Hannah Vander Poel is a female dairy farmer using social media to advocate for the dairy industry. Under the Instagram name @IDdairygirl, she shares the joys and challenges of dairy farm life from Northern Sky Dairy in Castleford, Idaho. 

Some estimates indicate that by 2040, just 5% of farms will produce 75% or more of America’s agricultural output. But who will be in that 5%?

At the beginning of 2020, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) updated its guidelines for how dehorning should be done on dairy farms. The national organization first established guidelines for this practice in 2014. One significant update in the dehorning guidelines is the recommendation for pain mitigation. Progressive Dairy Editor Walt Cooley spoke with AABP’s Executive Director Fred Gingrich, DVM, about the changes and what they mean on-farm. 

If you’ve ever been around a dairy cattle showring, or picked up a purebred publication, there's a good chance you know the name “Budjon.” One of the most well-known prefixes in today’s registered cattle business, their lengthy list of showring achievements include:

• Six Premier Breeder banners from World Dairy Expo
• Five National Show Supreme Champions
• 200 All-American nominations among the Holstein, Jersey and Red & White breeds
• 100 All-Canadian nominations across all those three breeds as well

Editor Karen Lee sits down with DeLaval President and CEO Joakim Rosengren to hear his views on sustainability, the future of milking equipment, dairy on an international stage and what motivates him during tough times. Rosengren also shares a couple of interesting, yet short-lived, milking equipment innovations that can be found in the company’s museum in Sweden.

Editor Walt Cooley and ag economist Marin Bozic of the University of Minnesota discuss macroeconomic factors that will likely influence the upcoming decade. In this episode, Bozic touches on the importance of a trade deal with China, the increasing automation of jobs in the U.S. economy, U.S. energy independence’s rearranging of geopolitics and the potential impact of the USMCA trade deal being ratified. 

Editor Walt Cooley and Professional Dairy Producers Executive Director Shelly Mayer remind listeners of the reason for the season and challenge all to be grateful for their individual “superpower.” 

Illinois dairyman Andy Lenkaitis converted his home farm Red Shirt Holsteins to robotic milking in 2017. He is also an environmental sales engineer and works for GEA. He assists dairy farms that are transitioning from conventional to robotic milking. In this episode, he talks about his own robotic milking transition, what he’s found is helpful to producers going through their own transitions and the biggest challenges he sees in most transitions to robots. 

In this episode, Editor Peggy Coffeen talks with the Dr. Gordie Jones about a dairy barn design concept he contrived called the all-seasons hybrid barn.

Editor Walt Cooley interviews magazine contributor Andy Junkin. He calls himself a specialist in the decision culture of farmers. In short, he’s a farm family consultant. He’s written several books based on his experience consulting with farms. His most recent book is called Bulletproof Your Farm. It’s a workbook of sorts on how to get your family meeting regularly.