
336 | April Proofs, Real Cows: Why ‘Milk What You Make’ Is Redefining Genetic Progress
From Uplevel Dairy Podcast by Peggy Coffeen
April 14, 2026 · 53 min · Season 4 · Episode 336
About this episode
Jeff King and Tom Mercuro discuss the future of dairy genetics and the philosophy of 'milk what you make'.
Jeff King & Tom Mercuro on genetics, longevity, and why ‘milk what you make’ is the future On this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, we are joined by Jeff King of Kings Ransom Farm in New York and Tom Mercuro from Mercuro Farms in Maryland—two dairymen who are redefining what real genetic progress looks like. We find out what they are doing to create the kind of cows they want in their barns and why they believe other dairy producers want them too. This isn’t about chasing the top of a list… it’s about milking what they make - breeding cows that last, perform, and put milk in the tank. Plus, Jeff and Tom provide their hot takes on the April Holstein Sire Summary and recent changes to the TPI formula. United Sires is a partnership of well-known Holstein breeders from the United States bringing genetic solutions to dairy producers worldwide. Our mission, “Breed the Best, Better,” reflects the work we have been doing on our farms for generations. As multi-generational dairy farmers, we adhere to a simple yet powerful principle: We Milk What We Make. We understand the importance of breeding cattle that are profitable throughout their lifetimes, functional across all dairy…
People in this episode
Host: Peggy Coffeen
Guests: Jeff King, Tom Mercuro
Topics covered
- genetics
- dairy farming
- milk production
- breeding
- sire summary
- genetic progress
Keywords
- genetic progress
- dairy genetics
- milk production
- Holstein
- breeding cows
- dairy farmers
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Kings Ransom Farm, Mercuro Farms, United Sires, Holstein Sire Summary
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