Show Notes
Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen interviews Josh Peters of Standard Dairy Consultants about earning dairy producers’ trust without a dairy-farm background and why showing up and commitment matter. Peters shares his path from raising beef cattle, serving in the military, and working at Simplot to entering dairy nutrition, completing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees while feeding cows full time, and building long-term client relationships. He discusses early success achieving seven pounds of components, emphasizing that results come from aligning genetics, feeds, infrastructure, and management rather than simple fixes. Since moving to Idaho’s Magic Valley, he’s seen rapid facility upgrades like cross-vent barns that reduce environmental variability but expose management and labor challenges, making consistency the key competitive advantage. Peters explains using Milc Group feeding software to improve speed, accuracy, and data-driven problem identification, focusing his consulting on bottlenecks and overall profitability, and argues AI won’t replace on-farm people willing to walk cows and do the daily work. This Episode is Brought to you by the Milc Group Milc Group is a dairy software company that brings real-time, actionable data to dairy farms across the world. They are dedicated to revolutionizing the dairy industry with their user-friendly cloud-based software. ONE™ by Milc Group is our all-in-one app that brings together all the important aspects of your dairy together in one place. With products such as feed and animal management software, people training, dairy facility monitoring, and scale management, Milc Group is committed to providing producers with tools they need to succeed.
01:18 Show Up And Commit 02:29 Beef Roots To Dairy 03:56 Military Mindset 04:48 All In On Education 06:53 First Herd Breakthrough 10:22 Magic Valley Shift 15:38 Consistency Over Rations 17:49 Tech And Data Tools 19:28 Milk Group In Action 22:41 Profitability Metrics 25:52 Labor And Hidden Leaks 33:08 Peeling The Onion 36:28 AI Cant Replace People 38:34 Future Of Dairy
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What motivates someone to run 100 miles and bike another 100? For Jordan Matthews of Rosy-Lane Holsteins, the challenge was about more than endurance. It was an opportunity to raise funds for the UW Carbone Cancer Center and bring people together around a cause that matters.In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen talks with Jordan about the motivation behind his Crossing Wisconsin challenge, the personal experiences that shaped his mission, and the lessons he learned along the way.Jordan shares insights on resilience, mental health, leadership and the power of community, showing how a personal challenge can inspire others and make a difference beyond the miles.Support the UW Carbone Cancer Center: Help support the cause behind Jordan’s challenge by donating here: https://give.wiscmedicine.org/CrossingWisconsin0:00 Crossing Wisconsin: 100 Miles Running, 100 Miles Biking03:10 Honoring Loved Ones Through a Challenge04:50 From the Mississippi River to Lake Michigan06:55 How Cancer Close to Home Changed Jordan’s Perspective08:00 From a First 5K to Ultramarathons09:45 Finding a Purpose Bigger Than Yourself13:55 Bringing Friends and the Dairy Community Along17:35 Pushing Others Beyond What They Thought Possible20:35 The Connection Between Physical Activity and Mental Health34:00 Finding Clarity Away From Screens and Distractions37:00 Getting Through the Darkest Hours of the Challenge40:40 Reflecting on Loved Ones and Finding Strength43:55 Supporting Cancer Research at the UW Carbone Cancer Center45:20 Exceeding the Fundraising Goal48:45 What’s Next at Rosy-Lane Holsteins?52:45 You vs. You: Be a Little Better Than Yesterday
What does it take to prepare the next generation to lead a dairy farm before ownership officially changes hands? Peggy Coffeen visits B&B Dairy near Waupun, Wisconsin, to talk with father-son team Brent and Chase Harmsen about building trust, sharing responsibility and navigating farm succession. They discuss the evolution of their dairy, from a stanchion barn to robotic milking, along with improvements in forage quality, nutrition and calf care. Brent and Chase share lessons from a family buyout, including why communication, aligned goals and a written partnership agreement are essential. They also explain why giving the next generation room to make decisions and learn from mistakes can prepare them for future leadership. Discover how this family is building a stronger dairy business through collaboration, continuous improvement and planning ahead.This episode is brought to you by NutriQuest. The NutriQuest Dairy Nutrition Team is a group of experienced nutritionists committed to serving dairy producers by partnering with them to develop an un-biased, customized nutrition program that delivers maximum profitability, achieved through a holistic approach, engaging in all aspects that influence nutrition program success.The NutriQuest Dairy Team is committed to serving the dairy industry and delivering their customers’ consistent results with a high return.Learn more at nutriquest.com/dairy-nutrition-solutions 00:00 Succession Starts Before the Handoff 01:58 From a Stanchion Barn to Robotic Milking 02:37 Why Chase Returned to the Family Farm 03:41 Learning, Growing and Taking on Responsibility 04:19 Dividing Roles Between Cows and Business Management 05:31 Challenges with Robotic Milking and Calf Health 06:56 Improving Forage Quality and Nutrition 08:34 Homegrown Feed, Soybeans and Feed Costs 11:07 What Makes High-Quality Forage? 15:36 Building Trust Through Responsibility 17:26 Improving Calf Facilities and Management 24:03 Cow Comfort, Health and Dairy Performance 26:30 Making Decisions Together Across Generations 30:32 Planning for the Future of the Dairy 32:40 Learning the Business Side of Farm Succession 35:14 Knowing When to Let Go 37:01 Why the Next Generation Needs Room to Make Mistakes 38:56 Lessons from a Family Buyout 40:34 Aligning Goals and Communicating Through Disagreements 41:48 Why Every Farm Partnership Needs an Exit Strategy 43:47 A Nutritionist's Perspective on the Partnership 45:16 Uplevel Takeaway: Transfer Responsibility, Not Just Assets
In this final Showbox Stories Live from the Tanbark episode filmed at World Dairy Expo, Peggy Coffeen and Tim Abbott of Showbox Sires interview Katie DiGangi of Darlington Ridge Dairy about the origins and goals behind the D-Ridge prefix, her family’s growing involvement in showing, and the values she hopes to pass to her daughters Mila and Paige.
In Part 4 of Showbox Stories Live from the Tanbark at World Dairy Expo, Peggy Coffeen and Tim Abbott of Showbox Sires welcome Dr. Sheila McGuirk from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine to discuss her long involvement with the show, beginning in 1983 as a Holstein assistant and evolving into ring responsibilities and veterinary leadership. McGuirk explains the critical role of Expo veterinarians in health, welfare, safety, and preparing elite show cows for top performance, and describes bringing veterinary students to Expo for pre-unload health checks, an accredited experience that has introduced many students,often with no prior cow exposure, to dairy cattle and mentorship. She also shares the Hellenbrand Lasting Legacy Award, created after Mike Hellenbrand's passing in 2020, to support youth by awarding donated calves that are shown through Expo and sold via the World Classic Sale, with applications opening October 1 and closing January 1, 2027. For more information on this youth opportunity, visit https://hellenbrandlastinglegacy.com/ This series is brought to you by CowManager. CowManager delivers 24/7 real-time data to help producers enhance herd health, fertility and nutrition. To learn more, contact your CowManager Specialist at Select Sires or visit CowManager.com. Website: https://www.cowmanager.com/ Contact: https://www.cowmanager.com/contact/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CowManager Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cowmanagers/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cowmanager-bv/posts/?feedView=all YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/cowmanager 02:42 Dr. McGuirk's Expo Origins 04:32 Vet Team Behind Scenes 05:56 Training Show Athletes 06:55 Students Health Check Program 10:27 Mentoring Story Chicago Student 13:14 Helennbrand Legacy Award
Filmed live at World Dairy Expo for Showbox Stories: Live from the Tanbark, Peggy Coffeen and Tim Abbott welcome Clark Woodmansee and Bryan Voegeli to share unforgettable Expo memories, the influence of mentors, and the multi-generation family legacies behind Woodmansee Holsteins and Begley’s Brown Swiss, including Bryan’s family role in the Expo’s origins. They discuss why they return for competition, people, and learning, recall stories ranging from a near ring mishap to generational pride, and emphasize honesty, repeat customers, and mentorship as keys to lasting success, along with the prestige of the Klusendorf tradition. Tara Bohnert of CowManager then explains new calving alerts that monitor behavior within 14 days of due date to provide low/medium/high calving probability, helping teams manage maternity pens, intervene earlier, and support healthier cows and calves, while sharing her own Jersey show and mentor-driven dairy journey.This series is brought to you by CowManager.CowManager delivers 24/7 real-time data to help producers enhance herd health, fertility and nutrition. To learn more, contact your CowManager Specialist at Select Sires or visit CowManager.com.Website: https://www.cowmanager.com/Contact: https://www.cowmanager.com/contact/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CowManagerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/cowmanagers/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cowmanager-bv/posts/?feedView=allYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/cowmanager02:59 Meet Clark and Bryan04:11 Why Expo Matters09:14 Unforgettable Expo Moments12:08 Generations on the Farm15:57 Sales and Customer Trust22:25 Advice for Young Breeders26:07 CowManager Calving Alerts32:08 Tara Showbox Story35:04 Mentors and Legacy