On this Progressive Dairy Podcast, Matt Hendel shares how herd data supports day-to-day decision-making on his dairy operation. From cow-side decisions to long-term herd management, this conversation highlights how disciplined, accurate data helps keep herd information organized, manage complexity, and support informed decisions with confidence.

Drawing from years of experience using Dart—the proven herd management system built on standardized data—Matt discusses how herd management tools support daily workflows, connect data across technologies, and adapt as his operation has grown.

This episode is sponsored by DRMS.

DRMS is a trusted provider of dairy information and decision tools. As a non-profit with deep ties to NC State and Iowa State universities, we’ve spent over 65 years serving the dairy industry—delivering research-backed software, standardized data, and exceptional customer support. Our dedicated team works alongside producers and consultants to ensure they get the training, tools, and insights they need. We turn complex herd data into clear, actionable insights that help producers and consultants make informed decisions, every day—through solutions built in collaboration with the dairy industry.

This episode introduces you to the 2026 Nexus Innovation Award winners, recently recognized at the Professional Dairy Producers Business Conference.

We're talking about three technologies that caught the judges' attention: a bolus administered at dry-off that cuts milk production 50% to 60% in 24 hours, an eartag that monitors calf activity from birth and alerts you when behavior deviates from normal, and a semiautomated milking technology that handles everything from pre-dip to post-dip.

Congratulations to the 2026 Nexus Innovation Award winners!

Related articles:

AHV for StopLac

Merck Animal Health for SenseHub Dairy Youngstock

GEA Farm Technologies for DairyProX

StopLac by AHV (1:45 to 14:22)

2:55 How does the product work?

5:30 How was this product developed?

7:00 When do you administer this product?

8:00 How are early adopters using this product?

9:30 What are the long-term effects of this product?

11:05 Any side effects from this product?

12:00 What feedback have you heard from early adopters?

SenseHub Dairy Youngstock by Merck Animal Health (14:25 to 30:00)

15:00 When do you administer this product and how does it work?

15:45 Is the algorithm customizable?

17:00 What insights are you seeing from early adopters? 

21:00 What sets this product apart from other monitoring? 

23:15 What's the life expectancy of the tag and any warranties?

25:00 What value is created for producers in whole-life monitoring? 

27:30 What have you learned about how to successfully transition to an activity monitoring system? 

DairyProX by GEA Farm Technologies (31:00 to 44:10)

31:10 What is this product and what does it do? 

31:55 How does the product work?

34:10 Does this product limit pre- or post-dips a dairy can use? 

36:15 What's the consistency a dairy can expect from using this product? 

37:30 What's the return on investment for most dairies? 

38:45 Does this product only work with GEA equipment? 

41:30 Does this product use more water than conventional milking prep? 

42:40 What feedback have you heard from early adopters?

Making good silage is an art and utilizing technologies can help us improve the process to deliver consistent feed to our animals.

This episode is sponsored by Novonesis.

Join host Kimmi Devaney and dairyman George Dick from Dicklands Farm and Dicklands Biogas in Chilliwack, British Columbia, for a conversation about building and managing a digester, their genetics strategy and the evolution of their facilities over the last four decades. 

Learn more about their digester by visiting their website. 

Episode breakdown:

• [~0:40] History of Dicklands Farm and what inspired the family to start dairying again in 1988
• [~1:35] Evolution of facilities from 1988 until now
• [~2:00] How robots have changed their farm
• [~4:50] How data from the robots and other technology is utilized in management decisions
• [~7:00] What they would change if they built new facilities today
• [~8:40] Genetics strategy
• [~12:05] Other genetic traits they are prioritizing
• [~13:50] When and why they added the digester
• [~16:10] The process of building a digester
• [~18:55] Where they get the food waste for the digester
• [~21:15] Receiving frozen products
• [~23:00] The most rewarding part of owning a digester
• [~24:35] Digester tours
• [~26:50] Tour FAQs
• [~28:30] Questions dairy producers should be asking when considering adding a digester to their operation
• [~31:15] Running a digester as a separate business with different employees
• [~32:00] Fertilizer pellet as a byproduct of the digester
• [~35:30] Rapid-fire questions

Join us to explore how targeted beef-on-dairy breeding decisions can address key dairy farm challenges, including calf value optimization and breeding efficiency.

Jeremy Howard, senior sales and marketing manager for Simplot Animal Sciences and Texas Tech graduate researcher Kade Miller will share insights from recent Simplot Animal Science feedlot performance research and what the findings mean for dairies. They’ll examine how data-driven strategies can improve calf performance outcomes and help producers improve calf quality, capture more value and make more confident breeding decisions while managing risk and return in an evolving production and supply environment.

Learn more about SimVitro® cattle embryos by Simplot

Feeding colostrum is arguably one of the most important processes on a dairy. Michael Steele of the University of Guelph joins host Matti McBride in this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast to discuss passive immunity, feeding colostrum and transition milk past day 1, and current research in this field.

Episode breakdown:

• 1:00 – Intro and rapid-fire questions
• 2:50 – Steele’s background
• 4:20 – Passive immunity
• 8:00 – Feeding colostrum past day 1
• 11:05 – Feeding transition milk
• 13:00 – Overfeeding colostrum
• 17:00  – Colostrum collection and storage
• 19:30 – Steele’s thoughts on the future of colostrum

With tight margins and volatile milk prices, rising insurance costs add a frustrating layer of complexity to your daily operation. In this episode, we sit down with Dan Rice, a Senior Dairy Consultant at Nationwide, to discuss tailored solutions for dairy farms. Dan shares his extensive background in the industry and explains the core reasons behind climbing premiums. More importantly, he offers practical, actionable advice to help you manage risks and streamline your coverage to protect your legacy, including how to find a Farm Certified agent who truly understands your needs.

To find a local Farm Certified agent, visit FarmAgentFinder.com.

Episode breakdown:

• 00:40 - Navigating rising insurance costs in the dairy industry
• 01:20 - Meet Dan Rice, Senior Dairy Consultant at Nationwide
• 03:02 - Why dairy premiums are climbing
• 06:19 - The hidden dangers of underinsuring your farm
• 09:05 - Actionable steps to take control of your insurance
• 12:33 - Building a strong contingency plan for your dairy
• 15:08 - Protecting your operation with liability contracts
• 17:50 - Finding an agent that specializes in farm insurance

Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified financial services and insurance organizations in the United States. Nationwide is rated A+ by Standard & Poor’s. Founded by farmers in 1926, Nationwide is committed to helping farmers and ranchers prepare their businesses for what's ahead with tailored coverage, smart risk management solutions, innovative resources, industry partnerships and support for the rural communities where they live and work.

For more information about Nationwide and Nationwide’s ratings, visit www.nationwide.com or Company Ratings -- Nationwide.

Sleep and healthy habits are often the first to be deprioritized during busy seasons on the farm. Join registered dietitian and sports dietitian Leslie Bonci and host Kimmi Devaney for an energetic discussion about how to feel great and set ourselves up for success when life gets busy. Bonci has worked with several professional sports teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs, and shares tips to improve sleep quality, enhance stress management and improve overall nutrition, along with some insights into working with professional athletes.

Connect with Bonci:

http://activeeatingadvice.com/

[email protected]

Episode breakdown:

• [~1:15] About Bonci and why she is passionate about helping others with nutrition
• [~2:40] Where to start with nutrition
• [~4:20] What a healthy plate looks like
• [~7:05] Tips to incorporate more produce
• [~8:50] How to develop a more balanced mindset with nutrition
• [~10:35] F&F concept: fiber and fluid
• [~14:00] Grab-and-go meal planning and preparation for busy days
• [~20:00] How nutrition impacts stress and resilience
• [~22:50] How stress changes eating patterns and how to combat this
• [~26:45] Tips to improve sleep
• [~30:55] Which aspects of nutrition that Bonci recommends people track and monitor
• [~34:15] Tools and trackers that can help with nutrition and wellness
• [~36:45] Incorporating movement and exercise into busy days
• [~42:00] Rapid-fire questions

Welcome to this episode of the Progressive Dairy sponsorcast. Today we’re diving into a timely challenge facing dairy producers right now, managing feed costs and efficiency in a tight milk price environment. I'm joined by Daryl Kleinschmit, discovery researcher and dairy nutritionist with Zinpro. Zinpro has been a global leader in trace mineral nutrition for decades and continues to expand its portfolio with nutritional solutions that help producers get more value out of forage and feed. In this conversation, we’ll discuss where efficiency opportunities show up when margins are tight, why forage quality matters so much this time of year, and how nutrition strategies can help cows convert feed into milk more efficiently.

This episode is sponsored by Zinpro.

About Zinpro®

For more than 54 years, Zinpro has improved the health and wellbeing of both animals and people as a pioneer in the research and development of performance trace minerals and innovative nutritional solutions. As a family-owned, privately held company, our steady growth can be attributed to employing a world-class team of experts, manufacturing quality products and our steadfast commitment to helping our customers advance the health and performance of their animals. With products marketed in more than 70 countries worldwide, Zinpro is the global leader in advancing animal performance through greater nutrition and is dedicated to creating smarter practices for a better, more sustainable world. To learn more visit zinpro.com.

About Zinpro® IsoFerm®

Fuel the cow by feeding her rumen, first. Zinpro IsoFerm is a breakthrough – the essential nutrient your herd needs. Designed to enhance rumen function by directly feeding the fiber digesting microbes, Zinpro IsoFerm enables dairy cows to be better cows while improving fiber digestion and protein utilization. This proprietary isoacid technology creates game-changing production efficiency, productivity and profitability.

Columnist Ryan Dennis has been writing for Progressive Dairy for many years. In addition, he’s also a published author. His most recent book is titled Barn Gothic: Three Generations and the Death of the Family Dairy Farm. It's a memoir about his own family dairy farm. At the center of the story is his dad, who taught him everything about handling cattle, farming and running a dairy. Most dairy dads are heroes. And Ryan’s book is a tribute to his own dairy hero and the many others just like him. 

Walt and Ryan talk about father-son working relationships, the pressures of writing a monthly column on deadline, and the one story he deliberately left out of the book to not distract from his father's legacy. We also get into what it feels like to watch the family dairy disappear.

Highlights 

• 1:30 – Ryan Dennis - a master of ‘show don’t tell’ writing
• 4:30 – ‘Quiet violence’ – the loss of 1/2 of U.S. dairy farms in two decades 
• 6:00 – ‘The rhythm of farming’ 
• 9:00 – Why did you want to write this book?
• 12:00 – Do you see your dad as hero or victim in this story?
• 15:00 – ‘An ember of toughness’
• 17:30 – Father-son relationships in farming 
• 20:00 – A story that didn’t make it into the book
• 23:15 – What would you redo about your life while dairying?
• 26:10 – Why do people still farm if it’s not often very profitable?  
• 30:25 – What are your fondest memories of writing for Progressive Dairy? 
• 34:00 – What would U.S. dairy farmers find interesting about Irish dairying?