed in barns. 

Here is the episode breakdown:

• 0:40 – Leiterman’s background
• 2:00 – Defining a draft
• 4:20 – A recipe for a “bad draft”
• 10:05 – Amount of fresh air a calf should have
• 16:11 – What does the smell of ammonia tell you?
• 19:00 – Leiterman’s preferred calf barn situation
• 23:20 – Points to consider when designing a calf barn
• 37:15 – Rapid-fire questions

This podcast explores the role of probiotics in maintaining the health and productivity of dairy cows and calves. It highlights how specific probiotic strains enhance gut health, digestion, and immune function, leading to improved herd stability and fewer health challenges.

Key points:

Strain Selection Matters: Not all probiotics are equal—specific strains provide targeted benefits, making strain selection crucial for effective probiotic use.

Probiotics and Digestive Health: Beneficial bacteria, such as Lactobacillus and Bacillus species, support digestion, absorption, barrier and immune functions.

Probiotics in Calf Health: Research trials demonstrated that probiotics helped mitigate Clostridium perfringens challenges in calves, supporting normal performance and improving survival rates.

Key time markers:

• 1:05: What is Novonesis?
• 1:56: What does Novonesis do?
• 2:55: What makes probiotics effective?
• 4:34: Strain matters
• 6:15: The benefits of effective probiotics
• 11:19: What are our effective probiotics for dairy animals?
• 16:31: Effective probiotics support the well-being of the animals in our care
• 20:40: Effective probiotics for dairy cows

This episode is sponsored by Chr. Hansen.

Novonesis is a global biosolutions company with extensive expertise in bacteria culture science. As the product of two industry powerhouses — Chr. Hansen and Novozymes — Novonesis is poised to continue building on their more than 100-year history of bettering our world with biology. We’re on a mission to leverage the power of microbiology with science to transform global production and consumption. A big piece of that starts on the farm, with your herds. Why? Because daily feeding of effective probiotics helps herds perform at peak efficiency.

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, learn how to set your star employees up for success as they transition into a supervisor role. Dr. Bob Milligan joins host Kimmi Devaney to chat about easing stress during this leadership transition, getting buy-in from other employees as their peer becomes their supervisor, skills that are essential to work on before transitioning into a leadership role and much more. This episode can also help those employees hoping to move up into a supervisor role in the future better prepare themselves for this transition.

Here's a breakdown of the episode:

• [~1:30] About Milligan and his background with leadership 
• [~3:00] As a leader, what are some indications that someone is ready to transition into a supervisor role?  
• [~4:00] How to recognize if you are ready to transition into a supervisor role yourself
• [~4:50] Skills that are important to develop before becoming a supervisor
• [~6:15] Tips to communicate clear expectations 
• [~7:20] Tips to provide effective feedback 
• [~11:15] How the job changes when transitioning into a supervisor role and why it should it be reflected in the job description 
• [~13:15] How and why it is important for farms to create job descriptions for employees
• [~14:55] Making the leadership transition more seamless and less stressful
• [~18:00] The types of training that are most helpful in preparing new supervisors
• [~19:00] Ways new supervisors can be proactive in their new role
• [~20:45] Gaining buy-in/support from other employees as their former peer now becomes their supervisor
• [~22:40] What to do when you are now supervising someone that you became friends with previously 
• [~26:30] Utilizing annual reviews to continuously gauge employee interest in future leadership roles
• [~29:05] How to hire career employees who move up into leadership roles over time
• [~31:40] Tips to improve confidence as a new leader
• [~22:45] Leadership pitfalls and how to avoid them 
• [~37:10] Tips for younger supervisors now supervising people old enough to be their parents
• [~41:10] Rapid-fire questions

DMI’s Megan Maisano and Aris Georgiadis speak with DMI’s Scott Wallin about how the checkoff is sharing dairy’s impact on children with the “First 1000 Days”. She also explains how the checkoff is promoting this research through our nutrition and health professionals and to consumers via trusted online resource centers.

Tune in to find out!

Your Dairy Checkoff Podcast

The Your Dairy Checkoff Podcast offers firsthand perspectives on examples of local, national and global checkoff collaborations to grow sales and build trust in U.S. dairy.

This episode is sponsored by Dairy Management Inc.

Veterinarian Michelle Schack joins host Matti McBride on this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast to discuss the importance of employee training and management. Learn more about why documentation, communication and repetition matters regarding training.

Here is the episode breakdown:

• 0:50 – Schack’s background
• 1:40 – The importance of documentation
• 3:08 – Training at onboarding
• 6:00 – Schack explains how DairyKind works
• 7:20 – Schack’s suggestions for finding time for training
• 11:30 – Bridging language barriers
• 13:30 – Training is important regardless of operation size
• 16:40 – How proper documentation can protect against animal activists
• 22:35 – Rapid-fire questions

Mental health among veterinarians has been a hot topic in the industry for several years. In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, Dr. Jen Roberts from Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) joins host Kimmi Devaney to discuss the importance of mental health among veterinarians and dairy producers, examine survey data and share some tips for how people involved in agriculture can improve their physical and mental well-being to be their best selves.

Link to BI’s Share the Weight program

Link to Progressive Dairy Podcast episode about nutrition, sleep and optimizing health during busy seasons

Here's a breakdown of the episode:

• [~1:20] About Roberts, her background and her work with veterinarians and dairy producers
• [~2:10] Why mental health matters in agriculture, especially with veterinarians and producers
• [~3:15] The difference between mental health and well-being
• [~4:40] Roberts discusses survey data 
• [~10:50] Some reasons for mental health challenges among veterinarians
• [~12:35] Tips for listeners to be proactive with their physical health and mental fitness
• [~22:55] The importance of implementing boundaries and how to put boundaries in place 
• [~30:15] Resources available 
• [~36:00] Rapid-fire questions