Uplevel Dairy Podcast

Peggy Coffeen

What does it take to be a successful, profitable and competitive dairy farm business? This is the podcast for dairy owners, managers and advisors who are after their next level of success. Join Uplevel Dairy host Peggy Coffeen each week as she sits down with the industry’s leading dairy producers and thought leaders for real conversations about business, management and leadership.

  1. 1D AGO

    338 | Dairy Farm Finances in 2026: What Smart Producers Are Planning for Q2

    How are your finances looking for Q2? In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen interviews Steve Schweoer of Compeer Financial on what financially strong dairy farms are doing in 2026 amid tight first-half cash flow, lower milk prices, and higher costs of capital. Steve notes many producers prepaid 2026 expenses in 2025, easing near-term pressure, and expects improved markets in the second half while emphasizing preparing during good times by building working capital and paying down lines of credit. He advises maintaining a three-to-five-year capital replacement plan using “needs vs. wants,” evaluating land purchases case by case, and not letting taxes drive decisions. Key profitability levers include beef-on-dairy and managing net herd replacement cost, feed efficiency and ration cost, strong components and herd health, disciplined capital spending, and low employee turnover. He urges producers to know their cost of production, keep a consistent operating model, and bring lenders and advisors a long-term plan including risk management and family goals. This episode is sponsored by Compeer Financial. Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural America. Their dairy team brings world-class expertise and tailored solutions to support dairy producers’ financial goals and lending needs.Visit https://www.compeer.com/specialists/dairy 01:17 Cash Flow Cycles Ahead 03:02 Needs vs Wants Capital 05:11 Land Buying Decisions 06:36 Cost of Capital Squeeze 08:17 Beef on Dairy Boost 11:07 Feed Efficiency Levers 12:48 What Profitable Looks Like 15:04 Tech Investments Timing 17:36 Lender Talks and Planning 19:34 Disciplines for Stability 21:50 Know Your Cost Production 23:16 Stick to Your Model

    25 min

  2. 6D AGO

    337 | Leading the Legacy from 100 Miles Away: A Modern Dairy Story

    On the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen visits Cooper Legacy Dairy near Clovis, New Mexico, a 2,000-cow operation run by fifth-generation dairyman Jered Cooper that also raises replacements and farms about 2,500 acres. Cooper shares how his family’s dairy roots span Michigan, Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico, and why he now lives about 80–100 miles away in the Lubbock, Texas area while still managing the dairy through internet-connected tools and support from his son on site.He explains adopting Nedap smart tags and sort gates, which proved pivotal during a bird flu outbreak by enabling early health alerts, treatment monitoring, and improved herd outcomes, and now streamline daily workflows for health and reproduction via reports, mobile entry, and cloud syncing. Cooper also discusses passing the business to the sixth generation and writing a book inspired by his father about family, football, faith, and farming.This episode is part of the High-Performance Mindset Series powered by Nedap.Nedap is future-proofing dairy farming with smart technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering, sort gates, and AI-powered camera systems. Nedap is improving life on the farm by putting the right cow in the right place at the right time, every time.01:24 Meet Jered and the Dairy02:06 Five Generation Roots02:42 How Clovis Happened05:29 Living 100 Miles Away08:03 Tech That Makes It Work08:40 Smart Tags and Bird Flu12:32 New Workflow and Sort Gates15:27 Health Score and Cow Insights16:54 Next Gen and AI Future18:25 Redefining the Modern Dairyman20:24 Why It's Called Legacy21:20 Milkman Love Note22:35 Michigan Dairy Traditions23:19 Depression Era Detour23:59 One Cow to 200024:30 Family Farms and Pride26:20 Next Gen Takes Over30:42 Raising Kids on Dairy32:19 Writing the Dairy Book39:43 Legacy and Advice

    44 min

  3. APR 14

    336 | April Proofs, Real Cows: Why ‘Milk What You Make’ Is Redefining Genetic Progress

    Jeff King & Tom Mercuro on genetics, longevity, and why ‘milk what you make’ is the futureOn this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, we are joined by Jeff King of Kings Ransom Farm in New York and Tom Mercuro from Mercuro Farms in Maryland—two dairymen who are redefining what real genetic progress looks like. We find out what they are doing to create the kind of cows they want in their barns and why they believe other dairy producers want them too.This isn’t about chasing the top of a list… it’s about milking what they make - breeding cows that last, perform, and put milk in the tank.Plus, Jeff and Tom provide their hot takes on the April Holstein Sire Summary and recent changes to the TPI formula.United Sires is a partnership of well-known Holstein breeders from the United States bringing genetic solutions to dairy producers worldwide. Our mission, “Breed the Best, Better,” reflects the work we have been doing on our farms for generations. As multi-generational dairy farmers, we adhere to a simple yet powerful principle: We Milk What We Make. We understand the importance of breeding cattle that are profitable throughout their lifetimes, functional across all dairy enterprises, and aesthetically pleasing.Learn more at Unitedsires.com and follow on Facebook at United Sires and Instagram @unitedsiresofficial.

    53 min

  4. APR 11

    335 | What It Really Takes to Transition a Family Farm | Full Expert Panel

    This Uplevel Dairy Podcast episode shares the full Farm Forward Conference panel with attorney Will McKinley, dairyman Tommy Oesch, consultant Kristy Pagel, advisor Steve Bodart, and family farm coach Elaine Froese on building multi-generational farm transitions as an ongoing legal, financial, and relational process. They discuss testing next-generation commitment through projects, off-farm work, mentors, peer networks, and family bylaws; clarifying roles for siblings/cousins using tools like StrengthsFinder and DISC; and keeping farms aligned through regular meetings, celebrations, and quarterly financial check-ins. The panel contrasts successful transitions (everything on the table, commitment, compromise) with failures (stubbornness, toxicity, staying stuck), addresses estate tools like TOD deeds, revocable and irrevocable trusts, LLCs/corporations, and managing conflicts, cash flow targets, and the option to exit via sale. Final action steps emphasize alignment between spouses, writing letters, gratitude, grace, listening, and accepting continuous change. 02:35 Testing Next Gen Commitment 07:13 Best vs Worst Transitions 10:21 Preventing Estate Disputes 14:06 Future of Midwest Farms 17:22 Siblings and Cousins Leadership 22:25 Making Transition Ongoing 26:23 Meeting Rhythms That Work 28:29 The $2.50 Cash Flow Rule 29:39 Cash Flow Under Pressure 31:27 Trusts Explained Simply 33:08 Irrevocable Trust Tradeoffs 34:58 Estate Planning Resources 36:13 Getting Honest Family Input 40:25 Helping Seniors Let Go 44:45 When No Successor Exists 46:59 Why Ag Transitions Differ 52:00 Family Stories About Land

    1h 1m

  5. APR 10

    334 | Protect the Farm—and the Family: The Legal Reality of Farm Transition with Will McKinley, Menn Law

    Transition Talks from the Farm Forward ConferenceThis Farm Forward Recap episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast features attorney Will McKinley, President of Menn Law, discussing the legal side of family farm transition planning. McKinley emphasizes that communication is critical and that lawyers can’t prescribe one-size-fits-all solutions; families need to clarify and align their goals before legal documents are drafted. He explains what he hopes clients bring to the table—financial records plus a shared “wish list” vision—and shares a success story involving bringing a non-family herdsman into ownership while keeping spouses, bankers, and accountants aligned.He outlines tools often used (wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, entity structures) and notes tax challenges with lifetime sales, sometimes using an income-stream approach until a later trigger. He warns that the biggest obstacle is delaying the process and failing to commit time for a multi-meeting plan.Contact Will McKinley at Menn Law:William-McKinley@mennlaw.com(920) 731-6631https://mennlaw.com/ 00:55 Meet Will McKinley01:37 Communication Comes First04:57 What to Bring Your Lawyer07:49 Succession Success Story10:39 Legal Tools and Tax Strategy13:38 Where Plans Get Stuck

    19 min

  6. APR 9

    333 | Can Your Farm Afford Transition? What the Numbers Need to Say | Steve Bodart, AgriGrowth Solutions

    Transition Talks from the Farm Forward Conference At the Farm Forward Conference, Uplevel Dairy Podcast host Peggy Coffeen interviews Steve Bodart of AgriGrowth Solutions about the financial side of family farm transition. Bodart explains his accrual-based financial consulting approach that connects production decisions to financial outcomes, benchmarks performance, and evaluates what both outgoing and incoming generations need and can afford. He emphasizes financial transparency so everyone hears the same message at the same time, and says succession is a journey requiring room for growth, disciplined debt payments, and honest discussions about cost of production, capital spending, and competitiveness. Steve notes failures often stem from resisting change and poor communication without a facilitator. He advocates involving owners and capable mid-managers and giving younger generations responsibility for financial projects, such as analyzing how a transition barn can improve profitability. AgriGrowth Solutions is a team of financial consultants with strong dairy backgrounds which represent and work for the best interests of dairy producers. The AGS team guides clients through their business’ financial position and assists in planning for their continued and future success. Contact Steve Bodart, AgriGrowth Solutions: SteveBodart@agrigrowthsolutions.com Visit: https://agrigrowthsolutions.com/ 01:10 Meet Steve Bodart 01:50 What Steve Does 03:21 Financial Transparency 05:56 Planning for Growth 07:00 Building a Win Win Plan 09:42 Who Belongs in Meetings 11:20 Why Transitions Fail 14:44 Bringing Next Gen In 17:23 Real World Project Example

    20 min

  7. APR 8

    332 | The Conversations That Make—or Break—Farm Transition | Kristy Pagel

    Transition Talks from the Farm Forward ConferenceIn this Farm Forward Recap, Peggy Coffeen hosts a transition talk featuring Kristy Pagel of Leading Edge Consulting, who focuses on facilitating difficult family farm transition conversations, aligning expectations across generations, and helping farms get “unstuck,” often during conflict or crisis. Pagel emphasizes the need to clarify the senior generation’s purpose beyond day-to-day farm duties and to support curiosity about what comes next.She also explains an adapted Employee Analyzer tool from Gino Wickman’s “Traction” to objectively assess whether owners, family members, and employees have the head, heart, and capacity for their roles, adding a “reinvest” column with plans, communication, timelines, and accountability. Pagel describes using the tool as a two-way self-assessment to open honest dialogue about burnout, fit, and workload.Connect with Kristy:Owner, coach, consultant with Leading Edge Consulting LLCkristy@leadingedgeccd.comLinkedIn: Kristy PagelListen to Kristy's Other Episode on Uplevel Dairy here: https://youtu.be/wJU12xNYyl4?si=h7ypvZKEgUgY3GdL 00:55 Meet Kristy Pagel 02:21 Why Facilitation Matters 03:29 Getting Unstuck Together 05:49 Purpose After the Farm 08:44 Employee Analyzer Tool 11:57 Objective Feedback Not Emotion 14:14 Story Using the Tool

    18 min

  8. APR 7

    331 | Building a Legacy That Lasts: Tommy Oesch on Transitioning Swisslane Farms Forward

    At the Farm Forward Conference, Uplevel Dairy Podcast host Peggy Coffeen interviews Tommy Oesch of Swisslane Farms in Michigan about his multi-generational family farm transition from junior partner to senior leader and preparing for the next generation. Tommy describes the farm’s origins with his Swiss immigrant great-grandfather, early succession planning begun in 2004–2005, requirements for the next generation to work off-farm, and his and his brother’s years in outside careers before returning in 2011 to build a 500-cow robotic dairy. He explains growth through leasing opportunities instead of building, reaching about 5,600 cows across multiple sites, buying out the senior generation, and shifting their income from salary to equity payments to support leadership transition. He highlights hard conversations, including selling real estate to cover debt during Michigan’s 2015–2019 processing challenges, the need for intra-generation alignment through weekly meetings, and wishing they had brought in professional help earlier. Make sure to tune in all week as we drop recap episodes from the conference right here on the podcast! 02:02 Meet Tommy Oesch 02:49 Swisslane Origin Story 05:06 Off Farm Lessons 06:36 Back to Dairy Growth 07:40 Leadership Buyout Shift 12:13 Hard Times Real Estate 15:05 Generational Negotiations 18:21 Aligning Weekly Meetings 18:54 What We'd Change

    23 min
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Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

What does it take to be a successful, profitable and competitive dairy farm business? This is the podcast for dairy owners, managers and advisors who are after their next level of success. Join Uplevel Dairy host Peggy Coffeen each week as she sits down with the industry’s leading dairy producers and thought leaders for real conversations about business, management and leadership.

Information

  • Creator
    Peggy Coffeen
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    334
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 868329
  • Show Website
    Uplevel Dairy Podcast

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