Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy podcast, host Peggy Coffeen sits down with Lexie Nunes, a dynamic young professional in the dairy industry, for the Young Leaders series. Lexie shares her journey from her beginnings on a family dairy farm in Central California to her role as a Customer Support Specialist at Milc Group. Lexie’s story began as a reluctant participant in dairy judging, pushed by her mother, which eventually led to her becoming an All-American dairy judge at World Dairy Expo. Throughout her career, Lexie has gathered extensive experience from working in hands-on roles at ST Genetics to now supporting dairy producers with advanced herd management systems.

Lexie recounts her adventures that have taken her from California to Ohio, then Texas, and back, noting how dairy judging opened doors to various opportunities. She emphasizes the importance of communication skills developed through judging and the invaluable experiences she gained during her collegiate and professional life. Lexie also highlights the major challenges she faced, particularly the intimidation of entering the dairy industry as a young professional and the importance of seeking help and staying open to growth. This episode offers rich insights into the career of a young professional making significant contributions to the dairy industry.

Are you a young professional or college student who is looking to make connections and hear stories of others and their paths to successful careers in dairy? If so, I have a special invitation for you:

Join me at World Dairy Expo in Madison WI on Monday, Sept 30 for the National Dairy Shrine and Young Professionals Luncheon and Career Connection to hear a panel of three young professionals who will share their experiences and how you can prepare for your next steps in the dairy industry. This panel features Rachel Kurth, MILC Group, Jared Dueppengiesser, Acepsis and Nick Randle, Zoetis. 

Reserve your spot here:

https://forms.gle/nrvTQDpn91my6Vgb6

We catch up with Young Leader Brianna Meyer at Siemers Holsteins in Newton, Wis., just days after completing her summer internship at this newly built facility.

Back in Ep. 123 of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, we visited with California dairyman Steve Shehadey, as he shared the innovations in renewable energy and sustainability that have earned Bar 20 Dairy in the San Joaquin Valley the 2023 Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year award and positioned this family business for the future. 

Well, today, we are going to meet the future of Bar 20: Steve’s daughter, Bonney - who represents the fourth generation of this family business, and who plans to make her own mark in the dairy sustainability arena.

How did this young leader, who actually didn’t grow up, right on the dairy, take it upon herself to learn the ground-level work, from milking to backing up a mixer wagon?

How did being an athlete with asthma impact her own views on air quality and her dedication to sustainability?

And how does this fresh Cal Poly graduate view the dairy industry and her own future? 

Find out on this episode today!

Listen to Bonney’s father, Steve Shehadey, talk about pioneering the energy sector, including Bar 20’s partnership with BMW North America and California Bioenergy:

Listen to Episode 123 here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Dvmr2AmPd14Wb1aTOvLvX?si=48guRZP1S5OwQT1sqh60Cw

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Meet Young Leader Ytsje Andringa, a driven woman whose path seems to always lead her back to the driver’s seat of a silage truck.
Ytsje shares how she shifted her career course from health care to follow her heart back to her family dairy farm, Sunrise Dairy in Clear Lake, South Dakota.
She’s the daughter of Dutch immigrants, oldest of 6 and a mother to 3.
This Young Leader will blow you away with her determination to do hard things and go after her dairy farming dreams every single day.
In this episode, hear about:

Meet the 28-year-old from Belgium who has embarked on a hands-on dairy farming journey around the globe.

Laurens Rutten challenged himself to dive into dairy on three continents, starting on a commercial grass-based dairy in New Zealand, then the world’s largest robotic dairy in Chile, and we catch up with him today on the third leg of his journey at Sunnyside Farms in New York. 

Laurens reveals the two critical questions he asked himself that spurred this adventure, and the lessons he is learning along the way, and leaves us with some solid takeaways on blazing your own trail, defining your future, and taking bold action.

The Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast is THE podcast series for producers and professionals in the first 5 years of their dairy careers. Find it on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, as well as its own platform, Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Join the Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/792440762650346/

On this Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast, I’m turning the mic over to a trio of up-and-comers in dairy industry communications to interview three Dairy Challenge alumni who shared their experiences on a panel at the Midwest Dairy Challenge held in Green Bay, Wis., in February.

Social media interns interview Dairy Challenge alumni:

Learn more about the Dairy Challenge: https://www.dairychallenge.org/

The Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast is THE podcast series for producers and professionals in the first 5 years of their dairy careers. Find it on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, as well as its own platform, Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Join the Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/792440762650346/

She manages 15 employees, 1,200 baby calves and 700 maternity cows … and she’s just 24 years old.

Our Uplevel Dairy Young Leader today is Madison Busse, Calf and Maternity Manager for Minnesota-based United Dairies. 

The Ohio native didn’t grow up on a dairy but learned to love it, and while her path was originally to become a large animal veterinarian, an internship with a calf raiser prompted a change of heart and change of direction that led her to Alexandria, Minnesota, to a position where she can’t wait to get out of bed every day … the perfect combination of being hands-on with calves and cows, working with people and being part of a culture that supports her in being successful as a young manager at United Dairies.

Find out how she is forging her path in a field that some people actually discouraged her from pursuing and why she loves giving baby calves and cows a chance to thrive,  with Madison Busse.

The Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast is the special podcast series for producers and professionals in the first 5 years of their dairy careers. Find it on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, as well as its own platform, Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Join the Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/792440762650346/

And our featured Young Leader today is Emily Shaw Schaapmann, also known as the Dairy Girl Fitness, shares the career journey that led her to starting her own business. 

Describing her initial struggles finding her place in the dairy industry and experiencing career frustration, Emily discusses how she channeled her passions for health, fitness, and dairy promotion into establishing Dairy Girl Fitness. Five years later, this business has helped more than 500 women reach their health goals and includes a team of four coaches. 

Follow Emily Shaw Schaapman on Social

The Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast is the special podcast series for producers and professionals in the first 5 years of their dairy careers. Find it on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, as well as its own platform, Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Join the Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/792440762650346/

If you are passionate about sharing dairy’s story with consumers and want to know how to turn that into a career, keep listening to hear how Allison Ryan has done just that.

As the marketing and communications director for MVP Dairy and McCarty Family Farms, she has brought the vision to life for an on-farm dairy learning center in Salina, Ohio, and will soon be cutting the ribbon on a second, interactive learning center near Rexford, Kansas. 

And she’s joining us today to talk about the opportunities for young professionals who want to make their passion their career, right here on the UPlevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast.

The Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast is the special podcast series for producers and professionals in the first 5 years of their dairy careers. Find it on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, as well as its own platform, Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Join the Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Facebook Group: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/792440762650346/⁠

Learn more about career opportunities and internships with McCarty Family Farms and MVP Dairy:

Contact Allison Ryan: [email protected]

Visit: ⁠https://www.mccartyfamilyfarms.com/nowhiring⁠

Follow McCarty Family Farms

 Follow MVP Dairy

And our featured Young Leader today is as dedicated to dairy as they come, Alex Gambonini. Raised on an organic California dairy farm, Alex not only grew up showing cattle and competing in dairy quiz bowl, but she also loved digging into numbers and economics. Today, her passions combined, she is the senior manager of advisory services for HighGround Dairy.

Hear how Alex:

Enjoy this conversation with our UD Young Leader, Alex Gambonini.

The Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Podcast is the special podcast series for producers and professionals in the first 5 years of their dairy careers. Find it on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, as well as its own platform, Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Join the Uplevel Dairy Young Leaders Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/792440762650346/