Dairy Stream

Dairy Streamlet: Understanding Climate Smart programs and how to get involved

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of a long Dairy Stream episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, then listen to the full episode on April 24.

With billions of dollars being invested in climate-smart, are farmers participating and how can a farm identify which on-farm project is the best fit? Join Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Drew Kessler, senior scientist at Houston Engineering, as they discuss farmers involvement in Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, choosing the best program, examples of outcomes, watch outs and tools farms can use.

Special thanks to The Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin for sponsoring this episode.

About the guest:

• Drew Kessler is the Senior Scientist at Houston Engineering. He leads Houston Engineering’s Environmental Service Sector. He has been working at Houston Engineering for over 10 years during which he’s grown the company’s connections to the food and dairy industry. Prior to joining Houston, Drew spent 10 years in academia focused on environmental research.

The Farmers for Sustainable Food (FSF) Climate-Smart Project is the culmination of years of proven on-farm, farmer-led sustainability work. We bring extensive experience with farm-level sustainability projects to facilitate locally focused initiatives that support targeted environmental concerns.

Our project stands out among the rest in three important ways:

1. Farmer-driven: No requirement for farmers to implement any specific practices, individual farm groups determine the area of focus.
2. Incentives: Stipends available up to $9,000 a year based on level of participation
3. Hands-on support: Technical support at the farm level to help participants understand their scores and how to leverage their data into management decisions for positive environmental and financial outcomes.

Learn more here: farmersforsustainablefood.com/climate-smart/

This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in precision agriculture

The popularity of UAVs are growing in precision agriculture and we cover the basics capabilities, economics and rules with Dr. Brian Luck, associate professor and extension specialist with UW-Madison. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza dives into the topic below with Brian:

• 1:08: How are UAVs being used
• 4:33: Most popular UAV
• 6:31: Scouting crops
• 11:18: Interrupting data     
• 16:20: What is remote sensing and thermal imagery
• 21:40: Challenges with UAVs
• 25:26: When to use UAVs
• 27:12: Economics
• 29:53: Rules of UAVs
• 36:03: Safety of UAVs
• 39:08: Data protection
• 43.40: Future trends of UAVs

Special thanks to The Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin for sponsoring this episode.

About the guest

• Brian Luck is an associate professor and extension specialist in Biological Systems Engineering in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at UW-Madison. Dr. Luck’s field of interest include machine management, variable rate technology, agricultural “big data” management and remote sensing.  

This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Dairy Streamlet: Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in precision agriculture

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of a long Dairy Stream episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, then listen to the full episode on April 3.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or UAV are playing a role in precision agriculture. Join Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Dr. Brian Luck, associate professor and extension specialist at UW-Madison, as they discuss the most popular UAVs, scouting crops, challenges, economics and safety.

Special thanks to The Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin for sponsoring this episode.

About the guest

• Dr. Brian Luck is an associate professor and extension specialist in Biological Systems Engineering in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at UW-Madison. Dr. Luck’s field of interest include machine management, variable rate technology, agricultural “big data” management and remote sensing.  

This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

"Instability occurs when you mess with the food supply chain"

Recent bans and regulations, globally and nationally, on agriculture have caused negative impacts. Chief Strategy Officer at Kansas Farm Bureau Joel Leftwich paints the reality of the aftermath involving negative regulations on agriculture and how we should be more strategic in targeting the voter. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza dives into the topics below with Joel:

• 1:40: Global examples of negative bans/regulations on agriculture
• 7:25: National examples
• 9:25: Hindsight, what could have been done differently
• 10:58: Strategic about which voter
• 13:43: Why the farmers voice is trusted
• 16:40: How to better engage voters on agricultural topics
• 20:21: Platform to use to engage voters
• 24:40: Topics to cover with voters
• 26:56: Situation like Prop12 happen again?
• 29:55: How to include engaging voters in your business model
• 33:21: How do agriculturalists stay in engaged on trends

Special thanks to the Animal Agriculture Alliance for sponsoring this episode.

Joel will be speaking at the Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit on May 8-9 in Kansas City, MO. It is a one-of-a-kind conference attended by a diverse group of decision makers, including representatives from farms, ranches, allied industries, food processors, restaurants, grocery stores, legislatures, universities, government agencies and media. Registration is available through May 1, learn more here.

About the guest

• Chief Strategy Officer Kansas Farm Bureau President U.S. Agriculture Partnership Fund Joel Leftwich joined Kansas Farm Bureau in 2021 as the organization’s Chief Strategy Officer. Prior to joining Kansas Farm Bureau, Leftwich worked in Washington, D.C. for nearly twenty years with public and private sector experience in food and agriculture policy. Leftwich spent most of his time as staff to Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) serving in the personal office and then on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee as Majority Staff Director. He also worked for Rep. Jim Ryun (R-KS) and the USDA during President George W. Bush’s administration. His private sector experience includes positions with global food and agriculture companies PepsiCo and DuPont. Additionally, he was a Managing Director for the Glover Park Group’s communications and government affairs consulting firm’s Food Team. GPG’s Food Team clients included international food, beverage, animal health, and innovative agriculture companies. As CSO for the Kansas Farm Bureau, Leftwich works with organizational leadership and members to develop and implement new programs and strategies to accomplish KFB’s mission. Examples of KFB’s new initiatives include: Engaged Kansas, a nonpartisan coalition dedicated to recruiting and training candidates for local public service; Rural Kansas Apprenticeship Program, where KFB serves as a federally Registered Apprenticeship Intermediary working with agricultural and rural employers to develop registered apprenticeships; and the U.S. Agriculture Partnership Fund, a 501(c)4 organization focused on public education of the importance of keeping the U.S. food supply safe and affordable. Leftwich received his bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Friends University and a master’s degree from Loyola University of Chicago in political science. 

This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Dairy Streamlet: "Instability occurs when you mess with the food supply chain"

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of a long Dairy Stream episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, then listen to the full episode on March 13.

Past events, like Europe’s Farm to Fork policy and California’s Proposition 12, have negatively impacted the food supply chain. How can we learn from these events and better engage the voters? Join Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Joel Leftwich, Chief Strategy Officer at Kansas Farm Bureau, as they discuss the past situations that negatively impacted agriculture and how we can better engage with voters. 

Special thanks to the Animal Agriculture Alliance for sponsoring this episode.

Joel will be speaking at the Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit on May 8-9 in Kansas City, MO. It is a one-of-a-kind conference attended by a diverse group of decision makers, including representatives from farms, ranches, allied industries, food processors, restaurants, grocery stores, legislatures, universities, government agencies and media. Registration is available through May 1, learn more here.

About the guest

• Chief Strategy Officer Kansas Farm Bureau President U.S. Agriculture Partnership Fund Joel Leftwich joined Kansas Farm Bureau in 2021 as the organization’s Chief Strategy Officer. Prior to joining Kansas Farm Bureau, Leftwich worked in Washington, D.C. for nearly twenty years with public and private sector experience in food and agriculture policy. Leftwich spent most of his time as staff to Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) serving in the personal office and then on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee as Majority Staff Director. He also worked for Rep. Jim Ryun (R-KS) and the USDA during President George W. Bush’s administration. His private sector experience includes positions with global food and agriculture companies PepsiCo and DuPont. Additionally, he was a Managing Director for the Glover Park Group’s communications and government affairs consulting firm’s Food Team. GPG’s Food Team clients included international food, beverage, animal health, and innovative agriculture companies. As CSO for the Kansas Farm Bureau, Leftwich works with organizational leadership and members to develop and implement new programs and strategies to accomplish KFB’s mission. Examples of KFB’s new initiatives include: Engaged Kansas, a nonpartisan coalition dedicated to recruiting and training candidates for local public service; Rural Kansas Apprenticeship Program, where KFB serves as a federally Registered Apprenticeship Intermediary working with agricultural and rural employers to develop registered apprenticeships; and the U.S. Agriculture Partnership Fund, a 501(c)4 organization focused on public education of the importance of keeping the U.S. food supply safe and affordable. Leftwich received his bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Friends University and a master’s degree from Loyola University of Chicago in political science. 

This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Farmer of the Future 2.0

If you’re reading this, then you are obviously thinking about the future of farming. Join Scott Caine, president of Aimpoint Research, to discuss and learn about the Farmer of the Future 2.0, a new study from Aimpoint Research.  We will cover psychographics, tangible and intangible items, key drivers of change and economic uncertainties for the future of agriculture. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza dives into the topic below with Scott:

• 1:21: Farmer of the Future in 2018, why 2.0 now? 
• 2:32: What is the farm gate 
• 3:10: Tangible and intangible items
• 5:04: Generations involved in the study   
• 6:40: What is psychographics
• 7:39: Psychographics for the farmer of the future
• 10:31: Audience segmentation
• 12:02: National security and food security
• 13:34: Preparing the next generation
• 16:32: Geopolitical and economic uncertainties
• 18:25: Five key drivers of change in agriculture
• 19:38: Uncertainties biggest impact on ag
• 21:06: Cybersecurity
• 23:11: Timeline of key drivers of change
• 25:08: Who is responsible for sharing the message
• 28:21: Future predictions
• 29:53 How to be a farmer of the future   

Special thanks to Pivot Bio for sponsoring this episode.

About the guest

• As President of Aimpoint Research, Scott leads the organization in its mission to empower intelligence-driven organizations and give clients a competitive advantage. He's responsible for successfully achieving organizational goals including superior intelligence and operational excellence. 
  Scott is a tenured leader with more than 25 years of organizational leadership experience. He has served in organizations ranging from the United States Army, to small boutique data warehousing consulting firms and large enterprises with diverse roles including Marketing, Operation, Business Systems and Sales. 
  Through these experiences he has honed and gained a diverse set of skills including strategic and sector operations; marketing, marketing research and competitive intelligence; enterprise planning and organizational development; business modeling and strategy; product development and delivery; and strategic business sales. 

This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Dairy Streamlet: Farmer of the Future 2.0

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of Dairy Stream that takes the long episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, we encourage you to listen to the full episode on Feb. 21.

Are you prepared to be the farmer of the future? Join Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza and guest Scott Caine, president of Aimpoint Research, as they discuss geopolitical and economic uncertainties, five key drivers of change, future predictions and how to be a farmer of the future. 

Special thanks to Pivot Bio for sponsoring this episode.

About the guest: Scott Caine

• As President of Aimpoint Research, Scott leads the organization in its mission to empower intelligence-driven organizations and give clients a competitive advantage. He's responsible for successfully achieving organizational goals including superior intelligence and operational excellence. 
  Scott is a tenured leader with more than 25 years of organizational leadership experience. He has served in organizations ranging from the United States Army, to small boutique data warehousing consulting firms and large enterprises with diverse roles including Marketing, Operation, Business Systems and Sales.
  Through these experiences he has honed and gained a diverse set of skills including strategic and sector operations; marketing, marketing research and competitive intelligence; enterprise planning and organizational development; business modeling and strategy; product development and delivery; and strategic business sales. 

This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Hedging 101

It can be intimidating navigating risk management and understanding what is right for your business. We provide the basics of hedging to better understand the process, impacts from outside factors, common terms and more. Our guest Mike North, president of the producer division at Ever.Ag, shares hedging examples and breaks down the basics. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza dives into the topic below with Mike:

• 1:15: Overview of hedging 
• 5:36: Farm bill and risk management  
• 9:51: Who is involved in the hedging process
• 12:36: License and reputable companies  
• 14:00: Why do businesses hedge
• 14:38: Popularity of hedging
• 15:22: Common terms
• 19:53: Outside factors that impact hedging
• 22:41 Current events and risk management
• 28:00: Examples 
• 34:05: How to get started
• 37:20: Future of hedging

Special thanks to Compeer Financial for sponsoring this episode.

About the guest

• Mike has spent nearly 30 years working with both farmers and processors or the end users of agricultural commodities to address and manage their exposure to commodity price risk. Mike applies a comprehensive approach to identifying points of risk and developing an appropriate risk management plan. Mike is currently the President of the Producer Division at Ever.Ag. 

This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Dairy Streamlet: Hedging 101

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of Dairy Stream that takes the long episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, we encourage you to listen to the full episode on Jan. 31.

We are starting with basics on hedging to ensure predictability in your future. In this episode, we cover what is hedging, who is involved, common terms, recommendations on getting started and the future of it.

Special thanks to Compeer Financial for sponsoring this episode.

About the guest

• Mike has spent nearly 30 years working with both farmers and processors or the end users of agricultural commodities to address and manage their exposure to commodity price risk. Mike applies a comprehensive approach to identifying points of risk and developing an appropriate risk management plan. Mike is currently the President of the Producer Division at Ever.Ag. 

This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Message to decision-makers: Oversight on digital technology tools

The development of digital tools has continued to see growth and now has some wondering how it should be monitored. Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, Kip Tom, shares the impact of digital tools on agriculture, balance of regulation and policy, cybersecurity and a message to decision makers. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza dives into the topics below with Kip:

• 1:18: Digital tools and the impact 
• 3:30: Examples of digital tools
• 4:48: How digital tools are changing agriculture
• 6:24: Balance of digital and being monitored
• 7:42: Should policy or regulations be put in place
• 8:59: Example of over regulation
• 10:44: Negative realities of over regulation
• 12:50: Who should monitor digital tools
• 15:50: Compliance of digital tools
• 18:28: Cybersecurity and protecting data
• 19:32: Keeping up with the development of digital tools
• 20:28: Message to decisionmakers
• 22:27: Farmers are the problem solver

 Special thanks to Connecterra for sponsoring this episode.

About the guest

• Kip Tom is the chairman of Tom Farms and the former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture.

This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.  Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing podcast@dairyforward.com. 

Attend Dairy Strong on Jan. 16-18 in Green Bay, Wisconsin to gain firsthand inspiration and discover the challenges and solutions experienced by other farmers when implementing sustainable practices. Gain practical knowledge and motivation to implement practices that will make a positive impact on the environment and farms. Learn more and register at dairystrong.org.