Dairy Stream

Dairy Streamlet: The future of dairy processing

The Dairy Streamlet is a new, condensed version of Dairy Stream that takes the long episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interests you, we encourage you to listen to the April 12 episode. 

Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza talked with Ken Heiman, owner of Nasonville Dairy, and John Jaeggi, coordinator of the Cheese Industry and Applications Program and coordinator of the Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker Program at the Center for Dairy Research (CDR), about processor challenges, how CDR can help and the future of dairy processing and research.

Special thanks to Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin for sponsoring this episode.

About the guests

• Ken Heiman is a Master Cheesemaker who owns Nasonville Dairy in Marshfield, Wisconsin, is an encyclopedia of all things dairy – from cheese’s ancient roots in Egyptian tombs and Greek mythology to the exact time it takes his plant to turn a tanker load of milk into feta. Also, a true Wisconsinite who got his cheesemaker’s license before his driver’s license.
• John Jaeggi is the coordinator of the Cheese Industry and Applications Program at CDR, John is responsible for the coordination and execution of trials and application extensions. In addition John lectures and conducts lab sessions for numerous CDR and company contracted short courses. John has a B.S. in Business and Economics. He is a third generation licensed Wisconsin Cheesemaker with over 45 years of experience in the industry. He has also been a technical judge in many contests including the United States and World Championship Cheese Contest. 
  
  

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. 

Farmers versus Foodies: Who will call the shots for agriculture

Food system outsiders are paving a path and it could be taking agriculture in the wrong direction. Ray Starling, former Special Assistant to the President for Agriculture and currently the General Counsel at the North Carolina Chamber and an Executive Advisor with Aimpoint Research shares the realities of the food system outsider problem and how we can protect our future. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza dives into the topics below with Ray:

• 1:39: Farmer vs food system outsider problem
• 5:42: Ah-ha moment and why be so public about this topic
• 8:37: Cultural trends impacting the problem
• 11:48: How the problem impacts public policy     
• 13:38: How outsiders are leveraging the legal system
• 18:07: When’s the right time to act
• 24:40: Is this a worldwide problem
•  26:16: Importance of exports  
•  27:36: What part of agriculture is the most vulnerable to the problem  
• 30:50: How can we bridge the gap between farmers vs food system outsiders
• 34:42: What is the process to fix the problem
• 40:18: How to safeguard the future of agriculture   
• 42:00: How to protect animal agriculture from a national and international standpoint
• 42:56: How much time do we have to turn this problem around

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

Ray will be speaking at the Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit on May 4-5 in Arlington, VA. 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 at bit.ly/AAA23Summit.

About the guest

Ray Starling is an attorney, public policy professional, law professor, ag system thought leader, former Special Assistant to the President for Agriculture, and farm kid from Autryville, North Carolina with a tremendous passion for the agriculture industry.  With almost three decades of experience in navigating how public policy impacts farmers and agribusiness leaders, Ray has seen a lot, but readily admits we are in the midst of a new era of outside influence in agriculture.   

In his role as Executive Advisor for Aimpoint Research, Ray Starling serves as invaluable resource on public policy and legal developments that have the potential to impact the agri-food value chain.  He continues to serve as general counsel for the NC Chamber of Commerce and president of the NC Chamber Legal Institute as well.  The NC Chamber is the leading business advocacy organization in North Carolina. Its core business is to work in the legislative, regulatory, and political arenas to proactively drive positive change, ensuring that North Carolina is one of the best places in the world to do business.  That work paid off recently when North Carolina was named by CNBC as “America’s Top State for Business,” including agribusiness.   

Prior to joining the NC Chamber team, Ray served as the Chief of Staff to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue where he coordinated execution of the Secretary's policy agenda for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. At the time, the agency employed over 100,000 public servants, and received a budget of over $160 billion annually.  Ray focused on regulatory and deregulatory initiatives and acted as a point of contact for stakeholders throughout agriculture and rural communities.  

He has also served as the principal agriculture advisor to the President of the United States at the White House, as a staff member of the National Economic Council.  Ray has served as chief of staff, lead agriculture advisor, and chief counsel for U.S. Senator Thom Tillis, and was general counsel to Tillis when Tillis was Speaker of the House in the North Carolina legislature. Early in his career, Ray was general counsel to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, serving alongside the state’s beloved elected Commissioner of Agriculture, Steven Troxler. 

Licensed to practice law in North Carolina, Ray has private practice experience and has taught agricultural and food law for several years. He has a bachelor's degree in agricultural education from North Carolina State University (magna cum laude) and a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (with honors). He grew up on a Century Farm in southeastern North Carolina and credits that experience as having more to do with his career path than any other influence or opportunity. His parents continue to farm as does his eldest brother. Ray was a National FFA Officer and is a former 4-H member. He has received numerous honors and awards during his career, including being selected for a Marshall Memorial Fellowship, the flagship leadership development program of the German Marshall Fund.   

He has spoken to hundreds of audiences across the United States, and is known for his folksy storytelling style, and perhaps for his southern accent, all combined with insightful information that drives audience members to think about how we navigate the turbulent future of agriculture.   

Ray resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his wife, Dr. Tina Starling, and daughter, Victoria. 

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: Farmers versus Foodies: Who will call the shots for agriculture

The Dairy Streamlet is a new, condensed version of Dairy Stream that takes the long episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interests you, listen to the full episode on March 22. 

Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza talked with Ray Starling, former Special Assistant to the President for Agriculture and currently the General Counsel at the North Carolina Chamber and an Executive Advisor with Aimpoint Research about the food system outsider problem and how we can protect the future of agriculture.  

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

Ray will be speaking at the Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit on May 4-5 in Arlington, VA. 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 at bit.ly/AAA23Summit.

About the guest

Ray Starling is an attorney, public policy professional, law professor, ag system thought leader, former Special Assistant to the President for Agriculture and farm kid from North Carolina. With almost three decades of experience in navigating how public policy impacts farmers and agribusiness leaders, Ray has seen a lot, but readily admits we are in the midst of a new era of outside influence in agriculture. He is currently the General Counsel at the North Carolina Chamber and also an Executive Advisor with Aimpoint Research.  

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. 

PFAS contamination and possible implications for dairy

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) have recently made headlines and there has been some focus on the dairy community. Courtney Briggs, senior director of government affairs at the American Farm Bureau Federation, shares the basics of PFAS, her experiences working with contaminated dairies and future legislation. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza dives into the topics below with Courtney:

• 1:36: PFAS and the original intention
• 4:21: Where are PFAS commonly found
• 5:15: Clean-up of PFAS contaminated areas
•  6:17: How a farm can get in contact with PFAS   
• 7:52: Testing for PFAS 
• 10:46: PFAS testing in Maine, Michigan and New Mexico
• 11:45: Should the focus be more on PFOA and PFOS
• 12:50: Who should be most worried about PFAS on the food supply chain
•  15:05: Courtney’s experience with dairy farms impacted by PFAS
• 16:25: PFAS contamination, now what
• 18:00: Media narrative with PFAS contamination
• 19:30: How widespread is PFAS  
• 20:57: What actions are being taken to regulate PFAS
• 24:36: If a farm experiences a PFAS contamination tomorrow, what does a farm do?
• 25:31: Research support to understand PFAS
• 26:33: Wisconsin receiving PFAS funding, what will it be used for?
• 27:47: How can all industries work together now on PFAS
• 29:30: PFAS in the next farm bill
• 30:39: What is still unknown about PFAS

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

About the guest

Courtney Briggs serves as the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Senior Director of Government Affairs. Her issue portfolio encompasses Clean Water Act and conservation issues. Courtney’s work focuses on specific issues such as Waters of the United States, nutrient reduction strategies and NRCS conservation compliance. Courtney came to the American Farm Bureau Federation in November 2021. Prior to joining AFBF she served as Senior Federal Legislative Director of Government Affairs at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). For over a decade, Courtney directed the federal lobbying on environment, transportation and land use policies. Courtney currently serves as Chair of the Waters Advocacy Coalition, a multi-industry coalition that focuses on Clean Water Act issues. Prior to joining NAHB, she spent 5 years on Capitol Hill working for Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Courtney grew up outside of Winston-Salem, North Carolina and graduated from Villanova University with a degree in political science. She lives on Capitol Hill with her husband and two young children. 

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: PFAS contamination and possible implications for dairy

The Dairy Streamlet is a new, condensed version of Dairy Stream that takes the long episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interests you, we encourage you to listen to the March 1 episode. 

Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza talked with Courtney Briggs, senior director of government affairs at the American Farm Bureau Federation, about the basics of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), contaminations on dairy farms, implications and future legislation.

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

About the guest

• Courtney Briggs serves as the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Senior Director of Government Affairs. Her issue portfolio encompasses Clean Water Act and conservation issues. Courtney’s work focuses on specific issues such as Waters of the United States, nutrient reduction strategies and NRCS conservation compliance. Courtney came to the American Farm Bureau Federation in November 2021. Prior to joining AFBF she served as Senior Federal Legislative Director of Government Affairs at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). For over a decade, Courtney directed the federal lobbying on environment, transportation and land use policies. Courtney currently serves as Chair of the Waters Advocacy Coalition, a multi-industry coalition that focuses on Clean Water Act issues. Prior to joining NAHB, she spent 5 years on Capitol Hill working for Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Courtney grew up outside of Winston-Salem, North Carolina and graduated from Villanova University with a degree in political science. She lives on Capitol Hill with her husband and two young children.
  
  

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. 

How USDA generates dairy reports and its impact on dairy markets

We are fortunate to have a cutting-edge dairy reporting system in the United States through the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).  Statistician Greg Bussler and Associate Professor Chuck Nicholson dissect the NASS dairy reports and the role it plays with understanding dairy markets. Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza dives into the topics below with Greg and Chuck:

• 1:23: Overview of the National Agricultural Statistics Service and how it generates dairy reports
• 3:48: How dairy farmers are randomly selected   
• 4:08: Handling NASS surveys in other states and regions
• 6:20: Reviewing and analyzing NASS reports
• 8:13: How the reports are used to determine dairy markets
• 11:02: How other countries do dairy reporting
• 13:10: Overcoming the challenge of poor dairy reporting in other countries
• 16:38: How policymakers utilize NASS dairy reports
• 17:29: Role of the U.S. Ag Census, response rate
• 20:52: NASS data helps understand the dairy supply chain, keeping up with innovation
• 24:17: How NASS stays up-to-date with the industry
• 26:25: Data from NASS to keep an eye on
• 26:35: What trends should dairy be tracking outside of agriculture

Special thanks to BMO Harris Bank for sponsoring this episode.

About the guests

• Greg Bussler is the Wisconsin Statistician for the National Agricultural Statistics Service. He grew up on a hog and crop farm in Minnesota. Greg enjoys working with numbers and has been with NASS for over 33 years.  
• Chuck Nicholson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics and the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at the University of Wisconsin—Madison. His position is funded by the Dairy Innovation Hub and focuses on the analysis of dairy markets, policy and supply chains. Chuck teaches undergraduate courses on food systems and supply chains. 

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: How USDA generates dairy reports and its impact on dairy markets

The Dairy Streamlet is a new, condensed version of Dairy Stream that takes the long episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interests you, we encourage you to listen to the Feb. 8 episode. 

Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza talked with Greg Bussler and Chuck Nicholson about how the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) generates dairy reports, the most anticipated, analyzing reports to determine dairy trends and what data to keep an eye on.

Special thanks to BMO Harris Bank for sponsoring this episode.

About the guests

• Greg Bussler is the Wisconsin Statistician for the National Agricultural Statistics Service. He grew up on a hog and crop farm in Minnesota. Greg enjoys working with numbers and has been with NASS for over 33 years.  
• Chuck Nicholson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics and the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at the University of Wisconsin—Madison. His position is funded by the Dairy Innovation Hub and focuses on the analysis of dairy markets, policy and supply chains. Chuck teaches undergraduate courses on food systems and supply chains. 

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. 

Preparing for the next 10 years in dairy

Forecasting the future is no small task. In this episode of Dairy Stream, Iowa dairy farmer Christina Zuiderveen shares how the dairy community can prepare for the next ten years of dairy. New Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza dives into the topics below with Christina:

• 3:12: What was happening with Christina and her farm ten years ago in 2013
• 4:59: What issues will be top of mind from 2023 to 2033
• 11:13: What are the top concerns that we need to start working on right now
• 12:21: What have you automated and what are your plan for automation
• 14:08: What will relationships look like in the next ten years
• 15:52: How should a farm and/or processor communicate about expansion goals
• 17:20: What opportunities do you see in the next ten years
• 21:27: How can farms prepare for challenges and opportunities
• 22:40: How can dairy businesses better support farms
• 25:43: How can we have a better relationship with our policymakers
• 26:35: What trends should dairy be tracking outside of agriculture
• 29:20: What advice do you have for dairymen and women to be successful

Special thanks to Compeer Financial for sponsoring this episode.

About the guest, Christina Zuiderveen

Christina grew up on dairy farms in both California and Michigan. She moved to Iowa in 2012 with her husband, Nate.  They milk 2,700 at their home farm, Black Soil Dairy, in Iowa and also work with her brother, Tim den Dulk, at two sites in South Dakota, Dakota Plains and Mount Hope. With all three sites, they milk about 15,000 cows. Christina has served on the Central Plains Dairy Association board and currently serving on the Iowa State Dairy Association Board and school board of their Christian School. Christina also had the privilege of testifying before the Senate Ag Subcommittee on milk price reform. Along with being a farmer and wife, she is also a mother of three children.

Learn more about the Dairy Strong conference Jan. 18-19 2023 here. 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. 

Dairy Streamlet: Preparing for the next 10 years in dairy

The Dairy Streamlet is a new, condensed version of Dairy Stream that takes the long episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interests you and you’ like to learn more, we encourage you to listen to the Jan. 18 episode. 

Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza asks three questions to dairy farmer, Christina Zuiderveen, about her top concerns for the next ten years in dairy, how farmers should prepare and advice to be successful.

Special thanks to Compeer Financial for sponsoring this episode.

About the guest, Christina Zuiderveen

Christina grew up on dairy farms in both California and Michigan. She moved to Iowa in 2012 with her husband, Nate.  They milk 2,700 at their home farm, Black Soil Dairy, in Iowa and also work with her brother, Tim den Dulk, at two sites in South Dakota, Dakota Plains and Mount Hope. With all three sites, they milk about 15,000 cows. Christina has served on the Central Plains Dairy Association board and currently serving on the Iowa State Dairy Association Board and school board of their Christian School. Christina also had the privilege of testifying before the Senate Ag Subcommittee on milk price reform. Along with being a farmer and wife, she is also a mother of three children.

Learn more about the Dairy Strong conference Jan. 18-19 here, use promocode DAIRYSTREAM to receive 10 percent off your registration. 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. 

Part 2: Looking back with an eye on the future

The first part of this episode was released on Dec. 28 and was a reflection of Dairy Stream and Mike Austin's time as a farm broadcaster and podcast host. This episode dives into listener feedback and the 2023 Dairy Stream focus.

This episode covers:

• 1:41: Feedback from Dairy Stream listeners
• 5:27: Dairy Stream focus for 2023 
• 8:48: Mike's perspective on topics Dairy Stream should focus on 
• 13:27: Mike's closing comments and final signoff 

Learn more about the Dairy Strong conference Jan. 18-19 here, use promocode DAIRYSTREAM to receive 10 percent off your registration. 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.