Here we want to discuss all thing dairy farming. From calf to cow and everything in between. Each episode we will interview a new specialist, to bring information in their specific field.
Today, I'm joined by Dr. Heather Dann, President of the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute in Chazy, NY. With over two decades at Miner Institute, Dr. Dann has led groundbreaking research in dairy nutrition, herd management, environmental impact, and animal welfare. In this episode, we dive deep into the transition period in dairy cows — a critical window that can make or break herd performance. Dr. Dann shares her insights on how managing this period effectively can boost productivity, animal health, and overall farm sustainability. It was a fascinating and informative conversation! I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast! If you have any questions about this episode or future ones, feel free to reach out:
On this episode of the DFD podcast, I have the pleasure of talking to Dr. Barry Bradford from Michigan State University. Dr. Bradford is a Professor, Researcher, and Extension specialist in the Department of Animal Science at MSU where he has a longstanding interest in data analysis and its use in making decisions that impact dairy farms on a daily basis. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on X @keithschweitzer
This month's episode of the podcast features a conversation I had with Dr. Christine Baes, a Professor and Acting Associate Dean of External Relations at the University of Guelph. She is also the Canadian Research Chair in Livestock Genomics at the same university. Dr. Baes is active in teaching University students, but her main focus is research. Some of the areas she researches include GHG emissions, feed efficiency and genetic trait selection in dairy animals. We had a great time talking about DNA structure, methane emissions, and feed efficiency. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on X @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the DFD, I had the opportunity to talk to Dr. Adam Lock. Dr. Lock is a Professor and researcher at Michigan State University in the department of Animal Science. Adam has spent his career researching and teaching students about fatty acid digestion and the metabolism of the dairy cow, along with the effect of bioactive fatty acids on animal production and human health. Dr. Lock and I had a great discussion about this topic, with the main theme being that not all fats are created equal. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on X @keithschweitzer
Dr. Mike Steele is a professor and researcher in the Department of Animal Bio-Science at the University of Guelph. He is world-renowned for his work with young ruminants. In this episode, we discuss some of the experiments that his lab is currently conducting, as well as some of his past research and how it can be applied to today's dairy operations. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on X @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the DFD podcast, I have the pleasure of talking to Mark Carson, the Solutions Operation Manager at Semex. Mark and I have a great discussion about how genetics and data are influencing the dairy industry today and some trends that we will be seeing in the future. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on X @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the DFD, I had the pleasure to talk to Joanne Fallis from Fallis Immigration Consulting. Joanne specializes in supporting and helping farmers in Canada steer through the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program. Labour is the number one concern in the Agriculture industry. Joanne and I cover lots of great topics related to navigating the rules and regulations involved in the TFW system. If you would like more information regarding Joanne's business or need help with the TFW program feel free to reach out to her at fallisimmigration@gmail.com or 1 (226) 929-2907 I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on X @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the DFD, I have the pleasure of talking to Dr. Luiz Ferraretto. Dr. Ferraretto is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in Ruminant nutrition and Research at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. The 2024 Corn Silage season is upon us and it has been a trying season for growers and producers. Dr. Ferraretto and I have a great conversation about dealing with the challenges the 24 season has presented to us, and how what we do at harvest can and will impact the crop throughout the next year. Luiz has a plethora of knowledge and experience when it comes to making the highest quality silages for our ruminant herds and it was great of him to share some of those with us. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on X @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the DFD podcast, I have the pleasure of talking to Trent Westhoff. Trent is currently conducting research at Cornell University and will soon be defending his dissertation to earn his PhD. Trent and I have a fascinating conversation about colostrum, and why we sometimes see reduction in volume as well as a research paper that he worked on focused on pre-fresh and post-fresh nutrition. Trent is an up and coming researcher in the dairy world, and I'm sure we are going to hear a lot more about his cutting edge work in the future. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on X @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the DFD podcast, I had the pleasure of talking to Tom Kilcer from Advanced Ag Systems and one of the pioneers in the photosynthetic forage wilting process more commonly known as "Hay in a day" We have a great conversations about best management practices for this years forage crops with special attention paid to Winter Cereals and hay. We also talk about a novel crop that he's been working with in Tennessee. Tom has been doing work around making the best possible forages for ruminant producers for almost 50 years and brings a vast knowledge to primary producers all over North America. If you want to learn more about Tom and his research, have a look at his website. https://advancedagsys.com/ I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on X @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the DFD podcast, I have the pleasure of talking to Nick Thurler. Nick is the President of Green Energy Trading Corporation (GET-Corp). GET-Corp offers a viable avenue for dairy farmers to positively impact their sustainability efforts through the conversion of on-farm organic wastes to renewable natural gas (RNG), while creating nutrient dense fertilizer and providing revenue streams for dairy farms. The RNG generated from the digesters is sold to the market. Nick and I have a great conversation about GET-corps mission and vision around producing RNG from on farm waste products. I have a real interest about learning about RNG production and how it can affect a producers bottom line. If you would like to learn more about GET-Corp, check out their website https://www.get-corp.ca/ I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this week's episode of the podcast, we have something a little different for the listeners. I had the opportunity to host a panel where we discussed our careers. I wanted to say thanks to our participants, Dr. Sara Robson from Grand Valley Fortifiers, Justine Dodson MSc from Sharpe's Feed Supply, Dr. Bruna Mion from Lactanet and Dr. Chris Church from Trouw Nutrition Canada. Also a special thanks to Dr. David Innes from the University of Guelph's Dairy at Guelph faculty who hosted the podcast for his fourth year Nutrition Group. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the podcast, I have a great conversation with Aaron Keunen. Aaron is part owner of Mapleview Agri, a milk replacer, animal health product manufacturer and veal/calf research facility in Palmerston Ontario, Canada. Aaron and I have a great talk about calves, what we are seeing in the country side currently and what is coming down the pipe with regards to calf health and calf performance. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the podcast, I talk to Dr. Bill Mahanna. Bill is the Global Nutritional Services Manager with Pioneer, he is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. Bill and I cover all things corn silage, we touch on plant health, starch deposition, kernel processing and some new and exciting technology coming down the pipeline. He has an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to making high quality forages, especially corn silage. He has worked for Pioneer for over 30 years and he has travelled all over the world educating dairy, beef and small ruminant producers and industry professionals. If you have questions, you can reach him at bill.mahanna@pioneer.com or on Twitter @billmahanna I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this week's episode of the podcast, I have the pleasure of talking to Michelle Durnin. Michelle is an agronomist and the owner of Prosperity Ag, located in Huron County, Ontario. Michelle has worked for several years in Ontario with a focus on forage crops. We have a great conversations about this years corn crop, whether or not we should look at fungicide and we also cover some options for forage crops after this years wheat. Michelle have several iron in the fire outside of being an agronomist. She is the owner of Durnin Farm and Ranch wear (www.dfrwear.ca), a company that designs work and ranch clothes for women. She is also the host of the Propsperity Ag Out Loud Podcast, you can find that on Apple Podcast and Spotify. She can also be found across social media platforms. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this weeks episode of the Dairy Farmer's Digest, I have the pleasure of talking to Dr. Geoffrey Dahl from the University of Florida. Geoffrey is the Director of the Feed the Future Innovations Lab for Livestock Systems and a Professor - Harriette B. Weaks Professor President of the ADSA. Dr. Dahl is the leading experts in the world when it comes to the topic of heat stress and its impact biology and physiology of the dairy production animals. He has won a multitude of professional service honors and awards, he has also been sited more than 10,000 times for research that he has conducted. Heat stress has both a huge physiological and financial impact on today's dairy operations and it is one of the most important management areas with regards to production animal agriculture. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this week's episode of the Dairy Farmer's Digest, I talk with Gary Markus, who along with his wife and four kids run Markhill Holsteins in Ingersoll Ontario. In addition to milking cows, Gary also works as an Elite account manager with Alta Genetics in SW Ontario. Gary and I have a great discussion about developing a plan and choosing criteria to cull animals, it is a tough decision to move on from these animals, but with the right data we can make these decisions a little bit easier, and make your operation more profitable. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this on the DFD podcast, I have a great conversation with Dr. Luis Ferraretto. Dr. Ferraretto is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Dairy Nutrition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The spring is one of the most important times of year, not only is it planting season but it brings the first opportunity to make high quality forages for the upcoming year. Luis and I touch on several topics related to this years winter forages and hay crops. We also touch a bit on the upcoming corn crop. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the Dairy Farmer's Digest (DFD) podcast, I talk to Cox Wensink. Cox is the owner and herd manager at Hoenhorst Farms in Woodstock Ontario where her and her team milk 500 cows with 10 Lely A4 milking robots on two locations utilizing temporary foreign workers (TFW). We have a great discussion around how she came about using TFW and how to get the process started and the learning curve involved in going down this route. Cox is a Mechanical Engineer with a Masters in Strategic Product development and she has worked in Canada and in Europe before returning to the farm to take over the family farm nearly a decade ago. The main goal at Hoenhorst farms is to fill quota efficiently and maintain a positive team culture at the farm which lead her down the road of employing TFW to meet and exceed her goals. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the Dairy Farmer's Digest (DFD) podcast, I talk to Dr. Mike Hutjens. Mike is a Professor Emeritus in the department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois. Dr. Hutjens grew up on a dairy farm in Green Bay, Wisconsin and has a PhD from the University of Wisconsin and has focused his entire career on teaching dairy professionals and producers how to make milk as efficiently and economically as possible. He has published several hundred if not thousand articles for publications like Hoard's Dairyman and other industry publications around the world. Mike has won numerous awards and was a President of the ADSA (American Dairy Science Association). Our discussion on this podcast covers how to evaluate whether a feed additive is right for you farm, how do reduce feed costs from non feed factors (shrink) and his own list of must haves in your feeding program. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the Dairy Farmer's Digest (DFD) podcast, I talk to Brad Gilchrist. Brad is the Beef Marketing and Product specialist for Semex. Brad is a graduate of the University of Guelph Ag economics and Business degree. He and his family also operate a purebred Angus cow calf operation in Lucknow Ontario. Breeding Beef x Holstein has become the norm in the dairy industry in North America, Brad and I discuss how farmer are utilizing these genetics and how producers can maximize the calf value by breeding to the right sires. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this week's episode of the Dairy Farmer's Digest (DFD), I talk to Dr. Gerard Cramer. Gerard has a DVM, DVSc from Ontario Veterinary College and is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota in the department of Veterinary Population Medicine. Lameness is the most costly disease on modern dairy farms, Gerard and I discuss some of the science behind foot bath, the challenges that heat stress present and we bust some common myths around foot health. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this week's episode of the Dairy Farmer's Digest (DFD), I talk to Mark Gerber. Mark is an account manager and Technical Specialist with Zinpro. We cover a plethora of topics relating to hoof health, hoof trimming and lameness prevention and treatment. Lameness is the most costly disease on modern dairy farms, it's impact can be felt through production, reproduction and overall herd performance. Talking about, monitoring and measuring the lameness prevalence on your farm can have long lasting and beneficial impacts to your economic returns and bottom line performance. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this weeks episode of the podcast, I have the pleasure of talking to Andrea DeGroot from Farm Credit Canada. Andrea is a Business Advisor who specializes in farm transitions. Transitioning a multi-million dollar farm business is a daunting task, Andrea and I discuss where to start, what resources you may need and how producers can navigate this crucial decision making process. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keithschweitzer@wfs.ca by phone at 1 (519) 872-0742 and please follow me on your favorite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the podcast, I talk to Dr. Bill Mahanna. Bill is the Global Nutritional Services Manager with Pioneer, he is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. Bill and I cover all things corn silage, we touch on plant health, starch deposition and how to cut, pack and store the most critical forage for this years winter feeding. He has an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to making high quality forages, especially corn silage. He has worked for Pioneer for over 30 years and he has travelled all over the world educating dairy, beef and small ruminant producers and industry professionals. If you have questions, you can reach him at bill.mahanna@pioneer.com or on Twitter @billmahanna I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on your favourite podcast player and on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the podcast, I talk to Dr. Sarah Parsons, she is the Colostrum Technical Specialist with Alta Genetics. Sarah provides technical support for clients right across North America. Dr. Parsons graduated from the University of Guelph with a BSc in Animal Biology and a PhD in Dairy calf management where she specialized in calf weaning management. Colostrum is the one of the first steps in ensuring that your future milking herd gets off to the best start to their life, it factors into and influences almost every aspect of that calves early life. We have a great talk about why it's so important. If you have any questions and would like to reach out to Dr. Parsons, you can contact her by email sarah.parsons@altagenetics.com I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this weeks episode of the podcast, I talk to Bill Woodley. Bill is the owner of Woodley Dairy Direction, a consulting company that specializing in training nutritionists on the key concepts of dairy nutrition, Bill has spoken to, and consulted with Dairy producers all over the world. With hay and winter forage crops quickly reaching their harvest windows, Bill and I tackle the topic of forage quality and how it affects feed cost. We also talk about the physiology of the plant and how the cow utilizes the fiber to make milk, as well as how different crops feed, and why we may want to consider growing them in the future. With protein and grain prices at or near all-time highs, controlling the narrative when it comes to making high quality forages is the first step in offsetting these high feed prices. Bill can be reached at woodleydairy@gmail.com I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this weeks episode of the podcast, I have a great discussion with Dr. Stirling Dorrance, DVM from Nova Scotia, Canada. Along with being a practicing veterinarian, Dr. Dorrance works with Lactanet in Eastern Canada where he works with producers understanding and interpreting Profilab, the milk fatty acid report from Lactanet. Milk has a multitude of different fatty acids in it, Dr. Dorrance helps me understand what the three main groups are, and how we can influence them through feeding and management. We also talk about how this tool can be utilized on the farm to help your bottom line. If you have any further questions, you can reach out to him through email at sdorrance@lactanet.ca I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the podcast, I talk to Dr. José Santos, a Professor in the department of Animal Science at the University of Florida, Gainesville. Dr. Santos and I explore the world of DCAD diets for transition dairy cows and how it can work on your operation to help keep cows healthier and more productive. Dr. Santos conducts applied and basic research in dairy cattle nutrition and reproductive biology. In addition to his research endeavors, Dr. Santos also teaches several course at the Univ. Florida in both the Post and Undergrad programs, and works with dairy producers throughout the Southeast United States through the University of Florida's extension service. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this weeks episode of the podcast, I talk to Tony Hall, Technical Services support from Lallemand Animal Nutrition. Tony and I drill down on the difference between forage samples when it all looks good on paper, and how CP isn't always the best indicator of quality. Tony has extensive experience when it comes too making high quality forages and how fiber quality affects milk production. Tony is a world renowned speaker, he has consulted on farms all over the world in his career and has been an incredible resource for me over the years. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the podcast, I talk to Dr. David Renaud. Dave is a veterinary epidemiologist in the Department of Population Medicine at the University of Guelph. His research focuses on the health and welfare of dairy calves, Dave teaches in both the veterinary and undergraduate curriculum. As one producer put it to me, "raising calves can be the most rewarding or the most soul sucking endeavor on the farm". This producer wasn't wrong. Dave and my discussion helps shed some light on how to make it the most rewarding job on the farm. In this episode we cover colostrum, nutrition and management considerations. If you have any questions regarding the podcast, or any of the projects his team is working on, you can reach out to Dave by emailing him at renaudd@uoguelph.ca and you can follow him on Twitter @DavRenaud I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this weeks episode of the podcast, I talk to Dr. Andy Skidmore from Lallemand Animal Nutrition about inoculant, what they are, how they work and how they can fit into your forage production systems. Dr. Skidmore is a Veterinarian with a PhD in Dairy Management from Cornell University. He has been in the dairy industry in the United States and has held various roles from a practicing veterinarian, to research at MSU and in the animal nutrition industry. Dr. Skidmore has been with Lallemand Animal Nutrition, a Canadian Bio-tech company that specializes in making yeast and inoculants for animal nutrition as well has the human food and beverage industry. He has been with them several years where he supports their yeast and inoculant business all across North America. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this weeks episode of the podcast, I have a great conversation with Dustin Grisnich. He is the owner of Windy Creek Dairy in Fort Macleod, Alberta. Dustin, along with his wife, four kids and two cats milk 45 cows under the new entrant program from Alberta milk. He is also the host of the Faraway Farmboy podcast, a podcast dedicated to networking within the Western Canadian dairy business. You can find the podcast wherever you download your podcasts. You can also find Dustin on twitter @farawayfarmboy I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this week's episode of the podcast I have a great conversation with Dustin Gamble, the Procurement manager for Shur Gain Ontario. There are a lot of things that we can't control in our day to day lives and business, and the major global influences on feed price is one of them. Dustin and I talk about what influences the markets around the world and in our own back yard, we also touch on the global supply chain for fat, proteins and grains that we feed every day. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the podcast, I have a great discussion with Kristen Kelderman about mental health. Kristen is currently doing her Masters of Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King's College in London, UK. Mental health is becoming a more common and less stigmatized conversation in our daily lives. Kristen helps facilitate those conversations and normalizes them. Growing up on a dairy farm, she has a keen passion for the mental wellbeing of producers and industry professionals alike. She is a great advocate and resources, you can follow her on Instagram @thefarmtherapist. We discussed a few resources throughout the podcast and the links are listed below. CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association) website https://cmha.ca In the Know farmer mental health program https://ontario.cmha.ca/intheknow/ Farmer's Toolbox https://www.thefarmerstoolbox.com Farmer Wellness Program https://www.farmerwellnessprogram.ca I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the DFD podcast I have a great conversation with Kristin Benke, she is the Director, Economic and Product Development with the Dairy Farmers of Ontario. Kristin has spent the last 12 years at the DFO. We have a great conversation about how the new pricing schedule has been going for the past 8 months. We also talked about what she thinks the future holds for producers in the P5 with regards to quota allocations, cost of production formula, production sleeves and the SNF ratio. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. If you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out to me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the podcast, I get to talk to Dr. Bill Mahanna. Bill is the Global Nutritional Services Manager with Pioneer, he is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. Bill has an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to making high quality forages, especially corn silage. He has worked for Pioneer for over 30 years and he has travelled all over the world educating dairy, beef and small ruminant producers and industry professionals. Bill has a real passion for helping people make the best forage possible and helping your farms meet their goals by producing and feeding excellent forage. If you have questions, you can reach him at bill.mahanna@pioneer.com or on Twitter @billmahanna I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this week's episode of the podcast I talk with Gary Markus about how to set your farm up for Reproductive success! Gary, along with his wife and four kids run Markhill Holsteins in Ingersoll Ontario. In addition to milking cows, he also works as an Elite account manager with Alta Genetics in SW Ontario. you can reach him at gary.markus@altagenetics.com or on twitter @gary_markus Reproduction is the engine that drives every dairy farms production and bottom line, there are a multitude of decisions when it comes to your breeding program, The decisions you make today have repercussions long after they are made. Gary and I discuss how a producers can make the most informed decision possible from a economical and physiological standpoint. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this week's episode of the podcast, I have the pleasure of talking to Christine O'Reilly, the forage and grazing specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). Christine is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to producing high quality forages. We have a great conversation about what is happening in the province with regards to forage yields and quality, we also talk about what you can after wheat to build inventories. Christine is a grad of University of Guelph, she has a great passion for forage crops and helping producers make decisions that will help meet their goals and bottom line. She can be reached at christine.oreilly@ontario.ca or on twitter @OReilly_Ag I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the podcast, I talk to Dr. Mac Littlejohn and Dr. Reg Clinton from Kirkton Vet Clinic about how heat stress affects the cows. We have a great discussion of what to look for when monitoring your animals and what we can do to help them out. Dr. Littlejohn and Dr. Clinton are partners at Kirkton Vet clinic, where they are 2 of the 10 dairy focused vets at the practice. KVC is a progressive, multi species Vet clinic based in Kirkton Ontario. Both Mac and Reg have a keen interest in helping dairy and beef producers produce high quality and sustainable food. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this weeks episode of the DFD podcast, I talk to my colleague Chelsea Gordon about the effects of heat stress on cows. The first week of June was a scorcher in Ontario so we had a great conversation about what we can do as a nutritionally to help these cows make milk and components. Chelsea is the Director of Dairy Technology Application for Trouw Nutrition Canada, I have worked with her for the better part of a decade and she is very passionate about dairy nutrition and has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to cows. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the podcast, I talked to Tom Kilcer, he is one of the pioneers of the "haylage in a day" or the photosynthetic drying concept. Tom is very passionate about helping producers make the highest quality feed possible, and has spoke to many farmers, researchers, nutritionists and equipment manufacturers all over North America. Tom worked as a county Dairy Extension specialist for Cornell University in eastern New York. He retired from extension and has continued to work as the owner of Advanced AG Systems. You can reach him at https://advancedagsys.com/ I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this weeks episode of the podcast, I talk to the man, the myth, the legend Bill Woodley. Bill is the owner of Woodley Dairy Direction, a consulting company that specializing in training nutritionists on the key concepts of dairy nutrition, Bill has spoken to, and consulted with Dairy producers all over the world. With protein and grain prices as nearly all-time highs, Bill and I tackle the topic of forage quality and how it can affect feed cost. We also talk about the physiology of the plant and how the cow utilizes the fiber to make milk, as well as how different crops feed, and why we may want to consider growing them in the future. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this episode of the podcast, Dr. Chris Church is back on the DFD. We have a great discussion about transitions cows. We touch on a few subjects including DCAD, transition diseases, feeding and grouping strategies. During this discussion, I pose a question to Dr. Church; Is 3.5 kg's (2.0 kg's of milk fat and 1.5 kg's of milk protein) on a herd average possible? Chris and I have a great conversation talking about how it can be done! We also talk about his own transition back to school to get a MBA focusing on what influences profitability on the modern dairy farm. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this weeks episode of the podcast, I talk to the always energetic Kelsey Banks. She is an agronomist in Eastern Ontario, who has a keen interest in dairy forage crops. Kelsey is very passionate about making sure producers work as a team with their agronomist and nutritionist to make the highest quality forages possible. We had a great conversation about what to look for when scouting field crops and how plant nutrition and cow nutrition are tied together. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this week's episode of the podcast, I get the pleasure of talking to Dr. Matt Walker. Matt along his wife Jaqueline and four daughters own and operate Dairy Doc Holsteins in Woodstock, Ontario. Matt is also a Vet, and a partner in Oxford Bovine Veterinary Services one of the largest and most progressive dairy focused vet clinics in Canada. Matt and I have a great discussion on what profitability means to him from a producer and a practitioner's standpoint. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this weeks episode of the podcast, I talk to Tony Hall from Lallemand Animal Nutrition. Tony and I talk about how too make the highest quality silage possible, and how mitigating silage loss relates too profitability of your dairy. Tony has extensive experience when it comes too making silage and helping producers reach their goals. Tony is a world renowned speaker, he has consulted on farms all over the world in his career and has been an incredible resource for me over the years. I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast. if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer
On this week's episode of the podcast, I talk with Frank Louwagie from Hillmanor Farms in Mitchell, Ontario. Frank, along with his wife Heather and kids just moved into a state of the art, cross vented robotic milking facility. Along with robots, there is also a new calf nursery and Lely vector feeding system. Building a facility like this can be a daunting task, Frank and I talk about the process from start to finish. I hope you enjoyed this episode of the podcast, if you have any questions, you can contact me at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or you can follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer for show updates and information on upcoming episodes.
On this week's episode of the podcast, I talk to Dustin Gamble, the commodity purchasing manager for Shur Gain Ontario about the commodity markets. The markets have been volatile lately, and Dustin helps shed some light on what factors are influencing it from a local and global perspective. I hope you enjoy this week's episode, if you have any questions, you can contact me at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or you can follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer for show updates and information on upcoming episodes!
On this week's episode of the podcast, I talk with Gary Markus, who along with his wife and four kids run Markhill Holsteins in Ingersoll Ontario. In addition to milking cows, Gary also works as an Elite account manager with Alta Genetics in SW Ontario. Gary and I had a great discussion about what criteria he uses to cull animals, it is a tough decision to move on from these animals, but with the right data we can make these decisions a little bit easier and make your operation more profitable
On this week's episode on the podcast, Keith Schweitzer talk to Steph Towers, who along with her husband have taken on the responsibilities of rearing another producers calf from week old to short bred. Over the years, there farm has found interesting ways to expand their cash flow and maximize capital investment!
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