In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy sits down with Doug DeGroff, a seasoned dairy professional who brings the rare perspective of having lived and worked in three of the most prominent dairy regions in the U.S.—New York, Wisconsin, and California. Doug shares his expansive career in the dairy industry, from milking cows on one of New York's most progressive dairies, managing a dairy in Wisconsin, to settling in California's Central Valley.

Now with Progressive Dairy Solutions, Doug recounts his growth in the industry, his role as a mentor, and the resilience it took to overcome life-threatening accidents, including being buried under 20 tons of silage.

Doug also discusses the evolution of large-scale dairies, advancements in genetics and technology, and the importance of family and gratitude. This episode highlights Doug's journey through grit, growth, and a drive to improve both the dairy industry and his personal life.

This Episode is Brought to you by Milc Group

Milc Group is a dairy software company that brings real-time, actionable data to dairy farms across the world. They are dedicated to revolutionizing the dairy industry with their user-friendly cloud-based software. ONE™ by Milc Group is our all-in-one app that brings together all the important aspects of your dairy together in one place. With products such as feed and animal management software, people training, dairy facility monitoring, and scale management, Milc Group is committed to providing producers with the tools they need to succeed.

• ONETM Feed: https://www.milcgroup.com/product/feed
• ONETM Scale: https://www.milcgroup.com/product/scale

00:00 Introduction to Doug DeGroff's Dairy Journey

02:06 Early Life and Career Beginnings

03:37 Transition to California

05:25 Experiences in Dairy Management

13:38 Nutrition Consultancy and Feeder Training

19:05 Silage Avalanche Survivor

22:03 The Significance of Back Braces

23:42 Impact of the First Injury

24:57 The Second Injury and Recovery

27:24 Lessons from Adversity

30:49 Technological Advancements in Dairying

35:13 Future of the Dairy Industry

40:50 Personal Reflections and Career Motivation

42:51 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Welcome to Uplevel Dairy's #1 Most Downloaded Episode!

Over five years ago, dairy farmer Tom Oesch and his partners at Swiss Lane Farms in Michigan defined their vision: To grow to 7,000 cows in seven years. Find out how they are putting that vision into action, transitioning the business from one generation to the next, and growing leaders within their team. And walk away with a renewed motivation from Tom to live life to its fullest NOW.

What you’ll learn:

• The decision to double down on dairying and expand to multiple sites
• Determining core values and using them to make decisions
• Transitioning the business from third to fourth generation
• Living his golden years now
• Growing leaders from within

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Connect with Peggy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠peggy@upleveldairy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen speaks with Mikayla McGee of Jon-De Farms in Baldwin, Wisconsin. With dairy farming roots at Jon-De dating back to 1912, Mikayla shares her journey of returning to her family farm, challenging traditions, and making bold decisions to optimize operations. From right-sizing their dairy herd and adopting a rotary parlor to navigating human resources and maintaining the legacy, Mikayla discusses the blend of innovation and tradition that drives the farm today.

This Episode is Brought to you by Compeer Financial.

Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural America. Our dairy team brings world-class expertise and tailored solutions to support dairy producers’ financial goals and lending needs.
For more information, contact the Compeer Dairy Industry Experts.

Dairy Industry Articles: Gain knowledge from subject matter experts

• 00:00 Introduction to Bold Decisions at Jon-De Farms
• 01:15 Mikayla McGee's Return and Leadership Challenges
• 01:49 Historical Insights and Family Legacy
• 03:57 Transitioning and Finding Her Place
• 08:44 Innovative Changes and Right-Sizing the Dairy
• 14:40 Implementing the Rotary Parlor
• 16:57 Employee Well-being and Work Schedule Adjustments
• 18:29 Technology and Innovations in Dairy Farming
• 20:22 Right-Sizing Philosophy and Financial Decisions
• 22:45 Human Resource Management and Employee Relations
• 27:30 Future Plans and Personal Reflections
• 28:47 Rapid-Fire Questions and Final Thoughts

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen is joined by David Moser, Operations Manager of Oakridge Dairy. David recently attended the 2025 Entre-Leadership Summit in Denver, Colorado, featuring renowned leadership experts such as John Maxwell, Patrick Lencioni, and Jim Collins. He shares highlights from the summit, emphasizing the importance of personal growth, leadership, and effective team management through tools like Working Genius. Additionally, David discusses how leadership principles are applied at Oakridge Dairy, from community involvement to internal team development. The episode underscores the significance of leadership in driving both personal and organizational success.

Learn more about the Entre-Leadership Summit here: https://www.ramseysolutions.com/shows/summit

00:00 Introduction to the Uplevel Dairy Podcast

01:51 Meet David Moser: Operations Manager at Oak Ridge Dairy

02:27 Overview of Oak Ridge Dairy

04:22 Leadership and Personal Growth Insights from Entree Leadership Summit

06:52 Key Takeaways from Top Leadership Speakers

10:29 Implementing Leadership Lessons at Oak Ridge Dairy

13:34 The Importance of Team Dynamics and Working Genius

21:03 Empathy and Culture in Leadership

30:02 Balancing Personal and Professional Growth

38:56 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy podcast, I am joined for part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Don Niles, a veterinarian turned dairyman, to talk more about his significant contributions to dairy farming and sustainability in Northeast Wisconsin.

Dr. Niles shares his passionate journey from city life to dairy farming, emphasizing the importance of innovative practices, cow comfort, and environmental sustainability, with particular focus on how Peninsula Pride Farms—a farmer-led watershed initiative—reinvented local dairy farming by fostering a cooperative and environmentally responsible community.

Throughout the discussion, Dr. Niles provides valuable insights on

• The future of dairy farming

• Addressing key challenges such as attracting the next generation of dairy farmers

• Maintaining high-quality practices amidst environmental scrutiny.

He underscores the necessity of being open to change, fostering community relations, and trusting in new methods and technologies to sustain the dairy industry’s growth and excellence. As he transitions into retirement, Dr. Niles reflects on the impact of his career and the ongoing journey of innovation and improvement in dairy farming.

Subscribe to Uplevel Dairy Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClQ6xQHZ0A1vqHKjRkbtJJA

Enjoy this listener favorite rerun on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast.

Join me on this episode of the Uplevel Dairy podcast as I sit down with the groundbreaking Dr. Don Niles. From his humble beginnings as a veterinarian in Wisconsin to transforming the dairy world, Dr. Niles shares his incredible journey.

This episode delves into the experiences that shaped his career, his partnership with visionary dairyman John Pagel, and the innovative practices they implemented at Dairy Dreams that set new standards in cow comfort and dairy management.

In this episode, Dr. Niles discusses

• the evolution of dairy farming practices with everything from the introduction of advanced barn designs to the adoption of sand bedding for enhanced cow comfort.

• The strategic decisions that paved the way for modern dairy operations.

• And shares personal anecdotes from his travels and collaborations with other dairymen from around the country.

The episode also touches on the legacy of John Pagel and the impact of their joint efforts on the dairy industry. Don’t miss this insightful conversation that offers a deep dive into the technological advancements and high-performance mindsets driving the future of dairying.

The High-Performance Mindset Series is powered by Nedap. Nedap is future-proofing dairy farms by revolutionizing cow-side care through technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering and identification. Listen for more episodes in this series throughout 2024 or catch past episodes in this series below!

• Listen to Episode 36 with Megan Schrupp here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/6H45sTWc4Ib

• 4 High-Impact Actions to Create a Winning Farm Culture with Travis Speirs, Shiloh Dairy

• Dairy Tech in Texas: Managing 8,000 Cows with Activity Monitors featuring Nathan Moroney, Del Rio Dairy

• Protecting His Price and Managing Risk with Nathan Moroney, Del Rio Dairy

• Managing More Cows, More People and More Data with Derrick Josi

• Full-Potential Farming: Reaching the Highest Level of Performance with Cows and People through Technology with Megan Schrupp, NexGen Dairy

• Olympic-level Business, Management and Mindset with Elle Purrier-St. Pierre and Jamie St. Pierre

Subscribe to Uplevel Dairy Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClQ6xQHZ0A1vqHKjRkbtJJA

Want to get new episodes in your inbox? Subscribe here: https://www.upleveldairy.com/subscribe

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy visits Plum Creek Dairy in Fox Lake, Wisconsin, to speak with owners Abe and Mandy, and consultant Pauly Paul from Complete Management Consulting. The episode delves into the history of Plum Creek Dairy, from its origins in custom harvesting and manure handling to its transformation into a thriving dairy farm. Featuring insights on efficiency improvements, a major transition in herd management, and the benefits of cross-training employees, the episode showcases how Abe and Mandy, with Pauly's guidance, successfully expanded their operations and enhanced staff morale.

Listeners will learn about the challenges and triumphs of running an innovative dairy farm, the importance of teamwork, and the value of being open to change and continuous learning.

• 00:00 Introduction to Plum Creek Dairy
• 00:40 Abe and Mandy's Journey into Dairy Farming
• 01:52 Challenges and Transition at Plum Creek Dairy
• 06:39 Reorganizing and Empowering the Team
• 13:35 Expanding Operations and Future Plans
• 21:38 Advice for Aspiring Dairy Farmers
• 25:29 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

This Episode is Sponsored by Complete Management Consulting

Contact Pauly Paul

• www.CompleteManagementConsulting.com

• completemanagementconsulting@gmail.com

• 920-418-3135

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, host Peggy Coffeen welcomes Curtis Bosma from HighGround Dairy for the May market update. The discussion covers significant changes in Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP) and Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) programs, including updated rules and new protections for beef cross calves and cull cows. Curtis provides insights into trends in milk production, the cheese market, butter market, and milk powder exports.

Additionally, they cover key points about the current state of commodity markets, particularly in corn and soybeans, offering strategic advice for dairy producers on margin management.

Grab your May Monthly Market Update here: https://marketing.highgrounddairy.com/producer-market-update-may-2025

This episode is brought to you by

HighGround Dairy provides global dairy market intelligence, insurance services, futures & options brokerage, and advisory programs to a diverse range of dairy market participants throughout the supply chain.

Information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes and is not a solicitation to buy or sell commodities. Opinions expressed are current opinions as of May 16, 2025 at 1 p.m. CST and only represent the views of the speaker and not those of HighGround Trading, unless otherwise expressly noted.