Uplevel Dairy Podcast

What is your dairy farm really worth—and does investing $1 million in facilities mean you’ve added $1 million in value? On this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen sits down with Brad Herkenhoff, a Senior Dairy Lending Specialist, and Shelby Borman, a Certified General Appraiser, from Compeer Financial to explore what drives dairy farm appraisals. They discuss rising land values, construction costs and the facility features that can make a property more attractive to potential buyers. The conversation also examines how location, functionality and expansion plans influence appraised value—and why the cost of a project may not match the value it adds. From financing growth to buying property and planning a farm transition, Brad and Shelby explain how an appraisal can be more than a lending requirement.

Learn how understanding your farm’s value today can help you make more informed decisions for its future.

This episode is sponsored by Compeer Financial.

Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural America. Their dairy team brings world-class expertise and tailored solutions to support dairy producers’ financial goals and lending needs.

Visit https://www.compeer.com/specialists/dairy

00:00 — What Is Your Dairy Farm Really Worth?
00:28 — Meet the Compeer Financial Experts
01:26 — Understanding Dairy Appraisals
02:00 — Rising Land Values Across the Midwest
03:11 — Construction Costs and Facility Values
05:27 — Dairy Expansion: Growth Opportunities and Higher Costs
07:11 — Which Facility Improvements Add Value?
08:02 — Building for the Right Herd Size
09:52 — Planning Expansion in Phases
11:36 — How Location and Buyer Demand Affect Value
13:26 — When a Dairy Farm Is Harder to Sell
14:13 — Using Existing Equity to Support Growth
15:13 — Planning Capital Investments for the Long Term
16:19 — Why an Appraisal Can Help Before You Buy
17:14 — Appraisals and Farm Succession Planning
18:16 — Establishing a Starting Point for Farm Value
19:45 — Why Every Investment Doesn’t Return Dollar for Dollar
20:45 — Working With Your Lender and Appraiser
21:54 — The Uplevel Challenge: Know Your Farm’s Value
22:18 — Turning Appraisal Insights Into Better Decisions

What makes a great cow—and which breeding decisions shape the future of the Holstein breed? Recorded live during World Dairy Expo, this special edition of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast brings together Greg Andersen of Seagull Bay Dairy and WinStar Genetics, Idaho, Jordan Siemers of Siemers Holsteins, Wisconsin, and Andrew Steiner of Pine Tree Dairy, Ohio, for an open conversation about the cows and bulls that have influenced their breeding programs.

They revisit influential cow families, discuss the sires that made a lasting impact, and share the stories behind pivotal purchases and unexpected matings. The conversation also explores the balance between genomic rankings and real-world performance, including strength, fertility, health traits, production and the ideal modern dairy cow. Looking ahead, the breeders consider genetic diversity, international bloodlines, evolving evaluations and the traits that will matter most to profitable herds.

This episode is brought to you by EA Risk, Milc Group, smaXtec and United Sires. 

EA Risk, formerly Ever.Ag Risk Management, 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://ea-risk.carrd.co/

Milc Group is a dairy software company that brings real-time, actionable data to dairy farms across the world. They are dedicated to revolutionizing the dairy industry with their user-friendly cloud-based software. ONE™ by Milc Group is our all-in-one app that brings together all the important aspects of your dairy together in one place. With products such as feed and animal management software, people training, dairy facility monitoring, and scale management, Milc Group is committed to providing producers with tools they need to succeed.

smaXtec is the internal health management system for dairy cows. The unique bolus technology measures internal temperature, rumination, drinking cycles, activity, and more. smaXtec helps dairy farmers of any size make confident, data-driven decisions that lead to healthier cows, fewer treatments, and better performance. With early detection and 24/7 monitoring, dairies can stay ahead of herd health issues and focus on long-term herd success. Find out more: https://smaxtec.com/us/

United Sires is a partnership of well-known Holstein breeders from the United States bringing genetic solutions to dairy producers worldwide. Our mission, “Breed the Best, Better,” reflects the work we have been doing on our farms for generations. As multi-generational dairy farmers, we adhere to a simple yet powerful principle: We Milk What We Make. We understand the importance of breeding cattle that are profitable throughout their lifetimes, functional across all dairy enterprises, and aesthetically pleasing. Learn more at Unitedsires.com and follow on Facebook at United Sires and Instagram @unitedsiresofficial.

00:00 — Introducing The Breeders' Table
02:02 — Why These Breeders Wanted to Talk Genetics
07:07 — The Holstein Cows That Belong on Mount Rushmore
10:34 — The Foundation Cows Influencing Today’s Breeding Programs
16:50 — The Bulls That Changed Holstein Genetics
20:00 — Influential Sires and the Traits They Transmitted
30:00 — What Makes a Profitable, Modern Dairy Cow?
35:00 — Genomics, Type and Real-World Herd Performance
40:00 — Breeding Decisions, Unexpected Matings and Lessons Learned
46:20 — The Purchases and Cow Families That Changed Everything
50:31 — Rebuilding Maternal Lines and Preserving Genetic Diversity
53:24 — European Genetics and New Opportunities for the Breed
55:54 — Rapid-Fire Questions: Indexes, Size, Fat and Protein
1:00:00 — What Makes Breeding Holsteins Rewarding?
1:02:22 — The Decisions and People Shaping the Future of Genetics

What motivates someone to run 100 miles and bike another 100? For Jordan Matthews of Rosy-Lane Holsteins, the challenge was about more than endurance. It was an opportunity to raise funds for the UW Carbone Cancer Center and bring people together around a cause that matters.In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen talks with Jordan about the motivation behind his Crossing Wisconsin challenge, the personal experiences that shaped his mission, and the lessons he learned along the way.Jordan shares insights on resilience, mental health, leadership and the power of community, showing how a personal challenge can inspire others and make a difference beyond the miles.Support the UW Carbone Cancer Center: Help support the cause behind Jordan’s challenge by donating here: https://give.wiscmedicine.org/CrossingWisconsin

0:00 Crossing Wisconsin: 100 Miles Running, 100 Miles Biking

03:10 Honoring Loved Ones Through a Challenge

04:50 From the Mississippi River to Lake Michigan

06:55 How Cancer Close to Home Changed Jordan’s Perspective

08:00 From a First 5K to Ultramarathons

09:45 Finding a Purpose Bigger Than Yourself

13:55 Bringing Friends and the Dairy Community Along

17:35 Pushing Others Beyond What They Thought Possible

20:35 The Connection Between Physical Activity and Mental Health

34:00 Finding Clarity Away From Screens and Distractions

37:00 Getting Through the Darkest Hours of the Challenge

40:40 Reflecting on Loved Ones and Finding Strength

43:55 Supporting Cancer Research at the UW Carbone Cancer Center

45:20 Exceeding the Fundraising Goal

48:45 What’s Next at Rosy-Lane Holsteins?

52:45 You vs. You: Be a Little Better Than Yesterday

What does it take to prepare the next generation to lead a dairy farm before ownership officially changes hands? Peggy Coffeen visits B&B Dairy near Waupun, Wisconsin, to talk with father-son team Brent and Chase Harmsen about building trust, sharing responsibility and navigating farm succession. They discuss the evolution of their dairy, from a stanchion barn to robotic milking, along with improvements in forage quality, nutrition and calf care. Brent and Chase share lessons from a family buyout, including why communication, aligned goals and a written partnership agreement are essential. They also explain why giving the next generation room to make decisions and learn from mistakes can prepare them for future leadership. Discover how this family is building a stronger dairy business through collaboration, continuous improvement and planning ahead.This episode is brought to you by 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

00:00 Succession Starts Before the Handoff

01:58 From a Stanchion Barn to Robotic Milking

02:37 Why Chase Returned to the Family Farm

03:41 Learning, Growing and Taking on Responsibility

04:19 Dividing Roles Between Cows and Business Management

05:31 Challenges with Robotic Milking and Calf Health

06:56 Improving Forage Quality and Nutrition

08:34 Homegrown Feed, Soybeans and Feed Costs

11:07 What Makes High-Quality Forage?

15:36 Building Trust Through Responsibility

17:26 Improving Calf Facilities and Management

24:03 Cow Comfort, Health and Dairy Performance

26:30 Making Decisions Together Across Generations

30:32 Planning for the Future of the Dairy

32:40 Learning the Business Side of Farm Succession

35:14 Knowing When to Let Go

37:01 Why the Next Generation Needs Room to Make Mistakes

38:56 Lessons from a Family Buyout

40:34 Aligning Goals and Communicating Through Disagreements

41:48 Why Every Farm Partnership Needs an Exit Strategy

43:47 A Nutritionist's Perspective on the Partnership

45:16 Uplevel Takeaway: Transfer Responsibility, Not Just Assets

In this final Showbox Stories Live from the Tanbark episode filmed at World Dairy Expo, Peggy Coffeen and Tim Abbott of Showbox Sires interview Katie DiGangi of Darlington Ridge Dairy about the origins and goals behind the D-Ridge prefix, her family’s growing involvement in showing, and the values she hopes to pass to her daughters Mila and Paige.

Katie explains how their tagline “passion, care, quality” guides decisions on their 4,500-cow dairy, how show cattle create responsibility and character for kids, and how CowManager helped improve herd metrics like pregnancy and cull rates. Along with that, the conversation celebrates the success of D-Ridge at the 2026 World Dairy Expo, including owning and exhibiting three class winners, breeding the junior champion of the Red & White show and taking home top honors for junior best three females, all quite a feat for a farm that only first stepped onto the colored shavings five years ago!

This series is brought to you by CowManager.

CowManager delivers 24/7 real-time data to help producers enhance herd health, fertility and nutrition. To learn more, contact your CowManager Specialist at Select Sires or visit CowManager.com.

• Website: https://www.cowmanager.com/
• Contact: https://www.cowmanager.com/contact/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CowManager
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cowmanagers/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cowmanager-bv/posts/?feedView=all\
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/cowmanager

01:46 Katie Takes Stage

03:22 A Magical Expo Day

05:47 Building D Ridge Brand

07:29 Why Show Cows

09:48 Raising Kids With Chores

12:47 Tech That Frees Time

14:53 Dreaming Future Stories

16:20 Mila The Deal Maker

17:42 Surprise Trophy Moment

19:45 Where To Find Showbox

21:10 Series Wrap And Thanks

In Part 4 of Showbox Stories Live from the Tanbark at World Dairy Expo, Peggy Coffeen and Tim Abbott of Showbox Sires welcome Dr. Sheila McGuirk from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine to discuss her long involvement with the show, beginning in 1983 as a Holstein assistant and evolving into ring responsibilities and veterinary leadership. McGuirk explains the critical role of Expo veterinarians in health, welfare, safety, and preparing elite show cows for top performance, and describes bringing veterinary students to Expo for pre-unload health checks, an accredited experience that has introduced many students,often with no prior cow exposure, to dairy cattle and mentorship.

She also shares the Hellenbrand Lasting Legacy Award, created after Mike Hellenbrand's passing in 2020, to support youth by awarding donated calves that are shown through Expo and sold via the World Classic Sale, with applications opening October 1 and closing January 1, 2027.

For more information on this youth opportunity, visit https://hellenbrandlastinglegacy.com/

This series is brought to you by CowManager.

CowManager delivers 24/7 real-time data to help producers enhance herd health, fertility and nutrition. To learn more, contact your CowManager Specialist at Select Sires or visit CowManager.com.

• Website: https://www.cowmanager.com/
• Contact: https://www.cowmanager.com/contact/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CowManager
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cowmanagers/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cowmanager-bv/posts/?feedView=all
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/cowmanager

02:42 Dr. McGuirk's Expo Origins

04:32 Vet Team Behind Scenes

05:56 Training Show Athletes

06:55 Students Health Check Program

10:27 Mentoring Story Chicago Student

13:14 Helennbrand Legacy Award

Filmed live at World Dairy Expo for Showbox Stories: Live from the Tanbark, Peggy Coffeen and Tim Abbott welcome Clark Woodmansee and Bryan Voegeli to share unforgettable Expo memories, the influence of mentors, and the multi-generation family legacies behind Woodmansee Holsteins and Begley’s Brown Swiss, including Bryan’s family role in the Expo’s origins. They discuss why they return for competition, people, and learning, recall stories ranging from a near ring mishap to generational pride, and emphasize honesty, repeat customers, and mentorship as keys to lasting success, along with the prestige of the Klusendorf tradition. Tara Bohnert of CowManager then explains new calving alerts that monitor behavior within 14 days of due date to provide low/medium/high calving probability, helping teams manage maternity pens, intervene earlier, and support healthier cows and calves, while sharing her own Jersey show and mentor-driven dairy journey.This series is brought to you by CowManager.CowManager delivers 24/7 real-time data to help producers enhance herd health, fertility and nutrition. To learn more, contact your CowManager Specialist at Select Sires or visit CowManager.com.Website: https://www.cowmanager.com/Contact: https://www.cowmanager.com/contact/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CowManagerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cowmanagers/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cowmanager-bv/posts/?feedView=allYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/cowmanager02:59 Meet Clark and Bryan04:11 Why Expo Matters09:14 Unforgettable Expo Moments12:08 Generations on the Farm15:57 Sales and Customer Trust22:25 Advice for Young Breeders26:07 CowManager Calving Alerts32:08 Tara Showbox Story35:04 Mentors and Legacy

Welcome to Part 2 of Showbox Stories Live from the Tanbark at World Dairy Expo, where Peggy Coffeen and Tim Abbott sit down with Chris Hill of MD Hillbrook, as he recounts starting in 4-H judging in 1983, becoming a fitter, and learning from mentors that shaped his career. Hill emphasizes that success is about treating people well, taking risks, and evolving in the sales business, including creating the Bright Futures Sale Series during COVID and the Music City Celebration in Nashville (taking place Dec. 7, 2026).

Additionally, Dr. Lori Nagel of CowManager explains the value of continuous lifetime monitoring from calves onward, using behavior, activity, eating and rumination data to prioritize care, evaluate management practices like vaccination, weaning and dehorning timing, and reduce long-term health impacts.

This series is brought to you by CowManager.
CowManager delivers 24/7 real-time data to help producers enhance herd health, fertility and nutrition. To learn more, contact your CowManager Specialist at Select Sires or visit CowManager.com.

Website: https://www.cowmanager.com/
Contact: https://www.cowmanager.com/contact/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CowManager
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cowmanagers/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cowmanager-bv/posts/?feedView=all
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/cowmanager

01:34 Barn Radio Memories

02:22 Meet Chris Hill

03:46 Early Expo and Fitting

05:45 Mentors and Old School Clipping

07:22 People First Success

09:18 Unforgettable Expo Moments

10:14 Old Barns and Icon Strings

14:34 Risk Taking and Bright Futures

17:12 Million Dollar Doc Story

18:26 Nashville Sale Preview

20:56 Meet Dr. Lori Nagel

22:17 Why Lifetime Monitoring Matters

24:39 Calf Alerts and Management Wins

27:37 Favorite Calf Story

Recorded live at World Dairy Expo, this kickoff episode of a five-part Showbox Stories series features Uplevel Dairy, Tim Abbott of Showbox Sires, and presenting sponsor CowManager. Peggy Coffeen and Tim introduce the idea that every showbox holds untold industry stories, and in this series they will be exploring just a fraction of them. Make sure to tune in all week to catch all of the guests!

Guest Brian Leslie, Australian auctioneer, breeder, and lifelong cowman, recounts his first 1988 Expo trip inspiring International Dairy Week in Tatura, its youth focus, global mentorship, and challenges like securing facilities and breed-society conflict, and advises young people to listen, learn, and work responsibly. CowManager’s Jared Krull explains “Know What’s Next,” lifetime monitoring from calf to cow, and a milk sensor in development.

This series is brought to you by CowManager.
CowManager delivers 24/7 real-time data to help producers enhance herd health, fertility and nutrition. To learn more, contact your CowManager Specialist at Select Sires or visit CowManager.com.

• Website: https://www.cowmanager.com/
• Contact: https://www.cowmanager.com/contact/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CowManager
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cowmanagers/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cowmanager-bv/posts/?feedView=all
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/cowmanager

02:05 Showbox Stories Origins

06:32 Community Showbox Story

09:35 Introducing Brian Leslie

12:14 Expo Inspiration To IDW

14:43 Building IDW And Youth

20:35 Mentors And Advice

28:50 CowManager Knows What's Next

31:35 Milk Sensor And Future Tech

In this episode of the High-Performance Mindset Series powered by Nedap, Peggy Coffeen interviews Rodney Elliot, an Irish-born dairy farmer who, alongside his wife Dorothy and family, has spent 20 years building Drumgoon Dairy in South Dakota into a multi-site operation and helping launch the 5,000-cow County Line Dairy partnership, where a 100-stall rotary milks 100 cows about every eight minutes. Elliot explains how scaling became more manageable through specialized roles, simplified protocols, and shared systems across sites, including centralized data access via DairyComp and activity monitoring through Alta CowWatch powered by Nedap.

Rodney details a high-performance reproduction program with one dedicated technician per farm, minimal hormonal intervention, and targets like 32–34% pregnancy rate, plus strategic heifer pipelines through Kansas Dairy Development. Elliot discusses labor challenges, using technology and sort gates to reduce pen walking, the importance of partners and buy-sell agreements, difficult build decisions like walking away from a biodigester plan, and focusing leadership energy on controllables such as repro, cow comfort, feed quality, and people.

This episode is part of the High-Performance Mindset Series powered by Nedap. Nedap is future-proofing dairy farming with smart technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering, sort gates, and AI-powered camera systems. Nedap is improving life on the farm by putting the right cow in the right place at the right time, every time.

00:00 From Ireland to South Dakota

01:55 Meet Rodney Elliott

05:31 Scaling with Partners

07:37 Inside County Line

12:24 Building for Scale

14:04 Profitable Cow Goals

18:19 Defining Great Repro

20:35 Collars and CowWatch

22:07 One Tech Accountability

26:29 Morning Briefings

29:26 Labor and Monitoring

31:34 Trusting Simple Systems

32:37 Why Nedap

36:11 Collar Data Continuity

37:04 Trusting Tech and IT

38:49 Future Risks and Labor

48:41 Legacy and Transition

52:11 Building and Partnerships

53:25 Tough Calls Keep Simple

01:00:05 Advice and Wrap Up