TheProgressive Dairypodcast launched Oct. 1, 2019. Since then, the team has recorded 30 episodes (and counting), with more than 25,000 downloads to date.

Each of our six most popular podcasts this year have received more than 1,200 downloads.

1. Episode 12 – Tom Gallagher: DMI’s response to COVID-19

Dairy Management Inc. CEO Tom Gallagher joins Editor Walt Cooley for a discussion about how the dairy checkoff has navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. Gallagher talks about where dairy promotion may go in the future, as well as the changing landscape for fluid milk processing and promotion.

2. Episode 4 – Fred Gingrich: AABP updates production guidelines for calf dehorning

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At the beginning of 2020, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) updated its guidelines for how dehorning should be done on dairy farms. The national organization first established guidelines for this practice in 2014. One significant update in the dehorning guidelines is the recommendation for pain mitigation. Progressive Dairy Editor Walt Cooley spoke with AABP’s Executive Director Fred Gingrich, DVM, about the changes and what they mean on-farm.

3. Episode 13 – Ben Loewith: 100 pounds of milk per cow per day

Canadian dairyman Ben Loewith milks 450 cows in Ontario, Canada. He’s about two hours west of Buffalo, New York, or just a bit southwest of Toronto between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Loewith’s cows are 100-plus-pound producers.

Average isn’t something he’s interested in; the highest achievable results are more fascinating to him. Loewith likes to learn about protocols and processes that produce high performance in dairy cows more than specific cow pedigrees. He uses a “Good Book,” as he calls it, to help him understand how week-to-week changes affect the results he sees on his farm.

4. Episode 16 – Anna Hinchley: Designing her own robot barn

In this episode, we hear from 22-year-old dairy farmer Anna Hinchley. Her desire to return to her family’s dairy in Cambridge, Wisconsin, after graduating prompted her parents to move forward with expanding the herd and upgrading to automated milking. Anna has been involved in every step of the barn design process. Hear about the key features of her robot barn. She gives details on how they chose the layout and why it’s functional to meet their needs. Beyond the nuts and bolts, Anna also talks about the decision to come back to her family farm and how COVID-19 has changed the way she looks at the future of her dairy.

5. Episode 2 of 2019 – How dairyman Michael Johnson has integrated eartag activity monitoring

Minnesota dairyman Michael Johnson has been using eartag activity monitoring from CowManager for four-and-a-half years. In this episode, he talks about his experience installing the technology, his results and advice for other dairymen who may be considering similar technology. Johnson operates Trailside Holsteins in Fountain, Minnesota, and milks 600 cows.

6. Episode 19 – Featuring Jim Ostrom, Milk Source

Jim Ostrom and his partners John Vosters and Todd Willer co-founded Milk Source in 1994, as the three men united their multigenerational farming heritages to grow what started out as a 30-cow dairy owned by John’s parents in 1965 to what is now a multisite, diversified farming operation.

Milk Source operates dairies in Wisconsin, Michigan and Missouri, producing milk that is used to make cheese, butter and other dairy products. In addition, Milk Source also has a Wisconsin calf farm and a heifer-raising facility and dairy goat farm. The operation has received recognition as a leader in improving the environment and the economy, and, this year, the partners were named the 2020 Dairy Producers of the Year by World Dairy Expo, an honor that will be officially recognized at the 2021 World Dairy Expo. Ostrom serves as president and CEO of Milk Source.

Ostrom walks us through the roller-coaster year of 2020, how COVID-19 affected their enterprise and the risk management strategies Milk Source is using to position themselves to be long-term players in the game. He also digs into the need he sees for Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) reform and challenges co-ops to “add more value than sweat equity” and “earn real value” through brand building and supply chain synergy to capture extra margin. end mark

How to listen

For any device and browser, simply visit progressivedairy.com/podcasts and click the “Play” button. 
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