Podcasts about edge dairy farmer cooperative

For decades, dairy farmers have been the quiet leaders of sustainability, constantly fine-tuning their operations to be more efficient. But historically, that progress hasn't always translated into a line item on the balance sheet. Jennifer Block, director of value chain partnerships with Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, discusses EmPower+, a new, farmer-led initiative designed to turn on-farm data into real marketplace value. She tells Stephanie Hoff what’s happening in the market landscape today that has Edge focused on sustainability and carbon emissions across the whole supply chain.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farms and agribusinesses need to stay engaged in conversations. Not just on the state or national scene, but locally. Erin Tomasik, community relations manager, Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, says there's a growing need to mobilize member farmers at the local level to ensure agricultural policies remain fair, as many local government officials now lack personal backgrounds in farming. Organizations like the Dairy Business Association are focusing on "boots on the ground" strategies to counter misunderstandings regarding manure hauling, road weight limits, and water quality. Local boards are increasingly discussing ordinances and moratoriums targeting Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), often driven by a fear that they have no say in how large-scale farms operate. Groups such as GROWW (Grassroots Organizing Western Wisconsin) and Midwest Environmental Advocates are providing frameworks to local activists to push for stricter agricultural regulations. While the entire western side of Wisconsin is feeling the pressure—partially due to urban sprawl from Minneapolis—specific areas like St. Croix, Pierce, Crawford, and Portage counties are seeing intense debates. A little light snow is drifting across the state this morning. Stu Muck says we'll see wind chills return to our forecasts, but there is a tick up in temperatures expected next week. So what does the weather prediction model look like for the growing season of 2026? Ben Jarboe poses that question to Alex Harrington, Chief Meteorologist with WISC-TV in Madison. Harrington says forecast the whole growing season might be a little premature, but he does say that current modeling points to a wet spring for planting. Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom is encouraging teachers to apply for a grant that could land them a $5,000 hydroponics system. The goal is to focus on STEM learning skills and hands on experiences in the classroom. Pam Jahnke explains. What does halal and kosher really mean? It's not just marketing, it's a practice focused on specific ethnicities and religious practices. Abdullah Hussaini is the junior vice president of marketing and a commodity broker with Equity Cooperative Livestock. He's also a lamb producer himself. He says as the ethnic make up of Wisconsin and the nation as a whole changes, these niche markets are exploding with opportunity for lamb - IF you know the calendar and how to grow for it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What agricultural policy items should you be keeping an eye on in 2026? Our guests share insight on workforce, trade and the farm bill while stressing the importance of advocacy with the turnover in Congress. Dairy Stream host, Joanna Guza, and guests Heidi Fischer of Fischer-Clark Dairy and Michael Torrey of Torrey Advisory Group discuss the following topics:  Reflect on ag policy and what we can learn Workforce, labor shortage Exports Positives and negatives of tariffs Farm bill FDA, Dietary Guidelines for Americans Renewable Fuel Standards How to advocate About the guest Michael Torrey founded the Torrey Advisory Group in 2005. Mike's commitment to the critical role of agriculture remains the foundation of the firm, and he has developed an experienced, bipartisan team who is dedicated to working for the greater good through food, agricultural, and related industries. The team's ranks include experts in science, nutrition, legislative policy, and trade.  Heidi Fischer is a dairy farmer and owner of Fischer-Clark Dairy in Hatley, Wisconsin, where they milk 1,100 cows and farm 2,800 acres. Heidi is currently serving as the president of Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative.  Resources: Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative policy priorities Edge member portal Contact Edge Chief Policy Officer Karen Gefvert at kgefvert@voiceofmilk.com Learn more about Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative. Compeer Financial is proud partner of Dairy Stream.  Learn more about Dairy Stream sponsorship. This podcast is produced by the Voice of Milk, a collaboration of individual dairy organizations working to improve the future of dairy farm families. Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Erin Tomasik, from Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative and the Dairy Business Association, highlights the critical need for farmers to engage with local government boards to counter the rising misinformation about agriculture. She tells Stephanie Hoff that urban sprawl and activist-driven frameworks have led to a surge in local ordinances and restrictive regulations across western and central Wisconsin. Ultimately, the discussion emphasizes that showing up to town and county meetings is just as vital for a farm's survival as participating in state or federal advocacy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of a long Dairy Stream episode and covers the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, then listen to the full episode on Jan. 21. Dairy Stream host, Joanna Guza, and guests Heidi Fischer of Fischer-Clark Dairy and Michael Torrey of Torrey Advisory Group discuss the complexities of agricultural policy in 2026. It covers the historical perspectives on policy-making, current labor shortages, the farm bill timeline and the importance of advocacy for farmers. About the guests Michael Torrey founded the Torrey Advisory Group in 2005. Mike's commitment to the critical role of agriculture remains the foundation of the firm, and he has developed an experienced, bipartisan team who is dedicated to working for the greater good through food, agricultural, and related industries. The team's ranks include experts in science, nutrition, legislative policy, and trade.  Heidi Fischer is a dairy farmer and owner of Fischer-Clark Dairy in Hatley, Wisconsin, where they milk 1,100 cows and farm 2,800 acres. Heidi is currently serving as the president of Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative.  Learn more about Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative. Compeer Financial is proud partner of Dairy Stream.  Learn more about Dairy Stream sponsorship. This podcast is produced by the Voice of Milk, a collaboration of individual dairy organizations working to improve the future of dairy farm families. Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Farm+Food+Facts host Joanna Guza talks with Dr. Jerry Hatfield, Retired Laboratory Director, USDA-ARS National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment and Dr. Bruno Basso, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Michigan State University, about USFRA's new study, “Enhancing Farm Profitability Through Nitrogen Efficiency and Yield Stability.” We cover the new analysis, what conservation and technologies support it, how to manage low- and high-yield zones and improve profitability.  Thank you to the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative for supporting this new research.  Learn more about the study here: Enhancing Farm Profitability Through Nitrogen Efficiency and Yield Stability To stay connected with USFRA, join our newsletter and become involved in our efforts, here. Check out USFRA's report on the “Potential for U.S. Agriculture to be Greenhouse Gas Negative.” 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What we're hearing across all sectors of agriculture is that having a reliable workforce remains a number one challenge today. Karen Gefvert, chief policy officer for Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative and Voice of Milk, says it’s an issue the organization is deeply engaged in. In talking with Stephanie Hoff, Gefvert notes that this has been a 40-year battle. She says the current system doesn't work for dairy. Dairy farmers need an entry-level workforce. The only program that can address that is H2A, but dairy is prohibited from using it.Not much moisture in the latest forecast from Stu Muck. Temperatures remain on track for the last few days of October. Muck also notes a statewide FFA Foundation Auction that's happening now.Knowing a company's origins and roots can help explain how they do business. Pam Jahnke talks with Ashley Huhn about how the Steffes Group actually got started, and why they take pride in creating their own systems not just relying on third party services to handle business. Paid for by Steffes Group.Wisconsin dairy farmer, John Rosenow, has been a vocal proponent of immigration reform for decades. His dairy operation in the Waumandee Valley of western Wisconsin relies heavily on immigrant labor. Rosenow has joined a newly formed coalition called "Grow It Here" that's trying to advance meaningful immigration reform for agriculture. Rosenow says of his 18 full-time workers, 13 are from Mexico. Today's H2A visas don't work for dairy.The market's feeling more optimistic today after a weekend full of trade announcements out of SE Asia. John Heinberg, market advisor with Total Farm Marketing in West Bend tells Pam Jahnke that it's good news for corn, soybean meal, pork and beef. There's also still a buzz about potential trade developments with China. Still the gorilla in the room according to Heinberg.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What we're hearing across all sectors of agriculture is that having a reliable workforce remains a number one challenge today. Karen Gefvert, chief policy officer for Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative and Voice of Milk, says it’s an issue the organization is deeply engaged in. She also discusses the fact that the actual Farm Bill, the extended version, expired on September 30. Right now, we’re getting along on the Farm Bill elements that were included in the One Big Beautiful Bill.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farmers in the Upper Midwest are utilizing actionable data to make informed decisions about the conservation practices implemented on their farms. Results from the first year of a five-year effort through the Farmers for Sustainable Food Climate-Smart Program showed that these sustainable farming practices are achieving positive environmental outcomes. Dairy Stream host, Joanna Guza, and guests, Drew Kessler and Michael Crinion, discuss the following topics:  Using actionable data to make informed conservation decisions How the conservation efforts are analyzed What conservations practices are the most popular Conservation efforts making economic sense Most impressive part of the program Challenges Resources Data becoming a currency What next in the space of data-driven sustainability efforts Special thanks to Farmers for Sustainable Food for sponsoring this episode. About the guests Drew Kessler — a seasoned Scientist and Principal at Houston Engineering, Inc. (HEI)—is a leading expert in water resources management and agricultural sustainability. With nearly two decades of experience, including a decade at HEI, Drew has dedicated his career to bridging the gap between environmental science and agricultural practices. His expertise in water quality, wildlife ecology, and TMDL processes has made him a valuable asset to farmers, food supply chains, and policymakers alike. Drew's ability to translate complex scientific information into actionable insights has fostered collaboration and positive outcomes for agricultural working lands.  Michael Crinion — a rural entrepreneur with extensive knowledge of dairy, beef, sheep, and poultry enterprises, as well as experience in implementing ISOs and HACCP protocols. Having grown up on a farm in Ireland, Crinion moved to Brookings, SD, in 2004 to extend his farming operations. He serves as the Managing Partner of Ash Grove Dairy, a 2,100-cow cross-ventilated dairy operation in Lake Benton, MN, and is the CEO of BioHydrogen LLC, which transforms waste streams into a sustainable and renewable hydrogen energy. In addition to his role as a Board Member with Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, Crinion is the 2024 Chair of U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action.  Resources Farmers for Sustainable Food Climate-Smart Program Farmers for Sustainable Food Resources Press release on year-one results Contact Farmers for Sustainable Food staff Compeer Financial is proud partner of Dairy Stream.  Learn more about Dairy Stream sponsorship. This podcast is produced by the Voice of Milk, a collaboration of individual dairy organizations working to improve the future of dairy farm families. Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of a long Dairy Stream episode and covers the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, then listen to the full episode on Feb. 26. A dairy farmer and scientist share the about the actionable data and results from the first year of a five-year effort through the Farmers for Sustainable Food Climate-Smart Program. The results showed that these sustainable farming practices are achieving positive environmental outcomes. Special thanks to Farmers for Sustainable Food for sponsoring this episode. About the guests Drew Kessler is a seasoned Scientist and Principal at Houston Engineering, Inc. (HEI)—is a leading expert in water resources management and agricultural sustainability. With nearly two decades of experience, Drew has dedicated his career to bridging the gap between environmental science and agricultural practices.  Michael Crinion is a Board Member for Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative and rural entrepreneur with extensive knowledge of dairy, beef, sheep, and poultry enterprises.  He serves as the Managing Partner of Ash Grove Dairy, where they milk 2,100-cow in Minnesota, and he is the CEO of BioHydrogen LLC, which transforms waste streams into a sustainable and renewable hydrogen energy.    Compeer Financial is proud partner of Dairy Stream.  Learn more about Dairy Stream sponsorship. This podcast is produced by the Voice of Milk, a collaboration of individual dairy organizations working to improve the future of dairy farm families. Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Join us as Tim Trotter, CEO of the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, shares how he is keeping an eye on the value farmers receive for their conservation efforts.  To stay connected with USFRA, join our newsletter and become involved in our efforts, here. Check out USFRA's report on the “Potential for U.S. Agriculture to be Greenhouse Gas Negative.” 

Join Farm+Food+Facts host Joanna Guza and Tim Trotter, CEO of the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, as they discuss key themes that emerged from the recent Dairy Strong conference, including current challenges and opportunities for farmers. USFRA conducted a panel discussion at the conference focused on the potential for agriculture to reduce emissions. The panel featured USFRA Chair Michael Crinion, CEO Kevin Burkum, Dr. Chuck Rice of Kansas State University and Josh Luth of Schreiber Foods.    To stay connected with USFRA, join our newsletter and become involved in our efforts, here. Check out USFRA's report on the “Potential for U.S. Agriculture to be Greenhouse Gas Negative.” 

Dairy has the potential to boost your mood, reduce anxiety and stimulate the immune system. Today, we will focus on how cheese has the ability to lower hypertension. Our guest today was awarded a grant from the Dairy Innovation Hub to support the Center for Dairy Research's work to develop cheese manufacturing and aging methods to increase the amount of the bioactive peptides in cheese that have antihypertensive properties. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Rodrigo A. Ibáñez, associate scientists at the Center for Dairy Research, discuss the following topics:   What are bioactive peptides Nutritional properties of cheese Bioactive peptides and the impact on lower hypertension Ethnicity and the role on the human body CDR's research on testing bioactive peptides Challenges within the research What's next for the study Food is medicine conversation Special thanks to Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin for sponsoring this episode. About the guest: Rodrigo A. Ibáñez holds a Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology from University College Cork – National University of Ireland. He currently works as an Associate Scientist in the Cheese Research Group at the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying topics related to cheese defects, impact of cheese components in human health and use of dairy ingredients to improve cheese quality. Additionally, Rodrigo supports teaching activities in CDR short courses, including those offered in Spanish.  Resources: Dairy Pipeline (see page 8) Enhancing the Bioactive Peptide Profile of Cheese presentation About the Dairy Innovation Hub This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com.  Attend Dairy Strong on Jan. 15-16 in Green Bay, Wisconsin to hear from inspiring speakers and experts on policy, sustainability and the future of dairy. This year's event kicks-off with the return of Tailgate on the Tundra at Lambeau, followed by a jammed pack day of breakout sessions, and networking opportunities and concludes with an evening celebrating award winners and DBA's 25th Anniversary! Learn more and register at dairystrong.org.

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of a long Dairy Stream episode and covers the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, then listen to the full episode on Dec. 25. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Rodrigo A. Ibáñez, associate scientists at the Center for Dairy Research, discuss a grant from the Dairy Innovation Hub to support the Center for Dairy Research's work to develop cheese manufacturing and aging methods to increase the amount of the bioactive peptides in cheese that have antihypertensive properties. Special thanks to Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin for sponsoring this episode. About the guest: Rodrigo A. Ibáñez holds a Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology from University College Cork – National University of Ireland. He currently works as an Associate Scientist in the Cheese Research Group at the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying topics related to cheese defects, impact of cheese components in human health and use of dairy ingredients to improve cheese quality. Additionally, Rodrigo supports teaching activities in CDR short courses, including those offered in Spanish.  Resources: Dairy Pipeline (see page 8) Enhancing the Bioactive Peptide Profile of Cheese presentation About the Dairy Innovation Hub This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com.  Attend Dairy Strong on Jan. 15-16 in Green Bay, Wisconsin to hear from inspiring speakers and experts on policy, sustainability and the future of dairy. This year's event kicks-off with the return of Tailgate on the Tundra at Lambeau, followed by a jammed pack day of breakout sessions, and networking opportunities and concludes with an evening celebrating award winners and DBA's 25th Anniversary! Learn more and register at dairystrong.org.  

Karen Bohnert of Farm Journal's MILK helps us provide coverage of Milk Business Conference 2024 happening now in Las Vegas, Nevada. Our guest is Lucas Sjostrom, managing director of Minnesota Milk at Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative. Then we have a special dairy Farmer Forum with Greg Moes of Goodwin, South Dakota and Grant Grintstead of Fon du Lac, Wisconsin.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day Two of of coverage of NAFB's Trade Talk featuring conversations with Ron Geis and Drake Edwards of Corteva Agriscience, Michael Torrey and Tim Trotter of Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, and Charles Barron – chief marketing officer and co-founder of Farmers Business Network (FBN).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dairy Stream and BMO are proud to present the “How We Got Here” podcast series featuring dairy farmers sharing the history of their farm and steps they have taken to get to where they are today. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guests Dennis Hawkins, owner of Solhawk Dairy, and Paul Salm of BMO discuss early influences, improvements to be better the farm, challenges, financial preparations and the future for the farm and dairy industry. This three-part series is sponsored by BMO. About the guests: Dennis Hawkins is the owner of Solhawk Dairy in Chippewa Falls where they milk 2,200 cows and farm 3,100 acres.   Paul Salm of BMO manages a portfolio of diverse production agricultural relationships, including dairy, row crop, grain merchandising and potato customers and has over 30 years of experience in the banking industry.  This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com.  Attend Dairy Strong on Jan. 15-16 in Green Bay, Wisconsin to hear from inspiring speakers and experts on policy, sustainability and the future of dairy. This year's event kicks-off with the return of Tailgate on the Tundra at Lambeau, followed by a jammed pack day of breakout sessions, and networking opportunities and concludes with an evening celebrating award winners and DBA's 25th Anniversary! Learn more and register at dairystrong.org.

Dairy Stream and BMO are proud to present the “How We Got Here” podcast series featuring dairy farmers sharing the history of their farm and steps they have taken to get to where they are today. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guests Josh Meissner, owner of Norm E Lane, and Brad Guse of BMO discuss early influences, improvements to be better the farm, challenges, financial preparations and the future for the farm and dairy industry. This three-part series is sponsored by BMO. About the guests: Josh Meissner is the owner of Norm E Lane in Chili Wisconsin. They milk 4,000 cows and run 5,000 acres.   Brad Guse manages a portfolio of diverse production agricultural relationships made up of primarily dairy farm accounts. Brad has over 29 years of experience in agricultural banking.  This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com.  Attend Dairy Strong on Jan. 15-16 in Green Bay, Wisconsin to hear from inspiring speakers and experts on policy, sustainability and the future of dairy. This year's event kicks-off with the return of Tailgate on the Tundra at Lambeau, followed by a jammed pack day of breakout sessions, and networking opportunities and concludes with an evening celebrating award winners and DBA's 25th Anniversary! Learn more and register at dairystrong.org.

Dairy Stream and BMO are proud to present the “How We Got Here” podcast series featuring dairy farmers sharing the history of their farm and steps they have taken to get to where they are today. The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of a long Dairy Stream episode and covers the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, then listen to the full episode on Oct. 30. This three-part series is sponsored by BMO. About the guests: Josh Meissner is the owner of Norm E Lane in Chili Wisconsin. They milk 4,000 cows and run 5,000 acres.   Brad Guse manages a portfolio of diverse production agricultural relationships made up of primarily dairy farm accounts. Brad has over 29 years of experience in agricultural banking.  This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com.  Attend Dairy Strong on Jan. 15-16 in Green Bay, Wisconsin to hear from inspiring speakers and experts on policy, sustainability and the future of dairy. This year's event kicks-off with the return of Tailgate on the Tundra at Lambeau, followed by a jammed pack day of breakout sessions, and networking opportunities and concludes with an evening celebrating award winners and DBA's 25th Anniversary! Learn more and register at dairystrong.org.

Brownfield's Larry Lee visted with Karen Gefvert, of Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, and Micheal Torrey, of Torrey Advisory Group, at the 2024 World Dairy Expo. Topics dicussed include legislative priorities for Edge Dairy Farmers Cooperative, as well as disaster aid and updating the farm bill.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our topic today can take years to establish and requires continuous involvement from both parties. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Bill Oppriecht of Compeer Financial examine the relationship between a dairy producer and processor and identify how to better understand each other's needs, challenges, collaboration areas, growing pains and how to best communicate. Joanna and Bill discuss the following topics: How dairy processor and producer relationships have evolved Better understand each other's needs Understand challenges Who should be involved Collaboration areas Disconnects in the dairy chain Growing pains Advice for improving the relationship Special thanks to Compeer Financial for sponsoring this episode. About the guest: Bill Oppriecht is a senior dairy lending specialist at Compeer Financial. He has been part of the Farm Credit System for more than 11 years, with the last six years focusing specifically on dairy operations. Bill grew up on a small dairy farm and uses that background to help support dairy producers in southern Wisconsin. Bill graduated from University of Wisconsin-Platteville, double majoring in ag business and animal science with a dairy emphasis.  He is a member of Dairy Business Association, Professional Dairy Producers, Farm Bureau and the Wisconsin Holstein Association. Bill resides in southwestern Wisconsin with his wife, Heidi, and two sons, Alex and Evan.   Resources: Bill's contact information Oppriecht@compeer.com Sustainability in dairy processing: A changing landscape Examining processor relationships This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com.  Attend Dairy Strong on Jan. 15-16 in Green Bay, Wisconsin to hear from inspiring speakers and experts on policy, sustainability and the future of dairy. This year's event kicks-off with the return of Tailgate on the Tundra at Lambeau, followed by a jammed pack day of breakout sessions, and networking opportunities and concludes with an evening celebrating award winners and DBA's 25th Anniversary! Learn more and register at dairystrong.org.

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of a long Dairy Stream episode and covers the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, then listen to the full episode on Sept. 18. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Bill Oppriecht of Compeer Financial examine the relationship between a dairy producer and processor and identify how to better understand each other's needs, challenges, collaboration areas, growing pains and how to best communicate. Special thanks to Compeer Financial for sponsoring this episode. About the guest: Bill Oppriecht is a senior dairy lending specialist at Compeer Financial. He has been part of the Farm Credit System for more than 11 years, with the last six years focusing specifically on dairy operations. Bill grew up on a small dairy farm and uses that background to help support dairy producers in southern Wisconsin. Bill graduated from University of Wisconsin-Platteville, double majoring in ag business and animal science with a dairy emphasis.  He is a member of Dairy Business Association, Professional Dairy Producers, Farm Bureau and the Wisconsin Holstein Association. Bill resides in southwestern Wisconsin with his wife, Heidi, and two sons, Alex and Evan.   Resources: Bill's contact information Oppriecht@compeer.com Sustainability in dairy processing: A changing landscape Examining processor relationships This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com.  Attend Dairy Strong on Jan. 15-16 in Green Bay, Wisconsin to hear from inspiring speakers and experts on policy, sustainability and the future of dairy. This year's event kicks-off with the return of Tailgate on the Tundra at Lambeau, followed by a jammed pack day of breakout sessions, and networking opportunities and concludes with an evening celebrating award winners and DBA's 25th Anniversary! Learn more and register at dairystrong.org.

Focus on Energy helped over 600 Wisconsin dairy operations save $3.8 million on utility bills through operational improvements. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Jessica Mlsna, lead agriculture energy advisor at Focus on Energy, discuss the five assessment areas, time commitment and financial incentives. If you're not from Wisconsin, contact your local utility and see what is offered. Joanna and Jessica discuss the following topics: First assessment lighting Second assessment variable frequency drives Third assessment fans Fourth assessment dairy operation equipment Fifth assessment heating equipment General maintenance best practices Time commitment and what to expect Financial support Special thanks to Focus on Energy for sponsoring this episode. About the guest: Jessica Mlsna is the Lead Agriculture Energy Advisor at FOCUS ON ENERGY®, serving customers in Southwest and Central Wisconsin. She holds a Bachelor's in Animal Science from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and a Master's in Agricultural Education from Iowa State University. With over nine years of experience in the energy efficiency field, Jessica is also a Certified Energy Manager accredited by the Association of Energy Engineers.  Resources: Must have a Focus on Energy participating electric or natural gas utility provider: https://focusonenergy.com/about/participating-utilities  Agribusiness propane offering: Offered in partnership with Wisconsin's Office of Energy Innovation.  Electric provider must participate in Focus on Energy.  Must use propane to fuel incentivized equipment.  Visit focusonenergy.com/business/propane for full details.  Energy Best Practices guide: Download a free copy at https://focusonenergy.com/business/ee-best-practice-guides  https://focusonenergy.com/business/agribusiness Contact Focus on Energy at 800.762.7077 or visit https://focusonenergy.com/  This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of a long Dairy Stream episode and covers the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, then listen to the full episode on Aug. 28. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Jessica Mlsna, lead agriculture energy advisor at Focus on Energy talk through the five assessment areas: Lighting, variable frequency drives, fans, dairy operation equipment and heating equipment. Focus on Energy helped over 600 Wisconsin dairy operations save $3.8 million on utility bills through operational improvements! Special thanks to Focus on Energy for sponsoring this episode. About the guest: Jessica Mlsna is the Lead Agriculture Energy Advisor at FOCUS ON ENERGY®, serving customers in Southwest and Central Wisconsin. She holds a Bachelor's in Animal Science from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and a Master's in Agricultural Education from Iowa State University. With over nine years of experience in the energy efficiency field, Jessica is also a Certified Energy Manager accredited by the Association of Energy Engineers.  Resources: Must have a Focus on Energy participating electric or natural gas utility provider: https://focusonenergy.com/about/participating-utilities  Agribusiness propane offering: Offered in partnership with Wisconsin's Office of Energy Innovation.  Electric provider must participate in Focus on Energy.  Must use propane to fuel incentivized equipment.  Visit focusonenergy.com/business/propane for full details.  Energy Best Practices guide: Download a free copy at https://focusonenergy.com/business/ee-best-practice-guides  https://focusonenergy.com/business/agribusiness Contact Focus on Energy at 800.762.7077 or visit https://focusonenergy.com/      This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

As our guest predicts in this episode, “biologicals and biostimulants aren't going away anytime soon.” Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and Dr. Connor Sible, postdoctoral research associate with the crop physiology lab in the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois, explains the basics with understanding biologicals and biostimulants. This episode is split into two parts with the first part covering biologicals and the second part covering biostimulants. We discuss the following topics below: Basic definition How it works What to do before adding a product Challenges How it fits into a farm input plan Other management practices to get the full economic benefit Special thanks to Pivot Bio for sponsoring this episode. About the guest: Dr. Connor Sible is a Postdoctoral Research Associate with the Crop Physiology Lab in the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois. Originally from northern Illinois, he received his degrees in Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois where his graduate studies focused on categorization and best management practices in the use of biologicals and biostimulants for row crops. His current research focuses on nutrient use efficiency of corn and soybean systems with specializations in residue management and nitrogen retention systems.  Resources: Department of Crop Sciences – Crop Physiology at the University of Illinois Connor's email: sible2@illinois.edu Getting the most out of biostimulants Role of Biologicals in Enhancing Nutrient Efficiency in Corn and Soybean This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of a long Dairy Stream episode and covers the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, then listen to the full episode on Aug. 7. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Dr. Connor Sible with the University of Illinois dive into the basics of understanding biologicals and biostimulants. We discuss the differences between them, prior management practices before implementation, challenges, additional practices needed to get the full economic benefit and the future of this technology. Special thanks to Pivot Bio for sponsoring this episode. About the guest: Dr. Connor Sible is a Postdoctoral Research Associate with the Crop Physiology Lab in the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois. Originally from northern Illinois, he received his degrees in Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois where his graduate studies focused on categorization and best management practices in the use of biologicals and biostimulants for row crops. His current research focuses on nutrient use efficiency of corn and soybean systems with specializations in residue management and nitrogen retention systems.  Resources: Department of Crop Sciences – Crop Physiology at the University of Illinois Connor's email: sible2@illinois.edu Getting the most out of biostimulants Role of Biologicals in Enhancing Nutrient Efficiency in Corn and Soybean This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Farmers are adding microbial nitrogen to their crop nutrition strategy to enhance overall plant and soil health. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Karsten Temme, co-founder of Pivot Bio, discuss the complexities of traditional nitrogen use, what is a microbe, application, research, challenges and the future of crop nutrition. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and Karsten discuss for following topics below: Complexities surrounding traditional methods of nitrogen  What is a microbe Microbe application rates  Microbes and conservation efforts  Availability of microbial nitrogen  Research on microbial nitrogen Economics and ROI Challenges this technology faces, regulatory constraints  Future trends  Special thanks to Pivot Bio for sponsoring this episode. About the guest: Karsten Temme founded Pivot Bio in 2010 with his friend and colleague, Alvin Tamsir, driven by a desire to create meaningful change and solve one of the planet's biggest challenges. After completing his graduate research on enhancing the nitrogen-fixing potential of soil-borne microbes, he and Alvin focused on creating a microbial nitrogen to replace a portion of synthetic nitrogen. He earned his Bachelor's of Science and Master of Science in biomedical engineering from the University of Iowa and his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.  Resources on microbial nitrogen: How it works - Pivot Bio PROVEN 40 2023 Impact Report  Customer stories: Straight from the farm  Building better nitrogen: About the technology This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of a long Dairy Stream episode and covers the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, then listen to the full episode on July 17. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Karsten Temme, co-founder of Pivot Bio, share how microbial nitrogen products are changing how farmers grow crops and microbes are becoming a key player in a farmer's crop nutrition strategy. We discuss the complexities of nitrogen use, basics of a microbe, research, challenges and the future of crop nutrition.   Special thanks to Pivot Bio for sponsoring this episode. About the guest: Karsten Timme founded Pivot Bio in 2010 with his friend and colleague, Alvin Tamsir, driven by a desire to create meaningful change and solve one of the planet's biggest challenges. After completing his graduate research on enhancing the nitrogen-fixing potential of soil-borne microbes, he and Alvin focused on creating a microbial nitrogen to replace a portion of synthetic nitrogen. He earned his Bachelor's of Science and Master of Science in biomedical engineering from the University of Iowa and his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.  Resources on microbial nitrogen: How it works - Pivot Bio PROVEN 40 2023 Impact Report  Customer stories: Straight from the farm  Building better nitrogen: About the technology This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative is launching an innovative program to simplify the permitting process for farmers. The Maestro program assists farmers in orchestrating the many steps and processes of obtaining and maintaining a permit. Tim Trotter Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative CEO says this initiative was shaped by the voices of their members and is designed to simplify compliance and empower farmers to focus on what they do best: nurturing their land and livestock.  “The permitting process can be a quite complicated and challenging endeavor,” he said. “We aim to change that for dairy farmers. By serving as the project manager, our team works to ensure farmers have the insight and assistance needed to streamline the permitting process.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Consumers are spending their disposable income on health and wellness items, which is a $350 billion industry, and there is a lot of opportunity for dairy. Paul Ziemnisky, executive vice president of global innovation partnerships for DMI, shares the four strategy areas, business development partnerships, challenges and future trends. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza dives into the topic below with Paul: Four strategy areas to grow domestic sales More incremental sales More commercialized science More outside investment More trained workforce How dairy moves into new growth space Popular areas of health and wellness Timeline Collaboration between checkoffs and the Center for Dairy Research Challenges Future trends Watch the Dairy Streamlet on YouTube.  Special thanks to Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin for sponsoring this episode. About the guest, Paul Ziemnisky, Executive Vice President of Global Innovation Partnerships for DMI   Senior brand marketing, innovation and general management executive with over 25 years of consumer package goods marketing, innovation and finance experience in a wide range of industries.  Paul's experience includes managing brands and leading innovation for well-known brands such as Kraft Natural Cheese, Velveeta, Tombstone, DiGiorno, Rust-Oleum, and First Alert.  Paul has guided brands with revenue from $100M to over $1B, while launching more than $500M of new product platforms.  Prior to joining Dairy Management, Paul served in senior-level positions at companies including Kraft Foods, Jarden Corporation, Rust-Oleum, and Oil-Dri Corporation. Paul has been with DMI for 8 years.  In his current role, Paul is the Group EVP for DMI's Innovation priority which includes domestic growth platforms, business development and channel partnership efforts with key players such as Domino's, McDonald's, Taco Bell, General Mills, Raising Cane's and Amazon.  Plus, DMI's health and wellness research and product science and technology teams and efforts.   This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of a Dairy Stream episode and covers the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, then listen to the full episode on June 26. The health and wellness space is a $350 billion industry with a 50 percent dissatisfaction on products, which means a lot of opportunity for dairy. Join Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest, Paul Ziemnisky, executive vice president of global innovation partnerships for DMI, as they discuss the four strategy areas and future trends.  Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here.  Special thanks to Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin for sponsoring this episode. About the guest, Paul Ziemnisky, Executive Vice President of Global Innovation Partnerships for DMI   Senior brand marketing, innovation and general management executive with over 25 years of consumer package goods marketing, innovation and finance experience in a wide range of industries.  Paul's experience includes managing brands and leading innovation for well-known brands such as Kraft Natural Cheese, Velveeta, Tombstone, DiGiorno, Rust-Oleum, and First Alert.  Paul has guided brands with revenue from $100M to over $1B, while launching more than $500M of new product platforms.  Prior to joining Dairy Management, Paul served in senior-level positions at companies including Kraft Foods, Jarden Corporation, Rust-Oleum, and Oil-Dri Corporation. Paul has been with DMI for 8 years.  In his current role, Paul is the Group EVP for DMI's Innovation priority which includes domestic growth platforms, business development and channel partnership efforts with key players such as Domino's, McDonald's, Taco Bell, General Mills, Raising Cane's and Amazon.  Plus, DMI's health and wellness research and product science and technology teams and efforts.   This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Does milk price play a role in appraisal values? What other outside factors impact values of properties? Join Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Jade Kruschke, certified appraiser with Compeer Financial, as they discuss the basics of understanding appraisals and outside factors that impact property values. Topics include: Role of an appraiser Three approaches to value Mistakes or misconceptions Frequency of appraisals Appraiser experiences and knowledge of agriculture What affects value of properties How milk price impacts appraised values Including the next generation Special thanks to Compeer Financial for sponsoring this episode. About the guest: Jade Kruschke, Certified Appraiser, Compeer Financial Jade graduated from Missouri Southern State University with a degree in Accounting and Management. She joined the Farm Credit System in 2016 and obtained her Wisconsin Certified General Appraiser license in 2019. She uses her knowledge and agricultural experience to assist clients with their valuation and real estate needs. Jade works primarily in Northwestern Wisconsin and specializes in dairy, grain, irrigated tracts, general and improved farms, recreational, residential and transitional properties. Jade lives in New Richmond, WI with her husband and son on the family farm.  Resource: www.compeer.com/appraisal  This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of a long Dairy Stream episode and covers the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, then listen to the full episode on June 5. We cover the basics of appraisals and what outside factors impact property values. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Jade Kruschke, certified appraiser with Compeer Financial, cover the role of an appraiser, common misconceptions, outside factors that impact property values and what Jade's keeping an eye in the appraiser world. Special thanks to Compeer Financial for sponsoring this episode. About the guest: Jade Kruschke, Certified Appraiser, Compeer Financial Jade graduated from Missouri Southern State University with a degree in Accounting and Management. She joined the Farm Credit System in 2016 and obtained her Wisconsin Certified General Appraiser license in 2019. She uses her knowledge and agricultural experience to assist clients with their valuation and real estate needs. Jade works primarily in Northwestern Wisconsin and specializes in dairy, grain, irrigated tracts, general and improved farms, recreational, residential and transitional properties. Jade lives in New Richmond, WI with her husband and son on the family farm.  Resource: www.compeer.com/appraisal  This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of a long Dairy Stream episode and covers the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, then listen to the full episode on May 15. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and two guests involved in rotational grazing share the environmental benefits, economics, ROI, common challenges and resources.   Special thanks to The Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin for sponsoring this episode. About the guests: Luke Petersen is a Regenerative Ag Specialist with The Nature Conservancy's North America Agriculture team. He works on an array of programs aimed at accelerating the uptake of farming practices that simultaneously benefit farmers and nature, including by partnering closely with the US dairy industry to achieve environmental goals on dairies across the country. He has a background in regenerative grazing management, and is a 5th generation farmer who grazes a small beef herd in SW Michigan.  Luke Wavrunek is a 5th generation dairy farmer and the owner of Fairview Pastures in Northeast Wisconsin. He started rotational grazing in 2014 and runs 200 acres in rotational grazing and has 195 cattle including milk cows, heifers and some beef cattle on pasture.   Resources for grazing: Dairy Feed in Focus program Farmers for Sustainable Food Climate-Smart incentive program NRCS grazing incentives: Contact your local USDA service center Your state's University Extension, Wisconsin resource Farmer-led watershed groups or to start a group Group referenced in the episode: Rock River Regenerative Grazers Grassland 2.0   This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative is involved and keeping a close on the dairy markets and Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMOs) provision process. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guests discuss the impact of the avian influenza found in dairy cattle, the building of new dairy processing plants, FMMO reform potential impacts, items to watch in the next 12 months and how Edge is positioning policy to offer dairy farmers protection outside of FMMOs. Dairy Stream guests: Mike North, President of the Producer Division at Ever.Ag  Dr. Marin Bozic, dairy economist on the Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative Board of Directors Tim Trotter, CEO of Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative    Resources: Map of dairy processing plants  Edge FMMO resource page FMMOs website  This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com.  Episode was recorded on April 24, 2024  

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of a long Dairy Stream episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, then listen to the full episode on April 24. With billions of dollars being invested in climate-smart, are farmers participating and how can a farm identify which on-farm project is the best fit? Join Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Drew Kessler, senior scientist at Houston Engineering, as they discuss farmers involvement in Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, choosing the best program, examples of outcomes, watch outs and tools farms can use. Special thanks to The Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin for sponsoring this episode. About the guest: Drew Kessler is the Senior Scientist at Houston Engineering. He leads Houston Engineering's Environmental Service Sector. He has been working at Houston Engineering for over 10 years during which he's grown the company's connections to the food and dairy industry. Prior to joining Houston, Drew spent 10 years in academia focused on environmental research. The Farmers for Sustainable Food (FSF) Climate-Smart Project is the culmination of years of proven on-farm, farmer-led sustainability work. We bring extensive experience with farm-level sustainability projects to facilitate locally focused initiatives that support targeted environmental concerns. Our project stands out among the rest in three important ways: Farmer-driven: No requirement for farmers to implement any specific practices, individual farm groups determine the area of focus. Incentives: Stipends available up to $9,000 a year based on level of participation Hands-on support: Technical support at the farm level to help participants understand their scores and how to leverage their data into management decisions for positive environmental and financial outcomes. Learn more here: farmersforsustainablefood.com/climate-smart/ This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

The popularity of UAVs are growing in precision agriculture and we cover the basics capabilities, economics and rules with Dr. Brian Luck, associate professor and extension specialist with UW-Madison. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza dives into the topic below with Brian: 1:08: How are UAVs being used 4:33: Most popular UAV 6:31: Scouting crops 11:18: Interrupting data      16:20: What is remote sensing and thermal imagery 21:40: Challenges with UAVs 25:26: When to use UAVs 27:12: Economics 29:53: Rules of UAVs 36:03: Safety of UAVs 39:08: Data protection 43.40: Future trends of UAVs Special thanks to The Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin for sponsoring this episode. About the guest Brian Luck is an associate professor and extension specialist in Biological Systems Engineering in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at UW-Madison. Dr. Luck's field of interest include machine management, variable rate technology, agricultural “big data” management and remote sensing.   This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of a long Dairy Stream episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, then listen to the full episode on April 3. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or UAV are playing a role in precision agriculture. Join Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Dr. Brian Luck, associate professor and extension specialist at UW-Madison, as they discuss the most popular UAVs, scouting crops, challenges, economics and safety. Special thanks to The Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin for sponsoring this episode. About the guest Dr. Brian Luck is an associate professor and extension specialist in Biological Systems Engineering in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at UW-Madison. Dr. Luck's field of interest include machine management, variable rate technology, agricultural “big data” management and remote sensing.   This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Recent bans and regulations, globally and nationally, on agriculture have caused negative impacts. Chief Strategy Officer at Kansas Farm Bureau Joel Leftwich paints the reality of the aftermath involving negative regulations on agriculture and how we should be more strategic in targeting the voter. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza dives into the topics below with Joel: 1:40: Global examples of negative bans/regulations on agriculture 7:25: National examples 9:25: Hindsight, what could have been done differently 10:58: Strategic about which voter 13:43: Why the farmers voice is trusted 16:40: How to better engage voters on agricultural topics 20:21: Platform to use to engage voters 24:40: Topics to cover with voters 26:56: Situation like Prop12 happen again? 29:55: How to include engaging voters in your business model 33:21: How do agriculturalists stay in engaged on trends Special thanks to the Animal Agriculture Alliance for sponsoring this episode. Joel will be speaking at the Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit on May 8-9 in Kansas City, MO. It is a one-of-a-kind conference attended by a diverse group of decision makers, including representatives from farms, ranches, allied industries, food processors, restaurants, grocery stores, legislatures, universities, government agencies and media. Registration is available through May 1, learn more here. About the guest Chief Strategy Officer Kansas Farm Bureau President U.S. Agriculture Partnership Fund Joel Leftwich joined Kansas Farm Bureau in 2021 as the organization's Chief Strategy Officer. Prior to joining Kansas Farm Bureau, Leftwich worked in Washington, D.C. for nearly twenty years with public and private sector experience in food and agriculture policy. Leftwich spent most of his time as staff to Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) serving in the personal office and then on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee as Majority Staff Director. He also worked for Rep. Jim Ryun (R-KS) and the USDA during President George W. Bush's administration. His private sector experience includes positions with global food and agriculture companies PepsiCo and DuPont. Additionally, he was a Managing Director for the Glover Park Group's communications and government affairs consulting firm's Food Team. GPG's Food Team clients included international food, beverage, animal health, and innovative agriculture companies. As CSO for the Kansas Farm Bureau, Leftwich works with organizational leadership and members to develop and implement new programs and strategies to accomplish KFB's mission. Examples of KFB's new initiatives include: Engaged Kansas, a nonpartisan coalition dedicated to recruiting and training candidates for local public service; Rural Kansas Apprenticeship Program, where KFB serves as a federally Registered Apprenticeship Intermediary working with agricultural and rural employers to develop registered apprenticeships; and the U.S. Agriculture Partnership Fund, a 501(c)4 organization focused on public education of the importance of keeping the U.S. food supply safe and affordable. Leftwich received his bachelor's degree in political science and history from Friends University and a master's degree from Loyola University of Chicago in political science.  This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of a long Dairy Stream episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, then listen to the full episode on March 13. Past events, like Europe's Farm to Fork policy and California's Proposition 12, have negatively impacted the food supply chain. How can we learn from these events and better engage the voters? Join Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Joel Leftwich, Chief Strategy Officer at Kansas Farm Bureau, as they discuss the past situations that negatively impacted agriculture and how we can better engage with voters.  Special thanks to the Animal Agriculture Alliance for sponsoring this episode. Joel will be speaking at the Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit on May 8-9 in Kansas City, MO. It is a one-of-a-kind conference attended by a diverse group of decision makers, including representatives from farms, ranches, allied industries, food processors, restaurants, grocery stores, legislatures, universities, government agencies and media. Registration is available through May 1, learn more here. About the guest Chief Strategy Officer Kansas Farm Bureau President U.S. Agriculture Partnership Fund Joel Leftwich joined Kansas Farm Bureau in 2021 as the organization's Chief Strategy Officer. Prior to joining Kansas Farm Bureau, Leftwich worked in Washington, D.C. for nearly twenty years with public and private sector experience in food and agriculture policy. Leftwich spent most of his time as staff to Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) serving in the personal office and then on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee as Majority Staff Director. He also worked for Rep. Jim Ryun (R-KS) and the USDA during President George W. Bush's administration. His private sector experience includes positions with global food and agriculture companies PepsiCo and DuPont. Additionally, he was a Managing Director for the Glover Park Group's communications and government affairs consulting firm's Food Team. GPG's Food Team clients included international food, beverage, animal health, and innovative agriculture companies. As CSO for the Kansas Farm Bureau, Leftwich works with organizational leadership and members to develop and implement new programs and strategies to accomplish KFB's mission. Examples of KFB's new initiatives include: Engaged Kansas, a nonpartisan coalition dedicated to recruiting and training candidates for local public service; Rural Kansas Apprenticeship Program, where KFB serves as a federally Registered Apprenticeship Intermediary working with agricultural and rural employers to develop registered apprenticeships; and the U.S. Agriculture Partnership Fund, a 501(c)4 organization focused on public education of the importance of keeping the U.S. food supply safe and affordable. Leftwich received his bachelor's degree in political science and history from Friends University and a master's degree from Loyola University of Chicago in political science.  This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

If you're reading this, then you are obviously thinking about the future of farming. Join Scott Caine, president of Aimpoint Research, to discuss and learn about the Farmer of the Future 2.0, a new study from Aimpoint Research.  We will cover psychographics, tangible and intangible items, key drivers of change and economic uncertainties for the future of agriculture. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza dives into the topic below with Scott: 1:21: Farmer of the Future in 2018, why 2.0 now?  2:32: What is the farm gate  3:10: Tangible and intangible items 5:04: Generations involved in the study    6:40: What is psychographics 7:39: Psychographics for the farmer of the future 10:31: Audience segmentation 12:02: National security and food security 13:34: Preparing the next generation 16:32: Geopolitical and economic uncertainties 18:25: Five key drivers of change in agriculture 19:38: Uncertainties biggest impact on ag 21:06: Cybersecurity 23:11: Timeline of key drivers of change 25:08: Who is responsible for sharing the message 28:21: Future predictions 29:53 How to be a farmer of the future    Special thanks to Pivot Bio for sponsoring this episode. About the guest As President of Aimpoint Research, Scott leads the organization in its mission to empower intelligence-driven organizations and give clients a competitive advantage. He's responsible for successfully achieving organizational goals including superior intelligence and operational excellence.  Scott is a tenured leader with more than 25 years of organizational leadership experience. He has served in organizations ranging from the United States Army, to small boutique data warehousing consulting firms and large enterprises with diverse roles including Marketing, Operation, Business Systems and Sales.  Through these experiences he has honed and gained a diverse set of skills including strategic and sector operations; marketing, marketing research and competitive intelligence; enterprise planning and organizational development; business modeling and strategy; product development and delivery; and strategic business sales.  This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of Dairy Stream that takes the long episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, we encourage you to listen to the full episode on Feb. 21. Are you prepared to be the farmer of the future? Join Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Scott Caine, president of Aimpoint Research, as they discuss geopolitical and economic uncertainties, five key drivers of change, future predictions and how to be a farmer of the future.  Special thanks to Pivot Bio for sponsoring this episode. About the guest: Scott Caine As President of Aimpoint Research, Scott leads the organization in its mission to empower intelligence-driven organizations and give clients a competitive advantage. He's responsible for successfully achieving organizational goals including superior intelligence and operational excellence.  Scott is a tenured leader with more than 25 years of organizational leadership experience. He has served in organizations ranging from the United States Army, to small boutique data warehousing consulting firms and large enterprises with diverse roles including Marketing, Operation, Business Systems and Sales. Through these experiences he has honed and gained a diverse set of skills including strategic and sector operations; marketing, marketing research and competitive intelligence; enterprise planning and organizational development; business modeling and strategy; product development and delivery; and strategic business sales.  This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

It can be intimidating navigating risk management and understanding what is right for your business. We provide the basics of hedging to better understand the process, impacts from outside factors, common terms and more. Our guest Mike North, president of the producer division at Ever.Ag, shares hedging examples and breaks down the basics. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza dives into the topic below with Mike: 1:15: Overview of hedging  5:36: Farm bill and risk management   9:51: Who is involved in the hedging process 12:36: License and reputable companies   14:00: Why do businesses hedge 14:38: Popularity of hedging 15:22: Common terms 19:53: Outside factors that impact hedging 22:41 Current events and risk management 28:00: Examples  34:05: How to get started 37:20: Future of hedging Special thanks to Compeer Financial for sponsoring this episode. About the guest Mike has spent nearly 30 years working with both farmers and processors or the end users of agricultural commodities to address and manage their exposure to commodity price risk. Mike applies a comprehensive approach to identifying points of risk and developing an appropriate risk management plan. Mike is currently the President of the Producer Division at Ever.Ag.  This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of Dairy Stream that takes the long episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, we encourage you to listen to the full episode on Jan. 31. We are starting with basics on hedging to ensure predictability in your future. In this episode, we cover what is hedging, who is involved, common terms, recommendations on getting started and the future of it. Special thanks to Compeer Financial for sponsoring this episode. About the guest Mike has spent nearly 30 years working with both farmers and processors or the end users of agricultural commodities to address and manage their exposure to commodity price risk. Mike applies a comprehensive approach to identifying points of risk and developing an appropriate risk management plan. Mike is currently the President of the Producer Division at Ever.Ag.  This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

“If you can't measure it, you can't manage it,” is a quote from this episode focused on artificial intelligence (AI). Two Wisconsin dairy farmers, Nathan Brandt and Mitch Breunig, share what they are tracking and how it has impacted the dairy farm. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza dives into the topics below with Nathan and Mitch: 1:26: Technology on the farm 2:41: When the farm implemented AI 6:10: How AI is implemented 11:04: How all the platforms come together 13:25: What is being tracked with AI 16:57: Focus on lactating cows 18:08: Is it easy to understand 20:26: Identifying trends in data 23:19: Challenges with AI 25:40: Can AI be wrong? 28:13: Game-changer experiences with AI 32:26: AI helps with consistency 34:26: Future of AI 39:08: Educating youth 41:01: Concerns about the future of AI 41:50: What's next for your AI journey Special thanks to Connecterra for sponsoring this episode. About the guests Nathan Brandt is the Dairy Herd Manager at Four Cubs Farm where they milk 980 cows with 16 robots in a retrofit free stall. Nathan's role is managing the cow-side of the operation and utilizing the data that AI helps sort on the dairy.    Mitch Breunig is the owner of Mystic Valley Dairy where they milk 450 cows in a double 14 parallel parlor. Mitch's manages the day to day and oversee the AI on the farm.   This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com.  Attend Dairy Strong on Jan. 16-18 in Green Bay, Wisconsin to gain firsthand inspiration and discover the challenges and solutions experienced by other farmers when implementing sustainable practices. Gain practical knowledge and motivation to implement practices that will make a positive impact on the environment and farms. Learn more and register at dairystrong.org.

Two Wisconsin dairy farmers share experiences about how AI is keeping their dairy farms consistent through tracking routine items and the health of the cows. Nathan and Mitch share the implementation, comprehension, challenges, game-changer experiences and the future of AI. Special thanks to Connecterra for sponsoring this episode. About the guests Nathan Brandt is the Dairy Herd Manager at Four Cubs Farm where they milk 980 cows with 16 Lely robots in a retrofit free stall. Nathan's role is managing the cow-side of the operation and utilizing the data that AI helps sort on the dairy.    Mitch Breunig is the owner of Mystic Valley Dairy where they milk 450 cows in a double 14 parallel parlor. Mitch's manages the day to day on the farm and oversee the AI on the farm.   This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com.  Attend Dairy Strong on Jan. 16-18 in Green Bay, Wisconsin to gain firsthand inspiration and discover the challenges and solutions experienced by other farmers when implementing sustainable practices. Gain practical knowledge and motivation to implement practices that will make a positive impact on the environment and farms. Learn more and register at dairystrong.org.

Early, often and transparent was a common theme in the conversation on succession planning and generational wealth. Jud Snyder and Brad Guse of BMO share insight on competing in the new normal, basic succession planning conversations, “killer D's,” generational wealth process, liquidity, adding new family members and advice. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza dives into the topics below with Jud and Brad: 1:55: What succession planning used to look like and what we are seeing now 3:19: Can your farm compete in the ‘new normal' 4:54: Basic succession planning conversations 7:15: Emotions involved in succession planning 8:46: Perfect time to exit 10:50: Ideal time to end the farm with no successor 13:20: Keep an eye on macroeconomics    14:01: Considerations when selling to a third party 15:25: Preparing for the unexpected, ‘Killer D's' 18:15: Process of generational wealth and how it's generated 20:36: The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act doubled the lifetime estate and gift tax exemption and set to expire Jan. 1, 2026, how does this impact succession planning 22.19: Who should be involved in succession planning 24:01: What is liquidity and why is it important 26:04:  Considerations with marriage and new family members 27:14: Multiple siblings but only select few taking over the farm, what about the other non-farming children 29:54: When does life insurance play a role 32:10: How to keep the older generation involved 34:48: Final advice on succession planning Special thanks to BMO for sponsoring this episode. About the guests Jud Snyder Jud Snyder is Regional President of the Midwest with BMO Wealth Management and BMO's Senior Executive for Southeast Wisconsin.  Jud oversees the strategic development and delivery of BMO Private Bank's personal wealth management platform to high net worth individuals, families and organizations, including closely-held and family-owned businesses, endowments and foundations throughout the Midwest. Jud joined the Bank in 1994 and has over 28 years of experience in financial services.  Prior to taking his current role, he spent much of his career in Commercial Banking. He was responsible for leading the growth and development of M&I's Equipment Finance Company. This included strategic and managerial responsibility for sales, operations, underwriting and equipment management capabilities within Equipment Finance. In 2010, he was named M&I's Head of Specialized Industries. In this role he was responsible for Equipment Finance, Global Trade, Health Care, Dealer Finance, Agribusiness and Sponsor Finance. Following the BMO acquisition in 2011, he moved back into the head role at BMO Equipment Finance with the mandate to leverage the business across BMO and grow the business to scale.  Jud obtained his BA in Russian and Economics from UW Madison ('94). He serves on the Board of Directors for The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (Trustee), United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, Milwaukee World Festival, Froedtert Health Systems (Chair), and Teach for America Milwaukee. He was previously a Director and Chair of the Milwaukee Ballet (2012-2019) and a past Chairman and Officer of the ELFA (Equipment Leasing and Finance Association) (2010-2020).  Jud lives in River Hills, Wisconsin with his wife, Amy and their children.  Brad Guse As an agricultural banking officer for BMO Commercial Bank - Marshfield, Brad Guse manages a portfolio of diverse production agricultural relationships made up of primarily dairy farm accounts. Guse has ten years of experience in the dairy nutrition field and over twenty - eight years of experience in agricultural banking. He was appointed by Wisconsin's Governor to serve on the Dairy 2.0 task force as well as to serve on the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) board of directors. He's very involved in the Ag community serving as the school director and an instructor for the Wisconsin Bankers Association agricultural lending schools as well as serving on the American Bankers Association's Ag and Rural Banking conference committee to name just a few. Brad served 21 years in the Wisconsin Army National Guard, retiring in 2004 after his unit's successful deployment to Afghanistan. Guse holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.  This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com.  Attend Dairy Strong on Jan. 16-18 in Green Bay, Wisconsin to gain firsthand inspiration and discover the challenges and solutions experienced by other farmers when implementing sustainable practices. Gain practical knowledge and motivation to implement practices that will make a positive impact on the environment and farms. Learn more and register at dairystrong.org.

The Dairy Streamlet is a new, condensed version of Dairy Stream that takes the long episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, we encourage you to listen to the full episode on Nov. 8. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza talks with Jud Snyder and Brad Guse of BMO about competing in the new normal, succession planning conversations, perfect time to exit, process of generational wealth, importance of liquidity, future planning advice and more. Special thanks to BMO for sponsoring this episode. About the guests Jud Snyder Jud Snyder is Regional President of the Midwest with BMO Wealth Management and BMO's Senior Executive for Southeast Wisconsin.  Jud oversees the strategic development and delivery of BMO Private Bank's personal wealth management platform to high net worth individuals, families and organizations, including closely-held and family-owned businesses, endowments and foundations throughout the Midwest. Jud joined the Bank in 1994 and has over 28 years of experience in financial services.  Prior to taking his current role, he spent much of his career in Commercial Banking. He was responsible for leading the growth and development of M&I's Equipment Finance Company. This included strategic and managerial responsibility for sales, operations, underwriting and equipment management capabilities within Equipment Finance. In 2010, he was named M&I's Head of Specialized Industries. In this role he was responsible for Equipment Finance, Global Trade, Health Care, Dealer Finance, Agribusiness and Sponsor Finance. Following the BMO acquisition in 2011, he moved back into the head role at BMO Equipment Finance with the mandate to leverage the business across BMO and grow the business to scale.  Jud obtained his BA in Russian and Economics from UW Madison ('94). He serves on the Board of Directors for The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (Trustee), United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, Milwaukee World Festival, Froedtert Health Systems (Chair), and Teach for America Milwaukee. He was previously a Director and Chair of the Milwaukee Ballet (2012-2019) and a past Chairman and Officer of the ELFA (Equipment Leasing and Finance Association) (2010-2020).  Jud lives in River Hills, Wisconsin with his wife, Amy and their children.  Brad Guse As an agricultural banking officer for BMO Commercial Bank - Marshfield, Brad Guse manages a portfolio of diverse production agricultural relationships made up of primarily dairy farm accounts. Guse has ten years of experience in the dairy nutrition field and over twenty - eight years of experience in agricultural banking. He was appointed by Wisconsin's Governor to serve on the Dairy 2.0 task force as well as to serve on the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) board of directors. He's very involved in the Ag community serving as the school director and an instructor for the Wisconsin Bankers Association agricultural lending schools as well as serving on the American Bankers Association's Ag and Rural Banking conference committee to name just a few. Brad served 21 years in the Wisconsin Army National Guard, retiring in 2004 after his unit's successful deployment to Afghanistan. Guse holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.  This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com.  Attend Dairy Strong on Jan. 16-18 in Green Bay, Wisconsin to gain firsthand inspiration and discover the challenges and solutions experienced by other farmers when implementing sustainable practices. Gain practical knowledge and motivation to implement practices that will make a positive impact on the environment and farms. Learn more and register at dairystrong.org.