Progressive Dairy Podcast
Business & Finance
About
The Progressive Dairy podcast is for U.S. dairy producers and their industry partners. Each helpful, informative episode serves as an on-the-go companion to the reliable, trustworthy information you find when reading Progressive Dairy magazine. New episodes are released every other week on Tuesdays.
Episodes
- What it takes to raise great heifers and build a winning team culture with Jason Shamburg and Nic Schoenberger
Join host Kimmi Devaney as she chats with Jason Shamburg and Nic Schoenberger, founders and managing partners of Kansas Dairy Development (KDD), about raising dairy replacements and leading a dynamic, high-caliber team. KDD is a calf ranch…
- Dairy cow nutrition strategies in the era of supply chain disruptions (Sponsored Podcast)
Rising costs are reshaping dairy nutrition strategies as milk fat levels continue to increase across US herds. This episode examines how supply chain pressures and renewable diesel demand are influencing fat economics, while highlighting h…
- Creating pregnancies in the heat with Ben Dickman
Ben Dickman of Dickman and Sons Dairy joins host Matti McBride in this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast to discuss how he creates pregnancies in 110°F temperatures. Learn what type of cooling system Dickman implements, what reprodu…
- Integrated Fly Control: Practical Solutions for Producers (Sponsored Podcast)
Join Kenley Zuga and Gene Spellman from Central Life Sciences as they highlight how feed-through fly control can help livestock producers manage fly populations more effectively. In this podcast, they will talk about how targeting flies ea…
- How a Dairy Producer Uses Herd Data to Make Daily Decisions (Sponsored Podcast)
On this Progressive Dairy Podcast , Matt Hendel shares how herd data supports day-to-day decision-making on his dairy operation. From cow-side decisions to long-term herd management, this conversation highlights how disciplined, accurate d…
- Introducing the 2026 Nexus Innovation Award winners
This episode introduces you to the 2026 Nexus Innovation Award winners, recently recognized at the Professional Dairy Producers Business Conference. We're talking about three technologies that caught the judges' attention: a bolus administ…
- Silage: What we do matters (Sponsored Podcast)
Making good silage is an art and utilizing technologies can help us improve the process to deliver consistent feed to our animals. This episode is sponsored by Novonesis .
- Digesters, genetics and why they started up the dairy again with George Dick from Dicklands Farm and Dicklands Biogas
Join host Kimmi Devaney and dairyman George Dick from Dicklands Farm and Dicklands Biogas in Chilliwack, British Columbia, for a conversation about building and managing a digester, their genetics strategy and the evolution of their facili…
- Recent Research from Simplot Animal Sciences and Texas Tech University Helps to Maximize Beef-on-Dairy Calf Value (Sponsored Podcast)
Join us to explore how targeted beef-on-dairy breeding decisions can address key dairy farm challenges, including calf value optimization and breeding efficiency. Jeremy Howard, senior sales and marketing manager for Simplot Animal Science…
- Feeding colostrum with Michael Steele
Michael Steele of the University of Guelph discusses the critical process of feeding colostrum on dairy farms with host Matti McBride. The episode covers passive immunity, feeding colostrum and transition milk past day one, overfeeding, co…
- Protecting your dairy amid rising insurance costs (Sponsored Podcast)
Dan Rice, Senior Dairy Consultant at Nationwide, discusses the challenges of rising insurance costs for dairy farms. The episode covers reasons for increased premiums, the risks of underinsuring, and offers advice on managing coverage and…
- Optimizing energy and productivity during busy seasons with Leslie Bonci
Registered dietitian Leslie Bonci joins the Progressive Dairy Podcast to discuss strategies for maintaining energy and productivity during busy farming seasons. The discussion covers nutrition, healthy habits, stress management, and sleep…
- Controlling What You Can: Feed, Forage and Efficiency in a Tough Milk Market (Sponsored Podcast)
This sponsored episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast discusses managing feed costs and efficiency in a challenging milk market. Joined by Daryl Kleinschmit of Zinpro, the conversation covers efficiency opportunities, the importance of f…
- Ryan Dennis: Dairy dads, disappearing farms and the story he didn't tell
Ryan Dennis, author of "Barn Gothic," shares insights from his memoir about his family dairy farm, focusing on his father's influence and the struggles of the agricultural industry. The discussion covers father-son relationships in farming…
- Farm Safety Essentials: Safety training and audits with Joe Buschor from Agri-Services Agency (Sponsored Podcast)
This episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast features host Mike Opperman interviewing Joe Buschor about dairy farm safety. They cover safety audits, common hazards, employee training, and OSHA inspections, with specific segments on parlor…
- Whole Milk’s Comeback: What Checkoff-Led Science Reveals (Sponsored Podcast)
Dr. Chris Cifelli of Dairy Management Inc. shares insights from over 80 studies on whole milk, cheese, and yogurt, indicating benefits for childhood growth, reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, and heart health due to dairy fat components like…
- Using herd management software with producer Steve Harnish
Host Matti McBride talks with Pennsylvania dairy farmer Steve Harnish about his use of herd management software. They discuss specific reports Harnish values and how he utilizes them to manage his dairy herd, covering topics from system op…
- Advancing Fresh Cow Monitoring to Improve Transition Cow Outcomes (Sponsored Podcast)
This episode features Jade Lomax discussing a research-backed method for evaluating transition cow performance using extensive lactation records and cow-level data. The conversation explores how comparing actual versus predicted milk yield…
- The Missing Piece in Transition Cow Nutrition (Sponsored Podcast)
Dr. Dana Tomlinson joins the Progressive Dairy Podcast to discuss the transition period in dairy cow nutrition. The episode, sponsored by Zinpro, highlights Zinpro's nutritional solutions, such as IsoFerm, which aims to enhance rumen funct…
- The marathon of genetics with John Cole
John Cole, chief research and development officer at the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB), discusses the calculation and application of genetic indexes in dairy herds, including tools from the CDCB and strategies for genetic plannin…
- Building Safer Farms: A Conversation with Ashley Nadeau from Agri‑Services Agency (Sponsored Podcast)
Host Mike Opperman speaks with Ashley Nadeau of Agri-Services Agency about significant risks on dairy farms, including machinery, confined spaces, chemical hazards, and animal handling. They highlight how complacency can be a farm's greate…
- Nick Vande Weerd: Pleasant Dutch Dairy
Nick Vande Weerd, vice chair for AgriBank and operator of Pleasant Dutch Dairy, emphasizes that expansion cannot solve cost issues. He details his approach to cost scrutiny, increasing beef-on-dairy revenue, and the importance of technolog…
- Anton Borst: Halarda Farms
Anton Borst, owner of Halarda Farms, shares insights with Matti McBride about the farm's dairy operations, including the use of robotic milking parlors, succession planning, and strategic investments in technology. The discussion covers th…
- Amino Acids, Reproduction and Beef Calves: Feeding for Two Revenue Streams (Sponsored Podcast)
Reproductive success is now central to both milk and beef calf revenue in progressive dairy herds. The episode explores how methionine, lysine, and histidine drive fertility and calf health, making amino acid balancing a critical strategy…
- Paul Windemuller: Solar energy, artificial intelligence and managing data
Michigan dairy producer Paul Windemuller joins host Kimmi Devaney to chat about how his family economically started their dairy farm in 2013, the evolution their dairy facilities and the addition of solar panels, the role of artificial int…
- Building the Connection Between Quality Milk and Forage Analysis (Sponsored Podcast)
In this Progressive Dairy Podcast , guests from Dairy One discuss how forage testing can impact overall milk quality in herds. Speakers Dan Button, Mike Reuter, and Kenlin Martin have a roundtable-style discussion on what impact they’ve se…
- Best of 2025
Join Progressive Dairy Podcast co-hosts Kimmi Devaney, Walt Cooley and Matti McBride as they highlight some of their favorite articles and podcast episodes from 2025 and discuss Progressive Publishing’s new artificial intelligence (AI) pol…
- The Dairy Difference: Advocating for Better School Meals With Smart Swaps (Sponsored Podcast)
DMI’s Katie Bambacht, Vice President of Nutrition Affairs at the National Dairy Council, speaks with DMI’s Scott Wallin about how the checkoff is working directly with schools to improve school lunches (with dairy being front and center) b…
- Inside the Milking Point: Expert Insights on Liner Selection, Mastitis Prevention and Optimal Milking Performance (Sponsored Podcast)
David Kerr, milkrite | InterPuls (MI) Regional Sales Manager, shares insights on Impulse Air liner technology, proper milking equipment setup, mastitis prevention strategies, and MI comprehensive Farm Services Programs supporting dairy pro…
- Jim Van Patter: Decades of experience dairying around the world
Jim Van Patter has managed large dairy herds from Wisconsin to Turkey to Australia to Mississippi and back again. He's now the dairy manager at Nehls Brothers Farm near Juneau, Wisconsin, and he's brought home some hard-won lessons about w…
- The Modern Dairy Cow: Rapid Genetic Change and Its Impact on Amino Acid Nutrition (Sponsored Podcast)
Genetic advances in Holstein cows are reshaping milk composition, demanding more precise nutritional strategies. This episode highlights how the CNCPS v7.0 model and targeted amino acid supplementation can optimize milk solids and herd eff…
- Targeted Reproductive Management – Explained (Sponsored Podcast)
What is Targeted Reproductive Management (TRM)? And why should producers care about this new approach to dairy reproduction? Listen in to this Progressive Dairy sponsorcast as a team of reproductive health experts and enthusiasts evaluate…
- Community outreach, ice cream production and selling directly to consumers with Lolly Lesher
Pennsylvania dairywoman Lolly Lesher from Way-Har Farms joins host Kimmi Devaney on this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast to discuss on-farm processing, selling directly to consumers through their farm market and other retail avenu…
- Making Health Insurance Simple: What You Need to Know to Choose the Right Coverage with Confidence (Sponsored Podcast)
As a dairy farmer, understanding health insurance options is key to protecting your family, employees, and business. This session explores current market trends and key considerations when evaluating insurance coverage options. Here is a b…
- Dave Saunders: Getting ready for the global financial reset
This episode's guest is Dave Saunders. Dave has spent years in business development and ag technology — many might remember his work helping create My Dairy Dashboard, the analytics tool that helps farmers track and improve performance. No…
- Large Farm Roundtable with Lely (Sponsored Podcast)
Hear how large-herd producers scaled with Lely automation at a roundtable that was held live at Miltrim Farms in Athens, Wisconsin. Listen to three large-herd producers share best practices, real-world ROI, barn design and labor efficiency…
- Dairy farm profitability with Brad Guse
Brad Guse from BMO returns to the Progressive Dairy Podcast to discuss various financial topics ranging from the key aspects of a risk management plan to economics of diversification, profitability strategies, what to expect from interest…
- Whole Milk’s Comeback: What Checkoff-Led Science Reveals (Sponsored Podcast)
Discover the latest milk fat research on whole milk and dairy foods. DMI’s Dr. Chris Cifelli, Senior Vice President of Nutrition Research at National Dairy Council, speaks with DMI’s Scott Wallin about how the checkoff is expanding the bod…
- Beef-on-Dairy: Current Market Trends and Insights (Sponsored Podcast)
Join Jeremy Howard, Senior Sales and Marketing Manager at Simplot Animal Sciences, and Lauren Kimble, Manager of the Select Sires ProfitSOURCE program as the discuss the current beef on dairy market and implications for dairy producers. Th…
- Maureen Lemos: Connecting with consumers through farm tours, children’s books and a milk drive
Tune into this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast to hear from California dairy farmer Maureen Lemos as she chats with host Kimmi Devaney about her family’s milk drive, the two children’s books she wrote, farm tours, farmers markets…
- Take control of your dairy’s biggest expense – Char Handschke and Melissa Freitas, VAS (Sponsored Podcast)
Feed is the single largest expense on any dairy, and how it's managed can make or break both cow performance and your bottom line. In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast , host Frederic sits down with VAS farm performance consult…
- Stress management and setting rural youth up for success with Michele Payn
In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast , host Kimmi Devaney and Michele Payn discuss how parents, 4-H leaders and other adults can set a good example of stress management, the current state of mental health in agriculture and how…
- Dairy feed additives: How to hit precise targets in gut health (Sponsored Podcast)
Are dairy producers getting everything they can from their prebiotic and probiotic feed additives? The historical approach might be letting valuable ingredients go to waste. In this episode, the Papillon Agricultural Company team discuss h…
- Management and Nutrition Interventions to Improve Uterine Involution (Sponsored Podcast)
In this episode, Dr. Doug Waterman from Virtus Nutrition explains how management and nutritional strategies influence uterine involution and overall reproductive success in dairy cows. He discusses key factors like inflammation control, ca…
- Gail Carpenter: You can’t outfeed bad management
In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast , Gail Carpenter, who is an assistant professor and state dairy specialist at Iowa State University, and host Kimmi Devaney discuss a variety of topics ranging from dairy nutrition, reproduc…
- Instant Milk Cooling with PROChiller Systems (Sponsored Podcast)
CEO Jim VanderGiessen, Jr. shares how cooling milk became a career and how dairy farmers are using PROChillers to instantly cool milk and heat water to 180°F. This episode is sponsored by Pro Refrigeration .
- The Future of Milk: Innovation and Consumer Trends Reshaping Consumption (Sponsored Podcast)
DMI’s Anne Marie Splitstone, EVP for Growth Platforms and Partnerships, and Silvia Robles, VP for Growth Platforms and Partnerships, speak with DMI’s Scott Wallin about the evolution of fluid milk innovation since 2015, emphasizing consume…
- Robotic milking with dairyman Jacob Twohey
In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast , host Walt Cooley is joined by Jacob Twohey of Twohey Dairy. Like 95% of farms in Olmsted County where they dairy, their farm is family-owned, and Jacob represents the next generation takin…
- Bonus episode: What is the Real Producer Exchange?
Introducing the Real Producer Exchange – a new, interactive experience where we go live, face-to-face with producers who are tackling the same challenges you face every day. It's your chance to get real answers from real producers and walk…