How can IVF embryos be used by dairy and beef producers to meet the changing market dynamics? Listen to this episode to find out.

This episode is sponsored by Simplot Animal Sciences.

SimVitro® HerdBuilder™ embryos are commercial IVF inputs with flexible, tiered-pricing options to supply a range of beef and dairy producers with select genetic traits for highly marketable cattle.

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, host Kimmi Devaney chats with Elaine Froese about how farm families can build a strong foundation for farm transition. Froese has more than 30 years of experience helping farm families through this process and has written articles in almost every issue of Progressive Dairy – Canada for the past 14 years. 

Read Froese’s articles in Progressive Dairy and visit her website.

Episode overview:

• [~1:10] About Froese’s background and her inspiration for helping farm families with transition planning
• [~3:00] When should farm families start discussion farm transition?
• [~4:05] Tips to help farm families communicate better
• [~7:15] Other essential skills for building a strong foundation for farm transition
• [~10:55] Tips to better communicate expectations
• [~13:55] The first step in the farm transition process
• [~16:40] Understanding conflict styles
• [~21:20] What role do nonfarm heirs have in the farm transition conversation?
• [~24:20] How to approach “fair versus equal”
• [~31:00] Tips to get everyone to the table to discuss farm transition
• [~34:45] Considerations when selecting a driver to coordinate the farm transition conversation
• [~38:30] How farm families can better navigate through difficult emotions before and/or during transition conversations
• [~43:50] Nonrelated transition
• [~48:30] The top pitfall Froese sees when working with farm families
• [~49:15] Top three tips for farm transition
• [~53:15] Rapid-fire questions

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.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and big data are revolutionizing industries—so why is dairy only now catching up?

In this episode, we explore:

• Why the dairy value chain is embracing AI now
• How DDW is using data to support smarter, more sustainable dairy operations
• The journey from raw farm data to actionable AI insights

Don’t miss this conversation on the future of dairy tech!

This episode is sponsored by Dairy Data Warehouse.

 At Dairy Data Warehouse (DDW), we unlock the full potential of data on dairy farms across the globe to enable the industry to harness big data and AI for sustainable and more profitable farming. DDW collects farm data from the herd management software and other sources on farm. We ensure high data quality by cleaning and transforming it into a unified, comparable set for AI driven strategic decision-making, benchmarking and insights. Our solutions support key stakeholders in nutrition, genetics, animal health, cow monitoring, and milking equipment. Let’s connect to explore how data can drive your business forward.

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, join Brook Duer from the Penn State Ag Law Center and host Kimmi Devaney for a conversation about how to be proactive and protect your workforce amid ICE raids, I-9 audits and other immigration concerns. Most of this information is also applicable to multiple other scenarios where unauthorized people come to the farm.

Reach out to Duer through the Penn State Ag Law Center website.

A Guide for Employers: What to Do if Immigration Comes to Your Workplace (National Immigration Law Center)

Episode overview:

• [~1:10] Duer’s background
• [~4:15] What does an ICE raid look like on a farm?
• [~8:45] Duer’s priority areas for farms
• [~19:00] How to keep employees calm 
• [~25:00] Training and drills for these situations
• [~32:30] Tips to develop contingency plans
• [~38:05] Signage
• [~43:10] Warrants vs. administrative search warrants
• [~49:10] Detainment with a warrant
• [~54:40] Rapid-fire questions

Dairy One has partnered with iYOTAH to help farmers bring together data from across their farms with a new technology tool. In this podcast episode, Kari Spaan, CEO of iYOTAH, and Matt Newman, Director of Dairy One's Integrated Farming Solutions group, discuss this new software and how it's making an impact on dairies. From cool features to real-life applications, Blue Board is a tool worth investing in!

This episode is sponsored by Dairy One.

Join host Matti McBride as she chats with Lee Erickson, dairy technical specialist with Zinpro, about hoof health management in the summer months. Learn which metrics to monitor to ensure cows are comfortable, how to design barns to avoid lameness and what to look for during weekly locomotion scoring evaluations.

Topics covered:

• How cow comfort and hoof health go hand in hand
• Effective methods of cooling to implement during hot months
• Importance of hoof health evaluation frequency

On dairy farms, pathogens are inevitable. On this Progressive Dairy Podcast, Papillon team members Matt Kaufmann and Kathryn Etteldorf chat about caring for calves in the face of pathogen problems. You’ll hear them discuss the impact of pathogens on calf health, management solutions, what tools are available for producers to keep calves on a productive track and what matters most to Kathryn on farm.

Episode Highlights:

• Calf care costs (:50)
• The impact of the Stress Response Cascade (2:45)
• How to handle the pathogen problem (5:30)
• The Papillon Calf Checkup (8:35)

Episode Guests:

• Matt Kaufmann, Great Lakes Regional Sales Manager at Papillon Agricultural Company
• Kathryn Etteldorf, Youngstock Sales Specialist at Papillon Agricultural Company

This episode is sponsored by Papillon Agricultural Company.

Papillon Agricultural Company develops and produces premium nutritional products for consultants, feed suppliers and producers nationwide. We commit to progressive research and a rigorous quality control program to deliver consistent, high-quality ingredients designed to maximize feed efficiency at the farm level. Our product portfolio includes prebiotics and probiotics, bypass proteins and specialty solutions.

Dustin Jonasson, Commodity Consultant at Total Farm Marketing, joins the podcast to discuss essential resources every dairy farmer should track to make informed decisions in today’s volatile market. He provides insights into critical reports, such as the Daily Spot Trade, Global Dairy Trade Auction, and USDA Milk Production Report, and how these resources can help dairy farmers stay ahead of market trends. Dustin also explains how Total Farm Marketing’s TFM360 platform and Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP) insurance work together to help dairy producers navigate market risks with proactive, AI-driven strategies. 

Episode Highlights:

• Overview of Total Farm Marketing’s TFM360 and DRP Insurance Solutions
• Essential Dairy Market Reports Every Farmer Should Track
• How TFM360 Uses AI to Drive Strategic Decision-Making
• The Role of DRP Insurance in Protecting Dairy Revenue
• The June 30 DRP Insurance Agency Selection Deadline and Why It’s Crucial to Act Now

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 platform 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.

Guest Bio:

Dustin Jonasson joined Total Farm Marketing in 2020. Dustin’s education in finance and business led him to his professional experience in the agricultural industry as a farm marketing advisor and dairy feed salesman. Having worked with both grain and dairy producers, he knows that helping them find success in marketing starts with building a trusted relationship and gaining a deep understanding of his clients’ operations. His attention to detail, great listening skills, and his commitment to his clients make him uniquely qualified as a TFM360 Commodity Sales Consultant.

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, Brad Guse from BMO joins host Kimmi Devaney to discuss the metrics dairy producers should be watching right now, why risk management and contingency plans are vital, how to build a good relationship with your ag lender, and the recent BMO report about eight key economic and market trends that are significantly impacting U.S. farmers right now.

Here’s an overview of the episode:

• [~2:35] BMO report: What is happening right now with trade, the impact is it having on agriculture and how dairy producers can best manage through these uncertainties 
• [~4:05] BMO report: Slower economic growth
• [~5:00] BMO report: Abundant crop supplies, livestock leaner
• [~6:40] Impact of beef-on-dairy
• [~8:45] BMO report: The value of the U.S. dollar 
• [~9:35] BMO report: Some costs decreasing
• [~11:00] BMO report: Interest rates
• [~12:25] BMO report: Labor 
• [~13:15] BMO report: Productivity growth
• [~14:50] The impact of higher butterfat and protein on processing 
• [~17:30] The most important metrics for dairy producers to watch right now as they look at their operation’s financials
• [~23:30] The most important parts of a risk management plan 
• [~25:10] What keeps ag lenders up at night?
• [~29:30] Tips for building a good relationship with your ag lender
• [~32:20] Examples of contingency plans and how to develop them 
• [~38:20] Current topics dairy producers are talking about
• [~41:20] What producers should be asking or talking about with their ag lender that they probably aren’t
• [~43:15] When should producers involve their ag banker in succession planning discussions?
• [~46:30] Rapid-fire questions