THE DFD (Dairy Farmer’s Digest) Podcast

Haylage in a day? You don't say!

On this episode of the podcast, I talked to Tom Kilcer, he is one of the pioneers of the "haylage in a day" or the photosynthetic drying concept. 
Tom is very passionate about helping producers make the highest quality feed possible, and has spoke to many farmers, researchers, nutritionists and equipment manufacturers all over North America.
Tom worked as a county Dairy Extension specialist for Cornell University in eastern New York.  He retired from extension and has continued to work as the owner of Advanced AG Systems.  You can reach him at https://advancedagsys.com/ 
I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast.  if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and  please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer

Life’s a garden.....dig it, you gotta make it work for you

On this weeks episode of the podcast, I talk to the man, the myth, the legend Bill Woodley.  Bill is the owner of Woodley Dairy Direction, a consulting company that specializing in training nutritionists on the key concepts of dairy nutrition, Bill has spoken to, and consulted with Dairy producers all over the world.
With protein and grain prices as nearly all-time highs, Bill and I tackle the topic of forage quality and how it can affect feed cost.  We also talk about the physiology of the plant and how the cow utilizes the fiber to make milk,  as well as how different crops feed, and why we may want to consider growing them in the future.
I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast.  if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and  please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer

Billy Madison isn't the only one heading back to school .....

On this episode of the podcast, Dr. Chris Church is back on the DFD.  We have a great discussion about transitions cows.  We touch on a few subjects including DCAD, transition diseases, feeding and grouping strategies.
During this discussion, I pose a question to Dr. Church; Is 3.5 kg's (2.0 kg's of milk fat and 1.5 kg's of milk protein) on a herd average possible?  Chris and I have a great conversation talking about how it can be done!
We also talk about his own transition back to school to get a MBA focusing on what influences profitability on the modern dairy farm. 
I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast.  if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and  please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer

Cow Chow Conversations

On this weeks episode of the podcast, I talk to the always energetic Kelsey Banks.  She is an agronomist in Eastern Ontario, who  has a keen interest in dairy forage crops. 
Kelsey is very passionate about making sure producers work as a team with their agronomist and nutritionist to make the highest quality forages possible.  We had a great conversation about what to look for when scouting field crops and how plant nutrition and cow nutrition are tied together.
I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast.  if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and  please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer

Matt Walker, Texas ranger...I mean dairy doctor

On this week's episode of the podcast, I get the pleasure of talking to Dr. Matt Walker.  Matt along his wife Jaqueline and four daughters own and operate Dairy Doc Holsteins in Woodstock, Ontario.  Matt is also a Vet, and a partner in Oxford Bovine Veterinary Services one of the largest and most progressive dairy focused vet clinics in Canada.
Matt and I have a great discussion on what profitability means to him from a producer and a practitioner's standpoint.
I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast.  if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and  please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer

You are what you eat, so is Betsy!

On this weeks episode of the podcast, I talk to Tony Hall from Lallemand Animal Nutrition.  Tony and I talk about how too make the highest quality silage possible, and how mitigating silage loss relates too profitability of your dairy. 
Tony has extensive experience when it comes too making silage and helping producers reach their goals.   Tony is a world renowned speaker, he has consulted on farms all over the world in his career and has been an incredible resource for me over the years.
I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast.  if you have any questions about this episode or on future episodes of the podcast, please feel free to reach out too me by email at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or by phone at 1 (226) 236-3227 and  please follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer

If you build it, they will come!

On this week's episode of the podcast, I talk with Frank Louwagie from Hillmanor Farms in Mitchell, Ontario.  Frank, along with his wife Heather and kids just moved into a state of the art, cross vented robotic milking facility.  Along with robots, there is also a new calf nursery and Lely vector feeding system.
Building a facility like this can be a daunting task, Frank and I talk about the process from start to finish.
 
I hope you enjoyed this episode of the podcast, if you have any questions, you can contact me at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or you can follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer for show updates and information on upcoming episodes.

Hmmm .... that escalated quickly!

On this week's episode of the podcast, I talk to Dustin Gamble, the commodity purchasing manager for Shur Gain Ontario about the commodity markets.  The markets have been volatile lately, and Dustin helps shed some light on what factors are influencing it from a local and global perspective.
 
I hope you enjoy this week's episode, if you have any questions, you can contact me at keith.schweitzer@trouwnutrition.com or you can follow me on twitter @keithschweitzer for show updates and information on upcoming episodes! 

Too cull .... or not too cull ..... that is the question?!

On this week's episode of the podcast, I talk with Gary Markus, who along with his wife and four kids run Markhill Holsteins in Ingersoll Ontario.   In addition to milking cows, Gary also works as an Elite account manager with Alta Genetics in SW Ontario. 
Gary and I had a great discussion about what criteria he uses to cull animals, it is a tough decision to move on from these animals, but with the right data we can make these decisions a little bit easier and make your operation more profitable 

DFD shorts - Diversifying your dairy business Pt. 1

On this week’s episode on the podcast, Keith Schweitzer talk to Steph Towers, who along with her husband have taken on the responsibilities of rearing another producers calf from week old to short bred.  Over the years, there farm has found interesting ways to expand their cash flow and maximize capital investment!