Uplevel Dairy Podcast

Today on Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen invites dairy producers and decision-makers to attend Dairy Strong 2027, hosted by Voice of Milk on January 13–14 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, to step away from daily demands, gain perspective, and discuss workforce, costs, automation, and technology. She previews a conversation on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast with keynote speaker Aidan Connolly, president of Agritech Capital, who shares his innovation background from Alltech, global learning network, and farm experience.Connolly highlights rapid advances in labor-saving robotics, wearables, boluses, and cameras, calling AI a “bullet train moment” for dairy. He warns of “data obesity,” emphasizing clean, automated data collection and AI-enabled analysis to reduce manual entry and improve workforce attraction. He contrasts tech adoption in Europe, China, and Latin America, and discusses rising global dairy protein demand, citing GLP-1 drugs as a major driver.Receive $50 off your Dairy Strong registration with code: DS27-UPLEVELSave the date and register today at Dairystrong.org.00:00 Dairy Strong Invitation00:30 Why Two Days Matter01:25 Meet Aidan Connolly02:35 Welcome Back Interview04:04 Aidan Innovation Journey06:20 Farm Experience Lessons08:56 Tech Transforming Dairies10:43 AI Tsunami Ahead12:10 Data Obesity Problem15:06 Automating Data Entry16:55 Global Dairy Tech Trends20:40 Bullet Train Moment23:36 Protein Demand Shifts24:34 GLP One Impact28:04 Invitation To Attend

This week on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy welcomes back Pauly Paul of Complete Management Consulting to discuss dairies that are barely breaking even after Q3 financials and are seeking improvement before 2027. Benchmarking revealed unusually high labor costs per cow and per hundredweight, prompting deeper on-farm management audits to verify what daily work actually looks like.Pauly describes finding overstaffing, gap-filling behaviors, and excessive cow handling due to protocols, then reorganizing schedules with timestamps, retraining, and potentially bringing outsourced tasks (breeding, hoof trimming, ultrasound) in-house or cutting one to two employees. He also cites over-treatment driven by rumination-monitoring alerts without considering causes like recent vaccination, costing one dairy over $50,000 annually in unnecessary therapeutics. Key recommendations are to keep cash flow current, get a management audit, and conduct quarterly financials to track progress.This Episode is brought to you by Complete Management ConsultingAbout Complete Management Consultingwww.CompleteManagementConsulting.com⁠⁠[email protected]⁠920-418-313500:00 Barely Breaking Even00:52 Benchmarking Red Flags01:59 Reading Cash Flow Backwards02:58 Management Audit Reality Check03:41 Hidden Downtime Overstaffing05:28 Bring Services In-House06:31 Overtreatment From Data Alerts08:24 Mapping Tasks On Paper10:38 What Savings Look Like11:51 Three Moves Before Year End© 2026 Uplevel Companies LLC. All rights reserved.This episode is original content produced by Uplevel Dairy Podcast. Unauthorized reproduction or republication of copyrighted audio, video, or transcripts is prohibited except as permitted by law.Journalists, publishers, and other media outlets referencing this interview are expected to provide accurate attribution to Uplevel Dairy Podcast and the original episode. Permission is required for uses not otherwise permitted by law.Content is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Uplevel Dairy Podcast or its sponsors.

What does it take to build a dairy legacy that continues to move the industry forward?For Pat Maddox's of RuAnn Dairy and Maddox Dairy in California, innovation has been part of the family business for nearly 70 years.In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen visits with Pat at World Dairy Expo to explore his family's history of early adoption, from pioneering facility designs and embryo transfer to today's advancements in cow health monitoring. Pat shares how real-time data from smaXtec bolus technology helps his team identify sick cows earlier, navigate labor challenges and make more informed decisions. He also explains how he evaluates new technology, why he looks for at least a four-to-one return on investment and what advancements he hopes to see next in dairy genetics and cow health.It's a conversation about honoring a legacy while continuing to ask one important question: What if there's a better way?smaXtec is the internal health management system for dairy cows. The unique bolus technology measures internal temperature, rumination, drinking cycles, activity, and more.smaXtec helps dairy farmers of any size make confident, data-driven decisions that lead to healthier cows, fewer treatments, and better performance. With early detection and 24/7 monitoring, dairies can stay ahead of herd health issues and focus on long-term herd success. Find out more: https://smaxtec.com/us/00:00 — A Family Legacy Built on Dairy Innovation01:55 — Three Generations of Dairy Farming in California02:56 — Pat Maddox: The Mindset Behind Early Adoption04:10 — The First TMR Mixers and Freestall Barns in the West05:00 — Pioneering Changes in Milking and Milk Quality05:47 — Golden Genes: Building a Progeny Testing Program06:11 — Exporting Dairy Cattle Around the World07:05 — Getting Started With Embryo Transfer07:57 — How Embryo Transfer Changed the Herd09:13 — Diversifying Through Genetics and Embryo Marketing10:24 — The Fiesta Sale: Bringing the Dairy Community Together12:19 — Continuing the Legacy Through Embryo Technology13:16 — The Biggest Game Changer: Improving Herd Genetics13:36 — Designing a Mega Dairy in the Early 1980s14:26 — Building a Blueprint That Influenced Dairies Worldwide15:06 — Bringing New Technology Inside the Cow15:48 — Implementing smaXtec Before Avian Influenza16:30 — Why Internal Temperature Matters for Early Detection17:36 — Using Real-Time Data to Manage Cow Health18:21 — How Early Detection Helped During Avian Influenza19:19 — Changing Daily Cow Checks With Health Monitoring20:12 — Catching Sick Cows Before Symptoms Become Visible20:49 — Technology and Today’s Dairy Workforce22:18 — Getting the Whole Team Comfortable With Technology23:01 — Sharing Experiences With Other Dairy Producers24:32 — How to Evaluate a New Technology Investment25:09 — Why Pat Looks for a 4-to-1 Return25:51 — What’s Next? The Future of Cow Monitoring26:17 — Measuring Fertility and Embryo Potential27:00 — Breeding for Healthier, More Efficient Cows27:49 — What the Next 10 Years Could Bring for Holsteins29:18 — The Center of the Dairy World: World Dairy Expo30:08 — The Uplevel Challenge: Keep Asking “What If?”

Leadership doesn't always begin in a boardroom. For Taylor Novak of EA Risk, formerly Ever.Ag, it started with showing beef cattle, taking on leadership opportunities at Iowa State University and learning to embrace the unfamiliar.In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Taylor joins Peggy Coffeen at World Dairy Expo to share her growth path from beef cattle and feed sales into the dairy industry and her current role as Business Development Manager at EA Risk.She reflects on the mentors who encouraged her, the experiences that built her confidence and the importance of stepping outside her comfort zone to grow. Taylor also shares how understanding different personalities and adapting communication styles can strengthen relationships across generations and teams.From staying connected to her roots to helping dairy producers succeed, this conversation offers practical lessons for young professionals and anyone looking to become a stronger leader in agriculture.EA Risk, formerly Ever.Ag Risk Management, 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://ea-risk.carrd.co/00:00 — Leadership Lessons Beyond the Boardroom01:56 — Meet Taylor Novak of EA Risk02:12 — Connecting People and Serving Dairy Producers03:15 — From Beef Cattle to the Dairy Industry04:14 — Growing Up Showing Cattle and Staying Connected to the Farm05:27 — How Farm Experience Shapes Customer Relationships06:16 — Finding Her Path and Purpose in Agriculture08:12 — Advice for Young Professionals Finding Their Way08:34 — Leadership Lessons from Iowa State University09:50 — The Mentors Who Encouraged Her to Take a Leap11:01 — Taking Ownership and Leading by Doing12:09 — Motivating Others Through Hands-On Leadership12:29 — Giving Yourself Grace While Growing as a Leader13:15 — The Power of Mentorship15:32 — Adapting Your Communication to Different Personalities16:42 — Leaning on Your Team and Asking Good Questions17:55 — Understanding Generational Differences in Communication20:47 — What Drives Taylor to Serve Agriculture?22:18 — Her Evolution in Ever.Ag and EA Risk23:26 — Rapid-Fire Questions with Taylor26:22 — The Uplevel Challenge: Thank a Mentor and Be One for Someone Else

What is your dairy farm really worth—and does investing $1 million in facilities mean you’ve added $1 million in value? On this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen sits down with Brad Herkenhoff, a Senior Dairy Lending Specialist, and Shelby Borman, a Certified General Appraiser, from Compeer Financial to explore what drives dairy farm appraisals. They discuss rising land values, construction costs and the facility features that can make a property more attractive to potential buyers. The conversation also examines how location, functionality and expansion plans influence appraised value—and why the cost of a project may not match the value it adds. From financing growth to buying property and planning a farm transition, Brad and Shelby explain how an appraisal can be more than a lending requirement.Learn how understanding your farm’s value today can help you make more informed decisions for its future.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/dairy00:00 — What Is Your Dairy Farm Really Worth?00:28 — Meet the Compeer Financial Experts01:26 — Understanding Dairy Appraisals02:00 — Rising Land Values Across the Midwest03:11 — Construction Costs and Facility Values05:27 — Dairy Expansion: Growth Opportunities and Higher Costs07:11 — Which Facility Improvements Add Value?08:02 — Building for the Right Herd Size09:52 — Planning Expansion in Phases11:36 — How Location and Buyer Demand Affect Value13:26 — When a Dairy Farm Is Harder to Sell14:13 — Using Existing Equity to Support Growth15:13 — Planning Capital Investments for the Long Term16:19 — Why an Appraisal Can Help Before You Buy17:14 — Appraisals and Farm Succession Planning18:16 — Establishing a Starting Point for Farm Value19:45 — Why Every Investment Doesn’t Return Dollar for Dollar20:45 — Working With Your Lender and Appraiser21:54 — The Uplevel Challenge: Know Your Farm’s Value22:18 — Turning Appraisal Insights Into Better Decisions