In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast's Young Leader Series, co-host Kiley Pagel leads a conversation with Emily McGowty from 2020 Consulting. Emily transitioned from an equine background to the dairy industry, where she focuses on financial consulting and building trust with dairy farm clients. The conversatio covers Emily's journey, the importance of trust and flexibility in her role in the finance sector, and the mentorship and support she has received along the way. You will also hear...
Dec 24, 2024•22 min•Season 2Ep. 184
In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy podcast, Peggy Coffeen is back for a monthly market update with Curtis Bosma from HighGround Dairy. This month they discuss the current state of dairy markets, including price volatility and the impacts of political headlines such as the bird flu on milk production in states like California versus expansion in others. Curtis highlights butter and cheese markets' dynamics, touching on trends in butterfat production and export opportunities for cheese due to pr...
Dec 19, 2024•26 min•Season 2Ep. 183
Ted Jacoby III, CEO of TC Jacoby Inc., is back to talk about what he has learned over the past 35 years as the third-generation at the helm of his family’s St. Louis-based dairy marketing business. In this episode, Ted shares his experiences as a leader of the family dairy business, including: Succession Culture Leadership Communication Hear more from Ted Jacoby on Ep. 182: https://pod.link/1687111792/episode/8033bc3f933b282b83e7961d4c11eefb...
Dec 17, 2024•31 min•Season 2Ep. 175
Today we venture into the middle ground of what happens to milk when it leaves your dairy and before it lands on a restaurant table or store shelf. And who better to share these insights than the third-generation leader of St. Louis-based dairy marketing company T.C. Jacoby, Ted Jacoby, III. Ted discusses the significant milestones in dairy marketing over his 35 years in the business, from the advent of refrigerated bulk tanks post-WWII to the skyrocketing international demand for U.S. dairy pro...
Dec 12, 2024•59 min•Season 2Ep. 181
One thing I love about the dairy industry is that we are always looking for ways to improve on what we are already doing… And the McCartys are no different. In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, we are heading back to McCarty Family Farms to explore the significant role of genetic advancements in their dairy operations. Ken McCarty shares insights on how the partnership with Zoetis and the use of genetic evaluations from Zoetis Clarifide Plus have helped the farm enhance productivity, su...
Dec 10, 2024•24 min•Season 2Ep. 180
Why do family farm transition plans stall before they are completed? Today, we uncover two root reasons that hold families back from taking the next step with attorney Will McKinley, president of Menn Law in Appleton, Wisconsin. Will, who grew up on the farm fields of Illinois, has been spending his time in the field with well-known agriculture attorney George Twohig since the principal office of Twohig Rietbrock Schneider Halbach S.C. affiliated with Menn Law last year. Today, Will shares stori...
Dec 05, 2024•41 min•Season 2Ep. 179
Tommy Oesch from Swiss Lane Farms in Michigan is back with us today, and we are going to hear about a transition he has personally made in the past 6 months. The transition from operations manager to full-time visionary for Swiss Lane Farms. And find out how that original vision has scaled from 7,000 cows to a 10,000 cow business model by 2032, and how Swiss Lane plans to get there. Listen to past episodes with Tommy Oesch here: Ep 35 | https://pod.link/1687111792/episode/4289e434864d0a31682ebb...
Dec 03, 2024•45 min•Season 2Ep. 178
In this special 3-part series, we are bringing you the Tanbark Talk held at World Dairy Expo, where we delved into the complexities of transitioning a farm to the next generation. Part 3: This discussion includes: Detailed Operating and Buy-Sell Agreements Addressing Housing Policies Compensation and Roles in Family Farms Involving Spouses and Significant Others Bringing in Non-Family Members Meet the Panelists: · Dennis, Jeni & Alan Oechscner , Oechsner Farms: This seventh-generation dairy ...
Nov 28, 2024•33 min•Season 2Ep. 177
In this special 3-part series, we are bringing you the Tanbark Talk held at World Dairy Expo, where we delved into the complexities of transitioning a farm to the next generation. Part 2: This discussion includes: Buying out the senior generation while bringing in the junior generation Tax strategies Business planning Meet the Panelists: · Dennis, Jeni & Alan Oechscner , Oechsner Farms: This seventh-generation dairy farm is currently navigating a 10-year ownership transition plan. The Oechsn...
Nov 27, 2024•30 min•Season 2Ep. 176
In this special 3-part series, we are bringing you the Tanbark Talk held at World Dairy Expo, where we delved into the complexities of transitioning a farm to the next generation. Part 1: This discussion includes: How and why the Oechscners started their 10-year plan to transition their farm to the seventh generation Building a transition team Defining roles in the business Assessing financial feasibility Meet the Panelists: Dennis, Jeni & Alan Oechscner , Oechsner Farms: This seventh-genera...
Nov 26, 2024•55 min•Season 2Ep. 175
The good, the bad and the uncertain. That’s what you will be hearing about in the November monthly market update from Curtis Bosma with HighGround Dairy, and we also bring you an update on the Federal Milk Marketing Order with HighGround’s Alex Gambonini - what has happened, what the final decision means and where we go from here. Grab your November Market Report here: https://marketing.highgrounddairy.com/producer-market-update-november-2024 . This episode is brought to you by: HighGround Dairy...
Nov 21, 2024•29 min•Season 2Ep. 174
Are you looking for ways to up your management skill set, better understand your team members and what motivates them, and better understand yourself? In this episode, Dustin Wirt, site manager for Silver Streak’s dairy in Cottonwood, Minnesota. Cottonwood Dairy is the first stop for first-lactation cows that calve in Kansas and then make their way to Minnesota. Dustin, who has a background as a dairy herd analyst and repro consultant, cut his teeth managing dairies in Kansas, South Dakota and C...
Nov 19, 2024•41 min•Season 2Ep. 173
When their bank laid out the challenge to McCarty Family Farms to become a price maker, not a price taker, the McCartys were determined to find a way to market their milk differently. Two years later, the family came back with a plan to expand their dairy, build an on-site milk condensing plant and enter into a direct marketing agreement with Danone. The eldest of the four McCarty brothers, Mike, shares the story of leaving their century farm in Pennsylvania nearly 25 years ago for a bare ground...
Nov 14, 2024•27 min•Season 2Ep. 172
In this episode, Jordan Matthews from Rosy-Lane Holsteins shares how his brother's battle with stage four colon cancer motivated him to take on ultra-endurance running to support cancer research. He highlights the mindset, discipline, and structure required for managing a dairy farm and pushing personal limits to optimize his time, his health and his influence on those around him. Jordan's upcoming fundraising run, 'A Day in the Park,' aims to support the Carbone Cancer Center by running for 13 ...
Nov 12, 2024•58 min•Season 2Ep. 171
In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen and guest Susan Heim discuss pivotal steps to elevate your dairy farm into a professional business through strategic branding. Peggy and Susan outline five key steps to create and sustain a brand that resonates with your employees, community, and consumers. With real-life examples from local farms like the Eberts and Pagel's Ponderosa, they illustrate how effective branding fosters community engagement, employee loyalty, and an impactfu...
Nov 07, 2024•31 min
I can't believe it's been two years since hitting "publish" on my very first episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast. I'm resharing that very podcast with you today, so enjoy! Jared Dueppengiesser has worked his way up through the Milk Source organization, from a herdsman to now manager of Rosendale Dairy. He leads a team of 52 employees on one of Wisconsin’s largest dairies. In this podcast, Jared shares how he took on the challenge of upleveling the culture of this dairy to be a place where peopl...
Nov 05, 2024•34 min•Season 2Ep. 169
Join me on a journey today as a Dutch dairyman shares his story of starting out with 34 cows on a rented farm in Germany and building from scratch what is a 1,600-cow dairy farm today in Indiana. Tony Golstine from Union-Go Dairy has faced extreme challenges with fierce determination and a “never give up” attitude, and you are about to find out why … even through times of financial hardship and fighting cancer … he continues to say he is the happiest guy in the world And hear why he believes inv...
Oct 29, 2024•35 min•Season 2Ep. 168
In this episode, Curtis Bosma from HighGround Dairy shares an update on the bird flu from California’s dairy-dense Central Valley, and distills these market movements: Huge Crops Keeping Feed Costs Lower Cheese Exports Holding Steady Butter Prices Slip Grab your Monthly Market Update Here: https://www.highgrounddairy.com/october-2024-dairy-producer-market-update/ This episode is brought to you by: HighGround Dairy provides global dairy market intelligence, insurance services, futures & optio...
Oct 24, 2024•17 min•Season 2Ep. 167
From World Dairy Expo 2024: If you missed this session live, get up to speed now on H5N1 as we hear from Dr. Jason Lombard from Colorado State University, who has been studying this virus since its early findings, Dr. Keith Poulson from the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, Miquela Hanselman, who leads the FARM program’s Biosecurity efforts and dairy producers Brent Wilson from Michigan who opens up on how H5N1 impacted his herd and what others can learn from this experience, alongside Califo...
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Season 2Ep. 166
We gathered around the Showbox Sires showbox at World Dairy Expo to share with you stories from some of the most notable and influential people in the dairy cattle show business. In this episode, Peggy Coffeen and Tim Abbott sit down with Jim Ostrom and John Vosters from Milk Source to hear about their show ring memories, as well as their story of building a multi-site dairy, dairy goat and cheese business. Then, Steve Briggs from Brigeen Farms talks about the best mentors he has had in his life...
Oct 17, 2024•40 min•Season 2Ep. 165
We gathered around the Showbox Sires showbox at World Dairy Expo to share with you stories from some of the most notable and influential people in the dairy cattle show business. In this episode, Peggy Coffeen and Tim Abbott sit down with Tom Morris and Ernie Kueffner, as they recount the early days of World Dairy Expo, the cows they will never forget and the stories that have stayed locked away inside their showboxes for years. And this is only Part 1! Join us on the next episode to hear from t...
Oct 15, 2024•32 min•Season 2Ep. 164
Nearly 25 years ago, the McCarty family picked up from Pennsylvania and planted new roots in northwest Kansas. Now a multi-site dairy business, the most recent addition to McCarty Family Farms includes two adjoining 5,000-cow facilities. Clay McCarty talks about the technologies he believes will take this operation 25 years into the future. Clay delves into the strategic decisions that have shaped this family business, from adopting dairy management software solutions by Milc Group to optimizing...
Oct 10, 2024•24 min•Season 2Ep. 163
In this episode, we bring you our panel and session from the National Dairy Shrine’s Young Professionals Luncheon at World Dairy Expo, held on Sept. 30, 2024. This panel includes three individuals who will share their personal career journeys, from when they were once college students themselves to the roles in which they serve the dairy industry today: Panelists: Rachel (Coyne) Kurth – MILC Group Jared Dueppengiesser-Acepsis Nick Randle - Zoetis Learn how to build your own professional network,...
Oct 08, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Season 2Ep. 162
Today we are catching up with a member of Team USA - the 2x Olympian who just placed 8th in the women’s 1500 m at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, France. Olympic runner isn’t her only title. She is also a dairy farmer, alongside her husband Jamie, and his family at Pleasant Valley Farms in Vermont, where they are raising their little farm boy, Ivan. We’re catching up with Elle Purrier St. Pierre on setting records after becoming a mom, her most unforgettable moments from Paris, and life after th...
Oct 03, 2024•47 min•Season 2Ep. 161
In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy podcast, host Peggy Coffeen sits down with Chris Szydel, the Herd Manager at Pagel's Ponderosa Dairy. Chris shares his journey and insights into how advanced technologies are revolutionizing dairy farming. From automated systems to track cow health and performance to integration tools that streamline operations, the episode delves into how these technologies are not only improving cow care but also enhancing efficiency and profitability. The conversation cove...
Oct 01, 2024•27 min•Season 2Ep. 160
Welcome to the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, hosted by Peggy Coffeen. In this insightful episode, Peggy visits Woldt Family Farms in Brillion, Wisconsin, as they prepare for their virtual farm tour at the World Dairy Expo. Joining her is Pauly Paul from Complete Management Consulting, who shares his expertise on how he helped take Woldt Family Farms from good to great. In this episode, you will hear about the transformative changes implemented at Woldt Family Farms. Pauly discusses how his team managed...
Sep 26, 2024•22 min•Season 2Ep. 159
If you are heading to the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, next week, I want to invite you to a few Uplevel Dairy LIVE events! For a little sneak peek behind the scenes of this and more at WDE, make sure to follow UPlevel Dairy on FB or IG to see my stories! Here's a complete rundown of all the must-attend sessions and panels we're hosting: National Dairy Shrine Young Professionals Luncheon Monday, Sept. 30 Join me as I chat with Nick Randle, Rachel (Coyne) Kurth, and Jared Duppengiesser ...
Sep 24, 2024•4 min•Season 2Ep. 158
In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, host Peggy Coffeen dives into the current landscape of dairy markets with Curtis Bosma from HighGround Dairy. The episode starts by giving listeners an overview of recent trends in dairy futures, including notable gains in Class III and Class IV prices and the implications for dairy producers. Curtis shares insights on the influence of managed money in the commodity markets and what this indicates about future market movements.Throughout the episode,...
Sep 19, 2024•15 min•Season 2Ep. 157
World Dairy Expo Sneak Peak! This episode is a preview of the Tanbark Talk, “Securing the Future: A candid conversation about dairy farm transition planning”, coming up Oct. 1, 9-11 a.m. Sponsored by Compeer Financial, you can join us live in the Tanbark, or join us through the virtual live stream, to hear from the Oeschner family, as well as Steve Schweoer from Compeer and Jared Holt from Ascent Financial. Business consultant Jared Holt joins us today to share stories and strategies from the fi...
Sep 17, 2024•27 min•Season 2Ep. 156
If you are wondering how proposed changes to the Federal Milk Marketing Order could impact your milk check, or perhaps you have asked yourself, would we be better off without a federal order system altogether? Well, today we are taking an in-depth look at making allowances, component changes, and the logistical and financial implications of these recommendations. Our guest today is Sara Dorland. As managing partner with Ceres Risk Management, she joins us to share her insights on the Federal Mil...
Sep 12, 2024•29 min
