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? 

On-farm accidents are costly, and farm injuries can happen during everyday tasks. In this episode, host Mike Opperman talks with Joe Buschor about what to expect during a safety audit, common safety hazards and the safety gaps that can happen among employees.

Here is the episode breakdown:

• 2:14: Dairy farm safety audit
• 2:33: Farm walk through
• 3:04: Preparing your farm for a safety visit
• 4:30: Most common safety hazards
• 5:20: Safety audits and OSHA inspections
• 6:20: On-farm employee training
• 7:20: Safety gaps among employees on your farm
• 8:30: Parlor safety
• 10:00: Animal handling
• 12:32: Agri-Services Agency contact information

This episode is sponsored by Agri‑Services Agency.

Agri-Services Agency (ASA) specializes in providing customized insurance solutions for dairy farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses. Insurance offerings include health, dental, vision, life insurance, workers’ compensation, and property and casualty insurance. ASA is committed to helping you access comprehensive insurance coverage at a price that fits your budget.

24/7 customer service center: 1-877-466-9089

Website: https://agri-servicesagency.com/

DMI’s Dr. Chris Cifelli, Senior Vice President of Nutrition Research at National Dairy Council, speaks with DMI’s Scott Wallin about how the checkoff is expanding the body of science around whole milk, cheese, and yogurt.

With more than 80 studies conducted over the last 20 years, the milk fat research shows that these foods not only help support childhood growth but may also reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and fit into heart-healthy diets.

Cifelli explains how the unique makeup of dairy fat—especially components like oleic acid—plays a vital role in supporting better health. He also underscores the need to translate this science into clear messages for both consumers and health professionals and how the checkoff constantly shares these messages with nutrition professionals.

Looking ahead, his research team will continue to explore how dairy contributes to lowering cardiometabolic disease risk and the benefits of dairy’s unique fatty acids.

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

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

Guest: Dr. Chris Cifelli, Senior Vice President of Nutrition Research, Dairy Management Inc.

This episode is sponsored by Dairy Management Inc.

In this digital age, how are dairy producers making numbers work for them? Host Matti McBride chats with Pennsylvania dairy farmer Steve Harnish in this Progressive Dairy Podcast episode. Learn about Harnish’s dairy, which software reports he values and how he uses them to manage his herd. 

Here is the episode breakdown:

• 1:00 – Rapid-fire questions
• 3:00 – About the dairy
• 7:15 – System operations
• 9:30 – How Harnish manages workflow
• 14:15 – Daily reports
• 18:00 – Points of improvement
• 20:30 – Seeing results from positive changes
• 25:25 – Making decisions from data

On this Progressive Dairy Podcast, Jade Lomax leads a conversation on a research-backed approach to evaluating transition cow performance using data from over 3 million lactation records and 25 cow-level variables. The discussion explores how comparing actual versus predicted energy-corrected milk (ECM) at first test can help identify gaps in transition support, dry period management and early health outcomes – supporting more informed herd decisions earlier in lactation.

This episode is sponsored by DRMS.

DRMS is a trusted provider of dairy information and decision tools. As a nonprofit 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.

Today we’re talking about one of the most important — and most challenging — windows in the dairy cow’s year: the transition period. Joining us is Dr. Dana Tomlinson, Global Technical Services for Zinpro. Zinpro has been the global leader in Performance Trace Minerals for over five decades and has recently expanded its portfolio to include additional nutritional ingredients that are essential for dairy production.

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.

John Cole breaks down indexes and how to effectively use them in your herd on this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast. Cole serves as the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding's chief research and development officer. Learn about the math and data that’s involved in calculating an index, Cole’s recommendations for using indexes and a few new tools from CDCB.

Here is the episode breakdown:

• 1:00 – Rapid-fire questions
• 3:15 – Cole’s background
• 8:20 – Defining an index
• 15:30 – Balancing regional markets within Net Merit
• 19:05 – Utilizing fluid, cheese or grazing merits
• 23:45 – Creating a herd-based index
• 29:25 – Patience with a genetic plan
• 36:10 – First service to conception

In this episode, host Mike Opperman sits down with Ashley Nadeau, senior loss control consultant at Agri‑Services Agency, to chat about the big risk areas on a dairy – from machinery and PTO entanglements to confined spaces, parlor hazards, chemicals and animal handling injuries — and discuss why complacency can be a farm’s biggest threat.

This episode is sponsored by Agri‑Services Agency.

Agri-Services Agency (ASA) specializes in providing customized insurance solutions for dairy farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses. Insurance offerings include health, dental, vision, life insurance, workers’ compensation, and property and casualty insurance. ASA is committed to helping you access comprehensive insurance coverage at a price that fits your budget.

24/7 customer service center: 1-877-466-9089

Website: https://agri-servicesagency.com/