The Progressive Dairy podcast is for U.S. dairy producers and their industry partners. Each helpful, informative episode serves as an on-the-go companion to the reliable, trustworthy information you find when reading Progressive Dairy magazine. New episodes are released every other week on Tuesdays.
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October 20, 2026Episode 4736 min
Ad van Velde: Global Dairy Farmers and a look inside his dairy farm in the Netherlands
In this episode, join host Kimmi Devaney and Ad van Velde for a discussion about educational opportunities offered through Global Dairy Farmers, the technology he uses on his dairy farm in the Netherlands and a look at the dairy industry around the world. Episode overview: [~1:05] About van Velde’s dairy farm in the Netherlands [~5:30] On-farm technology [~6:45] Generating electricity on the farm [~7:40] Other on-farm innovations he is excited about [~10:15] Van Velde’s approach to sustainability [~12:15] About the dairy industry in the Netherlands [~14:35] Preparing the next generation to manage the farm in the future [~16:45] Global Dairy Farmers [~19:00] The Congress and other educational opportunities for members of Global Dairy Farmers [~23:50] The value of learning about the dairy industry in other countries [~24:30] The most memorable parts of van Velde’s Global Dairy Farmers presidency so far [~27:00] A look at the dairy industry around the globe
October 15, 2026Episode 4624 min
From Brain Health to Shopping Carts: How Dairy Marketing Reaches Today's Families (Sponsored Podcast)
How does dairy checkoff turn nutrition science into consumer action? In this episode of the Your Dairy Checkoff Podcast , Scott Wallin sits down with Aris Georgiadis to discuss the consumer marketing strategies helping build trust and grow dairy sales. From the First 1,000 Days initiative and partnerships with trusted parenting resources to retail programs like We Are Family and the Dairy Does More platform, learn how dairy checkoff is connecting with today's consumers through science, storytelling and data-driven marketing. Learn more about how your checkoff is working to build sales and trust at DairyCheckoff.com . Host & Guest Host: Scott Wallin, Vice President of Farmer Communications & Media Relations, Dairy Management Inc. Guest: Aris Georgiadis, Senior Vice President of Marketing Communications, Dairy Management Inc. This episode is sponsored by Dairy Management Inc.
October 8, 2026Episode 4523 min
Breeding for Value: Capturing Profit Today and Premiums Tomorrow (Sponsored Podcast)
As dairy producers look to maximize profitability, every pregnancy needs a strategic lens. Join Jeremy Howard of Simplot Animal Sciences and Lauren Kimble of Select Sires as they discuss strategic breeding, beef-on-dairy opportunities, the growing value of uniform, consistent genetics to help producers capture value today and prepare for tomorrow's market demands. Learn more about SimVitro® Cattle Embryos This episode is sponsored by Simplot Animal Sciences.
October 6, 2026Episode 4426 min
Stacy Rethman finds her place on the family farm
Stacy Rethman joins guest host Audrey Schmitz in this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast to discuss how she returned to her family’s dairy, Rottinghaus Holstein Farm in Seneca, Kansas. After teaching middle school science, she now helps manage their herd while educating consumers about dairy farming through outreach and social media. Episode breakdown: 0:40 – Rethman’s connection to farming 4:00 – Journey from teaching to dairying 8:00 – Similarities between teaching and dairying 10:00 – Returning to the farm full time 12:40 – Difficult seasons 15:20 – Steepest learning curve 16:50 – Finding balance between farming and family 18:45 – Advice for other young women 20:40 – Sharing farm life on social media
October 1, 2026Episode 4310 min
From Ammonia Control to Calf Performance: Lessons from the Hutch (Sponsored Podcast)
Healthy calves begin with a healthy environment, and sometimes the most important challenges are found right at bedding level. In this episode, calf producer and researcher Dr. Dave Casper discusses what led him to investigate ammonia in calf hutches and the results of his research evaluating SurpHace ® (sodium bisulfate) as an environmental management tool. He shares what the study revealed about ammonia concentrations and calf growth, and observations surrounding fly pressure. A great listen for producers looking for proactive ways to create a healthier calf environment. Episode highlights: 01:34 – Why Study Ammonia in Calf Hutches? Dave explains what first made him question ammonia levels in outdoor calf hutches. 03:44 – Reducing Ammonia with SurpHace The study showed lower ammonia levels, along with observations of reduced fly pressure. 05:23 – Improving Calf Growth Calves gained more than a tenth of a pound per day, resulting in about eight pounds of additional gain. 06:03 – Evaluating Ammonia at Calf Level Dave explains why producers should assess air quality where the calf actually rests. 07:07 – What’s Next for SurpHace Research? Ongoing work is evaluating whether once-weekly applications can provide effective ammonia control. This episode is sponsored by Jones-Hamilton.
September 22, 2026Episode 4221 min
Tara Hill and Emma Hill-Macmillan: A mother-daughter partnership in dairy
Tara Hill and Emma Hill-Macmillan join guest host Audrey Schmitz in this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast to chat about how dairywomen find balance between the farm and caring for their families. Learn how they work side by side on Charles Hill and Son Dairy in Central Onslow, Nova Scotia, and have a shared work ethic and passion for agriculture to advance their family farm. Episode breakdown: 0:45 – Connection to dairy farming 4:45 – Finding balance between farming and family 6:50 – Difficult seasons and moments it felt worth it 10:00 – Differences in farming between generations 13:25 – Working relationship between mother and daughter 16:55 – Leadership strengths women bring to the dairy industry
September 17, 2026Episode 4113 min
Manure management insights from Vaughan (Sponsored Podcast)
Rick Boyer is the dairy/agriculture account manager for Vaughan Company. Rick has been with Vaughan Company since 2012, where he started in the manure department, and his expertise is manure. He has had a hand in most dairy and ag applications offering suggestions and solutions, from large commercial operations to small farms. This episode is sponsored by Vaughan Company. Visit the Vaughan Company website
September 10, 2026Episode 4014 min
Unlocking innovation in dairy with the power of big data and artificial intelligence (Sponsored Podcast)
Artificial intelligence (AI) and big data are revolutionizing industries—so why is dairy only now catching up? In this episode, we explore: Why the dairy value chain is embracing AI now How DDW is using data to support smarter, more sustainable dairy operations The journey from raw farm data to actionable AI insights Don’t miss this conversation on the future of dairy tech! This episode is sponsored by Dairy Data Warehouse. At Dairy Data Warehouse (DDW), we unlock the full potential of data on dairy farms across the globe to enable the industry to harness big data and AI for sustainable and more profitable farming. DDW collects farm data from the herd management software and other sources on farm. We ensure high data quality by cleaning and transforming it into a unified, comparable set for AI driven strategic decision-making, benchmarking and insights. Our solutions support key stakeholders in nutrition, genetics, animal health, cow monitoring, and milking equipment. Let’s connect to explore how data can drive your business forward.
September 8, 2026Episode 3934 min
Cows, community and consumers: Producer Erica Hermonot
Join host Matti McBride as she chats with dairy producer Erica Hermonot in this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast . Learn about Hermonot’s dairy, operating a farm store, welcoming kids to the farm each year and hosting the local county fair birthing center. Hermonot also touches on the importance of community outreach for dairy producers. Listen to learn more. Episode breakdown: 1:00 – Rapid-fire questions 2:40 – Fairhom Farm 5:30 – Farm store 8:40 – Kids camp 12:50 – Adding value to Fairholm Farm 14:15 – Interesting questions Erica has been asked 15:00 – Managing the birthing center at local county fair 21:30 – Traits Fairhom Farm selects for, how they maintain longevity in herd 27:50 – Describing modern dairy technology to consumers 30:30 – Advice for others interested in agritourism
September 3, 2026Episode 3828 min
The next chapter of dairy decision-making (Sponsored Podcast)
Every day, dairy producers balance countless decisions across people, cows and operations. As technology continues to evolve, the challenge isn't access to information. It's knowing what matters most and what action to take next. In this episode, Mark Moran and Jennifer Stamey of VAS join Walt Cooley of Progressive Dairy to discuss how connected systems can help bring clarity to complex operations, support more confident decision-making and unlock new opportunities for the future of dairy management. From predictive insights and automation to creating the context needed for better decisions, the conversation explores what's next for the modern dairy. Show Highlights: 02:47 | Dairy has more data than ever. Now what? 04:48 | The gap between data collection and decision making 13:02 | Why connected systems matter on today’s dairy 18:06 | Using technology to anticipate change on the dairy 23:28 | Building the team, technology and strategy for the future Mark Moran, PhD, SM, MBA, serves as Chief Product and Technology Officer at VAS, bringing more than two decades of experience in agtech spanning information technology, manufacturing, marketing, product engineering and emerging technology. He has spent most of the last decade focused on AI, Mobile, Cloud, IoT and autonomous systems. Throughout his career, he has led teams focused on innovation, connected systems and digital transformation. At VAS, Mark helps guide the company's product and technology strategy with a focus on delivering practical solutions that help dairy producers operate with greater confidence, efficiency and insight. Jennifer Stamey, PhD, is a Senior Product Manager at VAS with a background spanning dairy nutrition, herd management and dairy technology. Before moving into product management, Jennifer worked closely with producers and consultants to help dairies use data to improve decision-making and operational performance. Today, she helps shape the future of herd management software at VAS, combining practical dairy experience with a deep understanding of the technologies that support modern dairy operations. Walt Cooley, MBA, served as editor-in-chief of the industry-leading publication Progressive Dairy ( www.progressivedairy.com ) for 16 years. He is still a contributing editor to the magazine and now serves as vice president of publishing. Additionally, he is the founder and editor of The Cow Tech Report ( www.cowtechreport.com ), a global newsletter covering emerging technologies for cows. He is a learner and futurist passionate about technology and its application for farms and livestock. This episode is sponsored by VAS. VAS is a global leader in dairy management software and the company behind DairyComp, the industry's trusted herd management platform. For more than 40 years, VAS has helped producers collect, connect and act on their farm data with insights that support confident management decisions. Visit VAS.com to learn more.
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