Kewaunee county in Wisconsin has the second largest number of cows, per acre, of all the counties in the eastern US. It also has a geologic base of fracture bedrock, which makes it highly susceptible to well contamination events. That, along with being located immediately adjacent to the outdoor tourism center of Wisconsin, has led to public conflict and rancor. Dr. Don Niles, Dairy Operations Manager for Pagel’s Family Businesses and Peninsula Pride Farms joins us to discuss the Kewaunee/Door County farming community’s resolution to own their own story and establish greater trust and cohabitation between the agricultural and non-agricultural communities.

Sustainability goals are fast emerging from industries, companies, and individuals, with varying language and science guiding these goals.

Join Dr. Erin Cortus of the University of Minnesota for our latest webinar! The aim of this presentation is to increase our comfort and confidence in conversations about sustainability, the Net Zero Initiative and general environmental stewardship as it relates to dairy production – both within and external to the dairy industry.

Dr. Huw McConochie of Zinpro joins us for a conversation on hoof health. The cow evolved to occupy an environment very different to the one which we provide her. This environment challenges her physiology. Although big improvements have been made to enhance the cow’s environment, there are still improvements that can be made on most dairies to alleviate many of these challenges without impacting the efficiency of work routines. In fact, an environment that has a positive effect of health and welfare can even enhance operational efficiency. Problem cows often consume extra resources in terms of employee time and the occupation of a barn slot that would. Through changes to design and management we can meet some important sustainability goals – Barn slots occupied with healthy, productive and long-lived cows.

Dan Vander Heiden of DeLaval joins us to explore modern day milking system technology and automation and its potential to address present day challenges facing dairymen in the harvest of milk. Together, we review the technologies, primarily rotaries and robots, as they exist today, but will also preview potential labor saving opportunities that may be adaptable to these technologies. Additionally, Dan covered different farm management considerations, farm vision/mission & family dynamics and how they may lend themselves to the best technology adaptation.

Kewaunee county in Wisconsin has the second largest number of cows, per acre, of all the counties in the eastern US. It also has a geologic base of fracture bedrock, which makes it highly susceptible to well contamination events. That, along with being located immediately adjacent to the outdoor tourism center of Wisconsin, has led to public conflict and rancor.

Dr. Don Niles, Dairy Operations Manager for Pagel’s Family Businesses will discuss the Kewaunee/Door County farming community’s resolution to own their own story and establish greater trust and cohabitation between the agricultural and non-agricultural communities on their peninsula.

The back of the barn is where your herd eats, lies, drinks, walks and lives the majority of their lives – make sure it’s as comfortable as possible! Dr. Mike Wolf, consulting veterinarian for VES-Artex, walks us through the freestall barn and provides tangible suggestions to improve the comfort of your cows for both the short and long term.

Please join Huw McConochie of Zinpro for our next webinar. The cow evolved to occupy an environment very different to the one which we provide her. This environment challenges her physiology. Although big improvements have been made to enhance the cow’s environment, there are still improvements that can be made on most dairies to alleviate many of these challenges without impacting the efficiency of work routines. In fact, an environment that has a positive effect of health and welfare can even enhance operational efficiency. Problem cows often consume extra resources in terms of employee time and the occupation of a barn slot that would. Through changes to design and management we can meet some important sustainability goals – Barn slots occupied with healthy, productive and long-lived cows.

An environmental consultant is not always a dairy farmers’ favorite person to deal with. With more and more environmental changes and requirements, many view these changes as more of a cost output with no ROI. Tara Vander Dussen of Elevate Ag is working to bridge that gap as she’s both a dairy farmer and an environmental scientist. She sits down to chat with us about how we can all work better together as we continue to produce food for future generations as efficiently as possible while protecting our resources.

A new frontier is here! Terry Canning, CEO and Co-founder of CattleEye will discuss how far we can go with machine vision and if it could eventually become a complete replacement for wearable animal health precision solutions. He will also delve into why cows may be hiding something but AI can spot it.

Join us for our next webinar where we will explore modern day milking system technology and automation and its potential to address present day challenges facing dairymen in the harvest of milk. Daniel Vander Heiden of DeLaval will address what is seen as the primary challenge (labor) and how technology can help alleviate some of the stress of these challenges. Together, we will also review the technologies, primarily rotaries and robots, as they exist today, but will also preview potential labor saving opportunities that may be adaptable to these technologies. Additionally, Dan will also cover different farm management considerations, farm vision/mission & family dynamics and how they may lend themselves to the best technology adaptation. Finally, no comparisons would be complete without considering the financial ramifications of a potential equipment decision. To that end, Dan will discuss the capital requirements and work some Return on Asset examples.

VES-Artex expert, Charlie Hoffman, will explore how you can use climate and operational data to fine-tune your heat abatement strategy. Our goal? To help you prevent the costly side effects of heat stress before they affect your bottom line.

The back of the barn is where your herd eats, lies, drinks, walks and lives the majority of their lives – make sure it’s as comfortable as possible! Dr. Mike Wolf, consulting veterinarian for VES-Artex, will walk us through the freestall barn and provide tangible suggestions to improve the comfort of your cows for both the short and long term.

Bringing cows to the parlor as clean and as relaxed as possible is fundamental for improving or maintaining excellent udder health. “What do you see” when walking a dairy facility that can impact the overall milk quality and how to manage around these issues? Dr. David Reid of Rocky Ridge Consulting, LLC goes over some basic dairy stockmanship and cow handling skills that can significantly improve cow cleanliness when cows enter the parlor.

Having lots of data is great, but not knowing how to properly utilize it to your dairy’s advantage isn’t so great. Ryan Pearcy of Turntide Technologies discusses tools and best practices to take all of the information from each of your data streams to make effective decisions for your herd.

A new frontier is here! Terry Canning, CEO and Co-founder of CattleEye will discuss how far we can go with machine vision and if it could eventually become a complete replacement for wearable animal health precision solutions. He will also delve into why cows may be hiding something but AI can spot it.