Uplevel Dairy Podcast

You may know Dr. Marissa Hake from her online following as the @Calfvet, but what you may not know are the big dreams, bold prayers, and brave actions that led to her career of now five years with Fairlife and the recent opening of their direct-to-consumer farm store for Black Label Beef.

Get ready to laugh with us, cry with us and be inspired on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast.

Connect with Marissa Online

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/

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25 years ago, a twenty-year-old Dutchman left his homeland in pursuit of a dream - the American dream - and a dairy farm that would allow him to live out his passion.

This quest led Sander Penterman to Jon-De Farms in northern Wisconsin, where he met who would be some of his greatest mentors, Dean and Todd Doorninck. This became a stepping stone to eventually owning his own dairy farm in Thorp, Wisconsin, Dutch Dairy.

This 15th-generation dairyman shares with us today a journey of starting from scratch, optimizing efficiency and being an early adapter to technology - and also heartbreaking challenges - including the tragic loss of a child.

This is a story of hard work, dedication and the positive attitude that has persevered and continues to keep Sander looking forward to each new day, right here on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast.

This Episode is Brought to you by Milc Group

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 the tools they need to succeed.

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In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, host Peggy Coffeen interviews Greg Bethard, CEO of High Plains Ponderosa Dairy, who shares his unconventional journey into the dairy industry. 

Greg discusses the challenges he faced transitioning from a consultant and CFO to managing and owning a dairy farm in Kansas. 

Despite initial hardships and the unexpected loss of a key partner and friend, John Pagel, he pushed through to establish a successful business and master the role of CEO.

This conversation also delves into Greg's upbringing, career choices, and the importance of hard work, passion, and the infinite business model that emphasizes sustainability in profitability, cow comfort, people, community, and the environment.

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Today, we’re talking about managing your heifer inventory, cutting down your cull rate, and making more milk and more money without purchasing pricey replacements as we sit down with Pauly Paul from Complete Management Consulting on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast. 

This Episode is Sponsored by Complete Management Consulting

Contact Pauly Paul

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In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Curtis Bosma from HighGround Dairy provides an in-depth analysis of key market factors affecting the dairy industry in 2025. Topics covered include:

Curtis also emphasizes the importance of financial management for dairy farmers, highlighting the significance of balance sheets, cash flow statements, and margin management systems to maintain profitability and prepare for future industry changes.

Grab your own copy of the January Market Report here: https://marketing.highgrounddairy.com/producer-market-update-january-2025.
This episode is brought to you by:
HighGround Dairy provides global dairy market intelligence, insurance services, futures & options brokerage, and advisory programs to a diverse range of dairy market participants throughout the supply chain.
Information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes and is not a solicitation to buy or sell commodities.  Opinions expressed are current opinions as of January 17, 2025 at 1 p.m. CST and only represent the views of the speaker and not those of HighGround Trading, unless otherwise expressly noted.

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy is sitting down with Will McKinley, President of Menn Law Firm, to discuss the importance of trust and estate planning for farm families. 

Will explains three different types of trusts, including Medicaid, revocable, and irrevocable trusts, and their relevance in asset protection, probate avoidance, and tax planning for farms.

He shares insights into the legal and practical aspects of transition planning and succession for agribusiness, emphasizing the importance of updating and funding the trust. Real-life stories illustrate successful trust implementations and the challenges of equitable asset distribution among family members. The episode underscores the necessity of early planning and communication to ensure a smooth transition of farm operations to the next generation. 

This Episode is Brought to you by Menn Law Firm

Contact Will McKinley at Menn Law, Appleton, Wisconsin:

Do you have a question on succession and farm transition you would like to hear Will answer on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast?

Send your questions to [email protected]

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy is sitting down with Tom McCarty to hear about his journey as the patriarch of McCarty Family Farms. Moving his family from Pennsylvania to Northwest Kansas nearly 25 years ago, Tom discusses the strategic steps they took to grow their dairy business. 

He emphasizes the values of hard work, forward-thinking, and resilience that have guided his family's success. Tom also reflects on the future growth opportunities for the farm and offers advice to younger generations entering the dairy industry.

Make sure to tune in to catch this conversation with Tom!

Meet fourth-generation Pennsylvania dairyman Jared Kurtz, and listen alongside as I help him put his “why” into words.

I’ll be opening the morning session of the Pennsylvania Dairy Summit on Feb. 5, with a conversation inspired by the book “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action” by Simon Simek. 

Get a preview here as find out Jared’s “why” -  why he chose to come back to the dairy after seeking to get away from it, why he and his wife wanted farm life for their six children, why the transition planning has been challenging but worth it, why he takes his responsibility seriously to engage with his community and educate others about their farming practices, and why he believes his farm serves a greater purpose.

Register for the Pennsylvania Dairy Summit:

https://center-for-dairy-excellence.mailchimpsites.com/

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Want to end 2025 better than you started it? Ever struggle with New Year’s resolutions that stick?

Today I’m walking you through three steps that I do at the beginning of each year to gain the clarity and momentum to make each year better than the last, while creating more margin in your day to make room for habits that will get you where you want to be.

Are you implementing these steps? Let me know! Send an email to [email protected] or DM Uplevel Dairy on Facebook or Instagram!

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Impact Farming Podcast host Tracy Burnet jumps on from Manitoba to join Uplevel Dairy Podcast host Peggy Coffeen as they reflect on the one word they each chose to live by in 2024, and how they are preparing to uplevel and creating an impact in 2025!

Check out the Impact Farming Podcast:

https://www.farmmarketer.com/impact_farming_show/season-one-episodes 

Impact Farming Podcast on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@farmmarketer3270

Subscribe to Uplevel Dairy Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClQ6xQHZ0A1vqHKjRkbtJJA

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