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. 7h ago

    350 | Ice Cream, Show Cows and Family Values: The Vandoske Dairy Farms Story

    Today, Peggy Coffeen visits Bob and Tara Vandoske at Vandoske Dairy Farms in Cleveland, Wisconsin, to discuss how their 700-cow family dairy farm has grown into diverse business segments, including County Line Creamery, an on-farm ice cream store with viewing windows and open barn access, and a cattle boarding/show-cow facility. They share the farm’s multi-generational history, their three children’s roles (including show involvement and work responsibilities), and how these ventures create next-generation opportunities and consumer connection. Bob explains the creamery grew from COVID-era interest in local food, progressed through careful planning, and started by bringing in products rather than processing milk. They describe the boarding business’ unexpected growth, recent dairy facility upgrades including a new double-12 parallel parlor, and the importance of faith, teamwork, and relationships. NutriQuest nutritionist Jeff Rortvedt, highlights the farm’s multiple enterprises and Bob’s investments in cow care and the future. This episode is brought to you be NutriQuest. The NutriQuest Dairy Nutrition Team is a group of experienced nutritionists committed to serving dairy producers by partnering with them to develop an un-biased, customized nutrition program that delivers maximum profitability, achieved through a holistic approach, engaging in all aspects that influence nutrition program success. The NutriQuest Dairy Team is committed to serving the dairy industry and delivering their customers’ consistent results with a high return. Learn more at nutriquest.com/dairy-nutrition-solutions 01:49 Vandoske Farm Story 03:06 Kids and Farm Roles 04:51 Why Not 10000 Cows 05:33 County Line Creamery Idea 08:33 Planning the Build Out 11:05 Why Ice Cream Wins 12:27 Cattle Boarding Begins 15:37 Designing the Show Barn 18:11 Busy Saturdays and Events 21:02 Three Years of Rapid Growth 21:30 Heavy Decisions and Faith 21:51 Hardest Choices and New Roles 24:17 Dairy Upgrades and New Parlor 27:43 Raising the Next Generation 29:44 Future Plans and Tractor Time 35:25 A Nutritionist's Perspective

    38 min

  2. 2d ago

    349 | Earning Trust, One Tough Calving at a Time

    Today on The Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen talks with Dr. Kady Bennett of United Vet Services (part of Heritage Vet Partners) about her unexpected path from an Illinois corn-and-soybean upbringing and an early photography major to large animal dairy practice in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. Dr. Bennett explains how starting as a kennel tech, then experiencing large animal work (including castrating bull calves) led her to switch to animal science and pursue vet school, with dairy research helping solidify her focus. She describes her passion for solving problems ... from casting a calf's broken jaw to uncovering protocol issues with lung ultrasound. Dr. Bennett is on a mission to be the best vet she can be, with the help of great mentors, fellow vets and supportive dairy farm clients. Heritage Vet Partners is the nation’s leading veterinary partnership, specializing in mixed and large animal practices.  Heritage Vet Partners provides a unique partnership model that preserves local practice legacies, serving dairy and other livestock producers and companion animal owners through shared services, data, and strategic growth. Learn more at HeritageVetPartners.com 01:34 From Photography To Cows 04:31 Earning Trust On Farms 08:45 Mentors And Backup 10:15 Problem Solver Mindset 11:22 Broken Jaw Calf Win 13:21 Calf Lung Ultrasound Data 17:16 Motivation And Relationships 18:46 Stepping Up Consulting 21:23 Advice For Future Vets 23:30 Creativity And Baking

    28 min

  3. May 26

    348 | The Future of Dairy Management: AI, Automation and Data-Driven Action

    Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Manny Salcedo, founder of the Dairy Performance Network (DPN), discusses how modern dairy management has shifted from simply managing cows and people to managing overwhelming volumes of data from multiple on-farm systems. Drawing on his background working on dairies and later founding DPN, he explains their consulting work and its tools, including Ida, an AI-driven application that lets farmers ask questions about KPIs, health events, reproduction, and predictive culling. And find out what Manny believes it will take for today's dairy managers to turn information into action through the power of AI and automation.This episode is brought to you by the Dairy Performance Network (DPN).DPN - Connecting people, cows, and technology. Learn more at Dpnconnect.com & dairystash.com00:00 Data Driven Dairy01:48 What DPN Builds03:20 Too Much Data04:52 Ida AI Assistant06:02 From Dashboards to Actions07:18 Why Manny Built This11:38 Pilot Farms, Real Questions13:20 Voice Commands Automation17:42 Future Integration Wave20:19 Next Gen Manager Skills

    28 min

  4. May 21

    347 | Courage, Honor, and Dairy with Veterans Kelsey DeBoer and Matthew Taber

    Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy talks with veterans, Matt Taber, a retired Marine and co-owner of Donley Farms in Shoshone, Idaho, and Kelsey DeBoer, a former U.S. Army Reserve construction engineer and now senior marketing manager at Zoetis, about how military service shapes leadership and perspective.Kelsey explains Zoetis’ Patriots Pledge partnership with Folds of Honor, donating a percentage of sales from select products from Memorial Day through Veterans Day to fund scholarships for families of fallen or disabled service members, and also law enforcement and first responders.They both discuss teamwork, accountability and sacrifice as lessons applied to their respective dairy work today, as they also reflect with gratitude on their time in service and the powerful perspective that lives on through the way they lead. Zoetis’ Patriots’ Pledge program supports Folds of Honor. Folds of Honor is a non-profit organization that provides education scholarships for spouses and children of America’s fallen or injured service members and first responders. The Patriots’ Pledge program from Zoetis designates a portion of sales from select products between Memorial Day and Veterans Day each year. Learn more here: https://www.zoetisus.com/services-and-programs/patriots-pledge/ This episode is brought to you by Zoetis. As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis is dedicated to helping producers achieve healthy animals, healthy dairies and healthy food through their world-class portfolio. For more information, visit ⁠DairyWellness.com.⁠ 03:02 Meet Matt & Kelsey04:13 Matt Journey in the Marines05:48 Deployments and Iwo Jima07:26 Kelsey's Path in the Army Reserve 10:23 Dairy After Service15:20 Military Lessons in Dairy18:40 Accountability at Zoetis21:05 Deployment Perspective Shift23:30 First World vs Third World25:39 Advice to Younger Self28:26 What Service Really Means30:02 Brotherhood and Sacrifice36:37 Lessons to Live By

    40 min

  5. May 19

    346 | From the Battlefield to the Barn: Leadership, Teams and Tough Decisions with Greg Shoemaker, Cargill

    Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen interviews Greg Shoemaker, Cargill’s Commercial Director for North America Dairy Nutrition, about leading teams that support dairy producers through nutrition strategy, technology, and on-farm partnership across the US and Canada. Shoemaker shares how his path from rural Pennsylvania roots to a career as a US Army Ranger shaped his leadership approach today ensuring dairy farmers' success.Greg details the power of building trust, clarity and acting as a multiplier by removing barriers. He discusses learning from mistakes, investing in culture during normal times to withstand hard times, maintaining composure under stress, and adopting an “infinite game” mindset focused on long-term success in dairy. This episode is brought to you by Cargill Dairy Nutrition. No two dairies are alike, Cargill Dairy doesn’t expect them to be. When your dairy faces challenges, you need a partner with an original approach. Cargill has their own world-class research labs, developed their own proprietary nutrition software, and fostered an original team approach… all to deliver profitability on YOUR terms. Partner with a nutrition company as original as you are: cargillanimalnutrition.com/original 02:31 Greg's Role at Cargill03:40 What Army Rangers Do05:08 From Military to Cargill07:16 Life in Dairy Consulting08:59 Mission and Values Leadership12:38 Building Culture and Trust15:49 Leading Under Pressure19:18 No Decision Is a Decision21:35 Infinite Game Mindset25:10 Better Questions Better Leadership26:20 Execute Iterate Lesson27:51 Vision for the Team29:11 Rallying Through Tough Times33:49 Morning Routine and Journals35:43 Nonnegotiables and Balance37:11 Hardest Leadership Lesson39:16 Purpose in Dairy Industry40:50 Rapid Fire Leadership Round47:18 Problem Solving and OODA Loop

    52 min

  6. May 14

    345 | From Farm Kid to Risk Advisor | Brandon Weigel on What Dairy Producers Are Missing

    At Central Plains Dairy Expo, Peggy Coffeen caught up with Ever.Ag risk advisor, Brandon Weigel, a Wisconsin farm-raised entrepreneur who started raising show pigs at 12 and later entered risk management through a 4-H club connection. Weigel explains his role managing grain sell-side risk, dairy feed buying risk, and beef-on-dairy price risk, contrasting grain cashflow-driven sales with year-round dairy feed purchasing. He discusses major industry shifts he has observed in his career thus far, including rapid growth in beef-on-dairy breeding and increased market volatility. Ever.Ag partners with dairy producers to build customized risk management plans that help protect margins in any market environment. With dedicated advisors, industry leading technology, and proven tools like Dairy Revenue Protection, we help farms reduce uncertainty and secure long‑term financial strength.  Learn more at https://ever.ag/. 01:40 Farm Roots and Show Pigs 03:44 Entrepreneurship at 12 04:08 4-H Connection to Ever.Ag 04:53 Job Shadow to Career 07:10 Day to Day Risk Advisor 08:39 Lessons and Mentors 10:51 Grain vs. Feed Strategy 11:41 Market Shifts and Volatility 14:07 Emotion vs. Fundamentals 15:50 2026 Outlook Beef and Feed 18:20 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up

    21 min

  7. May 12

    344 | The Profit Gap: What Top Dairy Farms Do Differently

    On this episode of the UpLevel Dairy Podcast, Pauly Paul with Complete Management Consulting is back today to explain what separates thriving dairies from those in crisis. He says the biggest gap comes down to management, especially leaders who delegate but also work alongside employees rather than staying behind a desk. Pauly identifies three core differentiators: understanding financials and avoiding over-borrowing by reviewing budgets and financials monthly or quarterly; leading by example with consistent schedules, walkthroughs, and daily employee interaction; and getting “in the trenches” to understand tasks and improve efficiency, which can quickly turn farms from red to black when his team takes over management. He adds that profitable farms face hard truths and capitalize on opportunities like improving reproduction, semen handling, shot compliance, and breeding for higher-value “black calves,” which he estimates can add significant annual income. This Episode is Brought to you by Complete Management Consulting About Complete Management Consulting www.CompleteManagementConsulting.com⁠⁠completemanagementconsulting@gmail.com⁠920-418-3135 00:00 Why Some Dairies Win 00:49 Two Types of Calls 02:29 Management Makes the Gap 03:01 Hands On Leadership 04:26 Three Profit Drivers 06:06 Know Your Financials 09:05 Lead by Example Daily 10:45 Work in the Barn 12:18 Turning Farms Around Fast 14:15 Black Calf Profit Lever 17:46 Staying Ahead Long Term

    23 min

  8. May 7

    343 | The First 10 Years Back on the Family Farm: Growth, Grit and Gratitude with Zoey Brooks Nelson

    In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen is on-site at Brooks Farms with Zoey Brooks, nearly 10 years after Zoey returned to the family dairy, to discuss growing from 200 to about 700 cows and from four employees to a 15-person team. Zoey shares hard-won lessons about stepping into management, overcoming challenges, building a strong team culture and leading from within, while balancing roles as a young mother raising her children on the farm. She shares how her guiding motto - “Do it scared" - drives her to dig deep and dive in to make her dreams reality.She also highlights a business segment and creative outlet with Black & White Aged Cheddar, the premium aged cheese brand she and her sister Syndney launched during COVID by partnering with Union Star Creamery, made exclusively from Brooks Farms' milk.  This Episode is brought to you by AdisseoThis episode is sponsored by Uplevel Dairy Podcast Founding Partner Adisseo, a global leader in nutritional solutions and premier provider of rumen-protected methionine for dairy producers who want to optimize milk production, capture more value from components, and maintain the health of their high-performing herds. Learn more at https://www.adisseo.com/en/ 01:38 Back Home at Brooks Farms 03:30 Scaling Up Fast 04:09 Failure Is Normal 05:06 Milk Drop Mystery 07:24 Hunting Stray Voltage 09:36 Managing Through Chaos 11:53 Building Team Culture 13:47 From Cow Work to People 15:21 Three Hats on Farm 16:08 Dairy Mom Office Life 17:36 Raising Kids on Farm 18:56 Leading by Example 19:27 Balancing Farm and Family 19:52 Tech That Makes It Work 22:04 Remote Sorting in Winter 22:47 Launching a Farm Cheese Brand 27:52 Black and White Story 28:34 Cheddar Focus and First Taste 30:05 Advice for New Brands 32:37 Growing Distribution Beyond Wisconsin 34:45 Next Decade on the Farm 36:18 Do It Scared

    38 min
See All (346)

Trailer

4.8
out of 5
33 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
    346
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 868329
  • Show Website
    Uplevel Dairy Podcast

You Might Also Like