Our podcast is recorded at World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI. At the 55th Annual World Dairy Expo we were celebrating FFA day. We have a star-studded guest panel today to discuss the latest ideas and trends in animal nutrition. 

Jeff King is one of our guests from Kings-Ransom Farm in New York. Their operation includes registered holsteins and row crops, and they have a marketing program with registered holsteins. 

Kelly Reynolds is originally from Wisconsin but now lives in New York and works on Reyncrest Farm with her husband's family, which also has registered holsteins and row crops. 

Joey Ariosa comes from Airosa Dairy, his family’s operation in California with holsteins,  jerseys and row crops. 

When asked about philosophy, Kelly said as they have grown each person has been able to focus on their passion, which they hope trickles down to their entire team (7:52) 

Joey spoke about one of their biggest hurdles in California: regulations from the state. California has one of the highest minimum wages and requires overtime pay. So it is important to strike a balance between caring for your animals and putting their needs first, but living within the regulations the state of California requires (12:07) 

Jeff mentioned communicating with consumers is always an area for growth. A lot of consumers visit their operation and make assumptions. Spending 15 minutes chatting with that consumer and answering questions is necessary. (29:20) 

Kelly said that the global demand for dairy is real, with a growing demand for high-quality proteins. When they are making decisions about the future of their business, they keep that in mind. Our population isn’t getting smaller, and everyone has to eat. (40:35) 

Looking to the future, Joey said you have to work together to deal with your problems and fix them because basic things in life are important; clean air, clean water and safe food. In California, Airosa Dairy is trying to do its part with water management and use less water. (46:34) 

In summary, Jeff wrapped up by emphasizing you should never stop learning. The key to setting yourself up for success starts with the more you can open your horizons and learn at every turn. Look at someone who is successful and ask how did they accomplish what they are doing? (49:13) 

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