Uplevel Dairy Podcast

In this special bonus episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, we are raising a glass to World Milk Day by appreciating the hard work of dairy farmers globally.

The episode delves into Dairy Discovery, a Michigan-based nonprofit that connects consumers to their food through on-farm experiences. Founder Annie Link of Swiss Lane Farms and Executive Director Renee McCauley discuss Dairy Discovery's origin, mission and impact. 

They share stories of farm tours, educational camps, and community events that help bridge the gap between consumers and the dairy industry, while highlighting future goals to expand their impact and invite listeners to get involved. 

The episode rounds out with details on their World Milk Day celebrations, including an all-you-can-eat cereal bar event. Additionally, Dylan Brockshus from Adisseo, the episode sponsor, shares his personal connection to the dairy industry and his own plans to celebrate World Milk Day.

To support the Dairy Discovery:

Make sure to help celebrate World Milk Day with #worldmilkday and #enjoydairy!

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Do you ever wish you had a 24-hour herdsperson, who never showed up late, never complained and could pick up on a problem with a cow before you could?

Well, that’s what automation has done for Jessica Pralle Trimner, the dairy manager at Miltrim Farms in Athens, Wis., home to 30 Lely A5 milking robots and 1,800 cows under one roof, alongside a 1,400-cow conventional herringbone parlor and freestall facility at the same site. 

I met up with Jessica at Miltrim’s event center, the Milkhaus, to talk about the suite of technology that allows her team to focus on the right data and the right cows, at the right time.

We talk about:

Plus, we catch up with Jessica about her “one word” for 2024: Presence.

And listen to Jessica's One-Word episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5wus0sznNiGNTqH3f3Ffkz?si=aGkGmRV3TC2g8X85uOglQg

And just like the tech in their collars, this episode in our High-Performance MIndset Series is powered by Nedap.

The High-Performance Mindset Series is powered  by Nedap. Nedap is future-proofing dairy farms by revolutionizing cow-side care through technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering and identification. Listen to more episodes in this series below.

Everyone has two lives. The second one starts when you realize you only have one.

A positive mindset is easy, when things in our lives our easy. But when we realize we are facing the battle of our lives, for our lives, there is no greater test of faith, perseverance and hope,

And our guest today shares his personal journey over the course of the past year. 

At 39 years old, Jerome Meyer, area business manager for Zoetis, was at the top of his game. Leading his team as they helped dairy clients achieve their goals, an avid runner … and from the outside, every indication would say he was the pillar of health. 

Until an unexpected cancer diagnosis last year.

While his health may have had its ups and downs, what remained steadfast was his positive mindset. In fact, this experience has connected Jerome to a faith he hadn’t found before, a magnified appreciation for his colleagues and the dairy community and given him an even stronger purpose in how he lives each and every day.

It’s with great honor and gratitude that Jerome has allowed me to share his journey with you, right here on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast.

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. 

Guest:

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Back on Episode 100, Clare Alderink, manager at Ryzebol Dairy in Michigan, joined Tommy Oesch from Swiss Lane Farms to talk about doing hard things, like running 4 miles every 4 hours in 48 hours, the 75 hard challenge … and if you recall, Clare also mentioned he was training for an upcoming marathon. 

Well, I caught up with Clare just days after he crossed the finish line of the Kalamazoo Marathon. When I asked Clare how the race went, his simple response was this: It was hard.

Clare had been training for months to not only condition his body with the miles, but as you will find out, more importantly, strengthen his mindset … and that is what got him through an unexpected challenge, all the way to the finish.

Listen to find out how this dairy manager-turned-marathon runner views running in much the same way as managing the dairy:

Recommended read: The Confident Mind by Dr. Nate Zinsser

Hear more from Clare on Ep. 100: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/nC8xDGc0OJb

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

Want to get new episodes in your inbox? Subscribe here: https://www.upleveldairy.com/subscribe

Back on Episode 100, Clare Alderink, manager at Ryzebol Dairy in Michigan, joined Tommy Oesch from Swiss Lane Farms to talk about doing hard things, like running 4 miles every 4 hours in 48 hours, the 75 hard challenge … and if you recall, Clare also mentioned he was training for an upcoming marathon. 

Well, I caught up with Clare just days after he crossed the finish line of the Kalamazoo Marathon. When I asked Clare how the race went, his simple response was this: It was hard.

Clare had been training for months to not only condition his body with the miles, but as you will find out, more importantly, strengthen his mindset … and that is what got him through an unexpected challenge, all the way to the finish.

Listen to find out how this dairy manager-turned-marathon runner views running in much the same way as managing the dairy:

Recommended read: The Confident Mind by Dr. Nate Zinsser

Hear more from Clare on Ep. 100: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/nC8xDGc0OJb

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

Want to get new episodes in your inbox? Subscribe here: https://www.upleveldairy.com/subscribe

We’ve got market movements to celebrate this May:

That’s what we are covering today with Curtis Bosma in the HighGround Dairy Monthly Market Insights.

 Find out how the markets are moving and how it could impact your bottom line.

This Episode is Sponsored by HighGround Dairy

Grab your May Market Report Here:  https://marketing.highgrounddairy.com/producer-market-update-may-2024

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.
Learn more at ⁠https://highgrounddairy.com/⁠ or email them at [email protected]
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 May 20, 2024 at 12 p.m. CST and only represent the views of the speaker and not those of HighGround Trading, unless otherwise expressly noted.

If you have been waiting to sign on the dotted line for a renewable natural gas project, this episode is for you.
Over the past 4 years, RNG companies have been knocking on the doors of dairy farms across the country, touting opportunities, along with long-term commitments. And our guest today has been involved on both the developer side and dairy producer side.
Ty Rohloff, vice president of food and agribusiness with Compeer has reviewed at least 40 project proposals, and he joins us today to share his insights on: 

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.
For more information, contact:

Guest contact:
Ty Rohloff
 608-290-7326
[email protected]

Know your opponent. I’ve heard this statement from dairy producers before. It’s all about evaluating a threat at hand, managing the risk and being prepared to act with urgency.

And the opponent we are going to talk about today is the one that is on everyone’s mind: H5N1. If you want to hear from someone who has been helping dairies deal with this disease since the very beginning, what to watch for, ways to reduce risk and what to have in your arsenal to be ready to action should your dairy be facing the fight, keep on listening to this episode of the UPlevel Dairy Podcast.

From the frontlines of H5N1, Randy Tapia has been assisting dairy producers in the Southwest and now across the country, as they deal with the disease first hand, or are preparing themselves for the potential of sickness hitting their herds.

Randy grew up in the Texas dairy business, with his father at one point running 9,000 cows on three dairies near San Angelo, and he also spent many years as a dairy manager up in the Panhandle. An early adopter to rumination monitoring and other technologies, Randy stepped away from management to work in dairy tech before joining Amarillo-based Micro Technologies in the dairy solutions role he is in today.

In this conversation, I’ve asked Randy to put on his dairy manager hat, as he walks us through:

And Randy tells us how he would be preparing his team and what would be in his med room if he was a dairy manager right now.

This episode is sponsored by Micro Technologies

Micro Technologies innovates advanced, comprehensive & integrated technologies to help dairies produce a safe, wholesome product more efficiently and profitably.

Disclaimer draft:

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. We are not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast.

For more information, visit:

Microtechnologies.com

Karen Bohnert, editor of Dairy Herd Management and Milk Business, joins host Peggy Coffeen to celebrate dairy farm moms in this bonus Mother’s Day episode.

Hear the incredible stories of the dairy farm moms who raised them, and the adversities they overcame to be examples of strength, sacrifice and resilience.

And hear about some of the dairy farm moms who have set the bar for Peggy and Karen today.

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/upleveldairy/episodes/111--Intentional-Motherhood--Management-and-What-Matters-Most-with-Sarah-Daugherty-e2je88q

As we come up on Mother’s Day this weekend, I’ve asked Sarah Daugherty from Paramount Calves back to talk about being a mother of 6, and balancing a high-performing work life and a high-performing family life. 

From performance pressure to kids’ sports to setting priorities and saying no, any mom or dad who pursues excellence both at work and at home will relate and can grab a few nuggets of wisdom from this honest conversation about hard things and what really matters. 

This one hit home for me, and I think it will do the same for you.
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/