Progressive Dairy Podcast

Many producers recognize herd monitoring for its heat detection capabilities, but producers can do so much more than they may realize with this technology. In this Progressive Dairy sponsorcast, listen in as Merck Animal Health Customer Success Specialist Sarah Anderson and Merck Animal Health Senior Application Specialist Evan Platte discuss the many herd health and cost-saving benefits these novel technologies provide and how producers can get the most out of them. Episode highlights include: Using herd monitoring for more than heat detectionKeys to success when adopting new technologiesLesser-known reports to improve overall efficiency Questions: Producers often invest in SenseHub monitoring with a specific application in mind, such as improving their repro program — how do you try and help them realize the FULL benefits and capabilities of SenseHub Dairy, along with their initial motivation?What special reports or insights from SenseHub Dairy do producers sometimes overlook — but could be game-changers if used more often?What’s a lesser-known, high-impact way producers are using SenseHub Dairy monitoring systems?What do you hear most often from producers who have installed sorting gates? How do sorting gates reduce stress — both for cows and the employees — when it comes to managing cows that need attention?What kind of efficiencies are created when milking points, herd monitoring and sort gates are fully integrated? Do the benefits compound one another?How can a producer use SenseHub Dairy data to make a targeted reproductive decision, rather than relying on blanket protocols?From your perspectives, what do the most successful dairies do differently when adopting these technologies? This episode is sponsored by Merck Animal Health. With identification, monitoring and biopharma products fully integrated in one portfolio, Merck Animal Health offers the only true full-solution approach in the dairy industry. Which means you get the tools you need to eliminate guesswork, solve specific problems, let cows be cows and put more milk in the tank. It’s the way you want to work, working better than ever before. Learn more about this unique approach to dairy at M-Power-Dairy.com. 

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, learn from National Mastitis Council president and director of Udder Health Systems Justine Britten as she and host Matti McBride discuss milk quality. Enjoy a conversation about changes in milk quality, innovations that have changed how milk quality is managed on dairies, common problems in parlors, tips for sampling milk for mastitis cultures and more. Here is the episode breakdown: 1:00 – Britten’s background2:40 – How milk quality has changed recently7:30 – What’s made the biggest wave in milk quality12:00 – Britten’s approach to treating a mastitis outbreak17:05 – The most common problem in parlors today18:40 – How to properly sample milk for a mastitis culture23:18 – The importance of explaining the problem at hand when sending milk to a lab26:00 – The biggest misconception when it comes to milk quality28:00 – Rapid-fire questions

In this episode, we will introduce you to the 2025 Nexus Innovation Award winners. They were recently recognized at Professional Dairy Producers Business Conference. One of the award winners is an innovative new lending marketplace that can help producers find funding for tech-centered projects. Another winner has a sort gate that uses electromagnets and springs to operate and makes less noise during operation. One is a new feed pad design to capture rainwater and keep it out of lagoons. Another winner has a rumen-protected feed product that looks promising to improve feed efficiency. Finally, one is an automated hoof bath with onboard computer vision to spot digital dermatitis earlier. Congratulations to the 2025 Nexus Innovation Award winners! Here is a breakdown of the episode: ~1:45 – BankBarn~15:20 – CowManager~34:45 – Dairy Nutrient Reclamation~52:00 – QuadraStep~1:09:15 – Pathway Intermediates

Join Anne Marie Splitstone and Silvia Robles from Dairy Management Inc., who are driving innovation in the dairy sector. They dissect the evolution of fluid milk since 2015, focusing on consumer preferences for high-protein and low-sugar options. Discover how successful products like Fairlife and Milk50 emerged from deep consumer insights and strategic partnerships. The discussion highlights the pivotal role of research networks in shaping consumer engagement and the future landscape of dairy offerings.

Raising healthy calves isn’t just about helping them survive their first weeks—it’s about setting them up for lifetime productivity. One of the biggest factors in long-term success? Gut health. In this episode, Taylor Wolfe, a territory sales representative with DBC Ag Products, shares what she’s seeing on Northeast dairy farms and why prioritizing gut health and immune support from day one leads to healthier, more productive calves. Wolfe also explains what sets First Arrival® apart and how proactive care pays off, especially as treatment regulations and input costs shift. This episode is sponsored by DBC Ag Products.

Connecticut dairy producer Amanda Freund recently took the national stage to promote her product Cow Pots (and in turn, the dairy industry) during a televised episode of Shark Tank. Host Kimmi Devaney sat down with her to learn about this experience and how this product has changed manure management on their farm over the past 20-plus years, how diversifying their farm has been a game changer and so much more. This is a high-energy episode you won’t want to miss. Contact Freund at cowpots.com, @cowpotsgirl on Instagram or amanda@cowpots.com. Here’s a breakdown of the episode: [~1:25] Freund’s inspiration for building her dairy career[~3:30] Cow Pots: 1990s to now[~7:30] Manure management cooperatives[~9:50] Manure management and their anaerobic digester[~13:45] Marketing and target audience for Cow Pots[~18:30] The greatest lessons she has learned over the last two decades building and expanding this business.[~20:40] Freund shares about her recent experience on Shark Tank[~26:15] A new product line for Cow Pots[~35:00] The value of media training in preparing for big opportunities like Shark Tank and everyday conversations.[~39:15] Where Freund learned to negotiate as well as she did on the Shark Tank episode.[~42:05] Freund’s advice for others interested in promoting dairy locally or on a national stage.[~44:45] Key takeaways from her Shark Tank experience.[~47:05] What drives her family when it comes to sustainability and why it is important to them.[~48:55] About their farm market.[~52:40] The benefits of diversifying their farm to create multiple revenue streams.[~54:45] Freund’s advice for other dairy producers looking for innovative ways to create new revenue streams on their operations[~58:20] Rapid-fire questions

Afimilk recently released the first product to accurately identify individual cow dry matter intake and calculate the feed efficiency of each animal. Product manager, Veronica Shabtai, DVM, shares the research behind the ground-breaking development and producer Jacob de Jong from Parkview Dairy in California, talks about how he's used the service to enhance the accuracy and profitability of his culling decisions. Listen to hear that and more. This episode is sponsored by Afimilk.

Dairy farmers have several options when designing and implementing beef-on-dairy programs. One approach is breeding dairy cows to beef sires, producing crossbred calves that enter the beef value chain. However, an increasing number of dairies are choosing HerdFlex beef embryos, which result in full-beef calves. Evaluating embryo quality is crucial for dairy farmers when considering beef-on-dairy options. Understanding the processes involved with these embryos is essential, and we provide comprehensive information to address any questions you may have. Here is a breakdown of the episode: 1:50: The Impact of Embryos and In Vitro Fertilization on Dairy Breeding3:28: Debunking the Myth: “An embryo is an embryo”6:57: Quality Control and Simplot Animal Sciences8:56: Why Embryo Quality Matters for Dairies10:49: Practical Insights from Your Own Herds14:54: Final Thoughts & Advice for Dairies Considering HerdFlex Embryos16:14: Where to Learn More This episode is sponsored by Simplot Animal Sciences. Embryo quality is the foundation of a successful embryo transfer program. By prioritizing high-quality embryos, dairy farmers can achieve higher conception rates and healthier, stronger calves for a more profitable and sustainable dairy operation.

There’s a new type of AI in town, and one you might not be as familiar with. Shari van de Pol, CEO of Cattleytics, joins host Matti McBride to explain how and why dairies can benefit from artificial intelligence. Learn the different types of AI, what applications you might use it for and understand the benefits and limitations of this technology.

Brad Peterson, VP of Sales at Total Farm Marketing, sheds light on how AI and proactive planning are revolutionizing dairy marketing. He discusses the innovative TFM360 system, which employs AI for optimizing milk pricing and managing costs amidst market fluctuations. Brad emphasizes the importance of scenario planning and how Dairy Revenue Protection insurance serves as a safety net for farmers. Learn how these strategies empower dairy producers to make informed decisions and enhance their financial resilience.