Progressive Dairy Podcast

Matthew Evangelo sits down with host Matti McBride in this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast to chat about milking Holsteins and Jerseys, mastitis management and vermiculture. Learn about Evangelo’s career in dairy, current management practices and future plans at Bar E Dairy and their commitment to sustainability. Episode breakdown: 1:00 – Rapid-fire questions 2:00 – Evangelo’s background 3:20 – Bar E Dairy 4:25 – Milking cows 2X vs. 3X 6:25 – Milking Holsteins and Jerseys 9:45 – Youngstock management 10:40 – Milking protocol at Bar E 11:50 – Mastitis treatment protocol 13:00 – Advice for improving somatic cell counts 15:00 – Cow comfort 17:00 – Vermifiltration system

On this Progressive Dairy Podcast, Jade Lomax leads a conversation on a research-backed approach to evaluating transition cow performance using data from over 3 million lactation records and 25 cow-level variables. The discussion explores how comparing actual versus predicted energy-corrected milk (ECM) at first test can help identify gaps in transition support, dry period management and early health outcomes – supporting more informed herd decisions earlier in lactation. This episode is sponsored by DRMS. DRMS is a trusted provider of dairy information and decision tools. As a nonprofit with deep ties to NC State and Iowa State universities, we’ve spent over 65 years serving the dairy industry – delivering research-backed software, standardized data and exceptional customer support. Our dedicated team works alongside producers and consultants to ensure they get the training, tools and insights they need. We turn complex herd data into clear, actionable insights that help producers and consultants make informed decisions, every day – through solutions built in collaboration with the dairy industry.

John Cole breaks down indexes and how to effectively use them in your herd on this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast. Cole serves as the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding's chief research and development officer. Learn about the math and data that’s involved in calculating an index, Cole’s recommendations for using indexes and a few new tools from CDCB. Here is the episode breakdown: 1:00 – Rapid-fire questions3:15 – Cole’s background8:20 – Defining an index15:30 – Balancing regional markets within Net Merit19:05 – Utilizing fluid, cheese or grazing merits23:45 – Creating a herd-based index29:25 – Patience with a genetic plan36:10 – First service to conception

Nick Vande Weerd runs Pleasant Dutch Dairy in South Dakota and serves as vice chair for AgriBank. Progressive Dairy Editor Walt Cooley caught up with him after he spoke at the 2025 Precision Dairy Conference, and he had one message that stopped me: You can't expand your way out of a cost problem. In this conversation, Nick walks through how he scrutinizes every line item in his operation, why he's laser-focused on maximizing beef-on-dairy revenue and why a dairy's willingness to adopt technology and evolve with it may predict its staying power in the industry more than its herd size. Here is the episode breakdown: 1:45 – Who is Pleasant Dutch Dairy2:30 – Why data must generate a path to decisions5:10 – What KPI is most meaningful to you?7:15 – What do you consistently that helps you stay on your game?9:40 – How do you communicate with your team and coordinate work?12:30 – What got you interested in being a dairyman full time?14:30 – What financial wisdom would you share with the industry?17:00 – What do you want to do more of, less of?20:30 – How are you maximizing beef-on-dairy revenue in your herd?24:30 – What do you do when not dairying?27:30 – If you could wave a magic wand on your dairy, what would you wish for?29:30 – What's your take on technology's role in consolidation in the dairy industry?