Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy sits down with Sam Fessenden, a Cornell dairy science graduate with a PhD focused on the CNCPS model who worked with nutritionists globally before partnering with his wife Brenda and her parents, Craig and Cathy, to rebuild dairying at their Southeast Minnesota site.

In this conversation, Sam shares early mentorship near Cornell, how consulting and barn tours informed their tech-forward design, and how they converted a former 70-stall stanchion operation into a 120-cow, sand-bedded, two-robot, largely automated free-flow barn launched in 2020 while welcoming their first child. He discusses feeding non-pelleted homegrown corn through robots, lessons from managing cows daily (manure observation and feed inventory realities), choosing open-minded advisors, patience in growth decisions, guidance for generational transition, resilience through cost control, extra acres, and value-added black calf raising, and how faith and family motivate raising three kids on the farm.

This Episode is brought to you by Adisseo

This episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components, and maintain the health of their high-performing herds. Learn more at ⁠https://www.adisseo.com/en/⁠

01:44 Sam’s Dairy Roots

05:31 Cornell Mentors and Models

08:42 From Consulting to Minnesota

09:24 Rebuilding the Dairy Site

11:49 Designing a Robot Barn

13:45 Automation and Feeding Hacks

16:32 Consulting Lessons Applied

19:02 Choosing the Right Advisors

21:25 Patience and Farm Values

23:17 Succession and Growth Plans

26:14 Resilience and Black Calves

30:46 Family First and Faith

Today, Peggy Coffeen visits Bob and Tara Vandoske at Vandoske Dairy Farms in Cleveland, Wisconsin, to discuss how their 700-cow family dairy farm has grown into diverse business segments, including County Line Creamery, an on-farm ice cream store with viewing windows and open barn access, and a cattle boarding/show-cow facility. They share the farm’s multi-generational history, their three children’s roles (including show involvement and work responsibilities), and how these ventures create next-generation opportunities and consumer connection.

Bob explains the creamery grew from COVID-era interest in local food, progressed through careful planning, and started by bringing in products rather than processing milk. They describe the boarding business’ unexpected growth, recent dairy facility upgrades including a new double-12 parallel parlor, and the importance of faith, teamwork, and relationships. NutriQuest nutritionist Jeff Rortvedt, highlights the farm’s multiple enterprises and Bob’s investments in cow care and the future.

This episode is brought to you be NutriQuest.

The NutriQuest Dairy Nutrition Team is a group of experienced nutritionists committed to serving dairy producers by partnering with them to develop an un-biased, customized nutrition program that delivers maximum profitability, achieved through a holistic approach, engaging in all aspects that influence nutrition program success.

The NutriQuest Dairy Team is committed to serving the dairy industry and delivering their customers’ consistent results with a high return. Learn more at nutriquest.com/dairy-nutrition-solutions

01:49 Vandoske Farm Story

03:06 Kids and Farm Roles

04:51 Why Not 10000 Cows

05:33 County Line Creamery Idea

08:33 Planning the Build Out

11:05 Why Ice Cream Wins

12:27 Cattle Boarding Begins

15:37 Designing the Show Barn

18:11 Busy Saturdays and Events

21:02 Three Years of Rapid Growth

21:30 Heavy Decisions and Faith

21:51 Hardest Choices and New Roles

24:17 Dairy Upgrades and New Parlor

27:43 Raising the Next Generation

29:44 Future Plans and Tractor Time

35:25 A Nutritionist's Perspective

Today on The Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen talks with Dr. Kady Bennett of United Vet Services (part of Heritage Vet Partners) about her unexpected path from an Illinois corn-and-soybean upbringing and an early photography major to large animal dairy practice in Wisconsin’s Northwoods.

Dr. Bennett explains how starting as a kennel tech, then experiencing large animal work (including castrating bull calves) led her to switch to animal science and pursue vet school, with dairy research helping solidify her focus. She describes her passion for solving problems ... from casting a calf's broken jaw to uncovering protocol issues with lung ultrasound. Dr. Bennett is on a mission to be the best vet she can be, with the help of great mentors, fellow vets and supportive dairy farm clients.

Heritage Vet Partners is the nation’s leading veterinary partnership, specializing in mixed and large animal practices.  Heritage Vet Partners provides a unique partnership model that preserves local practice legacies, serving dairy and other livestock producers and companion animal owners through shared services, data, and strategic growth. Learn more at HeritageVetPartners.com

01:34 From Photography To Cows

04:31 Earning Trust On Farms

08:45 Mentors And Backup

10:15 Problem Solver Mindset

11:22 Broken Jaw Calf Win

13:21 Calf Lung Ultrasound Data

17:16 Motivation And Relationships

18:46 Stepping Up Consulting

21:23 Advice For Future Vets

23:30 Creativity And Baking

Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Manny Salcedo, founder of the Dairy Performance Network (DPN), discusses how modern dairy management has shifted from simply managing cows and people to managing overwhelming volumes of data from multiple on-farm systems. Drawing on his background working on dairies and later founding DPN, he explains their consulting work and its tools, including Ida, an AI-driven application that lets farmers ask questions about KPIs, health events, reproduction, and predictive culling. And find out what Manny believes it will take for today's dairy managers to turn information into action through the power of AI and automation.This episode is brought to you by the Dairy Performance Network (DPN).DPN - Connecting people, cows, and technology. Learn more at Dpnconnect.com & dairystash.com00:00 Data Driven Dairy01:48 What DPN Builds03:20 Too Much Data04:52 Ida AI Assistant06:02 From Dashboards to Actions07:18 Why Manny Built This11:38 Pilot Farms, Real Questions13:20 Voice Commands Automation17:42 Future Integration Wave20:19 Next Gen Manager Skills

Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy talks with veterans, Matt Taber, a retired Marine and co-owner of Donley Farms in Shoshone, Idaho, and Kelsey DeBoer, a former U.S. Army Reserve construction engineer and now senior marketing manager at Zoetis, about how military service shapes leadership and perspective.
Kelsey explains Zoetis’ Patriots Pledge partnership with Folds of Honor, donating a percentage of sales from select products from Memorial Day through Veterans Day to fund scholarships for families of fallen or disabled service members, and also law enforcement and first responders.
They both discuss teamwork, accountability and sacrifice as lessons applied to their respective dairy work today, as they also reflect with gratitude on their time in service and the powerful perspective that lives on through the way they lead.

Zoetis’ Patriots’ Pledge program supports Folds of Honor. Folds of Honor is a non-profit organization that provides education scholarships for spouses and children of America’s fallen or injured service members and first responders. The Patriots’ Pledge program from Zoetis designates a portion of sales from select products between Memorial Day and Veterans Day each year. Learn more here:

https://www.zoetisus.com/services-and-programs/patriots-pledge/

This episode is brought to you by Zoetis. As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis is dedicated to helping producers achieve healthy animals, healthy dairies and healthy food through their world-class portfolio. For more information, visit ⁠DairyWellness.com.⁠

• 03:02 Meet Matt & Kelsey
• 04:13 Matt Journey in the Marines
• 05:48 Deployments and Iwo Jima
• 07:26 Kelsey's Path in the Army Reserve
• 10:23 Dairy After Service
• 15:20 Military Lessons in Dairy
• 18:40 Accountability at Zoetis
• 21:05 Deployment Perspective Shift
• 23:30 First World vs Third World
• 25:39 Advice to Younger Self
• 28:26 What Service Really Means
• 30:02 Brotherhood and Sacrifice
• 36:37 Lessons to Live By

Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen interviews Greg Shoemaker, Cargill’s Commercial Director for North America Dairy Nutrition, about leading teams that support dairy producers through nutrition strategy, technology, and on-farm partnership across the US and Canada. Shoemaker shares how his path from rural Pennsylvania roots to a career as a US Army Ranger shaped his leadership approach today ensuring dairy farmers' success.
Greg details the power of building trust, clarity and acting as a multiplier by removing barriers. He discusses learning from mistakes, investing in culture during normal times to withstand hard times, maintaining composure under stress, and adopting an “infinite game” mindset focused on long-term success in dairy.

This episode is brought to you by Cargill Dairy Nutrition.

No two dairies are alike, Cargill Dairy doesn’t expect them to be. When your dairy faces challenges, you need a partner with an original approach. Cargill has their own world-class research labs, developed their own proprietary nutrition software, and fostered an original team approach… all to deliver profitability on YOUR terms. Partner with a nutrition company as original as you are: cargillanimalnutrition.com/original

• 02:31 Greg's Role at Cargill
• 03:40 What Army Rangers Do
• 05:08 From Military to Cargill
• 07:16 Life in Dairy Consulting
• 08:59 Mission and Values Leadership
• 12:38 Building Culture and Trust
• 15:49 Leading Under Pressure
• 19:18 No Decision Is a Decision
• 21:35 Infinite Game Mindset
• 25:10 Better Questions Better Leadership
• 26:20 Execute Iterate Lesson
• 27:51 Vision for the Team
• 29:11 Rallying Through Tough Times
• 33:49 Morning Routine and Journals
• 35:43 Nonnegotiables and Balance
• 37:11 Hardest Leadership Lesson
• 39:16 Purpose in Dairy Industry
• 40:50 Rapid Fire Leadership Round
• 47:18 Problem Solving and OODA Loop

At Central Plains Dairy Expo, Peggy Coffeen caught up with Ever.Ag risk advisor, Brandon Weigel, a Wisconsin farm-raised entrepreneur who started raising show pigs at 12 and later entered risk management through a 4-H club connection. Weigel explains his role managing grain sell-side risk, dairy feed buying risk, and beef-on-dairy price risk, contrasting grain cashflow-driven sales with year-round dairy feed purchasing. He discusses major industry shifts he has observed in his career thus far, including rapid growth in beef-on-dairy breeding and increased market volatility.

Ever.Ag partners with dairy producers to build customized risk management plans that help protect margins in any market environment. With dedicated advisors, industry leading technology, and proven tools like Dairy Revenue Protection, we help farms reduce uncertainty and secure long‑term financial strength.  Learn more at https://ever.ag/.

01:40 Farm Roots and Show Pigs

03:44 Entrepreneurship at 12

04:08 4-H Connection to Ever.Ag

04:53 Job Shadow to Career

07:10 Day to Day Risk Advisor

08:39 Lessons and Mentors

10:51 Grain vs. Feed Strategy

11:41 Market Shifts and Volatility

14:07 Emotion vs. Fundamentals

15:50 2026 Outlook Beef and Feed

18:20 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up

On this episode of the UpLevel Dairy Podcast, Pauly Paul with Complete Management Consulting is back today to explain what separates thriving dairies from those in crisis. He says the biggest gap comes down to management, especially leaders who delegate but also work alongside employees rather than staying behind a desk.

Pauly identifies three core differentiators: understanding financials and avoiding over-borrowing by reviewing budgets and financials monthly or quarterly; leading by example with consistent schedules, walkthroughs, and daily employee interaction; and getting “in the trenches” to understand tasks and improve efficiency, which can quickly turn farms from red to black when his team takes over management.

He adds that profitable farms face hard truths and capitalize on opportunities like improving reproduction, semen handling, shot compliance, and breeding for higher-value “black calves,” which he estimates can add significant annual income.

This Episode is Brought to you by Complete Management Consulting

About Complete Management Consulting

• www.CompleteManagementConsulting.com⁠⁠
• [email protected]⁠
• 920-418-3135

00:00 Why Some Dairies Win

00:49 Two Types of Calls

02:29 Management Makes the Gap

03:01 Hands On Leadership

04:26 Three Profit Drivers

06:06 Know Your Financials

09:05 Lead by Example Daily

10:45 Work in the Barn

12:18 Turning Farms Around Fast

14:15 Black Calf Profit Lever

17:46 Staying Ahead Long Term

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen is on-site at Brooks Farms with Zoey Brooks, nearly 10 years after Zoey returned to the family dairy, to discuss growing from 200 to about 700 cows and from four employees to a 15-person team. 
Zoey shares hard-won lessons about stepping into management, overcoming challenges, building a strong team culture and leading from within, while balancing roles as a young mother raising her children on the farm. She shares how her guiding motto - “Do it scared" - drives her to dig deep and dive in to make her dreams reality.
She also highlights a business segment and creative outlet with Black & White Aged Cheddar, the premium aged cheese brand she and her sister Syndney launched during COVID by partnering with Union Star Creamery, made exclusively from Brooks Farms' milk. 

This Episode is brought to you by Adisseo
This episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components, and maintain the health of their high-performing herds. Learn more at https://www.adisseo.com/en/

01:38 Back Home at Brooks Farms

03:30 Scaling Up Fast

04:09 Failure Is Normal

05:06 Milk Drop Mystery

07:24 Hunting Stray Voltage

09:36 Managing Through Chaos

11:53 Building Team Culture

13:47 From Cow Work to People

15:21 Three Hats on Farm

16:08 Dairy Mom Office Life

17:36 Raising Kids on Farm

18:56 Leading by Example

19:27 Balancing Farm and Family

19:52 Tech That Makes It Work

22:04 Remote Sorting in Winter

22:47 Launching a Farm Cheese Brand

27:52 Black and White Story

28:34 Cheddar Focus and First Taste

30:05 Advice for New Brands

32:37 Growing Distribution Beyond Wisconsin

34:45 Next Decade on the Farm

36:18 Do It Scared

Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy is joined by Mike Opperman from the National Dairy Shrine headquarters in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, to announce the official 2026 National Dairy Shrine award announcements and explain the committee-based nomination process.

Make sure to tune in to hear who the winners in each category are! The winners will be recognized at the National Dairy Shrine Awards Banquet at World Dairy Expo, with tickets starting July 1, and honored in the Hall of Fame; Opperman also notes upcoming scholarship announcements, a May 13 webinar on internships, and the Sept. 28 banquet date.

Learn more and register for events at https://dairyshrine.org/.

00:49 Dairy Shrine Origins

02:14 How Awards Are Chosen

04:16 Emerging Leader Award

10:47 Pioneer Award Honorees

15:52 Distinguished Breeder Winner

18:31 Guest of Honor Spotlight

21:37 Banquet and Hall of Fame

24:43 Scholarships and Webinar News