Progressive Dairy 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

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 nowHow DDW is using data to support smarter, more sustainable dairy operationsThe 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.

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 questions2:40 – Fairhom Farm5:30 – Farm store8:40 – Kids camp12:50 – Adding value to Fairholm Farm14:15 – Interesting questions Erica has been asked15:00 – Managing the birthing center at local county fair21:30 – Traits Fairhom Farm selects for, how they maintain longevity in herd27:50 – Describing modern dairy technology to consumers30:30 – Advice for others interested in agritourism

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 making13:02 | 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.

Join host Matti McBride on this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast as she chats with California dairy producer Stephen Mast. Learn more about Mast’s dairy, priorities for his herd, how he mates cows and what he is excited about with the August 2026 bull proofs. Episode breakdown: 1:20 – Rapid-fire questions4:20 – Mast’s dairy and background8:15 – Maintaining the dairy footprint14:45 – Repro protocol28:25 – August 2026 proofs and what Mast is excited about35:40 – Balance and longevity – the modern dairy cow45:40 – “There’s a bull for everyone”