Uplevel Dairy Podcast

Peggy Coffeen
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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

    373 | 2026 International Person of the Year: Robert Chicoine

    Today, Peggy Coffeen interviews Robert Chicoine, World Dairy Expo’s 2026 International Person of the Year, in a collaboration with The Dairy Show. Chicoine recounts how a childhood fascination sparked by Holstein Canada’s journal led him from a dairy farm background to university, a summer at Quebec’s AI center, and a career developing a young sire proving program starting in 1966. He describes advancing data-driven sire selection through herd-mate comparisons, selecting influential Holstein bulls including Hanoverhill Starbuck and Craiglen Sevens Senator, and helping form the Semex Alliance in 1997 to strengthen Canada’s global genetics reach. Chicoine reflects on major industry innovations—frozen semen, sexed semen, genomics, IVF, and embryo freezing—notes rapid genomic-era progress and concerns about inbreeding, and shares leadership lessons on foresight and building strong teams. This episode has been brought to you in collaboration with World Dairy Expo and the Dairy Show Podcast. Save the dates for the 2026 World Dairy Expo taking place September 29 - October 2, 2026. Learn more at https://worlddairyexpo.com/. 01:10 Robert Reacts to Honor 02:02 Holstein Journal Origins 03:59 AI Center Breakthrough 06:36 Building Young Sire Program 08:49 Semex Alliance Vision 12:08 Finding Legendary Bulls 18:38 Tech That Changed Breeding 23:12 Leadership and Teamwork 26:35 Retirement and Future Concerns

  2. 6d ago

    372 | From Days to Hours: The Future of Dairy Diagnostics

    Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen interviews Dr. Kyle Becker, a Heritage Vet Partners veterinarian and former Indiana dairy farm kid who learned to AI cows at 12 and began practicing immediately after graduation. Becker describes his atypical, influencer-style DiSC profile and how it supports team-building, client collaboration, and bridging ownership–employee gaps on modern dairies. He shares using Krishi’s SHERPA Vision technology to rapidly analyze nasal swabs for antibiotic resistance, enabling treatment plans within hours and earlier intervention on the ascending side of a disease “bell curve,” with examples including a stressed calf raiser and a Salmonella Dublin outbreak with no deaths. Becker discusses adapting to changing disease, production, and technology, balancing farmer and veterinarian perspectives, raising five children involved in chores, and prioritizing community service, learning, and farm culture. 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 04:34 Growing Up Dairy05:41 AI School at 1210:47 Choosing Vet Medicine12:56 Thrown Into Practice14:20 Going Solo Consulting15:54 Connector Problem Solver18:28 Rapid Resistance Testing22:32 Managing the Bell Curve26:43 Salmonella Rapid Response28:06 Speed Beats Analysis28:54 Finding The PI Calf30:55 Four Days Saved32:05 Future Of Animal Health35:19 Vet And Farmer Perspective38:24 Family And Farm Chores40:46 Community First Values

  3. Aug 18

    371 | Breeding for the Bottom Line: Genetics That Work in the Real World

    Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy sits down with Luke Getty of Ideal Dairy and Cookiecutter Holsteins in Eastern New York to discuss the role of genetics, technology, and long-term decision-making in building a successful dairy operation. Getty shares the evolution of the family-owned business, which has grown through strategic expansion while also developing a global genetics program. He reflects on the transition to Ideal Dairy, his early skepticism around genomics, and how seeing genomic outliers become top-performing animals changed his perspective. He also discusses how IVF, genomic testing, and intentional breeding decisions have helped accelerate genetic progress and support the dairy's growth. Getty shares how the operation approaches breeding for cows that are moderate in size, productive, healthy, fertile, and built for longevity, with a focus on traits such as strong feet and udders, high components, and mastitis resistance. He also highlights measurable improvements in herd health, including somatic cell count, and explains how genetics can support both current performance and long-term sustainability. 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.com @UnitedSires and @unitedsiresofficial on Instagram. 00:00 Genetics Build Businesses 00:54 Luke’s Genomics Turning Point 03:06 Scaling Ideal Dairy Fast 05:19 Breeding the 10 Year Cow 06:33 United Sires Explained 08:18 Genetics for Every Market 10:36 EU Demand and No Holes Bulls 14:31 Health Traits and Happy Teams 16:10 Mastitis Gains You Can Measure 18:11 Risk Taking and Corrective Mating 19:10 Legacy and Next Generation 21:20 10 Year Vision and Advice

  4. Aug 13

    370 | What the Top 20% of Farm Businesses Do Differently with Dr. David Kohl & Lynn Paulson

    What will separate the most successful farm businesses from the rest over the next decade? Dr. David Kohl and Lynn Paulson of Bell Bank join Peggy Coffeen to discuss the economic and global trends producers should be watching—from consumer demand for protein and AI-driven agriculture to global competition, regenerative agriculture, the coming land transition, and relationship-based lending. They also break down what separates the top 20% of farm businesses: knowing the numbers, having a plan, managing risk, building strong relationships, and consistently doing the small things right. 00:00 – Economic & Global Trends01:05 – Protein & Precision Agriculture02:15 – Following the Consumer03:01 – Global Competition04:37 – The Changing Global Landscape07:18 – Regenerative Agriculture08:58 – Agriculture’s Story to Consumers10:59 – The 2032 Land Opportunity12:42 – Land Ownership vs. Control14:04 – Advice for Young Producers17:09 – Planning & Financial Management20:23 – Family Business Accountability22:01 – Relationship Lending26:33 – What Makes a Good Lender?29:01 – What the Top 20% Do Differently30:32 – Excellence at the Margin

  5. Aug 11

    369 | Beyond the Technology: The People Who Make Dairy Innovation Work

    Technology may be changing the way dairies operate, but it still takes people to make it work. Today, we visit with Bailey Beck of Automated Dairy in Jerome, Idaho, to find out how she stepped into the dairy industry at just 22 years old, tasked with helping producers get more from the software, data and technology they were investing in. In this episode, Bailey shares how she overcame imposter syndrome, earned the trust of dairy producers and built her expertise by staying curious, coachable and willing to learn everything from cow management to electrical systems. She also opens up about balancing a demanding career with raising three young boys, the mentors who helped shape her along the way, and why, even as AI and automation advance, the human side of dairy innovation may be more important than ever. Milc Group is a dairy software company that brings real-time, actionable data to dairy farms across the world. They are dedicated to revolutionizing the dairy industry with their user-friendly cloud-based software. ONE™ by Milc Group is our all-in-one app that brings together all the important aspects of your dairy together in one place. With products such as feed and animal management software, people training, dairy facility monitoring, and scale management, Milc Group is committed to providing producers with tools they need to succeed. 00:00 Meet Bailey Beck 02:27 Her Role at Automated Dairy 03:21 Starting Young in Dairy Tech 04:13 From 4H to Software Support 05:44 Making Tech Actually Work 07:15 Early Win and Confidence 09:05 Be Coachable and Keep Learning 12:57 Mentors Who Made the Difference 14:15 Career and Motherhood Balance 17:38 Self Care and Staying Organized 18:15 Milc Group Tools in the Barn 20:41 Advice to Her Younger Self 21:50 Future of Dairy Technology 25:11 Most Rewarding Moments 26:08 Rapid Fire on Ag Advocacy 28:34 Networking for Young Pros

  6. Aug 6

    368 | Sitting Down With The Next Generation of Golden E Dairy

    Part two of The Uplevel Dairy Podcast features Chris and Tracey Elbe’s children—Ryan, Kim, Matt, and Kyle—discussing their roles at Golden E Dairy and how their dad intentionally “molded” each of them toward different strengths. Ryan oversees broad operations and improvements, coordinating with contractors and advisers; Kim focuses on calves, heifers, and some fieldwork while embracing change and learning ideas from social media; Matt handles shop work, spraying, and equipment problem-solving with a direct, impatient style; Kyle feeds heifers, does hay and fieldwork, and serves as the people-focused communicator with employees and others. Together, they describe choosing to stay on the farm as the dairy expanded and reflect on the challenges of farm transition planning, especially “what if” scenarios and finances, emphasizing the value of starting the conversation early and appreciating their parents addressing transition at a younger age. 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 00:00 Meet the Elbe Kids 01:54 Roles on the Farm 03:38 Dad’s Quiet Molding 06:19 Why They Came Back 10:31 Each Sibling’s Strength 16:39 Succession Talk Realities 19:11 Advice to Start Now 19:54 Transition Timeline

  7. Aug 4

    367 | Golden E Dairy: Building Dreams From the Ground Up

    On the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen visits with the family behind Golden E Dairy in Kewaskum, Wisconsin, where first-generation farmers Chris and Tracey Elbe describe building their dairy from a 64-stall stanchion barn and 250 acres into a self-sufficient enterprise milking 2,900 cows, raising calves, heifers, and steers on site, and operating grain handling and soybean roasting. Chris recounts starting at age nine with calves as pay, learning through hardship, and taking calculated risks to expand from tie-stalls to a parlor and freestalls, then a modern facility with a double-32. Tracey, a former X-ray tech, shares adapting from city life, raising four children who all stayed in the business, and the challenge of letting go during transition. They emphasize hard work, listening to experienced people, strong employees, communication through weekly meetings, and concerns about land costs driven by non-farm uses. 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 00:00 From Nothing to Golden E 01:42 Chris Starts With Calves 03:07 Hard Lessons and Bankruptcy 03:54 Buying the First Farm 06:11 Tie Stall Grind to Parlor 07:23 Scaling to 2900 Cows 09:06 Tracey Finds Her Place 10:04 Raising Kids on the Farm 12:39 Family Roles and Mentors 16:54 Taking Smart Risks 20:39 Tech And Growth Strategy 22:20 Kids Roles On Farm 23:45 Weekly Meetings Transition 26:20 Big Dream Legacy 27:15 People Behind Success 29:56 Letting Go Of Control 33:57 Emotional Handoff Stories 37:05 Threats And Opportunities 39:06 Advice For New Farmers

  8. Jul 30

    366 | Service Before Self: A Dairy Veterinarian's Calling

    Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen talks with Dr. Jared Risser of Dairy Veterinary and Management Services in Goshen, Indiana, about dairy veterinary work as a service-driven career built on trust and relationships. Raised on a Lancaster County, Pennsylvania dairy farm, Risser moved to Indiana in 2017, now serves a 50-mile radius with dairies ranging from 10 cows to 4,000, and describes being a “jack of all trades” for many smaller farms. He shares the variety of his days—herd checks, calvings, surgeries, advisory meetings—and a memorable rabies-suspect euthanasia case requiring lab testing after human exposure. Risser discusses how farm technology, especially activity monitoring systems and AI-assisted data analysis, is improving health detection and management decisions, and reflects on gains in components and productivity, humility in practice, and modeling service for his four-year-old son who sometimes joins farm calls. 01:44 Jared’s Dairy Roots 03:41 Indiana Practice Bubble 05:21 Trust on Farm 06:15 Crazy Days on Call 10:02 Service Meets Tech 11:16 Data and AI Wins 13:09 Health Monitoring Shift 15:44 Future Production Limits 19:14 AI for Vets 20:52 Bringing Kids Along 25:04 Legacy of Service 26:45 Rapid Fire Wisdom 30:03 Relationships Beyond Cows

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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
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    369
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 868329
  • Show Website
    Uplevel Dairy Podcast